The White Paper on Football Governance
A first look at what it means for environmental sustainability
To safeguard the game's future, we need to safeguard the environment it is played and watched in. English football has the opportunity to lead the way in the transformation that is needed in the game globally in response to climate change.
There is a huge amount to be welcomed in the White Paper proposals published last week on financial sustainability. Unfortunately, environmental sustainability does not get a look in. As it was never a focus of the fan-led review which has led to it, the lack of its inclusion in the White Paper is not exactly a surprise. But this does not mean that further and faster progress on environmental issues in the game is not essential.
In both Germany and France, football authorities are moving forward in embedding environmental sustainability criteria in their licensing systems. We are yet to see anything similar on the horizon here, and progress on environmental sustainability in the game is viewed by many to be slow, patchy and lacking in overall strategy in response to the scale and urgency of the climate challenge. This is despite good work by some clubs and strong support from fans for more action.
The case for environmental sustainability to be included in the White Paper - to help clubs drive their work forward and ensure good governance - has been made by a group of organisations last year. And alongside this, Fair Game has recently proposed that the new regulator makes use of a sustainability index that includes environmental metrics.
The next steps for the White Paper will include targeted engagement and consultation, followed by legislation requiring Parliamentary debate. During that time and beyond it, it remains crucial to keep on making the case to decision-makers for the importance of environmental sustainability to the future of the game we all love, and for further urgent change to protect it.
Links
Press release - “Bold plan to protect long-term future of English football” is here
White Paper - “A Sustainable Future – Reforming Club Football Governance” is here
Fan-Led Review of Football Governance: securing the game’s future (2021) is here