As sustainability in sports becomes a growing priority for consumers, English football clubs are beginning to feel the pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices. This demand is being driven largely by Generation Z, a generation that is redefining how businesses approach environmental responsibility.
Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2010, is the first generation to grow up fully connected in the digital world. They’re using their collective power to encourage change, especially when it comes to the environment. By 2030, Gen Z’s combined income is expected to reach $33 trillion, surpassing the millennials that came before them.
What’s important is that 73% of Gen Z is willing to spend more on sustainable products, and three-quarters of them care more about a product’s sustainability than its brand. This shift is hard to ignore, and sports clubs, including those in English football, are starting to take action to meet this demand.
Quick Highlights
- Gen Z will control a quarter of global income by 2030. 75% are more concerned about product sustainability than the brand.
- Sports clubs like the English Premier League are working on sustainability but lack ambitious, verified commitments. Fans are demanding more action.
- The league introduced their Environmental Sustainability Commitment, including emission tracking and senior leadership accountability, aiming for long-term change.
- MLS Clubs collectively diverted more than 61 tons of food to donation programs.
- Food diversion efforts reduced about 146 tons of CO2 emissions.
- FIFA faced backlash over misleading carbon neutrality claims for the 2022 World Cup, raising concerns about greenwashing in sports.
How Clubs are Taking Action
English football is a great example of how fans are pushing for more focus on sustainability. 64% of fans believe football clubs and sponsors should prioritize sustainability, and even more think governing bodies should consider the climate impact of player travel when scheduling matches.
Younger fans are twice as likely to consider the environmental impact of sports compared to those over 55. However, they’re less likely to demand net-zero carbon emissions within the next decade. This suggests younger generations prefer “realistic” emission reductions over ambitious goals that clubs and companies often set for publicity but fail to meet.
Recent data paints a mixed picture of Premier League clubs’ sustainability efforts. While many highlight their initiatives on dedicated sustainability pages, only a few have set ambitious net-zero targets or earned third-party recognition for their environmental work.
Some clubs have adopted tangible measures like on-site clean energy or sustainable transport policies. Despite this, many clubs are engaging with sustainability in principle but lack commitment to comprehensive, externally verified strategies.
The Environmental Sustainability Commitment
In 2024, the Premier League rolled out the Environmental Sustainability Commitment, setting clear expectations for all clubs.
By the end of the 2024/25 season, each club must have a solid sustainability policy in place and appoint a senior leader to take charge of these efforts. Having a senior figure leading the charge is essential for holding clubs accountable— both for fans and outside organizations.
This commitment extends beyond the 2024/25 season, setting the stage for future policies. By the 2025/26 season, clubs must develop detailed GHG emissions data covering all three scopes. They’ll also collaborate with the Premier League Sustainability Working Group to standardize tracking and create a unified action framework, driving greater accountability and lasting environmental impact.
MLS Leads the Charge for Sustainability in Sports
For Earth Day 2024, Major League Soccer launched their “One Planet Pre-Match Jerseys.” These jerseys, with the message “One Planet. One Chance,” were made from recycled materials and came in three colors representing soil, wood, and water.
Fans could buy the jerseys online or at select club retail locations, but the initiative didn’t stop there. MLS also partnered with local charities and food organizations, working together on environmentally-friendly projects to benefit communities. Clubs distributed leftover meals from match days to those in need, helping to reduce food waste.
In total, MLS clubs diverted over 61 tons of food, preventing around 146 tons of CO2 emissions—roughly the same environmental impact as 467 one-way flights from San Jose to Montreal.
Holding the Sports World Accountable
When sports organizations fail to meet their sustainability goals or present misleading data, they open themselves up to significant criticism. FIFA faced backlash over its claims about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which it promoted as being carbon neutral. One independent researcher said, “It’s a fantasy to consider that this World Cup was carbon neutral.”
The tournament ended up producing over 3.8 megatons of CO2, far exceeding the 3.6 megatons that carbon consultancy South Pole had initially estimated. Notably, 48% of the emissions that weren’t reduced or avoided could have been offset. South Pole itself came under scrutiny after an investigation revealed they had inflated the number of carbon offsets available in Zimbabwe for profit.
In the end, the Swiss Fairness Commission ruled that FIFA could no longer claim the 2022 World Cup was CO2-neutral, following a complaint filed by Carbon Market Watch and other environmental groups.
Sustainability Goals Under Fire?
Organizations adopting sustainability goals and standards haven’t escaped criticism, especially when considering that several Premier League clubs are indirectly owned by Gulf States, whose wealth is built on fossil fuels.
Wycombe Wanderers midfielder David Wheeler expressed this frustration to BBC Sport, stating: “Waiting two and a half years for a sustainability strategy is dragging your feet. A lack of moral leadership is evident in football’s top organizations, from FIFA to the Premier League. While sustainability professionals drive progress, CEOs and board members seem to hinder positive change.”
Wheeler also called for a cap on domestic flights, accusing the league of “condoning” pre-season tours that generate “colossal amounts of emissions.” He added that football’s ever-expanding calendar is damaging both players and the environment, arguing, “You can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet.”
A Way Forward
With more voices from across the sports industry pushing for more sustainable practices, real progress will depend on bold leadership and a steadfast commitment to transparency. This is the path forward to push the sports industry into a more sustainable future and protect the planet we all call home.