Is European Football Taking Climate Change Seriously?

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The president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, made a striking statement back in December, suggesting that football “has the potential to dramatically shift mindsets on climate change.” However, with the upcoming expansion of European club football, there are concerns about its environmental impact.

The next season promises more teams, more games, and unfortunately, more flights. Uefa’s three major tournaments are set to include an additional 177 fixtures, leading to a surge in air travel. According to research from the Sport News Center, this expansion could result in approximately two billion air miles being traveled during the 2024-25 campaign, a significant increase from the 1.5 billion recorded in 2022-23.

To put these numbers in perspective, it’s as if we’re embarking on over 4,000 journeys to the Moon and back, releasing nearly half a million tonnes of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

This raises important questions about Uefa’s commitment to reducing its climate impact. One suggestion from Patrick Gasser, Uefa’s former head of social responsibility, is to stop issuing tickets to away fans for certain matches, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint associated with fan travel.

Now, let’s delve into the specifics of these numbers. The BBC’s study focuses on flights for both teams and away fans, assuming a minimum allocation of 5% of stadium capacity for away fans. While some supporters may opt for shorter journeys by rail, the study mostly considers air travel, with an average journey spanning almost 1,000 miles.

However, it’s worth noting that these figures might be conservative. They don’t account for emissions from local travel by an estimated 18 million domestic fans, stadium operations, Uefa officials’ and media travel, or less sustainable forms of air travel like business class and private charter flights. These projections assume economy class travel on scheduled airlines.

The expansion of European club football comes just three years after the introduction of the Conference League, which added 63 matches. Uefa also introduced the biennial Nations League in 2018 alongside the European Championship, making the football calendar more crowded.

Critics, like David Wheeler, the Professional Footballers’ Association’s sustainability spokesperson, argue that Uefa’s approach shows a lack of commitment to addressing climate change. They contend that football’s governing bodies should lead by example and prioritize sustainability, especially given the resources within the football industry.

Even Denmark midfielder Sofie Junge Pedersen emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change in football, pointing out the emissions associated with the sport. She believes that Uefa should allocate more of its budget to sustainability efforts.

In response, Uefa maintains that its expansion decisions followed extensive consultations, and they believe the new format will benefit clubs, leagues, and grassroots football. However, the question remains: is the pursuit of profit outweighing environmental concerns?

Fan travel is identified as the biggest contributor to emissions in football, especially when air travel is involved. Gasser suggests that Uefa could reconsider ticket allocations and restrictions on away fans, but this idea hasn’t gained much traction yet.

Furthermore, team travel has a significant environmental impact, primarily due to the use of private charter planes. These flights have a higher carbon footprint than regular scheduled services. While individual clubs decide how they travel, fixture congestion and tournament expansion incentivize the use of private charters.

In Uefa’s sustainability efforts, there’s a focus on economic sustainability alongside environmental concerns. However, critics argue that economic sustainability shouldn’t take precedence over the environment, especially when it comes to Uefa competitions.

Ultimately, as football continues to grapple with climate change and extreme weather, the burden of these impacts will fall on smaller teams, lower leagues, and grassroots players.

In conclusion, the expansion of European football raises critical questions about its commitment to combating climate change. While Uefa has made strides in sustainability, there’s still a long way to go before football can claim to be truly green. The environmental impact of this beloved sport is undeniable, and addressing it should be a top priority for the footballing world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Football’s Carbon Footprint

More about Football’s Carbon Footprint

• BBC Sport
• Uefa
• Sport News Center
• United Nations Sport for Climate Action Framework
• The Guardian
• Deutsche Bahn