Green Tennis. Literature Review Report

The transition towards environmentally sustainable models represents one of the major challenges for sports organisations in the current context of climate emergency and global ecological transformation. As a cultural, social, and economic phenomenon of great relevance, sport cannot remain detached from the commitments established by the European Green Deal, which sets out the path towards a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. Within this framework, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union have highlighted the key role that educational, youth and sports institutions must play in generating environmental awareness and promoting sustainable behaviours across all levels of society. The sports sector, however, is not only a potential driver of change but also an area with a considerable environmental footprint. Some estimates suggest that sport is responsible for up to 4% of global carbon emissions, mainly due to mobility, energy consumption in facilities, material usage, and waste generation during events. Tennis is no exception. Its ecosystem —comprising clubs, training centres, tournaments, and a diverse community of players, coaches, families, and fans— requires a renewed perspective that combines the sport’s traditions with the sustainability demands of today. The GreenTennis project (Tennis for a Greener Future), framed within the Erasmus+ Sport 2024 Key Action 2, is a timely and innovative response to this need. Its goal is to enhance environmental sustainability in National Tennis Centres (NTCs) and their events by providing resources, tools, and training for technical, administrative, and facility staff. Furthermore, GreenTennis seeks to promote a cultural shift in the sector by raising awareness among young players, coaches, grassroots clubs, families, and fans regarding the impact of climate change and the role tennis can play in building a greener Europe. Specifically, the project promotes sustainable practices in areas such as transportation, energy use, food consumption, and waste reduction, and it also includes the development of a mobile application to help players, coaches, and fans measure and reduce their personal carbon footprint within the context of tennis. In this context, the present document aims to provide a rigorous analysis of good practices and environmental sustainability strategies, applicable specifically to historic tennis clubs, many of which are over a century old. These clubs represent not only the sporting heritage of their communities but also cultural assets that must be preserved. Due to their age, architectural typology, and location within urban settings, such clubs face unique challenges when attempting to meet modern environmental standards. This report, developed under Work Package 2 (WP2) of the GreenTennis project, combines an official policy review of key European and international strategies with a systematic review of scientific literature focused on sustainability practices in sport. The findings will serve as the foundation for the design of the upcoming Sustainability Toolkit, training itineraries, and environmental assessment and communication strategies that GreenTennis will deploy in its next phases. The ultimate goal is to build a more sustainable, informed, and committed tennis ecosystem that contributes to the future of the planet.