Eco Athletes: The Sports World Is Lagging Behind on Climate Action—Athletes Must Use Their Voices to Change the Game

While the focus is often placed on the environmental, economic, and social impacts of climate change, its growing effects on major sports tournaments continue to receive far less attention than they deserve—despite posing a direct 

threat to the regularity and success of these events.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or a hypothetical future scenario. It has become a reality imposing itself on sports arenas around the world, reshaping the map of global tournaments in unprecedented ways. From extreme heatwaves to sudden floods, from deteriorating air quality to disrupted seasonal patterns—all of these factors now threaten the temporal and organizational .stability of international competitions

The world has already witnessed the consequences of these threats For example, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the organizing committee was forced to move the tournament from summer to winter due to the extreme heat.

 With climate extremes on the rise, such instances appear to mark the beginning of a new era—one that calls for a comprehensive rethinking of how tournaments are planned and managed.

With major events approaching, such as the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, along with other tournaments in countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland, pressing questions arise: Are we truly prepared to face this climate challenge? And are organizing bodies taking bold steps to adapt to this new reality?

Surface-level actions like rescheduling match dates or improving stadium ventilation are no longer sufficient. This stage requires adopting sustainable hosting strategies, reducing carbon emissions, and limiting air travel related to tournaments. There must also be a clear commitment from international sports federations to climate values and environmental justice. Given its immense public and media influence, sport must take a central role in climate action—not remain on the sidelines.

In an exclusive interview with Al Anbat, Eco Athletes—an international organization focused on empowering athletes to lead on climate issues—stated that the sports world is still responding to the climate crisis at an alarmingly slow pace, despite the existential threat it poses to the sustainability of sport itself.

The organization emphasized that what sports need today is not complex scientific discourse, but a direct human call. As they put it: "Humanity is falling behind in the climate game, and we must begin the comeback now. We want and need a healthy environment in which we can play sports and enjoy watching them. So let’s draw up a game plan!”

According to Eco Athletes, such simple and inspiring messages can have a far greater impact than dozens of scientific reports that fail to reach the wider .public

In its evaluation of the performance of international sports institutions in addressing climate change, Eco Athletes identified three major obstacles that currently hinder effective progress:

Eco Athletes highlighted a practical example of athlete involvement in environmental advocacy, noting that six of its members participated in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics by writing an open letter to the CEO of Lululemon—the official apparel provider for the Canadian team—urging the company to adopt more ambitious climate policies.

The organization confirmed that its role goes beyond merely inspiring athletes. It provides them with full support and empowerment through training programs, including personal mentorship on climate messaging, career guidance in sustainable sports practices, and media coaching. Additionally, it helps athletes connect with commercial partners that align with sustainability values.