WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021: SUSTAINABILITY LABELS

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021: SUSTAINABILITY LABELS

Sustainability labels or eco-labels are not a common sight in the world of football, as opposed to other sectors such as energy, food or consumer products. They are usually affixed to services & products that pass eco-friendly criteria laid down by governments, associations or standards certification bodies. Nowadays, non-governmental organizations are increasingly on the rise to serve eco-labels that offer credibility to initiatives or projects with regard to environmental sustainability.

In this day and age, football organisations are developing their own initiatives that are worthy of attaining sustainability labels. With World Environment Day just a few days away, we look at some notable initiatives and sustainability labels in the footballing world.

SUSTAINCLUB – BUNDESLIGA CLUBS

Sustainclub has become the first recognised sustainability standard and certification in professional football that aims to award an eco-label to several football clubs, including VfL Wolfsburg – a club that has set a benchmark and led the way with regard to environmental sustainability initiatives. Sustainclub provides a framework of guidance for clubs on to systematically tackle sustainability issues, mainly in three areas – economy, ecology and social affairs. Apart from Wolfsburg, SC Paderborn, VfB Stuttgart and three EFDN partner clubs Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen and St. Pauli have actively taken part in the certification process. Wolfsburg however, have attained the Gold status label for being the first and only pilot partners, starting out the Sustainclub initiative in 2016.

FAIR PLAY FOR PLANET (FPFP) – OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS

The FPFP tag is a sustainable label that caters to environmentally sustainable sports entities, including events, with a commitment for ‘eco-performance’. With a mission to limit the environmental footprint of sports clubs and events, the initiative focuses on eco-friendly mobility, correct use of digital tools and zero waste. It was started by Julien Pierre, former professional French rugby player with 17 years of playing experience. After undergoing a two month audit, Olympique Lyonnais became the first professional football club in the world to obtain the ‘Committed’ label by FPFP. Lyon are playing their part in promoting green awareness by installation of photovoltaic panels for renewable energy on-site the Groupama Stadium, organised sorting of spectator waste, offering plant-based diets and a comprehensive plan for bicycle paths around the stadium for eco-friendly mobility. Find the FPFP report here (in French).

BALL CORPORATION – ARSENAL FC

Ball Corporation is a leading provider of innovative and sustainable aluminum packaging of products for beverages, personal care and household items. The American company has struck a partnership deal with Arsenal’s owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment between the parties for facilitating sustainability in the sports and entertainment sector. The main focus of the mutual cooperation is to raise awareness of feasible beverage packaging and aluminum recycling at sports venues and the Emirates Stadium in particular. Arsenal is a leader in the field of environmental sustainability among Premier League clubs, having recently been crowned the most sustainable football club in England in 2019 at the Sport Positive Summit. Find the official club statement here.

MEATLESS FARM – REAL MADRID CF

Britain-based Meatless Farm is a company that produces plant-based meats primarily from pea protein, with a vision to promote sustainable eating habits and environmental awareness. Real Madrid have joined hands with the company to raise awareness of reduced meat consumption with the help of plant-based diets – minimising the environmental impact of farming for meat and thereby reducing carbon emissions. Los Blancos players will share the experience of changing their dietary consumption in accordance with Meatless Farms’ vision, thus promoting environmental sustainability and a healthy lifestyle to a large population of fans and supporters. Read the official club statement here.

GREENFIELDS – VV BARNEVELD

Greenfields is a global manufacturer of premium hybrid turfs for a variety of sports, in line with the standards of high-profile organisations such as FIFA, International Hockey Federation and World Rugby. Implementation of sustainable sports turf technology systems has been at the forefront of Greenfields’ vision and now Dutch lower-tier club VV Barneveld has utilized the company’s vision to install an artificial turf pitch at their complex. With an ECO-range A+ label, the Greenfields MN NF sustainable turf consists of 87% recycled rubber material. At the end of its lifecycle, the synthetic turf can be recycled as a whole, making it remarkably sustainable for future use. One can read the official company announcement here.