- Aussie sport needs to be proactive about climate change
- Some governing bodies are under fire after the report
- The report revealed potential breaches of the duty of care towards players
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Sports organizations could open themselves up to legal risks by failing to tackle climate change as some of the country’s favorite codes came under fire for their poor response to the issue.
A report by FrontRunners and the Environmental Defenders Office examining the impact of climate change on sports governance found potential breaches of the duty of care towards players.
It found there could be a breach if they became ill or injured due to heat or poor surface conditions, such as flooded grounds, artificial snow or surfaces hardened by drought.
It could also apply to spectators if venue operators failed to protect them from damage caused by extreme weather, the report claimed.
Play suspended or canceled due to extreme weather could be considered a breach of contract, it found, while directors could also face problems if they failed to consider climate change in risk assessments.
Sports organizations such as the AFL (pictured) can open themselves up to legal risks by not dealing with climate change properly
It comes as some of the country’s favorite codes – as the NRL (pictured) came under fire for their response to the issue in a recently released report
The impact of extreme weather on the sport attracted attention in January when two days of the Australian Open were thrown into chaos by sweltering conditions and heavy downpour, while two A-League players were treated for heat stroke after their match went into 35 degree heat.
The report’s authors reviewed 314 top national and state sports organizations and found that about six percent referenced climate change or sustainability in their strategic plans.
They found only three references to climate change in these organizations’ annual reports published up to September 2023.
“The worst performing sports in terms of climate change and sustainability measures include volleyball, rugby league, athletics, gymnastics, cycling, diving, modern pentathlon and sailing,” the report said.
“All had, when excluding the publication of heat or extreme weather guidance, zero climate change or sustainability initiatives.”
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Todd Greenberg hoped the report would spark conversations between major sporting bodies and players.
“Previous reports have identified that as a summer sport, cricket will be among the hardest hit by climate change,” he said.
‘We have already seen this play out with extreme heat having an impact on cricketers’ health, as well as bushfire smoke disrupting matches during the Black Summer fires.
Pat Cummins’ views on climate change have divided cricket fans in Australia in recent years
“That’s why it’s (so) important that everything we do across cricket to protect the players and the game we love.”
FrontRunner chief executive Emma Pocock said sporting bodies must act quickly to turn things around.
“Sports organizations are lagging behind other parts of our society in meeting the challenges of climate change, but there is ample opportunity for them to catch up,” she said.
The report urged governing bodies to ensure extreme weather policies are up to date to protect players, spectators and officials.
Other recommendations included reviewing contracts for extreme weather issues, checking they had adequate insurance, considering climate at board level by including reporting obligations and reviewing physical infrastructure risks.
Sports lawyer Ben Ihle KC said climate change is an “ever-present and increasing danger” to sports as well as sports administrators.
“Sports organizations and infrastructure operators that fail to recognize and address these legal risks leave themselves open to lawsuits brought by athletes, spectators and even commercial partners,” he said.