VfL Wolfsburg sustainability strategy used as best practise in UEFA report

VfL Wolfsburg sustainability strategy used as best practise in UEFA report

VfL Wolfsburg developed a comprehensive strategy to contribute to sustainability. The EFDN member together with fans and sponsors initiated several environmental projects. These serve as a best practice example within the new report ‘Playing for Our Planet’ published by the UEFA and its associated social responsibility partner World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The report focuses on environmental initiatives taking place across sport in Europe and beyond. It has been produced in collaboration with the Green Sports Alliance. VfL Wolfsburg is one of 25 examples of sports stakeholders, including UEFA, who are committed to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. For the management in Wolfsburg the efficient use of resources is “just as important as scoring on the pitch”.

Less use of electricity, more recycling

To fill these words with actions, the club initiated different steps in the last years. VfL Wolfsburg publishes already since 2012 GRI-certified sustainability reports and won for example the German Sustainability Championship. Since 2011 the entire Volkswagen Arena, the office and the youth development centre use 100% green electricity. The change to recycled paper, motion detectors in the stadium, grey water from a nearby river and the payment of emission compensation for the fan merchandise are examples for a clear strategy.

“Protecting the environment and the climate has been an important priority for us for many years. Together with office employees, we regularly assess the potential for improvement in various areas and set ambitious goals for the future”, says Tim Schumacher, Managing Director of VfL Wolfsburg.

Furthermore, two innovations play a crucial role in the engagement for sustainability. One is the use of LED pitch lighting which is unique in the German Bundesliga. The LED lights have a much longer lifetime, save energy and kill fewer insects. The second is the club’s own upcycling collection that is based on the earliest VfL Wolfsburg shirts. Each piece of clothing is unique and hand-made by disabled people from Lebenshilfe Wolfsburg. The club attempts that as little as possible is thrown away and thinks even about further actions. 

You can find the whole report ‘Playing for Our Planet’ here.