Climate change is already reshaping sport. From extreme heat affecting football tournaments to wildfire smoke disrupting competitions and declining snow threatening winter sports, athletes are increasingly experiencing the impacts of a changing climate first-hand.
A new article by Dr Sam Hampton, Senior Researcher at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the University of Oxford, and Research Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, explores how sports stars could use their influence to help accelerate climate action.
The article draws on research from the Climate Leadership Research Centre at the University of Oxford and CAST carried out by Dr Hampton and CLRC and CAST colleague Professor Steve Westlake, examining how influential individuals can become effective climate communicators.
Professional footballer and environmentalist Morten Thorsby, founded We Play Green "A global movement born from the belief that football can help protect and restore the planet we play on".
Dr Hampton argues that athletes have a unique role to play because they are not speaking about climate change as an abstract issue. They are experiencing its effects directly through the sports they compete in. This lived experience can make their voices particularly powerful with fans and wider audiences.
Some athletes have already begun using their platforms to speak about climate change, including Norwegian footballer Morten Thorsby and former Arsenal and Spain defender Héctor Bellerín. Their influence comes not from presenting themselves as perfect environmental role models, but from being open about the challenges and contradictions they face as professional athletes operating within high-carbon systems.
Research suggests that people often respond more positively to leaders who acknowledge these tensions rather than presenting themselves as having all the answers. Climate leadership does not require personal perfection; it requires honesty, credibility and a willingness to encourage change.
The article also highlights the importance of collective action. Networks that bring athletes together can help reduce the personal risks of speaking out and demonstrate that climate concern is shared across the sporting community.
The Climate Leadership Research Centre is now recruiting 300 high-profile leaders, including international athletes, to explore how influential people can be supported to communicate effectively about climate action.
As climate change increasingly affects the conditions in which sport is played, athletes have an opportunity to help audiences understand that this is not a distant environmental challenge, but an issue already affecting the games they love.
Read the full article in The Conversation: How sports stars can also be influential climate leaders