The impact of climate change on grassroots sport in Scotland

Grassroots sport plays a key role in health and wellbeing and is at the heart of many communities in Scotland. Risks from climate disruption, including increased flooding, coastal erosion, heavy rainfall and heatwaves, have the potential to impact the grassroots sport sector. This could reduce the Scottish population’s access to sport and the health and wellbeing benefits this brings, as well as make the Scottish Government’s targets for physical activity more difficult to achieve.

To date, research into climate impacts on grassroots sport in Scotland has been limited, as has the policy response.

This report aims to help to fill this gap, by reviewing information on the current and projected climate risks to grassroots sports in Scotland and understanding the current adaptation response to these risks, as well as where further adaptation may be needed and factors that can enable this.

Key findings

• Extreme weather is already impacting Scottish sport, and the frequency and severity of extreme events is expected to worsen due to climate change.
• The specific impacts of climate change vary by sport, but all sports, particularly those played outdoors, face rising costs and reduced participation as result of extreme weather events.
• There is currently very little data available to assess cancellation of sports events and other impacts making it difficult to understand future trends.
• Climate disruption will not affect all places and participants equally. People living in deprived areas will be affect more by rising costs and rural economies that rely on visitors participating in outdoor sports will be impacted by reduced participation.
• Action is already being taken to protect the grassroots sector but there is currently very limited join up planning between sports policies and climate adaptation policies in Scotland.
• There is a strong will to protect grassroots but a lack of knowledge about what action is most effective is hampering efforts.

Lessons for policy

• Training is needed to increase knowledge and awareness of climate impacts, and where further adaptation action is needed, across all levels of the Scottish sports landscape.
• Improved data collection is needed to understand the scale and trends in climate impacts on Scottish grassroots sport.
• Grassroots sport would benefit from inclusion in national and local adaptation planning and risk assessment.
• Grassroots sports organisations have a role to play in building community resilience.
• The alignment of sports facilities funding with adaptation goals would help avoid long-term, maladaptive decisions.

For further information, please read the full report.

If you require the report in an alternative format, such as a Word document, please contact info@climatexchange.org.uk or 0131 651 4783.