Australia’s men’s Test cricket captain has lobbied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to contribute to a fund to help sporting clubs withstand the effects of climate change.<\/p>\n
Cummins, who is leading the initiative called Sport Forever, addressed a summit at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday night after meeting Mr Albanese and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.<\/p>\n
Cummins called for the government to commit to setting up a $100 million fund over five years to help 1,000 grassroots sporting clubs manage costs and deal with excessive rainfall and heat caused by climate change.<\/p>\n
Climate threat to sports codes<\/a><\/p>\n After a weekend where extreme heat delayed major league games, there is no question anymore about the impact climate change has on sport.<\/p>\n He said the money would go towards installing solar panels and batteries, would provide shade and lights to allow play at night and improve ground drainage.<\/p>\n Sport Forever said the funds would save clubs between $2,000 and $10,000 annually.<\/p>\n “If we don’t look after them, we lose more than just sport,” Cummins said on Monday.<\/p>\n “This is about giving clubs a fair go so they can keep the lights on, keep people playing and be part of the shift to cleaner, cheaper energy.”<\/p>\n St Kilda AFLW player and former number one draft pick Nicola Barr also addressed the summit and said her views were influenced by training during the excessive heat of the 2019\/20 summer.<\/p>\n “I have clear memories of training during the Black Summer bushfires as ash fell from the sky, and the deep concern I felt for the safety of my community,” she said.<\/p>\n Cummins is the co-founder of Cricket for Climate a non-profit group which aims to raise awareness and educate about the impacts of climate change on the game.<\/p>\n The organisation claims it has helped local clubs install more than 400kW of solar panels, saving over $1million in energy costs.<\/p>\n