How can sport in Ireland play its part to tackle the climate emergency?

COP28 recently agreed that the world needs to transition away from fossil fuels.

For some it was a historic first proper acknowledgement from the United Nations climate change conference of the damage that fossil fuels do to the planet. For others it fell far short of what's needed at a time where climate emergencies have been declared in many countries, including Ireland.

No, you haven't mistakenly clicked on RTÉ's Climate section, which you can find here.

So what does all of this have to do with sport? In 2022 Sport Ireland reported that 1.75 million people participated in sport on a regular basis. This amounted to 43% of the adult population of the state.

For some it might involve putting on a pair of runners and walking down to a local park run. For others, it might be a longer journey to training, a match or even a far away gym.

"Public transport always focuses on commuting," says Gary Marshall, the spokesperson for the Dublin Commuter Coalition.

"But it should include other reasons - one example is facilitating sports events. Whether that's attending big games in stadium. Or young kids travelling to practice.

"At the moment a lot of that travel is parents driving their children around, leading to unnecessary emissions."

In the summer the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that Transport was the only sector of the economy that had seen a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 2021 and 2022.

At a time when other sectors are doing their bit, transport emissions are heading in the wrong direction. But what might a solution look like?

"Clubs organising private buses, parents carpooling, and improved bike lanes that enable children and young people to cycle to training themselves," says Marshall.

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