Football is the most popular sport in the world, attracting a global fanbase of 3.5 billion. Unfortunately, its massive following and international reach has a dark side: a significant carbon footprint. From stadium and energy consumption to travel-related emissions and waste production, the beautiful game is leaving a negative mark on planet Earth.
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The Environmental Impact of Football
Independent clubs’ emissions have proven difficult to calculate as each club’s respective output varies depending on size and location. Travel by fans and teams, however, has consistently been shown to be the main culprit behind football’s negative impact on the environment.
It is estimated that the global football industry produces more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, roughly the equivalent of the total emissions generated by Denmark.
Major Tournaments’ Contribution
- Men’s World Cup 2022
The Men’s World Cup 2022 in Qatar produced approximately 3.63 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). Transportation accounted for 52% of the total (1.89 million tCO2e), while accommodation generated 20% of the total emissions (728,404 tCO2e). Temporary (162,556 tCO2e) and permanent (654,658 tCO2e) facility/venue construction combined accounted for 23% of the total. Other contributing factors included logistics, media, materials and merchandise, venue operations as well as electricity, heating, and cooling.
While FIFA said the tournament would be carbon-neutral due to offsetting claims, data clearly shows that the pledge did not materialise. The tournament also failed to adhere to recommendations issued by the Swiss Fairness Commission – Switzerland’s self-regulatory body of advertising and communications industry.
Climate analysts have expressed that carbon offsetting claims are being exploited as the main ground of net zero claims for sporting events. Offsetting acts as an excuse for circumventing actual emission reductions and can create a threatening misconception of “climate neutrality” when emissions are high or rising.
More on the topic: Qatar 2022: The Environmental Cost of the FIFA World Cup
- Men’s Euro 2024
As mentioned above, travel creates the biggest carbon footprint across football. No other sport sees fans travel so frequently and in such great numbers as football. The Men’s Euro in 2020 was staged across 11 European countries. This summer’s tournament is taking place in Germany, with UEFA investing €32 million (US$34.6 million) in sustainability initiatives to make the Men’s Euro 2024 the greenest one yet.
This includes a €29 ($31.4) flat rate discounted ticket to travel with Deutsche Bahn – Germany’s national railway system – and free 36-hour local transport for ticket holders to encourage fans to travel by rail. The degree to which this will help limit emissions or change behaviours is yet to be seen. The majority of fans will not be local, meaning a substantial proportion will be travelling to Germany from other European nations and beyond. This year’s tournament is predicted by UEFA to generate ~490,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with ~400,000 coming from fan travel (>80% of total). Germany’s extensive rail network, existing football and transport infrastructure and green stadia limit the emissions produced from other factors outside of transport.
- Future World Cups
The path to a greener football future seems to be heading in a different direction with future World Cups en route to get bigger. The 2026 and 2030 men’s tournaments are set to be hosted across multiple continents with more teams (format increasing to include 48 teams from 32). The 2026 event will take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico while the 2030 tournament was awarded to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay also hosting matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Beyond location, travel, and stadium construction, football governing bodies need to consider World Cups’ brand sponsors in order to reduce the tournament’s carbon footprint. Even if the 2022 event had been carbon neutral, it still featured sponsorship from Qatar Airways and Qatar Energy. FIFA has also been under fire for not prioritising the environment in its bidding process, awarding Saudi Arabia, the oil giant, as host of the 2034 event.
Expansion of European Football: An Environmental Threat?
Next season will see Men’s European club football expand further, partially a result of the European Super League proposal, with an additional 177 fixtures across UEFA’s three major tournaments – Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.
BBC Sport research suggests the fixture expansion could lead to fans and teams flying approximately 2 billion air miles across the 2024/25 season, up from 1.5 billion in 2022/23. The projected figures suggest the release of almost 500,000 tonnes of GHG which will contribute to global warming. For a deeper analysis, the 2022/23 season (32 teams) emitted 368,388 tonnes of CO2e from fan and team travel. The projected emissions for the 2024/25 season (36 teams) due to fan and team travel is 480,717 tonnes of CO2e.
Green Football?
In 2016, the United Nations launched the Sports for Climate Action Framework, calling on signatories to reduce their emissions and reach net-zero by 2040. The Premier League signed up in 2021, with clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle as well as non-league and European teams making independent pledges. FIFA shared it aims to reduce emissions across its events as part of its climate strategy and hope to be carbon neutral as an organisation by 2040.
UEFA joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2022, vowing to halve emissions across its events by 2030. Additionally, UEFA introduced sustainability guidelines to help clubs improve: energy and water consumption, building infrastructure, food and apparel manufacturing.
More Is Needed
On 6 March, 2024, UEFA launched its Carbon Footprint Calculator, an online tool designed to help clubs and teams manage their carbon emissions, and not only from travel but also from purchased goods, facilities and services. The calculator, which has third-party verification, has been in development for two years.
“The UEFA Carbon Footprint Calculator embodies our ambition to showcase that football can be part of the solution in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions,” explained UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister.
“By providing stakeholders with the tools and guidance, we are facilitating collective action towards a more sustainable future for our sport and the planet. Together, we can demonstrate to governments, investors, fans, and commercial partners that football is committed to addressing climate change in a unified and strategic manner.”
The tool will also help clubs “understand” what their carbon footprint is and push them to cut emissions, according to UEFA Director of Sustainability Michele Uva.
Climate-Conscious Young Football Fans
Research conducted by Rising Ballers, a UK-based football digital media agency and platform, found that 72% of Gen Z football fans care about the environment, with 61% believing football should be more eco-friendly.
The findings also showed that 40.2% of young football fans suspect waste production contributes to football’s high carbon footprint the most (32.5% transport, 18.1% stadiums, 9.2% food and drink). Although waste production is a significant contributing factor, it does not outweigh transport. Further awareness and education, including on green transport when travelling to and from matches, is a way forward to promote collective effort in reducing football’s carbon footprint.
The research also demonstrated that there is a new sponsorship opportunity for brands in football’s evolving eco-aware landscape: 54% of young football fans would consider purchasing from a more environmentally sustainable brand over a mainstream option. This gives sponsors ample room to capitalise on football’s convergence with other cultures, including sustainability. Football fans are more than what meets the eye – they are complex consumers with many habits and interests that extend beyond the game. Tapping into these interests provides an exciting activation portal for brands to engage this huge global community.
You might also like: The Influence of the Sports Industry on Climate Change and How it Can Be Part of the Solution
Future Outlook
The young generation shape much of how football functions today – from brand sponsorships to industry decision making and matchday content consumption. By promoting green activity and raising awareness on climate change to young fans, football has the power to reduce its carbon emissions, progress towards net-zero goals and become greener in the long-term.
The environment affects football by providing appropriate weather conditions and natural resources such as the pitch to play. The environmental impact of football will affect its ability to function properly in the future if governing bodies fail to account for carbon emissions. How are we supposed to continue to enjoy the beautiful game if we do not care for the environment which enables it to flourish? Food for thought.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
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