January 2026 at ISG: climate, responsibility, and public programmes for sport
January showed that sport can no longer be described solely in terms of results and competition. At ISG, three parallel processes came to the forefront—processes that will shape the coming years: the growing pressure of the climate crisis on football, rising expectations around club responsibility (CSR/ESG), and concrete public policy instruments in Poland, ranging from funding for children’s sport to safeguarding in sport and support for international events.
It was a month in which one message became clear: responsibility is not an add-on to sport. It is a system encompassing the environment, finances, protection of people, and the quality of governance.
Pitches in Peril: football in the face of the climate crisis
One of the strongest themes in January was the report “Pitches in Peril,” prepared in the context of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The publication shows that climate change has ceased to be a background issue for sport—it is becoming a factor that directly determines where, when, and whether football can be played safely at all.
The findings are alarming:
- 14 of the 16 World Cup 2026 stadiums already exceed safe climate thresholds, and by 2050 nearly 90% may be exposed to heat levels that threaten the health of players, referees, and fans.
- Grassroots pitches are even more vulnerable, especially in the Global South: two-thirds may become unsafe due to extreme temperatures and a lack of adaptation resources.
- Case studies illustrate the scale of the problem: in Nigeria, one analysed pitch may experience nearly five months per year of conditions that prevent safe play, while in Australia the risk of catastrophic flooding could entirely rule out matches.
At the same time, the report sends an important social signal: expectations are growing that major tournaments should set a global standard for climate responsibility, and players and fans are increasingly calling for real action.
From our perspective, this is a critical moment. If football is to maintain its accessibility and mass appeal, climate considerations must be integrated into infrastructure planning, safety standards, grassroots funding, and the design of major event legacies. Without this, sport risks becoming increasingly selective—available only where adaptation is affordable.
Ekstraklasa: the environment remains the weakest pillar of responsibility
January also continued the work on data from the CSR Report of PKO BP Ekstraklasa Clubs 2024/2025, with a particular focus on the environmental pillar, which still lags behind the others.
The figure speaks for itself: the average environmental score is just 23%, highlighting a clear gap between declarations and systematic impact management.
Three main reasons stood out in January’s communication:
- the lack of measurable, long-term environmental goals,
- the absence of coherent environmental strategies,
- treating environmental action as an “add-on” made up of isolated, hard-to-evaluate initiatives.
At the same time, clubs’ environmental footprints are real and measurable: stadium infrastructure, energy and water use, match-day waste, and the transport of thousands of fans. If the league is to mature towards European standards, the environment must move from communication to management.
Finance as part of CSR: a new dimension of club responsibility
January also revisited a topic introduced for the first time in the report: financial responsibility as a prerequisite for sustainable CSR.
This matters because without financial stability, social and environmental activities are often the first casualties of a crisis. Financial responsibility addresses a fundamental question: can a club operate in a stable and safe way for its stakeholders?
The analysis covered four indicators:
- positive equity,
- balanced revenues and costs over time,
- positive operating cash flows,
- adequate liquidity.
The conclusions are clear: only one club met all four criteria, while some met none. This suggests that many organisations operate with a short-term logic, increasing risks for employees, athletes, relationships with local authorities and sponsors, and sometimes even public funds.
Public policy in sport: concrete programmes and budgets for 2026
January also brought a range of highly practical information on state instruments relevant to sports organisations, local governments, and institutions.
Sport for All Children Programme 2026 – PLN 70 million
The Ministry of Sport and Tourism announced a call for proposals financed from the Physical Culture Development Fund. The 2026 budget amounts to PLN 70 million and is targeted at national sports federations and state research institutes. Its rationale is systemic: universality, equal opportunities, health, and preventing exclusion—sport as a social policy tool, not only a talent selection mechanism.
School Sport 2026–2027 – PLN 80 million
A call was also announced for the “School Sport” programme for 2026–2027, with a total budget of PLN 80 million (PLN 40 million per year). The programme includes:
- Little Champion (for the youngest pupils),
- nationwide school sports competitions.
Importantly, schools and local governments do not submit applications directly; national operators are selected.
PLN 44.9 million for international sports events in Poland (2026)
A call opened under a grant programme supporting the organisation of international sports events in Poland in 2026. The total pool of PLN 44.9 million is divided into two stages (a larger call by 16 January and a smaller July call for winter sports). The social dimension was also emphasised, such as the obligation to allocate a share of tickets to children and young people.
Safeguarding in sport: draft amendment to the Sports Act adopted by the government
On 7 January 2026, the government adopted a draft amendment to the Sports Act aimed at strengthening safeguarding standards in sport and addressing real systemic gaps.
Key proposed changes include:
- enhanced protection for female athletes after childbirth (longer scholarship periods, higher payments, and equal rights),
- stronger protection for sports referees (harsher penalties for violence and prosecution ex officio),
- new possibilities for the National Sports Institute – State Research Institute to support national team preparations,
- clarification of provisions on transforming sports associations.
Sport and politics: an academic conference co-organised by ISG
On 16 January 2026, ISG co-organised the national academic conference “Party in Sport – Sport in Party” in Warsaw (Civitas University, Palace of Culture and Science). This thread completes the January narrative: sport is part of public policy, debates on security, diplomacy, and social capital—and therefore requires discussion about standards, stakeholders, and responsibility.
Summary
January shows that the time for declarations is over. Climate change is altering the conditions of the game, data exposes gaps in responsibility, and public policies are testing governance quality in practice. What is needed now is consistency: strategies, indicators, and cooperation between clubs, leagues, institutions, and communities. Because the sport of the future is a sport that can be held accountable—and can change before it is forced to do so.
