| Abstract |
Our project aimed to measure the carbon footprints of two GAA clubs, driven by our passion for sport and concerns about climate change. Further research revealed this was the first significant study on the environmental impact of GAA clubs, highlighting the project's importance. To expand our analysis to a national level, we added a third urban club to assess nationwide emissions.
We evaluated travel, electricity and oil use in the three clubs. Oil and electrical emissions were calculated through energy and oil bills, while travel emissions were derived from a survey sent to nearly 1,500 members, yielding over 300 responses from the rural clubs and nearly 80 from the urban club. Using survey responses, we developed a formula to find individual GAA travel emissions, which we than extrapolated across the rest of clubs.
Our findings showed that GAA clubs have a substantial environmental impact. For example, Caherlistrane GAA players drove nearly 440,000 km for training and matches in one season. Annaghdown (Rural club) had the highest annual carbon footprint at 53,397 kg of CO2, followed closely by Caherlistrane (Rural) with 48,213 kg, with St James’s GAA club (Urban) emitting 16,721 kg. If each of the 2200 Irish GAA clubs had similar footprints, the GAA could account for about 111million kg of CO2 annually—approximately 0.2% of the nation’s total emissions. Travel was the primary contributor, making up over 90% of emissions for Caherlistrane and over 95% for St James’s. We also compiled suggestions for clubs to reduce their carbon footprints.
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