- Australian sports must be proactive about climate change
- Some administrative bodies are under fire after the report
- The report revealed possible breaches of the duty of care towards players
Sports organizations could expose themselves to legal risks if they fail to tackle climate change, as some of the country’s favorite codes came under fire for their poor response to the issue.
A report from FrontRunners and the Environmental Defenders Office examining the impact of climate change on sports governance highlights potential breaches of the duty of care to players.
It was determined that a breach could occur if they became ill or injured due to heat or poor surface conditions such as flooded grounds, artificial snow or surfaces hardened by drought.
This could also apply to spectators if venue operators fail to protect them from damage caused by extreme weather, the report said.
Games suspended or canceled due to extreme weather could be considered a breach of contract, it emerged, while directors could also face problems if they fail to factor climate change into risk assessments.
Sports organizations such as the AFL (pictured) could expose themselves to legal risks if they fail to tackle climate change properly
It comes as some of the country’s favorite codes – such 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 a heavy downpour, while two A-League players were treated for heat stroke after their match went ahead in a heat of 35 degrees.
The report’s authors assessed 314 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 those organizations’ annual reports published up to September 2023.
“The worst performing sports in terms of climate change and sustainability actions are volleyball, rugby league, athletics, gymnastics, cycling, diving, modern pentathlon and sailing,” the report said.
“Each, apart from publishing guidelines for heat or extreme weather, had no initiatives on climate change or sustainability.”
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Todd Greenberg said he hoped the report would spark conversations between major sporting bodies and players.
“Previous reports have shown that cricket as a summer sport will be one of the worst hit by climate change,” he said.
‘We have already seen this with extreme heat impacting the health of cricketers, and with bushfires disrupting matches during the Black Summer fires.
Pat Cummins’ views on climate change have divided cricket fans in Australia in recent years
“This is why it is (so) important that we all take action across cricket to protect the players and the game we love.”
FrontRunners chief executive Emma Pocock said sports organizations 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 are plenty of opportunities for them to catch up,” she said.
The report called on 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 events, checking whether they were adequately insured, considering climate at board level by including reporting requirements and assessing risks to physical infrastructure.
Sports lawyer Ben Ihle KC said climate change is an “always clear and increasing danger” to both sport and sports administrators.
“Sports organizations and infrastructure managers that fail to recognize and address these legal risks expose themselves to lawsuits brought by athletes, spectators and even commercial partners,” he said.