Structure of dissertation

Step 1 - Is there a need for sustainability in sports?

Yes

As evidence - Part 1

- Highlighting sustainability challenges
- Emphasizing targets ahead
- General commentary on the state of the environment

As evidence - Part 2

- Energy / water / waste impacts of large-scale events like the Olympics 
- Carbon footprint of large-scale events like the Olympics
- Energy / water / waste impacts of individual football clubs
- Carbon footprint of individual football clubs
- LCA of sports equipment

Step 2 - Is something being done?

Methodology

Sustainability initiatives across different sports were studied. The information was gathered through academic papers, journal articles, news articles, websites of sports leagues, websites of sports teams, publications by sports administrators and sports teams, and interviews with the stakeholders in the sports sector. The stakeholders interviewed for this research were

- Practitioners of sustainability in sports organizations
- Sustainability commentators
- Environmental journalists
- Spectators of sports events, and football in particular

Note: A timeline tracing the development of the sustainability movement in general to the sustainability movement in sports will be presented in this section

Step 3 - What is the current status of sustainability in sports?

Hypothesis, 

- There are several initiatives operating in isolation

- Sustainability efforts vary significantly across different sports

- Sustainability efforts vary considerably across different teams in the same sport
- There is a lack of standardization of initiatives

- There is an absence of best practices support

- CSR is the main driver with sports organizations

- It is not driven by regulation or demanded by fans

- The organizational structures of sports organizations do not have a clear sustainability or environment manager - the role is combined with health and safety

Step 4 - What is the current status of sustainability in football in particular?

Hypothesis,

- There are several initiatives operating in isolation

- Sustainability efforts vary considerably across different football teams in different leagues

- There is a lack of standardization of initiatives

- There is an absence of best practices support

- CSR is the main driver with for sustainability in football

- It is not driven by regulation or demanded by fans

- The organizational structures of football teams do not have a clear sustainability or environment manager - the role is combined with health and safety

Step 5  - What more can be done?

Claim,

A 'systems thinking' approach will yield more meaningful sustainability

Evidence

- Literature calling for a 'systems thinking' approach to sustainability in general

Step 6 - What does a 'systems thinking' approach to sustainability in sports involve?

Propose,

- As a first in the academic literature, a concept for 'systems thinking' in sports

- Develop this concept from existing literature on 1) 'systems thinking' 2) sustainability targets in the future (For e.g. UK government aims to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050) 3) environmental impacts of sport 4) existing sustainability initiatives in sport

Step 7 - Are the existing initiatives for sustainability in sports meaningful or 'greenwash'?

Speculative,

- Based on the concept developed for 'systems thinking' in sports draw out a set of criteria to assess these initiatives

- Assess these initiatives 

Step 8 - Apply the new concept to sustainability in football to come up with a set of recommendations

Speculative findings / conclusion 

- Need for clear delineation between environmental sustainability and other pillars of sustainability

- Need for dedicated environmental / sustainability manager within a sports team's structure

- Data collection

- Impact assessment

- Each team must assess the carbon footprint / resource demand associated with its activities

- Regulatory agencies like The FA, UEFA and FIFA should help clubs be more sustainable by offering best practices knowledge, and investment into environmental efforts

- Importance of partnerships

- Importance of communicating sustainability to fans

Step 9 - Discuss the importance of sports as a means to communicate sustainability

- The way it is being done now
- Areas for improvement