A new goal for football
Nothing unites a crowd quite like football. While clubs are beginning to engage their key stakeholders in sustainability efforts, FIFA’s recent sponsorship deal with Saudi oil giant Aramco (aka the world’s ’largest corporate greenhouse gas emitter’) for the 2026 Men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup highlights the need for stronger global sustainability action in the sport.
As with any industry, football has its own unique set of sustainability impacts and opportunities. From an environment standpoint, stadium construction and clubs’ resource consumption impact biodiversity and ecosystems, while the sport itself is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gases. Estimates put football’s global carbon footprint at 64-66 million tonnes of CO2 emissions (tCO2e), roughly equivalent to Austria’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the sport also has the potential to promote some of the key social aspects of sustainability, such as advancing community outreach through educational initiatives and advocating for gender equality.
Why should clubs care?
There are plenty of reasons why football clubs should be prioritising sustainability, not least to mitigate the risk to players and stadiums.
Football is best played in the open air. But as climate change intensifies, so do the operational and health risks of playing outdoors. Without significant action, 25% of English Football League (EFL) stadiums will be at risk of annual flooding by 2050. Rising temperatures increase the likelihood of players and officials experiencing heat stroke and severe dehydration. This was evident during the June 2024 Copa America. Uruguayan footballer Ronald Araujo had to be substituted off due to dehydration as outdoor temperatures exceeded 29ºC in Miami, while an assistant referee was admitted to hospital due to heat stress after collapsing during a match in Kansas City.
It’s also good for business.
Investing in sustainability is a strategic move for football clubs. Investors are increasingly demanding visible progress on sustainability and sponsorship deals now consider sustainability as a key decision-making factor. According to a survey by the European Sponsorship Association, over 60% of sponsors said that having a sustainability policy in place was ‘very’ or ‘quite’ important when forming partnerships. By adopting sustainability initiatives, football clubs can future proof their operations, reducing long-term financial risks from climate change impacts while unlocking opportunities for innovation.
Fans care about sustainability. Fans are the heartbeat of football – providing players with motivation and clubs with the revenue to operate. With 66% of UK football fans believing the sport needs to do more to improve sustainability practices and 65% feeling that clubs could do more to encourage sustainable behaviour, it’s clear expectations are high.
Fans have real power to influence a club’s sustainability efforts. In 2023, Bayern Munich dropped Qatar Airways as its shirt sponsor following fan protests over human rights concerns related to the Qatari government, the airline’s owner. In 2021, Huddersfield Town FC’s Supporters Association launched the Sustainable Stadium Campaign to raise awareness of climate issues and push for operational changes at the John Smith Stadium. The campaign’s goals included phasing out single-use plastics, improving recycling capacity, and introducing energy efficiency measures.
Prioritising sustainability helps football clubs prepare for evolving regulations.
In the UK, larger clubs may soon be subject to the UK Sustainability Disclosures Standards. The English Premier League already mandates that all clubs develop an environmental sustainability policy by the end of the 2024 / 2025 season and track greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the following season. Other leagues may decide to follow suit.
In the EU, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) originally required around 150 football clubs listed on European stock markets to disclose sustainability data. The Omnibus Simplification Package proposed in February 2025 would reduce the scope of the regulation, meaning smaller clubs may now be exempt but larger clubs, such as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), will likely remain in scope. This means they will have to conduct a double materiality assessment (DMA) and report on identified environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics using the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Regardless of regulatory changes, football clubs should publicly disclose their sustainability efforts to ensure stakeholder transparency and, where relevant, explore alternatives to mandatory reporting, such as the Voluntary SME (VSME) standard. Originally designed for non-listed micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses, the EU is now promoting the VSME as a way for companies no longer in scope of CSRD to report.
What can clubs do?
There’s no doubt that football clubs across all leagues will be impacted by the climate crisis, the continued focus on inclusion, evolving regulations, and changing market trends. Here are some key actions clubs can take to enhance their sustainability efforts and get ahead of the game:
1. Reduce environmental impact
Football is an emissions-intensive sport, with its main sources of emissions coming from international travel, stadium construction, and sponsorships with high-emitting companies.
Clubs can begin by investing in renewable energy and sustainable merchandising, implementing resource recycling systems within their operations and introducing alternatives to single-use plastics and vegan/vegetarian options on match days. These are just a few of the environmental initiatives championed by Forest Green Rovers, the “greenest football club in the world”, since it began its sustainability journey in 2010. A standout feature of the club’s sustainability efforts is the 100% organic pitch that captures rainwater and recycles it for irrigation. The club even recycles wastewater from fan toilets back onto the pitch! With growing global concern over climate change, football clubs have an opportunity to lead by example, using their influence to create more sustainable practices both on and off the pitch.
2. Assess sponsorship agreements
Sponsorships are a crucial source of revenue for football clubs. But they often come with a hidden cost to the environment. One report revealed sponsorship deals with high-emitting industries, such as oil and gas, aviation and fast food, account for 75% of the sport’s carbon footprint. Until this report’s publication in early 2025, sponsorship had not been widely recognised as a major source of emissions in football. Clubs should carefully assess their sponsors to ensure they align with sustainable and ethical values, rather than contributing to social and environmental harm, and transparently communicate their sponsor activities to stakeholders.
3. Continue to strengthen social sustainability
The social impact football clubs have on the communities around them is arguably their most valuable contribution to society. For years, clubs have engaged in vital community work that not only nurtures the next generation of players, but also promotes health and wellbeing, fosters social cohesion, and supports local economies. Additionally, clubs serve as powerful platforms for addressing issues beyond the sport, such as mental health and domestic violence. Football clubs should continue this impactful work and further strengthen their role in promoting the social aspect of sustainability.
4. Enhance sustainability education
Although community outreach has long been a priority for clubs, its potential role in their sustainability strategies has often been overlooked. Expanding community programmes to include sustainability education is one way to achieve a holistic sustainability approach. For example, Chelsea FC’s Foundation has delivered 90 sustainability sessions to over 3,800 students, raising awareness of critical environmental issues.
5. Close the gender gap
The number of girls and women playing football in England has increased by 56% since 2020, yet significant barriers remain — especially for women working off the pitch.
Discrimination and the gender pay gap are just two of the many challenges women in the industry face. A 2024 survey found 89% of women working in football experienced discrimination — up 7% from 2023. Meanwhile, the English Football Association (FA) reported its 2023 gender pay gap increased in favour of male employees. This reveals a need for ongoing action to continue to address gender inequalities in the sport — it’s not a time to scale back.
Football clubs can no longer afford to sideline sustainability. While larger clubs may have greater financial resources and stakeholder support, it’s time for clubs across all leagues and countries to take action. To begin, clubs should develop a robust sustainability strategy, collaborate with industry sustainability groups such as Football for Future and communicate progress transparently to avoid greenwashing. Sustainability is not just an ethical responsibility — it is essential for the future of football.
Context is on hand to help with your strategy, reporting and communications needs, with over 25 years of experience working with businesses to accelerate their sustainability practices. If you would like to learn more about what we can do for you, please contact Helen Fisher: helen.fisher@contexteurope.com.
