Watch the conversation on YouTube here
Klimakultur invited Manuel Suter and Pascal Stegman to a conversation about their research article: Climate Action Delay Discourses in the Sports Sector: Insights From Interviews With Athletes and Staff. Link to article
The article was published January 30th 2026, Sustainable Development.
Suter and Stegman talk about their findings of five different discourses that justify inaction or inadequate efforts on climate in the sports sector.
One of the hinders to climate action in sports described in the article is: Reject the Need for Urgency: Focus on Incremental Measures That Everyone Supports
This discourse includes a focus that technological approaches e.g., electric cars and renewable energy solutions are often considered sufficient to address climate change.
The researchers explain in the recording how this focus on incremental measures leads to a delay in climate action.
System-related narratives emphasized being trapped in the climate-damaging system of international elite sport and stressed the need for leadership from other stakeholders inside and outside the sports sector.
The discourses raised differences between athletes and sports federation employees. The study highlights the need to address both cognitive and structural dimensions of climate action delay and outlines approaches to challenge these discourses within the sports sector.
