REVEALED: Fans attending sporting events across the UK took 1.7MILLION ‘tangible’ actions to help fight against climate change this summer, as Sky celebrates ‘all corners’ of the sporting community coming together to take ‘purposeful’ action
- Sky Zero say fans took over 1.7million actions against climate change in summer
- At the 150th Open, 65% of supporters either brought or bought reusable bottles
- An estimated 600,000 bottles were refilled at the British Grand Prix in July 2022
- The published results come a year after football’s first carbon-neutral match
Fans attending some of the biggest sporting events over summer 2022 collectively took over 1.7million actions to help protect sport from climate change.
Sky Zero has reported 1.74m ‘tangible’ actions taken by supporters throughout the summer, with fans also making almost 10,000 pledges at one-site Sky Zero activations across the country.
In a summer that saw fans in the UK flock to sporting events like the 150th Open, the British Grand Prix, Super League’s Magic Weekend, and the Hundred, supporters showed their efforts to help tackle climate change.
Advised by Rare experts in partnership with Count Us In, Sky verified the results and evaluated the impact of actions taken by fans, helping equip them with measures they can take based on accessibility and impact on emissions and wider systems change.
Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht said: ‘Climate change is something that is threatening sport and wider society, and we are extremely passionate about trying to encourage sports fans to act and make changes in their own lives.
‘To have sports fans taking more than 1.7m tangible actions over the summer of elite sport is great to see and demonstrates what a difference we can continue to make when all corners of the sports industry come together to take purposeful action.’
Sky figures show that 1.7million environmentally-friendly actions were taken by sports fans at numerous events across the UK this summer
Half of fans attending the Hundred this summer took greener methods of transport
An estimated 600,000 bottles were reused at Silverstone as Carlos Sainz won at Silverstone
The main actions that supporters have taken include recycling waste, eating less meat, refilling water bottles, and using more environmentally-friendly methods of transport when either at, or travelling to, venues.
1.25m supporters reused or recycled their waste, as 65% of those attending the 150th Open either bought or brought a reusable bottle, using the Old Course’s free on-site filling stations.
An estimated 600,000 bottles were refilled at Silverstone during July’s British Grand Prix, which was won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
And 50% of those attending the Hundred this summer travelled to venues by greener means than previous, with 69,000 more supporters at venues over the summer choosing a plant-based or vegetarian option.
According to Sky, 65% of supporters at the Open either bought or brought a reusable bottle
That over 1.7m fans would take eco-friendly measures when attending sporting events highlights the commitment reaffirmed in The Glasgow Climate Pact last year, to limit global warming to 1.5C to avert the worst effects of climate change.
And the overwhelmingly encouraging results came a year after football’s first carbon neutral game – dubbed Game Zero – which was staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021 as Spurs met Chelsea.
With the arena powered entirely by renewable energy and both teams arriving at the ground via buses running on green biodiesel, 94% more vegetarian and plant-based meals were bought by attending supporters.
Tottenham hosted Chelsea in football’s first major carbon neutral game in September 2021
Sky Sports viewers can also tune into Football’s Toughest Opponent, a documentary which explores the impact of climate change on football, how football contributes to climate change and what governing bodies, clubs, managers and players are doing to tackle the climate emergency.
Contributors include Ben Mee, Chris Smalling, Jen Beattie, Petr Cech, Ralf Hassenhuttl, Serge Gnabry, Sofie Junge Pedersen and UEFA’s Michele Uva.
Sky has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030, and has promised to help educate fans on the impact that climate change is already having on the world of sport.