Are We Teaching Sustainability the Way Sport Needs It?

Over the past few years, sustainability has climbed steadily up the priority list in sport. Federations, clubs, and sponsors are now expected to act on everything from climate commitments to social equity and ethical governance. Many are still figuring out what that actually means, and how to do it well.

But what about the next generation of sport professionals?

As someone who works with sport organisations on the strategic side of sustainability – from emissions data and licensing frameworks to education design and integrity risks – I’m increasingly asked to contribute to academic programmes and short courses. I’m always happy to do so. But I’ve also noticed a few recurring challenges in how we approach sustainability education in sport management courses.

These observations aren’t meant as a critique. They’re shared in the spirit of conversation and collaboration because, if we’re serious about sustainability in sport, we need to make sure our teaching prepares people not just to talk about it, but to lead it.

Five gaps I keep seeing

1. Still seen as a niche, not a leadership competency

We don’t position sustainability as part of commercial planning, executive leadership, or innovation strategy yet, increasingly, that’s where it needs to be. If students graduate thinking sustainability is ‘someone else’s job’, we’ve missed a core opportunity.

2. Too much theory, not enough strategy

There’s still a tendency to treat sustainability as a policy topic or a broad value statement. But on the ground, the people responsible for this work are making hard decisions: balancing carbon and revenue, weighing partnerships, negotiating scope, and reporting on impact. Students need exposure to how strategy actually plays out, beyond frameworks and into real-world tension.

3. Over-focus on environmental topics

The climate emergency matters deeply. But the wider sustainability picture in sport also includes equity, inclusion, safe sport, labour conditions, and governance culture. We often teach environmental topics in isolation, instead of framing sustainability as a broader commitment to ethical and responsible decision-making and thereby catching the overlaps.

4. Limited links to actual practice

Many students leave with the impression that everyone in the sector is already doing sustainability well. The reality is more complex. There’s still confusion, indifference, conflicting targets, and enormous variation in capacity between organisations. Students benefit when we show them these real dynamics, and let them test solutions in low-risk learning environments.

5. Little exposure to complexity and compromise

Sustainability work in sport isn’t clean or linear. It’s full of grey areas, internal resistance, and competing priorities. We need to give students the confidence to work with that complexity, and to think beyond compliance.

What I'm working on

Rather than offering one-off guest lectures, I’m now developing short modules and case exercises based on my consulting and reporting work with federations, clubs, and education partners. These are designed to complement existing content – not replace it – and help students think more practically and critically about the sustainability challenges they’re likely to encounter in sport careers.

If you're coordinating or teaching on a sport management programme, and this resonates, I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it, and whether there’s space to collaborate on content development, delivery, or even an informal exchange of ideas.

Let’s talk about where this goes next. Drop me a message via LinkedIn or reach out via email. I’m currently connecting with programmes across Switzerland and internationally.