World Cups, positive talk, getting board, and more
Round-up #16
Hello all, let’s start with a quick jump into a big issue.
The decisions on World Cups 2030 and 2034 have had lots of coverage, which is rounded up later in the newsletter. FIFA has said it will take measures to "mitigate the environmental impact" of World Cup 2030. Here are 3 steps it could take to score a worldie on that front:
In line with its Climate Strategy, FIFA could commission an independent expert “Review [of the] concepts, requirements, agreements and regulations for FIFA tournaments and events to adapt them to climate change impacts and to reduce their associated carbon emissions".
The review could be tasked to provide recommendations on how to adapt tournaments in line with FIFA’s commitment “to reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2040”.
FIFA could respond to the review's recommendations and adapt requirements before the FIFA Congress takes any final decisions on World Cups 2030 and 2034 hosting.
How do those sound? It would be good to hear your views on the ideal next steps to ensure the most sustainable future World Cups.
Around the world
In Malawi, shovels are in the ground for this fascinating project, the Ascent Soccer Green School & Academy. It has the ambition to be the greenest sports academy on the continent. Video below.
In India, there is the moving story of Fisherfolk and football: An ethnographic tale of loss in a changing climate. An excellent read if you have access.
Grassroots
Mud baths and rock-hard pitches. Heavy rain and extreme heat that leads to games and training being called off. My son plays youth football, and I've seen it all with extreme weather. Ask any parent, carer or coach and they will have stories to tell too. The i newspaper has looked at how flooding due to climate change is wrecking the UK's football pitches. As it notes “grassroots teams are worst affected by climate change because they have less money to deal with it”.
Separately, it’s good to see Birmingham County FA featured in the Kick’n’Mix newsletter, especially on 'flipping the narrative’. Also, Wiltshire FA is recruiting Good Game Champions to promote green practices. And in Scotland, this video, on the Highland Kit for All project highlights “a growing network of Highland clubs and community groups helping make sport more sustainable and accessible to all”.
“Surprising. Astounding. Staggering. Unnerving. Bewildering. Flabbergasting. Disquieting. Gobsmacking. Shocking. Mind boggling”.
Ed Hawkins, Climate Scientist, on global temperature anomalies in September here.
Sport Positive Summit
Ed Hawkins was also the opening speaker at the two-day summit in London which brought together the sports community to accelerate climate action. Four reflections from it that provide plenty of food for thought and further action:
Seán McCabe, Climate Justice Officer, Bohemian FC (Dublin), here, on reaching out to fans, undue faith in offsets, addressing the accessibility and affordability of climate actions, and more
Climate Outreach, here, on talking about climate change, and climate action and the challenge of 'hypocrisy'
Tom Hammond, Deloitte, here, on working together, the business case for action, and the need for these issues to be prioritised at the top table of decision-making (more on boards below)
George Timms, The Sustainability Report, here, on a tipping point for action, fossil fuel sponsorship, finding where the radical spirit can lead, and more
David Garrido, Sky Sports, here on ambition and application, bravery and boldness, and creativity and collaboration
Boards
The Football Association of England announced “the most extensive sets of governance reforms to the FA Council in our 160-year history”. As far as I could see it had no mention of sustainability in it.
The FA will need to respond to new climate regulations in their next annual report and set out "governance arrangements in relation to assessing and managing climate-related risks and opportunities". So hopefully, we will see more from The FA soon.
This all comes after BBC Sport Sustainability Lead, Dave Lockwood, in a separate context, noted: “a fundamental disconnect between the decision making/makers & their real world impacts”.
More insights on football, sustainability, boards, decision-making and governance would be very welcome! Please share if you have any.
In the meantime, the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership has just released a super-useful Future of Boards Report.
And finally - it may sound wonky - but the new Transition Plan Taskforce Disclosure Framework is an important read. The picture below from it neatly sets out what a best-practice climate transition plan should include.
Awards
Nominations for The Football Supporters’ Association in England and Wales annual awards are open and include a ‘Climate Action’ award.
Nominations are also still open for the 'Bad Sport' Greenwash & Sportswash Awards 2023
Congratulations to all the BBC Green Sport Award winners and to Fossil Free Football for being on the Trouw Top 100 citizen sustainability initiatives.
Pep Talk
Pep Guardiola’s complaint about having to travel by coach rather than plane from Newcastle to Manchester had a lot of coverage. This included an opinion piece from Felix Keith in The Mirror on why Pep Guardiola's admission speaks volumes amid the Premier League's hidden problem which includes a great closing point. Others covering it included the i newspaper on the Man City boss Pep Guardiola being criticised for ‘irresponsible’ comments.
In other news ….
More mega-event developments - UEFA is expected to ratify decisions on Euro 2028 and EURO 2032 this week. An initial view on environmental sustainability and EURO's 2028 and 2032 was covered here in Round-up #11.
Clubs
Milan intends to construct the largest environmentally sustainable stadium
Liverpool growing their own food and other green actions on BBC The One Show (at 17m30s)
Spurs players were challenged to cook food from leftovers in a video that is also about food wastage and sustainability.
Hearts supported the Net Zero Scotland campaign to reduce car usage.
Bohemian Football Club have teamed up with Friends of the Earth Ireland to work with members currently experiencing energy poverty. More on their work in this new League of Ireland article.
Events
Keep Scotland Beautiful have two “Introduction to the Climate Emergency for Sport” workshops in late October. More information here.
The Welsh Sports Association “Sustainability in Sport Conference” takes place in November. More information here.
Elsewhere
Recruitment: Pledgeball are hiring a PR/Communications Manager
The Sport Environment and Climate Coalition have created a new Resource Hub
The European Commission had adopted measures on microplastics. The restrictions will include ... "The granular infill material used on artificial sport surfaces – the largest source of intentional microplastics in the environment
Podcast: Driving progress through thoughtful discourse from The Sustainability Report.
Back to the Future: FIFA World Cups 2030 and 2034
A full list of the official documents related to World Cups 2030 and 2034 is here.
Organisations responding to the announcements included Football Supporters Europe, Fossil Free Football, Football for Future, Pledgeball and Ecolosport.
A wide range of further expert insight was also included in the media coverage by the BBC, Forbes, The Mirror, The Athletic, La Parisien, The Week, The Guadian, and The i.
A few points of note in case you missed them in the flood of information:
The major difference for hosting requirements between 2030 and 2034 is the minimum number of existing stadiums that are required in the bids. 7 are required in 2030 and 4 in 2034. “The decision is at odds with attempts in other sports to create more sustainable events" says this article in The Guardian
The timing of the tournaments will be decided after the host nations are appointed. Factors will include: “The climatic/weather conditions of the host country/countries”.
In the bidding regulations sustainability is not part of the technical evaluation which will be scored, and for which bidders will need to meet minimum requirements. Instead, the sustainability information provided by bidders will be given a risk rating. No details are provided on how this will be determined.
For the World Cup 2034 “member associations bidding to host the Competitions will have until 31 October 2023 to submit their confirmations of interest”. So we'll know by then if anyone other than Saudi Arabia is throwing their hat in the ring.
The decisions so far were unanimously agreed by the 37 members of the FIFA Council. Final ratification of hosting for the two World Cups will be “in separate FIFA Congresses [of 211 national associations] scheduled to commence from fourth quarter of 2024”.
Goodness me, that’s a lot to take in! Hope there was something there for you that struck a chord.
There is a definite pick up in the amount of activity on football and climate change at the moment. Where will it lead next?
And, of course, finally, please like and share, and if you have any suggestions, comments or corrections drop a line. Until next time.
Fran James (he/him)
Football and Climate Change Newsletter
footballandclimatechange@gmail.com
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