ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

Golf and Climate: What’s the Score?

Driving for Net Zero2 low

North Berwick, Scotland: Golf is a diverse global sport which both impacts and is impacted by changes in climate.

In terms of impact, golf’s greenhouse gas emissions are relatively low compared to other industries, yet still enough to warrant reduction planning. On the other side, golf is vulnerable to both physical and reputational trends in climate change. 

Fortunately, with accelerated leadership, golf can go on to deliver nature-based solutions to climate challenges, be a hub for innovation in business and communities, and significantly influence wider behaviour change.

Golf’s Impacts on Climate

Direct and indirect emissions, including across complex supply chains:

  • Facilities – Transporting and applying products like fertilisers, pesticides, sand, and seed; maintaining turfgrass, including mowing and irrigating; managing clubhouses and maintenance facilities, including features like heating and lighting.
  • Tournaments – Procuring and transporting infrastructure, food, and drink; merchandise: temporary power, including for media; travel and hospitality of players and spectators.
  • Players – Travelling for tournaments and tourism; purchasing equipment, clothing and merchandise: influence on playing expectations.
  • Associations and other organisations – Staff commuting; travelling to tournaments and conferences; running offices and events: procurement.
  • Manufacturers – Production and transportation of goods, equipment, apparel.

Climate Impacts on Golf

Physical

  • Bio-climatic changes – Climate change is creating new challenges for the look and playability of golf courses, including heat and drought stress; access to irrigation water; damage from storms, erosion and flooding; evolving pest and disease pressures. Extreme heat is a challenge for players and fans at an increasing number of golf tournaments.
  • Regulations and cost of resources – As governments accelerate efforts to mitigate climate change, there will be further restrictions on availability of water for irrigation: plant protection products: key sands and aggregates. Costs of fertilisers and energy are also increasing.

Social

  • Public expectations and awareness – As the impacts of climate change continue to cause societal concern, disrupting and displacing communities, golf will come under ever greater scrutiny. Golf, as a recreation, land-use, and sector will face increasing public pressure to deliver proven net positive impacts to people, the environment and in climate action.

Golf’s Opportunities in Climate Action

Beyond priority efforts to reduce direct emission, golf can also play an important wider role in the global movement.

Sequestration and Storage

Nearly 40,000 golfing landscapes with a diverse blend of vegetation that can sequester and store carbon. This includes turfgrasses and natural and semi-natural areas like woods, gorse, and flowers.

Golfers also pay to play and steward these landscapes, thus investing in nature-based solutions that can benefit local communities and wider society – not just in carbon storage, but a whole host of other eco-system services.

Wider Influence and Inspiration

Education and awareness – As one of the world’s most popular outdoor games, golf can illustrate and communicate the impacts of climate change. As well as helping to highlight environmental risks and impacts, such as coastal erosion and drought, the game can proactively promote the value of nature and climate action to tens of millions of players, staff, and spectators.

Media exposure – Golf’s media reach includes hundreds of millions of avid fans and followers. Golf can help popularise sustainability and climate action with playing and non-playing followers around the world.

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