Sport and Sustainability

GD132

Dr Edward Loveman

Module Leader

Option - First year only for GSD single honours

Term TBC

10 weeks

15 CATS

10 x 1 hour lectures

10 x 1 hour seminars

Available to students outside GSD on application

Principal Aims

In recent years, the United Nations has recognised the unique potential of sports to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda emphasises that sports do, and will continue to, play a powerful role not only in fostering physical and mental well-being but also in addressing critical global challenges like environmental degradation, social inequality, and economic disparity. Given the reach and influence of sports across diverse populations, sports organisations, athletes, and sporting events have a significant platform to drive progress toward a more sustainable, equitable world. Therefore, this module addresses the need for an understanding of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports and aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to integrate sustainable practices within the sports sector.

Principal Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Understand the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports.
Explore how sustainable practices are integrated into sports.
Develop practical approaches to enhance sustainability in the sports sector.
Critically analyse the ‘power of sport’ in achieving the SDG’s

Employability Skills

This module is designed to focus on applied and real-world Impact: The module emphasises actionable, real-world solutions to global challenges, bridging academic learning with industry practices and preparing students to explore specific sustainability initiatives in different contexts during the rest of their degree.

Indicative syllabus

The module will be split into 3-week blocks focused on each pillar of sustainability. An indicative list of topics is listed by week below (this is subject to change):

Introduction to Sport and Sustainability.
Environmental Impacts of Sports.
Climate Change and Sports.
Sustainable Sport Event Management.
Economic Impact of Sports Events.
Technological Innovation and Sports.
Sponsorship, Branding, and Marketing.
Social Responsibility and Sport.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sports.
Sports and Human Rights.

Assessment

Students are required to focus on one sporting event, club/organisation, company, product etc., and submit an Interdisciplinary Portfolio compromised of three sections:

An environmental impact statement.
An Economic analysis of reporting data.
Sociological reflections.

Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on this page.