The 2026 edition of “ZeroedIn: The Brand Marketing Pulse” is now live.
The 2026 edition of “ZeroedIn: The Brand Marketing Pulse” is now live.
A new global survey of international sports organisations has revealed a significant gap between awareness of climate risk and progress towards net zero.
The survey, conducted by climate technology platform 51toCarbonZero in partnership with Global Sustainable Sport (GSS), gathered responses from organisations around the world. Respondents included international federations, Olympic committees, national clubs, event organisers, and NGOs, providing a broad snapshot of where the sector stands on its sustainability journey.
The findings show that while recognition of climate risk is high, delivery remains slow and fragmented. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said climate change poses a “real” or “extreme” risk to their organisation, and 59% described sustainability as very or extremely important to their operations. Yet only 3% reported making significant progress on emissions reduction, while 28% admitted they are just starting out and 7% said they had made no progress at all.
Just one in ten organisations (10%) said they are currently on track with their climate targets. Almost a third (31%) intend to set greenhouse gas targets but haven’t yet done so, and a further 28% have targets in place but are behind schedule. Measurement is also patchy: while 21% said they measure all scopes of emissions including spectator travel, 28% do not measure their carbon footprint at all.
Collaboration with partners is equally limited. Fewer than half (41%) are currently working with a sustainability partner, and only 3% say those relationships are delivering good progress. Barriers to action include a lack of funding or resources (28%) and low prioritisation by leadership (24%). Confidence in existing carbon inventories is also low, with just 14% describing themselves as “very confident” in their data.
Commercial drivers of change remain inconsistent. Only 7% of organisations said sustainability credentials were “extremely important” in sponsorship discussions, while 27% saw them as not important or not very important. When asked about fans and stakeholders, just 10% believed sustainability was “extremely important” to them, with the majority seeing it as only somewhat or moderately important.
Looking ahead, optimism is cautious. While 90% of respondents believe the industry can reach net zero by 2040, only 3% said it was extremely likely, and 38% believe sport is unlikely to meet the 2030 ambition of halving emissions.
“Sport is uniquely exposed to the risks of climate change – from disrupted schedules to changing fan expectations. This survey shows that while awareness is high, action is lagging. Too many organisations are still without targets, credible measurement or strong sponsorship pressure. The sector needs consistent standards, greater collaboration and clearer accountability to move from ambition to delivery.”
“The global sports community has an opportunity to lead by example on climate, but these findings show the journey is still in its early stages. There’s strong recognition of the risks, but meaningful progress will only come when sustainability is embedded into commercial, operational and partnership decisions.”
The research was designed to provide an exclusive snapshot of where the global sports sector stands on its net zero journey. Responses came from organisations at different levels of sport, from international bodies to grassroots NGOs, reflecting the breadth of the sector’s climate challenge.
At 51toCarbonZero, we’re already working with clubs, federations and governing bodies to turn climate ambition into measurable action. From automated data capture to clear emissions roadmaps and real-time dashboards, our platform helps sports organisations move faster with fewer resources.
With only 3% of organisations reporting significant progress, the time to move from intent to action is now.
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale progress across venues, teams or events, we combine powerful tech with expert support to make net zero possible and practical.