Climate change and sport
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Context of the organization

Climate change and sport

Posted on by Julia Goodfellow-Smith

We often talk about climate change and the impact it is likely to have on future generations. It’s time for us to change this rhetoric – climate change is something that’s already impacting on people’s lives. One example is in the world of sport.

As the Premier League season has just started, we’ll start with the example of football. Football is mainly played in the winter months in the UK. With a 26% increase in winter rainfall since 1900, it’s becoming harder to play – have you ever tried to kick a ball across a field with a coating of water, or to get to a match when all the roads are flooded? In 2013/14 and 2015/16, there was over 150% more rainfall than average, impacting on the grassroots game in particular. Local clubs are losing five weeks every season on average because of bad weather, and with even wetter winters predicted, this is likely to get worse.

Golf courses suffer from the same issues when there’s heavy rain, but the biggest issue that many face at the moment is rising sea levels and increased storms leading to more coastal erosion. Some of our most iconic golf courses are on the coast. The sea at Montrose has moved 70 metres inland since the 1980’s. They are considering the need to move the whole of the links course, which would mean losing a big slice of sporting history.

International cricket is also suffering from adverse weather conditions, with 5% of matches since 2011 having to be stopped. The local game is also being affected. In Cardiff, Glamorgan Cricket Club has lost more than 20,000 overs so far this century because of extreme weather.

Clubs and governing bodies are beginning to recognise the issue and take action to reduce their climate impact, as well as adapting practices to cope with the changes. We worked with Manchester United from when they started their environmental management programme in 2001, through certification to ISO 14001:2004 and their successful transition to ISO 14001:2015 earlier this year. If you would find our expertise helpful for your sports club, call Julia now on 07904 389889.

Statistics used in this blog have been taken from the Climate Coalition’s Game Changer report on climate change and sport.

Is it time to switch to electric vehicles?

Posted on by Julia Goodfellow-Smith

With some car manufacturers offering diesel scrappage schemes and the driving range of electric vehicles increasing all the time, is now the right time to consider switching for your business?

There are over 5,000 charging points in the UK, so, along with the increasing driving range of electric cars, switching is beginning to look more feasible.

Plastic soup – what can you do?

Posted on by Julia Goodfellow-Smith

Recent research has indicated that 85% of all human-made materials found on our beaches are microplastic fibres. These are tiny fibres released from fabrics when they are washed. A domestic washing machine load of poly-cotton will release 137,000 fibres every wash. This figure increases to almost half a million for polyester and almost 3/4 million for acrylic.

Small animals such as shrimp, crab, fish and birds have been found with microplastic fibres in their stomachs, and we know that it’s getting into our food chain.

What can your business do to address this issue? Actions could include changing the fabric you use and/or using filters to capture some of the fibres before they reach our waterways.

Contact Julia on 07904 389889 to explore the options together.

Should you switch to hybrids?

Posted on by Julia Goodfellow-Smith

Petrol/electric hybrid cars have been around for a while, providing a fuel-efficency gain over standard petrol cars. I have noticed recently that similar hybrid technology has now been developed for other vehicles, plant and equipment.

I’ve seen hybrid generators available to hire and buy. Using these instead of standard generators will reduce the amount of diesel you need to have delivered to site, therefore reducing risk of spill, as well as the obvious improvements in energy efficiency, carbon footprint and other air pollution.

Hybrid technology is even being used on vehicles as large as car ferries.

What equipment will your company be buying or hiring in the next few months? You might benefit from some easy environmental, operational and financial wins by looking for and assessing hybrid options.

Leadership, context and the integration of business processes

Posted on by Julia Goodfellow-Smith

One of the leadership requirements of ISO 14001:2015, the international standard for environmental management systems, is to integrate the environmental management system into the organization’s business processes. This is a new requirement that is often overlooked.

When auditing, I often see environmental management teams documenting the issues and interested parties that they have identified, with associated risks and opportunities. On the surface of things, this may seem to meet the requirements of clause 4 of ISO 14001:2015, but this is a clause that really needs board level involvement.

Many management boards already have a risk assessment process. If this is separate to the environmental management team’s process and does not consider environmental issues, then the environmental management system is clearly not integrated into other business processes. This is important because, when integrated, it brings environmental management firmly onto the organization’s agenda at a strategic level.

Involving senior management in the ‘context’ requirements of ISO 14001:2015 provides organizations with real benefits in terms of understanding organizational risks and opportunities, as well as meeting the requirements of ISO 14001. We can help you to make this a truly valuable process. Call Julia today on 07944 389889 to book a review with us.