Three decades ago, tobacco companies were put on the sports sponsorship blacklist. A 1962 Royal College of Physicians of London report about the dangers of smoking had finally prompted the Australian Government to endeavour to eradicate tobacco advertising. The concept gained traction in the increasingly health-conscious 1980s, seeing removal of ads from places like newspapers, billboards and cinemas. A Prohibition Act was officially enforced in 1992, with all tobacco sponsorship phased out by 30 April 1996.

As a result, Australians no longer see cover drives crashing into the Benson and Hedges advertising boards on the field or see the rugby league champions hold the Winfield Cup aloft. Instead, they see Australian cricketers endorsing Alinta Energy and the Wallabies sporting Santos on their playing tops.

Now there is a changing national consciousness about yet another danger in Australian sport – climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest issues impacting Australians today, with the surface air temperature at its warmest since records began in 1910. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that an El Niño summer is expected this year, in a season that has already seen many parts of Australia reach record temperatures throughout September.

Recently, Fremantle Football Club copped criticism for extending their sponsorship agreement with Woodside Energy until 2025, to take the length of their partnership to 15 years. Greens leader Adam Bandt labelled the decision as a “disappointing free kick to the fossil fuel industry”, while former Wallabies captain David Pocock believes Woodside Energy are only trying to “maximise profits”.

Woodside were the eighth highest carbon emitter during the 2021/22 period. Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) Campaigns Director Paul Sinclair tells upstart that while the Dockers are looking to become more environmentally friendly through their sustainability plan, their sponsorship deal makes this mission redundant.

“It’s really lovely that [Fremantle have a sustainability plan] but I don’t know how many LED lights you have to put in to offset 1.3 billion tonnes of pollution,” he says.

“You’ve got to coat [Optus Stadium] in lightbulbs for a billion years. It’s just nonsensical.”

To illustrate the issue, he points to the energy company’s most recent aspirations.

“Woodside are trying to get a project up that’ll produce 1.3 billion tonnes of pollution. The whole of Australia produces 500 million tonnes,” he says.

“The media release says that [Fremantle] are proud to work with Woodside who are a key player in Australia’s energy transition. Woodside are 100 percent a gas company. It’s the thing they sell.”

Sponsorship deals like these provide a poor example to the community, according to Sinclair, who believes that it should be the due diligence of elite sporting organisations to be more eco-friendly.

“[These sporting organisations] are there to act as stewards of the game,” he says.

“That means they need to work in the best interests of the game, not just their corporate interests or their bank accounts.”

At the grassroots sports level, however, sustainability measures are being undertaken to combat climate change in a range of places. For example, Fitzroy Football Club and the Yarra City Council are currently working together to make Brunswick Street Oval more energy and water efficient, using a range of strategies. The Hamilton Junior Football Club are also on the trajectory towards a net-zero future, installing solar panels on their new pavilion in February 2022.

However, a club who pioneered the change to a sustainable future at grassroots level is the Goodwood Football Club. In 2019, the local South Australian club began redevelopment of their facilities to make them more eco-friendly. Partnering with Circular Energy, they transitioned to LED lighting, as well as other initiatives like solar panels and renewable air conditioning. They have also undergone an energy audit and are now working with the company to prepare a sustainability plan. President, Craig Scott, says that as a focal point within the community, he believes that it is the responsibility of the club to set an example when it comes to climate change.

“Sporting clubs should reflect your community and I think the community as a whole should take an interest in the environment,” he tells upstart.

“I’m extremely environmental. I really am concerned about the environment. I’m passionate about it. So it was very easy to explain to the committee how we can benefit our club and also our environment.”

Making these changes has helped the Goodwood Saints immensely when it comes to sponsorship deals. Sinclair spoke about a conversation he had with Scott in relation to the club’s initiative and it’s evident that companies want to be a part of the change.

“It’s actually caused a lot of problems because they don’t have enough space on their jumper to put all of the sponsors who want to be on it,” he says.

Scott says that there has been a spike in sponsorship interest because the club has become more “community minded”.

“Sponsors want to get on board to sponsor the fact that we are making an impact in reducing our carbon footprint.”

Former junior players and current AFL stars Riley Thilthorpe and Riley Bonner are ambassadors for the initiative on behalf of the club, endorsing the charge towards a net-zero future.

Sinclair says that another avenue to promote a clean future needs to be taken. “I’m hopeful that sport will be revolutionised on this issue,” he says. but it’s not going to be by the boards.”

“The leadership will come from athletes and the community.”

Photo: Hawthorn’s Glenferrie Oval V by Drew Douglas available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.