The German league, Bundesliga is committed to being climate friendly. As much as 36 clubs in the first and second divisions are prepared to adhere to certain sustainability criteria in the future, with some better positioned than others.
With every match of the league, thousands of fans hop on the cars on the roads of Germany on their way to the stadium, majority by car. This often causes kilometers-long traffic jams in front of the stadium, moreover, air and noise pollution.
Before the season, teams get in shape at training camps abroad, in the company by a sea of fans, sponsors and media representatives. And then there is the Bratwurst (sausage), which is an essential part of any stadium visit and leads to the mass use of disposable tableware.
The club and leagues intend to be better positioned and start meeting ecological, economic and social sustainability targets. From the 2023-24 season, criteria imposed will become a mandatory part of the licensing procedure.
“This means that German professional football is taking on a pioneering role internationally,” sustainability expert Tanja Ferkau told DW.
Moreover, the clubs will seek to actively measure their carbon footprint, manage the pitch and the club’s own buildings sustainably in the long term.
“The decisive thing now is the implementation, which will take place in individual steps as we sharpen the criteria and set them in stone,” explained Ferkau. “Depending on the maturity of sustainability in the respective clubs, the criteria tend to be easier or more difficult to meet. But they are feasible for all,” concluded Ferkau.
“The clubs’ self-motivation is high right now, because stakeholders are demanding more sustainability anyway. The pressure here has increased massively in the last 18 months. On top of that, the issue of sanction versus reward is still being discussed.”
