Reducing the carbon footprint of spectator and team travel at the University of British Columbia's varsity sports events

• Autores: Matt Dolf, Paul Teehan
• Localización: Sport Management Review, ISSN-e 1441-3523, Vol. 18, Nº. 2, 2015, págs. 244-255
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The carbon footprint of spectator and team travel was analyzed at small-scale varsity sports events held at the University of British Columbia. Sport management literature suggests a need for quantitative environmental impact studies of events, in particular to seek out transport footprint reduction opportunities. This study applies a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based approach to increase methodological rigour and transparency. We analyze travel patterns of spectators and teams and put forward several scenarios for impact reduction. Results show that UBC spectators had a smaller footprint than teams on a per person basis but a larger overall carbon footprint. Although only 4% of the spectators travelled by air, this constituted 52% of total spectator impact. We find the biggest opportunities for footprint reductions by spectators and teams alike are strategies that (a) reduce long-distance air travel, (b) increase vehicle occupancy rates, and (c) encourage low-emission travel mode choices.