Fan travel is key to greener football
Can football shrink its carbon footprint by helping fans travel more sustainably? As the new Premier League season prepares to kick off, Darryl Rigby – fan of football and sustainability – has written this guest blog.
“Football is the UK’s most popular sport by some distance. Every week, millions of fans up and down the country flock to stadiums to see their beloved teams in action.
But while these cherished sporting events undoubtedly bring joy and excitement to those in attendance, one drawback is the significant environmental cost they come with, as football matches generate massive amounts of emissions.
Thankfully, the Premier League – hands down the most watched and influential club football competition on the planet – recently announced plans to tackle climate change, with initiatives around fan travel and sustainable transport central to their eco-focused goals.
Back in March, the Premier League published its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, reaffirming its commitment to making football more sustainable, with three priority areas outlined:
- Achieve net zero by 2040
- Future-proof the game by supporting decarbonisation across the Premier League
- Encourage fans to become eco-conscious through programs and platforms
Speaking about the new initiatives, Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, said: “Premier League football is enjoyed by hundreds of millions of fans around the world. We have the ability to reach and influence a significant global audience, raising awareness of climate change issues and helping to inspire positive behaviour change.”
Revolutionising fan travel
One of the biggest generators of football match-related emissions is fan travel, with supporters often journeying hundreds of miles to attend matches.
The top teams, in particular, tend to draw massive crowds, so with potentially tens of thousands of fans travelling to and from the stadium on match days – some often from the other side of the country – it’s easy to see how these fixtures can become significant carbon emitters.
The first step to reducing the Premier League’s carbon footprint will be to calculate Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are those produced outside a football club’s direct operations but still linked to its activities, such as fan travel.
As part of its push, the Premier League has made it a requirement for participating teams to measure and report their full carbon footprints, including those all-important Scope 3 emissions, which often account for the biggest portion of a club’s output.
In addition, every club is expected to have a formal sustainability policy in place, outlining its strategy and aims for reducing its impact on the environment.
Recognising the crucial role transport will play in achieving net zero, the Premier League has also thrown its support behind the Sustainable Travel Charter, which sets out best practice for reducing travel-related emissions.
In addition, clubs are encouraged to promote greener ways for fans to get to games such as taking the train, cycling, using electric vehicles or car sharing, while there’s also an emphasis on improving infrastructure around stadiums to support this shift.
It’s a big ask, and progress will vary from club to club. Things won’t be made easier by the fact three teams are promoted to and relegated from the Premier League each year, either, as stakeholders will change annually.
But by putting reporting front and centre, and tying it directly to transport emissions, the Premier League has made it clear that reducing the carbon output created by fan travel is a top priority.
Clubs at the top of the sustainability league
Although the Premier League’s sustainability strategy is still in its infancy, some clubs already have their own initiatives in place, signalling a willingness to work alongside the league to bring down emissions. Which is just as well, as with so many stakeholders involved, co-operation and collaboration will be key.
One of the clubs taking an active role in making matchdays greener is Manchester United. Along with their recently announced plans to build the world’s most sustainable stadium, they’ve also launched a comprehensive supporter plan, which they’ll use to encourage fans to take public transport, walk and cycle.
So while the struggling giants may be well off the pace on the field, it’s great to see them leading the way when it comes to sustainability efforts!
United’s rivals, Liverpool and Man City, have also earned praise in Sports Positive’s report for the progressive initiatives they’ve put in place – Liverpool for the free cycling hubs and bus travel for match‑day staff, and Man City for operating an award‑winning subsidised bus network that has slashed emissions.
Elsewhere, when Tottenham Hotspur drew up plans for their new stadium, extensive infrastructural development was needed, and the club opted for sustainable travel options, encouraging public and active transport, integrated with local bus, rail and cycling networks.
Across London, Crystal Palace have introduced staff commute programs and installed bike racks, EV charging points and cycle-to-work schemes to promote sustainable travel to their employees. And down on the South Coast, Brighton & Hove Albion have introduced electric shuttle buses for fans, dramatically reducing their Scope 3 emissions by discouraging local supporters from driving to games.
All of these moves are extremely promising and prove that while football matches are indeed huge emissions generators, significant progress is being made to help reduce their environmental impact.
Hopefully, with the right policies in place and some collaboration between the Premier League and its clubs, the ambitious target of achieving net zero over the next decade could well become a reality.”
This post was written by Darryl Rigby, football fan and content writer at TradeSparky, a UK-based electrical wholesaler and supplier of solar power panels and batteries.
