Newsletter #6
Green Football Weekend and system change
The first-ever Green Football Weekend has ended. It aimed to be the biggest climate football moment to date, drawing attention to climate change and encouraging fans to take action. The campaign generated lots of media attention, support from diverse organisations, and lots of practical actions by fans. The organisers have said that it is “a moment we want to see grow in ambition and scale”.
At the same time, some coverage has drawn attention to wider issues for football to look at further in relation to climate change. These include travel to matches, scheduling, sponsorship and strategy formation and delivery. It shows that as well as encouraging behaviour change by fans, more work is also needed to achieve system changes in the football community. Here are five points from recent reports that demonstrate this.
1. Clubs
Actions by clubs on sustainability vary in ambition and progress. There is great work by some, and more to do by others. For instance, in the Premier League, four teams have signed up to the UN Race to Zero commitments and one has achieved BSI 20121 certification. When measured against eleven key criteria, clubs scores vary widely, including on their policies and commitment. In addition, the impacts and challenges for clubs differ. They depend on factors such as where a club is in the football pyramid and their geography. As the Met Office notes, the impacts of climate change are particularly felt at a grassroots level.
2. Governing Bodies
Guidance, rules and support from governing bodies play an important role in driving efforts by clubs. In the top two leagues in Germany, all clubs will have mandatory sustainability criteria to meet. This is a first of its kind amongst major professional football leagues. Related to this, strategy development by some key governing bodies is viewed to have been too slow. For instance, this article in The Guardian mentions that the Premier League's “environmental sustainability strategy, scheduled to launch in 2022, is yet to materialise”.
3. Fans
Support and pressure from fans can help drive more change. A survey of Wolves fans showed 80% felt the club had a responsibility to reduce its environmental impact. Sport ecologist Dr Orr has said “fans expect their clubs to get on board with environmental action”. Researcher, Jenny Amann has suggested fans’ potential role in strategy development. Deloitte expect “pressure from stakeholders such as fans, partners, investors and regulators” to intensify.
4. Regulation
As the above point by Deloitte recognises, regulation is increasingly seen as a route to help drive change. Sports writer David Goldblatt notes that “the sluggish uptake of serious carbon-zero policies … suggests that time for more rigorous and prescriptive environmental governance may be due”. Elsewhere, Swindon’s chief executive says “My personal view is that we need an independent regulator”. Forest Green Rovers owner has said that the upcoming football White Paper “could provide the perfect opportunity to implement new sustainability rules”.
5. Connections
Beyond the football community, other organisations need to take action. All these parties need to be acting in alignment to achieve maximum effect. Football finance directors have suggested these other organisations include domestic and international governing bodies, broadcasters, local government and UK Parliament. This new report by the ‘nudge unit’ demonstrates the importance of different organisations aligning their efforts. Organisations act as both ‘choice architects’ and in deciding underlying rules, norms and incentives. This article in The Mirror says Green Football Weekend's impact “will be minimised if it is not used as a springboard for all parties to come together and lay out a coherent plan”.
In addition, without more system change action, behaviour change efforts risk being undermined. Researcher Freddie Daley said to the BBC that psychology “emphasises the importance of leadership and integrity in getting people to adopt lower-carbon lifestyles”.
Rising to the challenge
The above points show that system change in football is big, complex and challenging. They demonstrate a need for more work to promote, encourage, and campaign for system change within football, as part of system changes needed in society.
There has been work on this front. The Football Supporters’ Association has passed a motion asking clubs to develop and publish a sustainability policy. Fossil Free Football is focusing on sponsorship and is also campaigning on a number of key issues more widely too. And a group of organisations last year asked the Government to build environmental sustainability into the forthcoming Football White Paper.
Green Football Weekend demonstrated what a concerted campaign bringing people together can do. Perhaps its biggest lesson is that, alongside this, we also need an even more concerted, ambitious and coordinated campaign on system change too.
Comments are welcome on this post, either below or by email to: footballandclimatechange@gmail.com
As ever, proposals for guest posts are particularly welcome. Also please send on any suggestions for reports and issues to focus on, or any other feedback you have. I’m still experimenting with the approach to this newsletter and its content so any views or ideas you have will help steer its future direction.
All summaries, views, errors and omissions are my own. Links provided to articles in this newsletter are not endorsements of the views in them.
Fran James (he/him)
Football and Climate Change Newsletter
@fbandclimate
footballandclimatechange@gmail.com