Headline: Football Clubs Worldwide Must Champion Environmental Action — Before We Lose the Green We Play On
Manchester United has always understood that our club’s legacy as one of the top football clubs in the world is not just about what we do on the pitch, but about what we do off of it. We have a responsibility to our fans and the world to address the challenges we all face — the most urgent being environmental sustainability.
As a club, we’ve taken practical steps for years to lower our energy consumption, reduce our single-use plastics, and incorporate more recyclable materials throughout our matchday operations and beyond. Sustainability is a core piece of our operations at Manchester United, as we are always evaluating the environmental impact of actions and practices across our club. Still, we recognize that as the threat of climate change becomes more imminent, there is much more work to be done.
As we expand our club’s reach to the NWSL, we recognize their efforts to pave the way in integrating sustainability into the organization of their league and its teams. The NWSL has both supported and implemented environmental sustainability efforts driven by their players that prioritize sustainable products such as reusable food and beverage products, shifting 40% of player meals on some teams to vegan, hanging signage throughout facilities featuring information about plastic usage and its environmental impact, and partnering with local businesses with their own sustainability efforts to further engage in sustainability throughout their communities. These efforts are incredibly important to increase the environmental sustainability of teams and the league overall — efforts that those of us across the pond can learn from.
We plan on integrating these practices as we launch our own NWSL team in Manchester, Connecticut next year. However, this is a collaborative effort. No one team or league can or should do this alone. It is important that we all come together to invest in environmental sustainability so that this game can be played on beautiful green pitches for years and years to come.
If you’re a club owner or league head who finds yourself hesitant about investing in environmental sustainability, just know that the importance of environmental action in football is about more than just making a positive impact on our community — it’s also great business practice. Our supporters, particularly those of younger generations, want to put their personal and financial support behind businesses and clubs that share their values. Increasingly, sponsors and other partners want that alignment as well. While an initial investment in the practices needed to further environmental sustainability in clubs and leagues around the world may be substantial, the payoff of these investments will be far greater. The more clubs across the NWSL, the Champions League, the Europa League, and more invest in these environmental practices, the better they will be at reaching fans and sponsors.
The sport that we all love so much deserves to be played for years and years to come on this planet that we all call home. We can’t afford to lose the beautiful green that we play on. Manchester United is committed to our environmental practices and we plan to invest in further efforts to increase our sustainability across our organization. We hope that other leagues and clubs will join us.