Fourth ‘Football For Climate Justice’ Meeting in Bruges

Fourth ‘Football For Climate Justice’ Meeting in Bruges

The fourth transnational project meeting for Sustainability Scoring, Football for Climate Justice took place on Tuesday 12, and Wednesday 13 September in Bruges, Belgium. All project partners were welcomed by the Club Brugge Foundation in the Jan Breydel Stadium.

The representatives of the project partners, which are Fundación Real Betis Balompié, Ferencvarósi TC, FC Twente, FC St. Pauli, SV Werder Bremen, Bohemian FC, FUNDACIÓN LALIGA, TASC Thinktank, EFDN and hosts Club Brugge Foundation, were asked to meet in the city center of the Flemish town from where they biked to the stadium. The Club Brugge Foundation promotes the use of bikes on matchdays as transportation via their FCBike programme, an important educational element to encourage a sustainable transport solution.

Once the seminar started the group discussed the different work packages and the launch of the results of the fan survey report and research report which will be soon announced and in which the needs of football fans and their local communities have been identified So that we can begin to pinpoint the areas where football clubs and leagues can begin to undertake community-based climate action that benefits people as well as the planet. As one representative stated: “We’re football clubs and we’re coming up with ways to help regular people.”

Also on the agenda were important topics like Energy, Mobility & Transport, Food, Waste Management, and Environmental Awareness, areas where fans and club communities face climate justice challenges. For all project partners, it’s important to share the story that these clubs are doing something different, something powerful to change people’s minds and to do good for their communities.

Part of the seminar was also a stadium tour guided by Peter Gheysen, Head of Foundation at Club Brugge. He showed some of the sustainable initiatives in and around the stadium like the reusable cups and cashless payment system. 

The group then talked about the next steps to be taken in this project before they headed to the Bruges City Hall, built in 1376 where they talked with the alderman of Bruges about sustainable solutions initialised by football clubs but with a positive impact on all citizens.

Read more about the Football for Climate Justice campaign:

Our mission is to create practical solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of football while also improving the lives of fans and their local communities. We’re collaborating with leading researchers to identify the most effective ways to reduce emissions from football operations, while also exploring innovative ways to use football as a tool for social and environmental progress.

Through Football for Climate Justice, we’re building a powerful network of football clubs and associations committed to making a difference, and we invite you to join us. Whether you’re a fan, player, coach, or administrator, your support can help drive the change we need to protect our planet for future generations. Together, we can make a real difference in the fight against climate change.