TRACE: Tennis Regionalization and Carbon Emissions

TRACE: Tennis Regionalization and Carbon Emissions

Climate change and sport influence each other in different ways ways. While sporting activities contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, climate change increasingly affects sports participation and athlete wellbeing. Travel to competitions is one of the largest sources of emissions in organized sport, making it a key target for sustainability initiatives.

TRACE investigates the impact of a major competition reform introduced by Tennis & Padel Vlaanderen in 2024, which replaced provincial competition structures with regional, distance-based draws. This natural experiment provides a unique opportunity to examine how organisational decisions can reduce travel demands and improve sustainability.