September 8: The NGO Fossil Free Football has demanded that UEFA ban the advertisements of polluting companies from its competitions.
In a new report, rights groups said UEFA has scaled back its climate targets and adopted pro-fossil fuel messaging in the Champions League, even after a summer of dangerous temperatures, forest fires and heat deaths across Europe. The heat also forced clubs to review pre-season preparations and leave pitches, often at amateur level, in an unplayable state.
In a statement, Frank Huisingh, director of Fossil Free Football, said: “This summer’s heatwaves, drought and fires have made it clear that there is no football, at any level, without safe places to play outside. But the main pollutants that are making things worse are still advertising everywhere in the Champions League. It is time for UEFA to take decisive action to protect businesses in promoting our competition.”
The NGO calls for the European confederation to commit to the 2030 and 2040 emissions targets by implementing a climate action plan that bans advertising of major pollutants, reorganizes competitions to reduce emissions from air travel and actively communicates the urgent need for climate action to protect football and its players.
Four years ago, UEFA signed up to the UN Sports Framework for Climate Action, pledging to halve its emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040. However, Fossil Free Football notes that this year UEFA presented a “strategy update” that removed references to some of these specific targets, while maintaining its formal commitment to the UN Framework.
On its website, UEFA writes: “We are pursuing a ‘Road to Zero’ through a carbon reduction plan, which sets out the measurement, reduction and mitigation measures taken in our internal organization and at UEFA events.”
The Dutch NGO highlights that eight of Europe’s top ten clubs, ranked by coefficient, have a shirt sponsorship deal with companies closely linked to fossil fuels, and five are sponsored by petro-state-owned airlines. Both the Champions League, UEFA’s flagship European club competition, and its winner, European champions Paris Saint-Germain, are sponsored by Qatar Airways.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at (email protected)
