From Challenges to Change: 5 Lessons from Sports Positive Summit 2025 on Building a Greener Sports Ecosystem

Delegates stopped by the Experienz booth at Sports Positive Summit 2025 to exchange ideas on how technology and data can accelerate sustainability in sport.

The Sports Positive Summit 2025 brought together sustainability leaders, federations, brands, and data innovators determined to transform the future of sport. From reducing emissions to re-thinking waste, the event spotlighted the industry’s collective mission: accelerating sports sustainability at scale.

Experienz attended as both sponsor and active participant, engaging in candid discussions about what’s working, what’s not, and what the next decade of sustainable sport could look like. The conversations revealed that the road to net zero in sport is paved with progress — but also persistent challenges that call for collaboration, innovation, and smarter data use.

1. The Data Dilemma: Why Measuring Sustainability Still Feels Manual

Despite years of commitment to sports sustainability, collecting accurate, comparable sustainability data remains one of the biggest obstacles for venues and organisers. Most stadiums still rely on manual spreadsheets and disconnected supplier inputs, particularly when tracking Scope 3 emissions in sport — the indirect emissions from supply chains, fan travel, and event operations.

Without standardised, real-time data, sustainability reporting often becomes a yearly administrative task rather than a continuous improvement process. Sports organisations need digital infrastructure that simplifies collection, validation, and benchmarking so decision-makers can focus on action instead of administration.

How Experienz Helps:
Experienz automates data collection across waste, energy, water, and travel sources, aligning everything with frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, ISO 20121, and CSRD. By transforming fragmented records into structured, auditable insight, the platform gives sustainability teams the visibility they need to accelerate sustainable sport performance.

2. The Funding Gap: Everyone Wants to Go Green, Few Can Afford To

Across the sports industry, the desire to go green is universal — yet funding remains the biggest barrier. Many venues want to achieve net zero in sport but struggle to justify the upfront costs of sustainability projects against short-term commercial goals.

However, a shift is underway. Forward-looking organisations are discovering that sustainability isn’t just a cost centre — it’s a value driver.
One of the clearest examples lies in waste-to-profit conversion: transforming waste streams into measurable economic value through recycling, reuse, and smart material recovery.

Every stadium produces tonnes of recyclable materials during events — plastics, packaging, food waste, and more. When tracked properly, these waste streams can be monetised through local recycling partnerships, vendor agreements, and even fan-driven collection programs. What was once a disposal cost can now generate recurring income, reduce landfill fees, and strengthen sponsor alignment around circular economy goals.

How Experienz Helps:

Experienz helps venues identify and quantify these opportunities through waste-to-income analytics. The platform captures detailed waste metrics, assigns financial values to diversion rates, and reveals which operational changes lead to measurable savings or new revenue. By turning waste data into actionable financial intelligence, Experienz empowers venues to fund their own sustainability journey — one waste stream at a time.

3. The Power of People: Women’s Sports and Gen-Z Fans Are Shifting the Game

Across the sports industry, the desire to go green is universal — yet funding remains the biggest barrier. Many venues want to achieve net zero in sport but struggle to justify the upfront costs of sustainability projects against short-term commercial goals.

However, a shift is underway. Forward-looking organisations are discovering that sustainability isn’t just a cost centre — it’s a value driver.
One of the clearest examples lies in waste-to-profit conversion: transforming waste streams into measurable economic value through recycling, reuse, and smart material recovery.

Every stadium produces tonnes of recyclable materials during events — plastics, packaging, food waste, and more. When tracked properly, these waste streams can be monetised through local recycling partnerships, vendor agreements, and even fan-driven collection programs. What was once a disposal cost can now generate recurring income, reduce landfill fees, and strengthen sponsor alignment around circular economy goals.

How Experienz Helps:
Experienz helps venues identify and quantify these opportunities through waste-to-income analytics. The platform captures detailed waste metrics, assigns financial values to diversion rates, and reveals which operational changes lead to measurable savings or new revenue. By turning waste data into actionable financial intelligence, Experienz empowers venues to fund their own sustainability journey — one waste stream at a time.

Mark Lister, Chief Client Officer, and Dr. Ashok Suppiah, Founder & CEO of Experienz, at the Sports Positive Summit 2025 — connecting with global leaders driving sustainability and innovation in sport.

4. Social Impact: Sports Personalities and Local Communities Lead the Change

One of the most powerful discussions at the Sports Positive Summit 2025 focused on social value. From grassroots coaching to climate advocacy, sports personalities and clubs have a unique influence that extends beyond the pitch.

Communities look to their local heroes not only for inspiration but also for tangible benefits — cleaner environments, youth empowerment, and education. Measuring this impact remains challenging, yet essential, for partners and investors seeking to understand the full picture of sustainable sport.

As social impact becomes a measurable performance indicator, the industry is beginning to apply Social Return on Investment (SROI) principles to demonstrate how every action — from recycling drives to inclusion programs — contributes to societal wellbeing.

How Experienz Helps:
Experienz integrates social impact indicators alongside environmental metrics, enabling sports organisations to track and quantify outreach, participation, and volunteer initiatives. Where applicable, these can be translated into financial or SROI-based terms — helping clubs and partners demonstrate the broader economic and community value of their sustainability programmes.

5. Fandom and Impactful Investment: The New Growth Engine

If data is the foundation of sports sustainability, then fans are its lifeblood. The industry is realising that fan engagement is more than a marketing function — it’s an engine for environmental and economic reinvestment.

Interactive campaigns now invite supporters to participate in zero-waste challenges, sustainable travel pledges, and reward-based initiatives. Each small action compounds into measurable emissions reductions and community value.

At the same time, impact investing is gaining traction in sport. Investors are directing capital toward projects that deliver both financial returns and measurable sustainability outcomes, recognising that the path to net zero in sport requires smart, blended financing.

How Experienz Helps:
Experienz connects fan engagement data with sustainability metrics, revealing how behaviour changes contribute to waste diversion, energy savings, and zero-waste progress. These insights empower organisations to report tangible impact and attract investors aligned with their mission.

Kevin R. Smith, Head of Partnerships at Experienz, participating in a round-table discussion on embedding sustainability in partnerships, commercials, and revenue generation at the Sports Positive Summit 2025.

Closing Thought

Sports Positive Summit 2025 proved that sustainability in sport is no longer a peripheral issue — it’s the defining growth strategy of our time. The challenges are real: fragmented data, limited budgets, complex supply chains. But so are the opportunities.

By connecting data, funding, social impact, and fandom, the industry can turn challenges into measurable change — and Experienz stands ready to enable that transformation, helping every stadium, circuit, and team write its own green legacy.

Bivendra Narangoda
Chief Operating Officer at Experienz