Abstract

Aims and Objectives:
Contemporary dominant forces of environmentalism, climate change and eco-related social justice have placed institutions and organisations under pressure to change. Such forces include prevailing scientific logic around global resource depletion, energy consumption, destructive industrial practices and ecological shifts, as well as political advocacy by organisations such as the United Nations and World Health Organisation (among others) who have consistently lobbied for more substantive institutional and structural progress vis-à-vis environmental protection. Despite the pronounced effects of climate change across all sectors of society, sport has tended to be more reactionary in mitigating climate effects and reducing its environmental impact (Gollagher & Fastenrath, 2023; Koutrou & Kohe, 2024). Indeed, the very practice of sport (especially its competitive characteristics) is predicated on continuity and regularity of practice and, if necessary, measured and careful change. While sport organisations can change, inequities and differences remain within the sector regarding their capacities to address climate change and environmental sustainability or to keep up with the momentum that change discourses may demand (e.g., net-zero targets, waste and energy reduction, resource consumption pressures). Moreover, sport organisations must balance the tangible and intangible costs of system change with the real, present demands sustaining sport currently involves (e.g., upholding competition structures and growing participation). The grassroots sport sector often lacks the resources and capacity to act environmentally, despite policies developed by leading sport organisations, federations and NGOs to instil and promote sustainability (Koutrou & Fox, 2024). Nonetheless, there has been substantial recognition that sport’s presence is not immutable, nor its preservation sacrosanct from calls to respond to the suite of environmental issues the world faces (Cury, Kennelly & Howes, 2023; McCullough, 2023; Orr & Inoue, 2019).

This study aims to amplify the voices of European grassroots sport stakeholders and examine their roles as change agents of environmental sustainability. It focuses on how these actors negotiate, adopt, and institutionalise sustainability practices in response to sectoral, societal, and ecological demands. Specifically, the research explores stakeholder perspectives on environmental practices in grassroots sport.

Theoretical Background and Literature Review:

Institutional theory offers analytical value for understanding sustainability challenges in grassroots sport and how organisations engage with, adopt, contest, or conform to informal rules, norms, values, and external expectations (Nite & Edwards, 2021). This study examines how sport organisations adapt to coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures from policy directives and local stakeholders (Houlihan & Lindsey, 2025). It highlights how grassroots clubs adapt to, resist, or reshape policy, emphasizing the local context and agency of micro-level actors. Literature shows sustainability is influenced by institutional factors such as resource dependencies, governance structures, and value alignment between policymakers and local implementers (Gilmore, 2014; Parent & Hoye, 2018). This approach clarifies how policy is enacted at the community level and identifies pathways for more effective, context-sensitive governance. Institutional theory thus provides a strong framework for addressing sustainability issues in grassroots sport.

Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis:
Employing an interpretivist approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with 11 strategically selected European grassroots sport stakeholders, all involved in sustainability-focused initiatives. Participants represented a diversity of sports and organisational types, including NGOs and government agencies. Thematic analysis was used to explore how actors experience and respond to environmental challenges, framed within a nuanced understanding of their organisational, cultural, and policy environments.

Results, Findings and Discussion:
Findings reveal that grassroots sport actors engage in environmental sustainability through a complex interplay of personal ethics, collective learning, and institutional alignment. These themes provide means to understand how forms of mimetic isomorphism emerged through learning from peers and adopting shared practices; normative isomorphism was seen in the internalisation of environmental values; and coercive isomorphism manifested in responses to external mandates. Barriers included funding limitations, volunteer fatigue, institutional inertia, and tensions between environmental goals and traditional sport priorities. Nonetheless, individual and collective agency, especially among volunteers who sustain the grassroots sport sector (Koutrou & Kohe, 2021), was critical in initiating and sustaining environmental practices and networks.

Conclusion, Contribution and Implications:
The study contributes to sport management and sustainability literature by foregrounding the voices and capacities of grassroots actors. It demonstrates that meaningful sustainability transformation is contingent not only on institutional alignment but also on empowering individuals and fostering transnational networks, while recognising the opportunities and tensions in embedding sustainability values and practices at the community level. Policy recommendations include enhancing resource allocation, refining measurement tools for sustainability impact, and supporting grassroots organisations through tailored education, and partnership strategies. It also demonstrates that the process for sport organisations and their stakeholders to adapt to social, political and financial pressures is not linear regardless of shared priorities within the sector (McCullough, 2023). This initial research encourages to further consider the tensions,opportunities and pathways in embedding sustainability values within grassroots sport. Ultimately, the research advocates for inclusive and context-sensitive approach to environmental governance in sport.