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Sustainability could be considered one of football’s most difficult opponents. In a series of short articles, our Colectivo contributor Lucy will share insights related to Sustainability and Football, from leagues and clubs to the 2022 World Cup.
Part 1: Leagues and Clubs
Within the past few years, football clubs have begun to notice their role in sustainability. With plans being made by large football organisations such as The FA planning to be net zero by 2040, we can see that sustainability is beginning to be considered an important factor in football. However, there is still a lot of work that has to be done.
To get a clearer view on how much effort football clubs are putting into becoming more sustainable, the United Nations-backed Sport Positive ranked all 20 premier league clubs in 2023 based on their sustainability.
From the rankings, it is clear that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Liverpool Football Club are joint in first place. With the current wealthiest Premier League club, Manchester City Football Club coming in second.
Although these results can give us useful information, the most important factor is what football clubs are doing now to make a difference in these rankings.
Some key findings from these rankings:
All the Premier League clubs during the 2022/2023 season lost points for taking domestic flights.
Football clubs are known to opt for a flight to their next match destination, which may only take 30 minutes, rather than a longer bus journey.
This is due to the comfort of the players. Sustainability is not always comfortable. It is about stepping outside of your comfort zone, to take care of the future.
Spurs are the only Premier League club to host classes on sustainability.
We have seen an increase in sustainability being taught in schools and workplaces. Could football clubs not be doing the same thing? Do players and staff members understand the importance of their environmental footprint?
The maximum score that could be achieved in these rankings was 27.
Spurs and Liverpool reached 24. Newly promoted Nottingham Forest came last, earning 4.5 points.
The difference in sustainability between these clubs is too large. Whether it is a financial issue, or simply the result of not considering the environment, clubs must find a way to resolve this issue. When clubs and leagues earn millions per year, the support for sustainable action should be available.
More information on these rankings is available at https://www.sportpositiveleagues.com/pl-2022/.
Follow us on LinkedIn for the next part of the series on Sustainability x Football where we will look at how matches generate a significant environmental impact!