How sustainable are our sports facilities?

1. How sustainable are our sports facilities? Dr Iain James Senior Lecturer Centre for Sports Surface Technology Cranfield University i.t.james@cranfield.ac.uk

2. Sustainable facilities Environmental sustainability Sustainable sport

4. Key themes Environmental Sustainability Sustainable Sport • Resource consumption • Water • Pollution • Habitat • Climate change • Mitigation • Adaptation • Participation • Revenue generation • Expenditure • Facilities • Quality of surfaces • Durability of surfaces • Tenure

5. UKCP Climate change projections for 2080s All areas of UK warm, summer more than winter (SE England up to +4.2°C) Very little change in annual precipitation totals... Western UK +33% increase in winter precipitation Southern England -40% decrease in summer precipitation Source: UKCP09 Briefing Report June 2009 from ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk

6. Reacting to climate change...

7. Reacting to climate change (preferred model) Adapting to projected effects such as drought and flooding Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Adaptation Mitigation

8. Reducing GHGs Greenhouse Gas Sink? Greenhouse Gas Source?

9. GHG Balance GHG Emission Aeration Spraying Fertiliser Irrigation Soil Mowing GHG Sequestration Trees Other vegetation Turf

10. Modelling greenhouse gas emissions CO2e Data CranTurfC Model Greenhouse gas emissions in g CO2e /m2/y

11. Carbon Footprints for Golf Courses Parkland Golf Course - 430 ± 90 g CO2e m-2 y-1 Parkland Golf Course (without trees) 70 ± 20 g CO2e m-2 y-1 0 ± 20 g CO2e m-2 y-1 Links Golf Course Winter wheat (UK) 242 g CO2e m-2 y-1

12. On the subject of footprints... Water footprint for the Parkland Course 6-12 m3 round-1 Water footprint for Spanish Golf Club Rodríguez-Díaz, J.A., Weatherhead, E.K., GarcíaMorillo, J., and Knox, J.W. (2010). Irrigation and Drainage (in press). Rodríguez-Díaz, J.A., Weatherhead, E.K., and Knox, J.W. (2007). Irrigation and Drainage, 56(5):541-549. 0.15 m3 round-1

13. Case study: The Sustainable Cricket Project Funded by ECB Places With: Dr Andre Daccache, Dr Jerry Knox, Dr Keith Weatherhead, Andy Carmichael

14. Aims • Develop a ‘Climate’ strategy for adaptation and mitigation of: • Future climate projections • Current climate variations • Provide advice and guidance to clubs to achieve the ‘win-wins’ from reducing resource consumption and better preparedness.

15. Irrigation need (max potential soil moisture deficit) Based on UKCP09 50% scenario 1961-1990 (Current benchmark) 2030 2050

16. Benchmarking survey • Conducting structured interviews at clubs in: • Essex/London (dry) • Worcs/Warwks (experience of flooding) • South West (high rainfall, warm) • Wales (high rainfall, warm) • North East (high rainfall, cooler) • At each location: • 1 x county ground (CCC) • 1 x premier league (PL) • 1 x small club (SC) • 2 x intermediate clubs (IC)

17. Water use • 14/16 clubs (surveyed so far) use mains potable water for irrigation • 3/16 abstracting water for irrigation • Grounds water use (10-20% of total water use): • 1 – 25 m3 y-1 (SC/IC) • up to 250 m3 y-1 (PL) • 10 times this where outfields are irrigated (similar to a golf course irrigating tees and greens) • Only 3 clubs have ever stopped watering due to water restrictions (1976) • Clubs insensitive to current water costs

18. Mains water stress 70%

19. Abstraction resource stress

20. Water storage is key. • Total rainfall is not changing – distribution is. • Need to store water from excess winter rainfall • Investment in water storage capacity for winter abstraction • Water harvesting

21. Drought not the only problem Photograph from: Worcs CCC (www.wccc.co.uk)

22. Flooding • 5/16 clubs surveyed to date affected by flooding • Flooding only affects insurance of 3/16 clubs • Clubs experiencing regular flooding appear well adapted (but there are limits) • Only 1/16 clubs have a documented flooding procedure.

23. Flood risk

24. Adaptation • Typically clubs are fundraising to survive not to invest. • Shortfall funded by: • Sponsorship (including donations) • Fundraising • Bar revenue and functions  limited capacity to adapt

25. Initial thinking How can clubs generate more revenue so they can invest? e.g. more functions = more bar revenue?

26. Alternative model How can clubs cut costs to fund investment?

27. Costs • 25 – 45% of costs on grounds • 13 – 30% of costs on energy Reduce impact (mitigation) Cut input costs Improve balance sheet Invest (adaptation)

28. Cutting energy costs • Q: Are your energy bills going up? • A: Yes! • Q: Is this because of price inflation or consumption? • A: Not sure... • Q: Would you consider adaptation such as insulation to reduce consumption? • A: Yes but cannot afford cost...

29. Facilities survey • Majority of building stock from 1960s-1980s. • Designed for use in summer • Difficult to heat cheaply, difficult to insulate... • Common to find cricket clubs on the flood plain

30. Scales of adaptation Cost Cranfield CC Flood and Water Management Plan Energy saving lighting Machinery replacement Building a flood wall Planning & management

31. Integration of environmental and sport sustainability Environmental Sustainability Sustainable Sport • Resource consumption • Water • Pollution • Habitat • Climate change • Mitigation • Adaptation • Participation • Revenue generation • Expenditure • Facilities • Quality of surfaces • Durability of surfaces • Tenure

32. How do we achieve this? • Strategy at ECB level • Strategy at club level • Education: • Helping clubs analyse current practice • Signposting information & resources • Providing guidance (Cranfield/ECB) • Providing training/reinforcement (IOG/ECB)

33. Summary • Sport needs to adapt and mitigate to effects of: • Current climate • Future climate • Other challenges (resource shortfalls, population increase) • Case study of how cricket are doing this reveals close relationship between environmental and sporting sustainability

34. Future sports facilities? • Fewer, more intensively used facilities • Greater sharing among clubs • Alternative funding models • Smaller resource footprints (carbon, water, minerals, chemicals) • Greater participation? • Increased population • Participation = health and social well being (for now) • ‘Better’ summer weather?

35. How sustainable are our sports facilities? Dr Iain James Senior Lecturer Centre for Sports Surface Technology Cranfield University i.t.james@cranfield.ac.uk

36. Carbon foot-printing golf with CranTurfC From: Bartlett MD, James IT. A model of greenhouse gas emissions from the management of turf on two golf courses. Science of the Total Environment

37. Other factors Source: DCMS Climate Change Plan 2010-2012