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https://theconversation.com/from-fifa-to-the-la-clippers-carbon-offset-scandals-are-exposing-the-gap-between-sports-teams-green-promises-and-reality-270428>
"If you go to a pro sports event today, there’s a good chance the stadium or
arena will be powered at least in part by renewable energy. The team likely
takes steps to reduce energy and waste. Some even claim to have net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions, meaning any emissions they still do produce they
offset by paying for projects, such as tree-planting, that reduce greenhouse
gases elsewhere.
The venue upgrades have been impressive – Seattle’s hockey and basketball arena
runs on 100% renewable energy, makes its rink ice from captured rainwater, and
offers free public transit for ticket holders.
But how much of the teams’ offset purchases are actually doing the good that
they claim?
It’s an important question, in part because fans may ultimately pay for those
offsets.
The cost of carbon offsetting in sports varies by organization, with no
industry standard for who pays. Some teams and leagues absorb costs through
their operational budgets, treating carbon neutrality as a core responsibility.
Others pass costs to consumers: Some teams add sustainability fees to ticket
prices to offset each attendee’s carbon footprint. The payment model ultimately
reflects whether an organization views offsetting as an institutional
obligation or a shared responsibility with fans.
Carbon offsets in sports are also in the news, with scandals erupting around
them in connection with sports from FIFA’s 2022 World Cup to basketball’s LA
Clippers.
As sport management researchers, we have been following offset agreements and
other sustainability commitments that teams and sports leagues such as FIFA
have been making to see whether they translate into measurable environmental
outcomes. We see lots of good intentions but also a disturbing amount of
failures and outright fraud."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
