“The world of football must develop an eco-responsible conscience with long-term objectives”

FFaced with the climate emergency, governments, associations and companies are stepping up measures to limit the harmful effects on the planet. These initiatives now seem to be part of the stakes of football clubs, although the fresh controversy around Christophe Galtier and Kylian Mbappé, mocking the invitation of the boss of the TGV to prefer the train to the plane for the trips of the Parisian club, shows the opposite.

However, it is no longer uncommon to see clubs boasting about their corporate social responsibility policy on the networks. Far from the green rectangle, these ecological commitments arouse curiosity. Has the world of football developed a real eco-responsible conscience with long-term objectives? Or are these just communication and marketing operations intended to attract supporters?

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On July 29, Olympique Lyonnais tweeted: “Opt for carpooling on match days. » A surprising communication during the transfer window. While the Gones were expecting the announcement of a recruit, OL offered a parking space to supporters who carpooled. This initiative is not a unique case for the Rhone group, voted the greenest club in Ligue 1 at the end of the 2021-2022 season, according to the British NGO Sport Positive Leagues.

Football pollutes

Among the criteria for establishing this ranking are energy performance, the development of biodiversity at the local level, the use of public transport, or communication around these subjects. Of the 25 points awarded, OL got 16! But if the efforts of L1 clubs are notable, only 6 out of 20 obtained the average. A low score which highlights the progress that the world of football must make on the ecological level.

Because yes, football pollutes! The international competitions in mind – particularly the one which will take place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022 –, with the construction of ex nihilo stadiums often neglected once the tournament is over, go against the preservation of the environment. . The air travel of supporters arriving from all over the world, just like that of the teams, explodes the carbon footprint.

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A study conducted by Football Ecologie France in 2021 revealed that 2.1 million tonnes of CO₂ were issued during the 2018 World Cup! You have to imagine the impact of a World Cup held every two years as envisaged by FIFA… Equally alarming, each Premier League club emits 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ per season, i.e. the equivalent of 10,000 round trips Paris-New York by plane.

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