In cold countries and mountainous regions, global warming changes the seasons particularly by shortening cold and snowy winters. Therefore, sports depending on snow and ice have to adapt their practices according to the new circumstances. Nowadays, many ski resorts are already suffering financial losses as a result of a shorter season. There are, of course, snow machines, but they are expensive to operate and will be even more unprofitable in the future when temperatures increase. The poor snow conditions have caused delays for many Winter Olympic events and have made training harder for winter sports athletes.

Memorable host cities for the Winter Olympics would not have a chance of reliably hosting the Games amid climate change, since even machine-made snow would melt away. It is likely that only 10 of the last 19 Winter Olympics locations would be cold enough by 2050 to stage the Games. By then, internationally renowned Olympic sites, such as Sochi, Grenoble, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Chamonix, Vancouver, Squaw Valley, Sarajevo, Oslo and Innsbruck, would no longer be “climate reliable”.

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In the southern hemisphere a wide range of sports are also at risk. Extreme weather, such as heat waves, droughts, violent storms, tornados and hurricanes are challenges to sports enthusiasts and professional athletes alike.
Irrigating football fields and golf courses becomes expensive or unsustainable. An increasing number of people exercise at air-conditioned indoor facilities, and suffering from heat-related injuries has become more common.

At the annual Los Angeles Marathon, dozens were taken to hospital because of the heat. Another example is the extreme heat policy in place at the Australian Open tennis tournament to protect the players by suspending games if needed. Due to heavy equipment, players of American football are struggling with hot temperatures and the death rate during games has increased.

Professional athletes are idols and role models for many and as such their actions can be highly influential. By spreading knowledge and information about climate issues, for instance in social media, professional athletes can get the message across to audiences that environmental organizations, scientists and politicians do not necessarily reach. Many top athletes – such as snowboarder Enni Rukajärvi, skier Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, ex freestyle skier Pekka Hyysalo, alpine skier Merle Soppela, swimmer Thiago Perreira, hockey player Andrew Ference and cycling champion Antonio Garnero – have signed on to spread the word about climate change.

In addition to individual athlete activists, climate change is being fought by various international sport-related campaigns and communities, such as the Olympic Movement, #Sport4Climate, Pond Hockey and Protect Our Winters (POW). POW is an international community, which offers a platform for professional athletes to lead the change towards positive climate action by mobilizing winter sports enthusiasts and winter sports businesses and communities to save winters.

In addition to spreading the word about climate change, the sports world has taken practical steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The National Hockey League (NHL) has invested in detailed sustainability reports and aims to cut carbon emissions. The decision was based on the fact that frozen ponds and lakes and other traditionally essential spots for playing hockey, rely on winter weather.

According to the NHL sustainability report, most of the greenhouse gas emissions are due to electricity usage at ice hockey arenas, and the NHL is now implementing more energy efficient alternatives. It is also cutting down on food waste at the venues by donating surplus food to charities.

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Today, Europeans commute a daily average distance of 40–50 kilometres and 80% of the journeys are done by car. Domestic transport emissions correspond to 20% of Finland’s total emissions and road traffic emissions account for more than 70% of the total transport emissions. After air travel, motoring has the highest per unit emissions level per kilometre. In addition to carbon dioxide emissions, motoring causes particle emissions, congestion and noise pollution. When looking at emissions caused by personal mobility, an individual’s place of residence becomes the single most influential factor. In sparely populated areas distances can be long and result in more kilometres travelled per day compared to dense urban areas. Commutes to holiday homes and tourism also increase emissions.

For longer journeys, car emissions can be reduced through using public transport, car pools or energy-efficient driving if car is a necessity. For shorter journeys, cycling and walking are great ways to reduce emissions since they are carbon neutral. Environmentally friendly exercise is also good for health.

Most emissions from leisure activities result from car commuting. If one chooses to keep their leisure activities eco-friendly, increasing the amount of walking, cycling or the use of public transport are good options. Some leisure activities, such as motor sports and activities that require space heating or cooling, greatly increase carbon emissions. Jogging outdoors consumes six times less natural resources than a workout at the gym and eleven times less than a swim session at a swim centre. A 15 km car drive to a leisure activity triples the amount of its emissions.

Winter cycling is a great way to get around even in cold countries. In the future, winters will have less snow, but even in snowy conditions winter cycling is a great, ecological and healthy way to exercise if you are prepared for the weather and riding conditions by having the right clothing.

Climate change tends to trigger strong and negative emotions, such as distress, fear and powerlessness, which are often denied or suppressed. Physical activity is not only a hands-on way to reduce carbon emissions, but it also helps us to understand climate change on a deeper level and process emotions.

Many active and external methods, such as music, visual arts and dance, encourage self-expression and the processing of emotions, since they facilitate connection with our emotions, rather than simply talking to someone. These methods aim to provide an opportunity to open up and connect with our own resources without strict rules or previous experience. What matters is not the result but the process. A group provides a safe environment to explore and discover emotions, moods, patterns and beliefs we may have never acknowledged before