Transformative climate resilience and sport mega-events – The case of the Australian Open

Abstract

Adapting to extreme weather events and mitigating greenhouse gases have become critical challenges for sport mega-events. It is clear it is increasingly difficult to host large summer and winter sporting events due to weather extremes such as heat waves, storms or droughts. Extreme heat, in particular, makes events – and event management – less predictable and can have a significant impact on the health of athletes, spectators and staff. International organisations such as the United Nations have called for a rethink, and climate action in sport. At the same time, event organisers are beginning to adapt to the new conditions and develop strategies and measures to reduce event-related greenhouse gases. This paper examines whether sport events can act and function as catalysts for sustainability transitions towards a reduced climate impact. Drawing on the literature on mega-events, urban climate resilience and sustainability transitions, this paper introduces the framework of transformative climate resilience to analyse the climate adaptation and mitigation actions of sport mega-events. Using, as an example, the Australian Open – one of the four largest tennis tournaments in the world – valuable insights are provided into the event's different stakeholders, approaches to climate action, and challenges in building transformative climate resilience.