Beautiful game takes a not-so-beautiful toll on planet’s climate
– With a fan base of 3.5 billion football is the world’s most popular sport and its carbon footprint is huge.
With emissions created by energy use in stadiums, travel by fans and teams, broadcasting, the multibillion-dollar market for kits and other merchandise and even match day meals, the beautiful game takes a not-so-beautiful toll on the planet’s climate.
As the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off in Ivory Coast at the weekend, another facet of the game’s complex connection to climate change is making headlines, with Greenpeace Africa calling for the tournament to cut ties with chief sponsor French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies.
Corporate sponsorship from companies ranging from car manufacturers to airlines is common in sport but, as the world struggles to cut emissions, it is becoming more controversial with firms accused of trying to “sportswash” tarnished images.
In the face of this increased scrutiny and with international competitions set to get even bigger – the 2026 and 2030 Fifa World Cups are to be hosted across multiple continents with more teams – what is football doing to slash its emissions and reduce its carbon footprint?
Estimates of football’s overall impact on emissions are often too low as they tend not to count vital activities like stadium construction. Meanwhile, clubs’ emissions are hard to calculate as they vary depending on size and location.
The one thing experts agree on is that travel – by spectators and the teams – is the biggest contributor.
During the 2016-2017 season, travel accounted for 61% of the English Premier League’s carbon footprint, according to a 2019 study.
Analysis of German Bundesliga team VfL Wolfsburg’s carbon output shows that 60% of its emissions come from fan travel, with just 20% considered “direct” emissions, from activities like heating facilities.
Even when data is available, experts say clubs and event organisers often fail to produce accurate estimates, while their efforts to cut emissions often take the form of offsetting.
This is a controversial practice that allows a nation or company to buy carbon credits to pay for actions to cut emissions elsewhere, like buying and maintaining a forest or planting trees.
Climate analysts say carbon offsets are being overused as the primary basis of net zero claims for sporting events.
For example, governing body
Fifa estimated emissions from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would reach around 3.6 million tons but still promoted the competition as the first carbon-neutral tournament because of offsets.
A Swiss independent regulator later ruled that the claims were false and misleading.
Efforts vary across the world but arguably one of the pioneers in this field is fourth-tier English club Forest Green Rovers, described by Fifa as “the world’s greenest football club”.
Since 2010, it has been working towards becoming the first carbon-neutral club in the world. It has switched to 100% renewable energy, introduced a fully vegan menu for staff and fans and brought in rainwater recycling, EV charging points and a chemical-free pitch.
European clubs have followed suit, investing in renewables to power stadiums, using biofuels in buses and holding training sessions on environmental best practice for their players.
Teams from AC Milan to Liverpool now have kits that include items made from recycled plastics.
“Clubs are well engaged on the elements that are in their control, like saving energy and managing waste,” said Thom Rawson, founder of advisory organisation Sustainable Football.
“There’s a massive need for football to work collaboratively with partners in travel and merchandise,” he added.
In 2016, the United Nations launched the Sports for Climate Action Framework, requiring signatories to slash their emissions and reach net zero by 2040.
The Premier League signed up in 2021 while Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Southampton have also joined, alongside a handful of other teams.
The Bundesliga is yet to sign but clubs have to meet minimum sustainability criteria to be licensed to play in the league.
Fifa has said it aims to reduce emissions at the events it organises and plans to be carbon-neutral as an organisation by 2040. – Context is powered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom.