Former Rugby Captain Calls for End to Greenwashing in Sport Sponsorships
Former Australia rugby captain, David Pocock, has called for an end to greenwashing by fuel companies sponsoring sporting events, stating that they should not be allowed to sponsor World Cups unless they have a legitimate decarbonization plan and are transitioning their business. Pocock believes that these companies are using sport to greenwash their image. His comments come as he joins the BBC for a special program called Rugby Tackles the Climate Challenge.
TotalEnergies, one of the fuel companies mentioned by Pocock, responded to his claims, stating that it was wrong to accuse them of greenwashing. They highlighted their commitment to investing nearly five billion euros in renewable and low-carbon energies by 2023, surpassing their investments in new hydrocarbon projects for the first time.
Pocock, who is now an independent senator in the Australian Central Territory and a passionate climate change campaigner, described the climate crisis as probably the biggest problem we face as a species and emphasized the critical moment in history we are currently experiencing after the European summer.
Alan Gilpin, the chief executive of World Rugby, acknowledged the challenging debate surrounding fossil fuel sponsorships. He clarified that the sponsorship deal with TotalEnergies was approved by the 2023 local organizing committee in France, not by World Rugby itself. However, Gilpin announced that a different model for hosting future tournaments will be implemented after the 2023 World Cup, with World Rugby taking full responsibility for managing and running the events.
One of the key focuses for future tournaments, particularly the 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup in England, will be World Rugby’s Environmental Sustainability Plan. The plan aims to reduce carbon emissions at Rugby World Cups by 50% by 2030.
Leading up to the start of the tournament, environmental organization Greenpeace released a video protesting the TotalEnergies sponsorship deal, illustrating the Stade de France filling up with oil. In response, World Rugby emphasized its commitment to environmental sustainability, mentioning the use of low-carbon mobility such as trains and the utilization of existing infrastructure for competition and training venues. Additionally, measures to reduce single-use plastics at stadiums and encourage the use of public transport by fans will be implemented.
Pocock commended many of the initiatives taken by World Rugby, particularly the avoidance of carbon offsetting. However, he emphasized the importance of removing fossil fuel sponsorship, claiming that it would send a powerful message by preventing companies that do not take climate action from prominently featuring their logos during major sporting events.
