International Mother Earth Day

International Mother Earth Day

22 April is International Mother Earth Day, an important date to promote and raise awareness of environmental protection all around the world. 

Earth Day is a yearly event celebrated worldwide. On the 22nd of April each year, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in the United States in 1970, the event quickly gained much support and became international in 1990. Since then, Earth Day events are celebrated in more than 193 countries each year and coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.

International Mother Earth day is about recognising that “the Earth and its ecosystems are our home” and that “it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.” The term Mother Earth is used because it “reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit”.

April 22nd provides an opportunity to reflect upon the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stated that sport is an important enabler of sustainable development. We believe that football is a powerful tool that can tackle challenges entailed in each SDG, especially in having affordable and clean energy, achieving responsible consumption and protection and climate protection.

This year, ‘Mother Earth’ is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Australian fires, heat records and the worst locust invasion in Kenya. And, currently, we are going through a worldwide health pandemic due to the COVID -19 outbreak.

Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt bio-diversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can increase contact and the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases) like COVID-19, for more information, click here. ‘From one new infection disease that emerges in humans every 4 months, 75% of these emerging diseases come from animals’ according to UN Environment. This shows the close relationships between human, animal and environmental health.

This International Mother Earth Day, let’s promote and remind the world we need a shift towards a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet.

Hibernian FC- The Greenest Club in Scotland

Hibernian FC are the Greenest Club in the whole of Scotland and is in the top 3 green football clubs in the UK! By the end of 2020, almost 100% of all matchday waste will be recycled. Vegan options are currently available in the stadium’s kiosks, further plant-based options are being added and all single-use plastics across catering are being removed, including; straws, sauce sachets, stirrers and food containers. You can read more about how our member club, Hibernian FC are carrying out their green activities here.

💚 | On #EarthDay, we are proud to be The Greenest Club in Scotland.

🌍 In February we announced our pledge in support of action to combat climate change – in a move that was welcomed by the Scottish Government.

➡ https://t.co/KdjdVTnYbC
➡ https://t.co/m5mGutwnla pic.twitter.com/RRpvRu7twu

— Hibernian FC (@HibernianFC) April 22, 2020

1. FSV MAINZ 05 – a carbon-neutral stadium

With thousands of fans travelling to and from matches and giant stadiums being built, football has a considerable climate impact. Clubs are increasingly aware of this and are trying to limit their carbon emissions. Mainz 05 have been leading the movement for over a decade, being declared the first climate-neutral club in the German Bundesliga back in 2010.

The climate initiative of 1. FSV Mainz 05 began in 2009 when the green energy provider ENTEGA became one of its main sponsors. Based on an analysis from the Eco-Institute Darmstadt measuring the club’s carbon footprint, they decided to implement initiatives to mitigate their environmental impact.

In August 2009, the club switched its stadium’s energy source to green electricity and modernised the ventilation system to be more energy efficient. Additionally, to give fans the incentive to not use cars as transportation to games, Mainz 05 organised and subsidised buses to take fans to away games, as well as offering fans a free bike check-in for home games. The club also randomly distributes free VIP tickets to its fans who use a bike to get to home matches.

Some more Green Initiatives from our member clubs include:

• Stadium Sustainability- EFDN members Werder Bremen, Feyenoord Rotterdam, AFC Ajax and Aston Villa use green power and renewable energy for their stadiums. For example, Werder Bremen‘s Weserstadion is well-known for its state-of-the-art photovoltaic system, with a total of 200,000 solar cells covering the roof of the stadium. The system, with a solar capacity of 1.2MW, can produce enough energy to power 400-500 houses a year
• Recycling- VfL Wolfsburg has taken important steps to recycle materials as well as minimising the use of plastics in the stadium. VfL Wolfsburg banned plastic bags in 2015 and replaced them with paper bags made from 100% recycled paper, as well as only using reusable cups
• Climate Challenge Fund- Scottish EFDN members, Morton in the Community and Motherwell FC Community Trust, receive funding from Keep Scotland Beautiful – Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to develop Greener Morton and Greener Well. Both projects aim to raise awareness of carbon emissions and climate change in their local community and reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption
• Eco-friendly Travel- KAA Gent supports environmental protection by encouraging its supporters to bike to the stadium on match days as a way to care about the environment, instead of going by car or other motorised vehicles

Promote Sustainability with Supporter of Each Other

With the campaign Supporter of Each Other, EFDN aims to inspire people, clubs, leagues, FAs and all interested organisations to look out for and support each other. Through the campaign channels, we are communicating tips on how to stay healthy and physically active whilst staying at home and informing society about the activities and initiatives taken by people, players, clubs, leagues and FAs from all around Europe.

Show that you are a ‘Supporter of Each Other’ by sharing how you are supporting your community and doing your bit to protect the environment on your social media channels, using the hashtags #SupporterofEachOther / #EarthDay / #MotherEarthDay. Be sure to tag Supporter of Each Other, EFDN and your team so, we can all support each other and continue to protect the environment, during this difficult time. 

We will share your content on EFDN/ Supporter of Each Other media accounts:

• Twitter: @EFDN_tweets / @supporterofeach
• Instagram: @efdnfoundation / @supporterofeachother
• Facebook: European Football for Development Network / Supporter of Each Other

More than 90 clubs, leagues, FAs and organisations have already become Supporters. To learn more about how to become a Supporter of Each Other, you can visit this page.