{"id":3268,"date":"2026-05-01T13:28:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3268"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:57:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:57:22","slug":"what-is-sustainability-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-sport-and-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3268","title":{"rendered":"What is sustainability and what does it have to do with sport and exercise?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jim Lusted<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels<\/em><\/p>\n

Sustainability is an increasingly \u2018hot\u2019 topic in sport and exercise. You will find it featuring in the strategic objectives of many sport organisations who are developing sustainability \u2018objectives\u2019, \u2018plans\u2019, \u00a0\u2018policies\u2019 and the like. You may have also heard it mentioned alongside major sporting events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the FIFA World Cup (see the sustainability strategy for the 2026 competition here<\/a>). There is also an increasing recognition that many sports (at least in their current form) are \u2018unsustainable\u2019; that is, if things stay as they are, activities like winter sports or exercising in extremely hot climates are going to look very different in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 what exactly is sustainability? What does it consist of? How might someone \u2013 whether an individual or a global organisation – go about being \u2018sustainable\u2019? What might be considered \u2018unsustainable\u2019? And what has all this got to do with sport and exercise? I have written this blog give you a short, snappy guide to the term, so that when you come across it next time, you might feel a little clearer about what it means.<\/p>\n

Sustainability – a definition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with a broad definition. One of the most common definitions used here is the one that comes from the United Nations (UN) Bruntland Commission from way back in 1987, which describes sustainability as:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026meet[ing] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs\u201d <\/em>(Bruntland Commission, 1987)<\/a><\/p>\n

This comes from a huge 300-page report that was produced by the commission. If you are curious, you can find it in the link above – skip to point 27 of Part 1 of the report to read the full passage. The reference to meeting people\u2019s needs<\/em> means how we make use of the planet\u2019s natural resources, such as trees, water, oil and land in our daily lives. In simple terms, sustainability means ensuring we make use of such resources in a way that protects their availability for future generations.<\/p>\n

Two of the major outcomes of unsustainable practices that have been a feature of recent history relate to<\/p>\n