Sports

Spanish soccer star starts sapling-seed scheme

Spanish international footballer and Arsenal defender Héctor Bellerín has started to make good on his pledge to plant 3,000 trees every time the London club wins a match, as part of a campaign to tackle deforestation in the Amazon.

New initiative hopes to get football clubs reporting their carbon footprint

As European football leagues began to resume play, the NGO Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) rolled out a new initiative to get more clubs thinking about their carbon footprint. EURACTIV Germany reports.

District league club plants trees to combat economic impact of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has plunged football clubs into crisis, and to stay afloat, they had to get creative. KSV Eschenrod, a district league club, started a project that benefits both the club and the climate with great success. EURACTIV Germany reports.

F1 engineers help develop virus aid in record time

Formula One engineers from the championship-winning Mercedes team have helped develop a breathing aid that can keep coronavirus-infected patients out of intensive care. The device was given the green light by the UK health service in record time.

Lille football club commits to reaching carbon neutrality

Lille's football club, Losc, has committed to reaching the commitments of the UN-sponsored "Climate Neutral Now" initiative and is the first French club to do so. EURACTIV France reports.

Tokyo Olympics delayed until 2021

The Tokyo summer Olympiad was postponed on Tuesday (24 March) to 2021, the first such delay in the Games’ 124-year modern history, as the coronavirus crisis wrecked one of the last international sporting showpieces still standing this year.

F1 to join coronavirus fight as races are scrapped

Global motorsport Formula One is on hiatus because of the coronavirus outbreak but its best and brightest engineers are not: a new plan aims to harness their manufacturing know-how to build life-saving ventilators.

Virus outbreak pushes Euro 2020 football cup to 2021

Europe’s football governing body UEFA decided on Tuesday (17 March) to delay the Euro 2020 tournament one year, as the coronavirus outbreak forced the organisation’s hand after threatening to play havoc with the sporting calendar.

Football’s ‘mini cities’ offer prime green testing ground

Stadiums are a great environment in which to trial sustainability measures because of the number of people who regularly attend sporting and entertainment events, according to those involved in their day-to-day running.

F1 champions Mercedes enter carbon-neutrality race

Formula One championship-winning team Mercedes has announced this week that it aims to become carbon-neutral by the end of 2020, as the glitzy motorsport continues its drive to go green.

IOC confident of Tokyo Olympic Games success despite coronavirus

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s president and executive board gave further strong backing on Tuesday (3 March) to this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, with no talk of a postponement or move due to the coronavirus outbreak.

French stadiums should ban fungicide use this year

Fungicides, which are pesticides used to combat fungi, could be banned from French football stadiums this year. EURACTIV France reports

The French MEP bashing football clubs over their flying habit

Green MEP Karima Delli has latched out at football clubs for their contribution to climate change as big teams prefer flying for short distances instead of using alternative, more sustainable modes of transport.

FIFA commits to carbon-neutral 2022 football World Cup

FIFA aims reach carbon neutrality at the next World Cup, to be hosted by Qatar in 2022, in spite of the numerous environmental challenges linked to the location of the event, according to a recently released sustainability strategy.

Ewald Lienen: Football Rebel for Future

German football veteran Ewald Lienen is convinced that football is political and bears social responsibility. Today, the Technical Director of FC St. Pauli is committed to climate protection - not only on the pitch.

French football clubs revisit transport modes in bid to reduce carbon footprint

With the travel of football players and fans having a significant impact on the environment,  France's football clubs, including amateur ones, have started developing initiatives to reduce travel. EURACTIV France reports.

Germans push back against green alternatives to artificial football pitches

The EU is considering new curbs on microplastics, a decision which could also affect the synthetic turfs of countless football pitches in Germany. Yet, replacing all surfaces by real grass, although more environmentally-friendly, is hardly feasible. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Formula One joins UN climate sport pact

Globe-trotting motor racing series Formula One signed up to a United Nations climate pact on Wednesday (22 January), as the long-running sport’s quest to go green and refresh its image moves up a gear.

Hoffenheim on tree-planting mission in Uganda

Football club 1899 Hoffenheim is planting trees in Uganda to help protect the environment. In the past, sustainability in football meant switching off the stadium lights in the evening, but many clubs are now breaking new ground.

How a Bulgarian city with decrepit sports base becomes a ‘European city of sports’

At a recent ceremony in the European Parliament in Brussels, the Association of European Capitals and Cities of Sport awarded the title of 'European City of Sport for 2020' to Pazardzhik. Valia Ahchieva takes a closer look at the Bulgarian city, whose sports base has fallen into disrepair and is earmarked for private developers.

Four clubs would lead the Premier if climate friendly policies were the goal

A study conducted in England has listed its football teams according to their environmental performance and four Premier League clubs - Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - are leading the table. 

Playing with feelings: Football’s role in climate protection

Football plays a big role in the lives of many Europeans. Football clubs can reach people on an emotional level, and some use this to raise awareness about sustainability. One such example is Schalke 04, which drives environmental awareness in a traditional German coal region.

Study: Top 20 world footballers responsible for over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions

The best players in the world are producing at least 505 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year only by travelling, way over the average, a study revealed. 

German football club on a mission to defend the climate

With thousands of fans travelling to matches and giant stadiums being built, football has a considerable climate impact. Some clubs are increasingly aware of this and try to limit their carbon emissions. A club from the small city of Mainz has been leading the movement for a decade.