Climate change, sport policy, and environmental justice in Chile

Climate change is increasingly reshaping the environmental conditions under which sport is practiced worldwide. Yet, sport policy research has essentially treated climate change as a technical or external problem rather than a fundamentally social and political one. This article argues that climate change operates as a multiplier of existing inequalities within sport systems, redistributing risks, benefits, and adaptive capacities across territories, social groups, and sporting practices. Focusing on Chile, a country marked by extreme climatic diversity and deep territorial inequality, we develop a critical analysis of sport policy, physical activity infrastructure, and nature-based sport under climate stress. Drawing on an integrative narrative review of academic literature, policy documents, and empirical studies, the article examines three interrelated domains: (i) the institutional evolution and fragmentation of Chilean sport governance, (ii) urban and territorial physical activity infrastructures under increasing heat and water stress, and (iii) the expansion of sport events and outdoor recreation in environmentally fragile landscapes. The literature suggests that governance remains only partially aligned with climate adaptation and environmental justice imperatives, increasing the risk of maladaptation. We conclude that adapting sport to climate change is not merely a technical challenge but a political and ethical one, requiring territorial grounded, justice-oriented, and transformative sport governance. By positioning climate change as a central analytical lens, this article contributes to critical sport studies and debates on sport, politics, and sustainability.