Climate Positive Energy researchers Yue Li and Shashi Kant are part of a University of Toronto (U of T) project team working on the quantification frameworks and mechanisms of scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and their role in a decarbonized, climate positive future.
As part of a Climate Positive Energy-led project, Professor Li and Professor Kant worked to develop an accounting framework for scope 3 emissions to estimate those produced by U of T, and provide guidance on how we can reduce them. Their research outputs – scope 3 GHG emissions quantification framework and mechanisms, the key findings of quantification, and emissions reduction strategies – can be applied to other post-secondary institutions across the country, using U of T as a case as a model.
In a game-changing collaboration, the U of T research project has now expanded to also include another important industry player in the decarbonization puzzle: the Canadian sports sector.
Scope 3 emissions are GHG emissions from activities not directly owned or operated by an organization. It is estimated that they may contribute as much as 80 to 90 per cent of the total emissions from post-secondary institutions. They include emissions from purchased goods, capital projects, business travel, students and staff commuting, goods produced goods, waste, and digital footprints. They are also the most difficult emissions to account for, measure, and reduce.
Sporting events, particularly large-scale ones like the Olympics that just wrapped up, the FIFA World Cup that will be hosted next in Toronto, or the upcoming 2025 Canada Games, all have significant environmental footprints, from construction of new games village and stadiums, energy usage in stadiums and on fields, to the procurement of goods and merchandise, and the travel of players and spectators. By collaborating with clean energy researchers, key organizations in the sports sector can quantify and take action to reduce carbon emissions – including scope 3 emissions – for a cleaner, greener future. This is exactly what the collaborative research project, led by University of Toronto, hopes to accomplish.
The research project is led by Climate Positive Energy members Prof. Yue Li and Prof. Shashi Kant, and Post Doctoral Fellow Dr. Ashita Allamraju, in collaboration with key community partners including the Canada Games Council (CGC), Racing to Zero (RTZ), and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). The team was recently awarded $64,925 from The Government of Canada under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant (2024) to support their research. Titled “Assessment and Reduction Strategies of Scope 3 GHG Emissions of National Sport Events: A Case Study of the 2025 Canada Games,” the project aims to address the lack of a comprehensive and consistent framework to estimate scope 3 emissions in sport events. Using the 2025 Canada Games as a case study, the research team aims to develop an implementable and consistent framework to comprehensively estimate scope 3 emissions and to assess emissions reduction strategies in the sports sector. The project is also supported by Climate Positive Energy and Rotman’s Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship.
“A task as large as climate change requires experts at all levels and across all industries to unite their efforts,” adds David Sinton, Academic Director of Climate Positive Energy. “We are excited to ‘team up’ with the Canada Games Council, Racing to Zero, and the Canadian Olympic Committee in creating a healthy environment that contributes to the well-being of all players, and the communities they play in.”
“At the Canada Games Council, our commitment extends beyond the realm of sports to prioritize the many positive social and environmental impacts of the Games,” says Gillian Orris, Senior Advisor, Sustainability and Impact, Canada Games Council. “We are pleased to be collaborating with the University of Toronto on this project and to be a leader in championing sustainable practices and responsible interactions with our natural environment, supporting a greener, more sustainable future for all.”
With the finish line nearly two years out, the research collaboration is already underway and expected to yield important insights for both academic and industry audiences: the project will produce a white paper and a refereed publication, enriching the academic, applied, and managerial discourse on GHG emissions in sports.
“This framework and GHG scope 3 quantification of a National Sport Event will be the first of its kind in the world and will have the potential for global application in complex social settings,” says Professor Li, Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI), University of Toronto Mississauga. “Not only will its application for the Canada Games in 2025 provide a practical example with demonstrative effects, but the framework will also be a tool that can be used in the future by sports organizations in Canada and around the world. This potential for continued use and learning is what excites me most about the project.”
Assessing and reducing scope 3 emissions from sporting events will also contribute to a more sustainable sports sector through reduced carbon footprints, a transition to renewable energy, higher resource use efficiency, sustainable commuting practices, better waste management, and other environmentally and socially responsible practices that align with Canada’s efforts to become a net zero economy by 2050. Students and other stakeholders involved in the project will also gain expertise in measuring and managing scope 3 emissions.
“I am hopeful that this project will demonstrate positive outcomes not only for the 2025 Canada Games, but also for its potential to green the hundreds of other sporting events around the world, from basketball and soccer to sprinting and swimming,” adds Professor Kant, Founding Director of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) Program. “If researchers from other universities and organizations can learn from our project results and expand their knowledge to accelerate our progress in the race to net-zero, I will consider this project of an immense success.”
Ashita Allumraju, a Postdoctoral Fellow at U of T’s Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI) who is also a key member of the project team, anticipates that the impact of the project could extend even further: “This case study will show how all types of events can benefit from measuring scope 3 emissions. The insights gained can be applied to large scale exhibitions (think CNE!), business conferences, trade shows, and merchandise events, helping to reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across the entire events industry.”
Climate Positive Energy extends its gratitude to the Government of Canada for their generous funding of this project and looks forward to seeing the impact of the funding over the next two years. Learn more about the research collaboration from the teams involved directly at this year’s Green Sports Day Summit on October 4 at 12:00pm EST.