About: sustainability

Ewald Lienen: Football is ‘by definition political’

German football veteran Ewald Lienen is convinced that football is political and bears social responsibility. In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, he explains how he combines football with climate protection.

Commission bemused by consumer information conundrum

The European Commission has started sketching the new EU-wide food labelling scheme, expected to be proposed in the context of the new Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), but the debate over what kind of information to provide to consumers has just started.

EU farmers tread carefully on Green Deal, as balance with CAP is not easy stuff

Policymakers are being called to take up the challenge of finding a place for bloc’s farm aid provided under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the ambitious new environmental flagship policy of the European Commission.

Germany’s new bioeconomy strategy criticised for overlooking agriculture, food production

Germany's federal cabinet adopted a new bioeconomy strategy last week, and it has already been criticised for hardly mentioning agricultural reform and focusing 'too much' on technology and optimisation. EURACTIV Germany reports.

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.

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.

Boosting circular economy requires joint effort, experts warn

If Europe wants to transition towards a circular economy model, the practices have to be mainstreamed and all actors should be involved in the process, experts warned during an event hosted by EURACTIV.

Qatar imparts World Cup lessons…even before kickoff

Qatar has pledged to host not only the most sustainable World Cup in the middle of the desert, but is already sharing lessons from the event three years before the teams even begin to play.

What’s football’s carbon footprint?

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Transport, water and energy consumption, waste management... Sports events, like any  other massive event, have an important environmental impact. As the “green wave” hit Europe -and national football teams prepare for next year Euro 2020- we look at the carbon footprint of the king of sports: football.

EU will not ban artificial turf pitches but could impose restrictions

The European Union will not ban artificial turf pitches, at least yet, but the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) is looking at alternatives, as this material is an important source of microplastics.

Profit, planet, and people: Dublin stadium’s approach to sustainability

Controlling the social, economic and environmental impact of its activity should be at the core of the administration of a sports venue, managers of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin told EURACTIV in an interview.

Forest Green Rovers, the world’s greenest football club

A vegan menu, bamboo-made t-shirts, an organic pitch, a stadium 100% powered with renewable energy… in less than a decade, the Forest Green Rovers has become the first carbon-neutral club in the world. EURACTIV interviewed its manager.

Betis, the Spanish club committed to going climate neutral

Spanish football club Real Betis is well known for the colours of its T-shirt, green and white. But now they want to integrate that concept into their whole policy by leading the way in making soccer more sustainable.

UEFA faces criticism over carbon footprint for Euro finals

Criticism over football carbon footprint erupted as English clubs fans had to travel the world to see their teams playing against each other, thousands of kilometres away from home in Spain and Azerbaijan. 

Capital markets need to start making sustainability mainstream – report

We need to reboot the financial system and rethink old structures. This is what the OECD, the World Bank Group and the UN Environment Programme are calling for in their new joint report. Sustainable finance should become mainstream, but the market is still lagging far behind. EURACTIV Germany reports.

EU-Brazil trade should be more sustainable, 600 scientists say

In an open letter, 600 European scientists and 300 indigenous groups are calling for the EU to insist on the respect for environmental and human rights standards in its current trade negotiations with Brazil.  EURACTIV Germany reports.

Bioeconomy in CAP – the economy of tomorrow?

In view of the threat of environmental damage caused by climate change, experts are putting a lot of hope in the bioeconomy as a future model in agriculture. But the question is – what kind of bioeconomy do we need? EURACTIV Germany reports.

MEPs must shun calls to weaken curbs on environmental and human rights abuses

MEPs face a crucial decision. Will they take heed of the global outcry from the climate strikes, or will they water down key financial regulation to tackle environmental and human rights abuses, ask Rachel Owens and Lis Cunha.

Tourism, Europe’s key asset, should be given priority, stakeholders say

Tourism is one of Europe's biggest assets and should therefore be more prioritised, MEPs, ministers and European Commission officials said at a recent EURACTIV event. They agreed the biggest opportunities are in sustainability, supporting local economies and improving communities around Europe.

Biofuels: Commission blacklists palm oil, throws soybeans lifeline

In an eagerly-awaited decision, the European Commission last week categorised palm oil as a high-emitting biofuel crop but provided some controversial exemptions for smallholders and spared soybeans from the delegated act's provisions.

Driving EU industry: Standing up to societal challenges

In late January, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete delivered a speech as part of a Post-COP24 High Level Debate, in which he drew attention to the bloc’s 2030 climate and energy goals and the EU's role in the global fight against climate change.