The new-age Third Umpire - of Cricket and Climate Goals

This is the year of cricket, let it be the ongoing Asia Cup or the bejewelled World Cup to be held later this year; as rain disrupted the coveted India versus Pakistan match in Pallekele yesterday, I was just wondering what climate goals mean for cricket and do some of the world's most expensive Cricket boards align themselves to national-international targets as well?

As per The Economic Times, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) could earn over $1.15bn between 2023 and 2027 from ICC's share of annual revenue. According to reports, India will get 38.5% of the ICC's annual revenue of $600m. BCCI is also the richest Cricket Board in the world - reportedly with a net worth of 2.5 Billion USD as of 2022.

But this article is not about Indian Cricket, because I have watched everything, from the Ashes, to Zimbabwe versus Ireland with equal parts of anxiety and excitement - and as an innate fan, maybe it is my right to understand the off-field game better as well.

And it is not that the world of Cricket has not taken notice, it most definitely has.

In 2018, BCCI signed a letter of intent with UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) to reduce the game’s environmental impact.

At the time it was centered around reducing plastic pollution and completely eliminating single-use plastic from the IPL.?

That year, in Indore, the city implemented a Green Protocol, based on the concept of 3Rs – to reduce, reuse, and recycle, in all four Indian Premier League matches played at the Holkar Stadium. A plastic audit was undertaken at the Stadium to assess the types and volumes of single-use plastic generated and chart a course to implement waste management systems accordingly. Similarly, in Bengaluru, the Karnataka Cricket Association and IPL teams replaced plastic cups and bottles, with environment-friendly alternatives for over 32,000 fans at the Chinnaswamy stadium.?

This came after the last collaboration between the two entities when Season 3 of the IPL decided to do a comprehensive carbon audit way back in 2010 - nothing concrete really came out of this apart from a rough calculation of 42,264 MTCO2e.

As of 2022, Studies estimate that a single match produces emissions in the range of 10,000 tCO2e to 14,000 tCO2e (or tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). Over a season, this figure can reach up to 750k tCO2e to 900k tCO2e.?

In a first, in May 2022, Rajasthan Royals teamed up with Schneider Electric and hosted the first carbon-neutral match.

In 2023, for every dot ball being bowled in playoffs, 500 saplings were planted across the country. Every time a ball hit the prized trophy car, INR 5 Lakh was donated towards Coffee Plantations in Karnataka.

The Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is also India’s greenest cricket venue with an IGBC Gold Certification.

Other international boards have also committed to various climate goals, more importantly, to better climate governance.

After the disastrous Australian fires of 2020, Cricket? Australia was the first to develop a sustainability strategy to combat climate risks, which have been observed globally over time (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/sports/cricket/cricket-climate-change-sustainable.html)

Top Australian cricketers have already formed the ‘Cricket for Climate’ Initiative, started by the current captain Pat Cummins - this works towards funding for climate action, and working towards reducing the impact of climate change.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has also been committed and taking action since 2010. Accountability being the first step, they have kept a rough approximation of their impact over the years. Apart from this, they have also provided support and guidance to over a thousand cricket clubs on how to manage the impact of drought and flooding, including direct financial grants worth over ￡3.4m to the 181 clubs most severely affected.

19 major cricket venues were audited for their energy consumption and generation alongside the development and implementation of individual action plans.

A ￡5m ECB Maintenance Fund was created that cricket grounds can access to support projects that improve environmental sustainability, such as the installation of LED lighting, supporting energy efficiency for heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting systems, improving building fabrics, and flood and drought mitigation, while trainings were conducted in areas like eliminating single-use plastic, reducing waste to landfill and purchase of renewable energy.

The Board is also developing an updated sustainability strategy with new goals and actions for its own activities as well as clubs and cricket grounds across the country to improve the sustainability of the sport as a whole.

Lord’s has always been Iconic. From being one of the oldest stadiums in the world to India lifting the World Cup there in 1983 - it is also one of the only stadiums in the world to publish a year-on-year ESG report.

With 100% wind-generated electricity, Lord’s is an inaugural member of the BASIS - British Association for Sustainable Sport. Lord’s switched to 100% renewable electricity in October 2016, then switched to 100% wind power a year later. The power is generated by the London Array, the second-biggest offshore wind farm in the world.

Switching to wind power has reduced its annual carbon footprint by 80% as well as its contribution to greenhouse gases and climate change. From incorporating circular practices in the refill scheme and food waste-to-energy operations, Lord’s sustainability strategy, implementation, and governance have definitely been game-changers.

There is still a long way to go.

For anyone who goes through a cricket frenzy like me, it is important to remember that the profession and the sport are akin to a blue-eyed baby.

Not denying the competition at all, players who reach the top enjoy absolute stardom. With International, National, and Regional Championships all around the year, Cricket has become a multi-billion dollar generating sport.

As every Indian sustainability professional looks at CSR, we need to understand that Cricket Boards around the World have every avenue and ample resources to create massive drastic change, but it also will happen when we hold them accountable.

Let us enjoy and watch, but responsibly - the remote is always in our hands (in every way possible!)