Football, as the most popular sport in the world, has a significant impact on the environment. From the organisation of major tournaments to the day-to-day running of clubs, football infrastructure and activities contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. However, in recent years, football organizations have been taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutrality.​

Football's carbon footprint

It is estimated that the global football industry produces more than 30 million tons of CO₂ per year, which is comparable to the annual emissions of countries like Denmark. The main sources of these emissions are player and fan travel, energy consumption in stadiums and the production of sports equipment. For example, the expansion of the Big Ten American college football conference has led to a doubling of CO₂ emissions, with the 2024 season expected to generate more than 350,000 kilograms of emissions from team travel alone. ​

Examples of good practice

Forest Green Rovers, an English football club, is considered the greenest club in the world. The club uses renewable energy sources, has an organic lawn and offers exclusively vegan meals. In 2018, it became the first football club to receive carbon neutrality certification from the United Nations.

UEFA, the European football association, has committed to reducing emissions from its events by 50 % by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. To support this goal, it has developed a carbon footprint calculation tool for clubs that helps identify and reduce emissions in areas such as travel, facility operations and logistics. ​

Initiatives and measures

Many clubs and organizations are implementing measures to reduce their carbon footprint, such as:​

• Renewable energy sources: Installing solar panels at stadiums, such as West Ham United's London stadium, which plans to reduce emissions by more than 200 tonnes per year. ​

• Sustainable transport: Supporting public transport for fans, as well as optimizing teams' travel plans to reduce emissions from air travel.​

• Green eating: Offering plant-based meals in stadiums and reducing food waste.​

• Use of technology: Implementation of intelligent systems for managing energy and water consumption in stadiums.​

Challenges and the future

Despite progress, football faces challenges such as the need for investment in infrastructure, changing fan behavior, and ensuring transparency in measuring and reporting emissions. Success in achieving carbon neutrality will depend on the cooperation of all stakeholders, including clubs, players, fans and sponsors.​

Football has a unique opportunity to be a leader in sustainability and inspire millions of people around the world to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour. Reducing the carbon footprint of this sport is not only an environmental imperative, but also an opportunity for positive change and innovation. Spring