Impact Week 2025

SportsPro’s first themed week of the year shines a light on sport’s social and environmental impact – and what’s being done within the industry to maximise the former whilst minimising the latter.

With contributions and insights from those driving sport’s progress towards a more sustainable future, including RSK Group, Ottawa Tourism and the World Rally Championship, this full week of content and takeover of SportsPro’s channels will address:

• Soccer’s dependency on fossil fuels and what’s being done within the game to reduce its carbon footprint
• How the World Rally Championship is taking climate action and boosting gender diversity
• Why government intervention will be critical to advancing the sport and climate agenda
• What the ongoing rollback of DEI programmes at major corporations could mean for sport

On Wednesday, the next SportsPro Insider Series virtual event will discuss the complexities of driving positive change in the sports industry. The two-part webinar will feature leading experts from Uefa, Hockey Canada, Sport Positive, Ottawa Tourism, Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, La Tablée des Chefs and Udinese Calcio. Register for the event here.

And to round off the week, the fifth annual SportsPro Hackathon – running from Friday to Sunday – will see top university students from around the globe come up with creative solutions to contribute to driving social, financial and environmental innovation within the sports industry.

Check back here for daily releases and sign up to the SportsPro Daily newsletter to have every piece of content delivered directly to your inbox.

Part one | Government engagement is critical to advancing the sport and climate agenda

Sport has made incredible progress on climate over the past four years, but we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface. Writer and consultant Barney Weston argues that government intervention could be the most significant development yet.

Part two | How keeping things real powers E.ON’s sport for good strategy

Energy provider E.ON’s sport for good strategy boils down to one key question: ‘Is it real?’ Authenticity may be an overused buzzword in sports marketing nowadays but for Scott Somerville, director of external affairs at E.ON UK, it means everything.

Part three | Where’s the passion for ESR gone?

Nick Rewcastle, managing director of New Reach PR, assesses the motivations behind the recent lack of progress in environmental and social responsibility in sport.

Part four | Uncovering the impact of the FIA World Rally Championship’s sustainability strategy

BlackBook Motorsport talks to key WRC executives to evaluate the series’ sustainability initiatives so far and looks at how these efforts are driving the future direction of the championship.

Part five | Can soccer kick its fossil fuel dependency?

Do high-carbon companies have a place in soccer? Is it necessary for clubs to take short-haul flights and replace their kit every season? Who’s holding governing bodies to account? As the beautiful game faces up to the harsh realities of climate change, SportsPro assesses what’s being done to reduce the sport’s environmental impact.

Part six | How sustainable infrastructure can transform your sports business

Wayne Mumford, sports and leisure director at RSK Group, joins the SportsPro Podcast to discuss why sports organisations need to get serious about environmental sustainability – not only for the good of the planet, but for the benefit of their balance sheet.

Part seven | Corporate America is turning its back on DEI. Should women’s sports be worried?

Donald Trump’s ‘war on woke’ has compelled the likes of Google, Molson Coors and Target to scale back their DEI initiatives while other companies stand by theirs. Some experts believe brands might use this as an opportunity to revisit their sponsorships in women’s sport, which could expose those who have been investing for the wrong reasons.

Go deeper on sports sustainability

Soccer struggles to tackle environmental impact as annual emissions hit 66m tCO2e

How a PSG-Marseille game became a springboard for more sustainable sporting events

Two thirds of UK fans believe soccer should be more sustainable

Four things brands must consider when investing in sport for good initiatives