Which Sports Team Has the Biggest Carbon Footprint?

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For sports fans, the thrill of the game often overshadows any thoughts of its environmental impact. But as fans are eagerly awaiting the next big match, teams are crisscrossing the nation and leaving behind tons of carbon emissions in their wake. Which has us wondering, how big of an environmental footprint do our favorite sports teams make?

To shed light on this issue, we analyzed data from past seasons of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, estimating each team’s carbon footprint based on their travel between arenas. Join us as we unfold our findings and highlight which teams leave the biggest and smallest environmental imprint.

Key Takeaways

• On average, the NFL has the largest carbon footprint per game played (20.8 metric tons of CO2), followed by the MLS (18.2), NBA (13.7), NHL (12.2), and MLB (5.6).
• In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks had the highest estimated carbon footprint in their last complete season (611 metric tons of CO2); the Pittsburgh Steelers had the lowest (115).
• In the NBA, the Sacramento Kings had the highest estimated carbon footprint in their last complete season (1,315 metric tons of CO2); the Washington Wizards had the lowest (790).
• In the MLB, the Oakland Athletics had the highest estimated carbon footprint in their last complete season (1,495 metric tons of CO2); the St. Louis Cardinals had the lowest (644).
• In the NHL, the San Jose Sharks had the highest estimated carbon footprint in their last complete season (1,542 metric tons of CO2); the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres tied with the lowest (763).
• In the MLS, the Vancouver Whitecaps had the highest estimated carbon footprint in their last complete season (628 metric tons of CO2); the D.C. United had the lowest (188).
• The cities with the highest average carbon emissions per game played in the last five completed seasons are Vancouver, Canada (17.9 metric tons of CO2), San Jose, CA (17.5), and Portland, OR (17.1).

Sports Teams’ Carbon Footprints

Let’s do a quick review of our study’s methodology and then see how the teams ranked across all five sports leagues.

Our analysis of each team’s carbon footprint uncovered the top and bottom five carbon emitters in each league based on their latest completed season.

In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks led the top five carbon emitters, releasing 611 metric tons of CO2 in their last complete season. The much greener Pittsburgh Steelers stood at the opposite end with just 115.

As for basketball, the Sacramento Kings stood out with the highest emissions in the NBA at 1,315 metric tons, while the Washington Wizards’ had 790—the lowest in the league but still higher than other sports teams. However, there are greener days ahead for basketball teams and fans. Through their NBA Green initiatives, the league aims to cut their carbon footprint in half by 2030.

The NHL’s San Jose Sharks topped the chart with 1,542 metric tons of CO2 in their last complete season, with the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres trailing at the end with 763 each.

MLB’s Oakland Athletics produced a high of 1,495 tons, while the St. Louis Cardinals recorded a modest 644. Lastly, the MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps emitted a high of 628 metric tons, compared to D.C. United’s tiny 188.

Keep in mind that each league’s seasons differ in length, which may change how you view the numbers above. For instance, each MLB team plays 162 games per season, while each MLS team plays just 34. So, it stands to reason that MLB teams had much higher carbon emissions than MLS teams in total.

Breaking Down Emissions

To further examine the environmental impact of professional sports teams, we analyzed the average carbon emissions per game by season across all leagues, by league across all seasons, and by each team’s home city. Next, you’ll see which seasons, leagues, and cities had the highest carbon footprint in recent years.

The NFL emerged as the heaviest hitter, with 20.8 metric tons of CO2 emitted per game. The good news is that the league is well aware of their environmental impact and tries to mitigate it through their NFL Green environmental program. MLS ranked second with 18.2 metric tons per game, then the NBA with 13.7 and the NHL at 12.2. MLB trailed the pack with 5.6. Geographically, Vancouver, Canada, registered the highest with 17.9 metric tons of CO2 emitted per game. San Jose, CA, followed closely with 17.5, then Portland, OR, at 17.1.

But could the tension of the game rise with its environmental impacts? Winning teams emitted an average of 10.2 metric tons of CO2 per game, compared to 10.9 among losing teams. That’s a 7% increase in emissions among losing teams versus those who won!

No matter who we cheer for—and whether they win or lose—we can increase our eco-consciousness and reduce our footprints while still enjoying the thrill of the game.

More Than a Game

The environmental impact of professional sports leagues is undeniable, with significant variations across teams and cities in the U.S. and Canada. Hockey’s San Jose Sharks had the most notable carbon footprint of all teams across all leagues, while the Pittsburgh Steelers had the lowest emissions traveling to and from their football games. Although the difference in season lengths and distances traveled among sports leagues complicates direct comparisons, an overarching trend is evident: Teams based in the West and the South topped the charts.

Methodology

For this study, we collected data on all games played in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS over their last five complete seasons. For travel within 200 miles, we assumed travel was done by bus; otherwise, we assumed travel was done by private jet. We estimated the carbon emissions for each team’s travel from game to game based on the city each arena was located in and the following sources: Carbon Footprint estimates that a bus getting eight miles per gallon of diesel fuel generates 0.001 metric tons of carbon per mile traveled, and BlueSkyMile estimates that a private plane emits 0.024 metric tons per mile.

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Fair Use Statement

Surprised by the carbon emissions of your favorite sports team? Feel free to share this article for noncommercial purposes only. Please provide a link to this page so readers can access our full findings and methodology.

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