The carbon footprint of football: unveiling the dark side of the game

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Earth.Org or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Football, the world's most popular sport, is under scrutiny for its substantial carbon footprint, largely due to fan and team travel, stadium energy consumption, and waste production
• This impact is comparable to the annual emissions of countries like Denmark

🔭 The context: The global football industry emits over 30 million tonnes of CO2 annually
• Major tournaments, such as the Men's World Cup 2022 in Qatar, significantly contribute to this footprint, with transportation being the largest contributing factor
• Despite FIFA's carbon-neutral claims, the reality of these emissions paints a different picture

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Football's environmental impact raises concerns about sustainable practices within the sport
• The Men's Euro 2024 aims to be greener, emphasizing rail travel and sustainability initiatives, but the expansion of tournaments and the sport's reliance on air travel for international events highlight ongoing challenges

⏭️ What's next: Future World Cups will feature more teams and cross-continental travel, increasing the sport's carbon footprint
• Efforts by FIFA, UEFA, and clubs to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero targets are crucial steps towards a more sustainable future for football

💬 One quote: "The UEFA Carbon Footprint Calculator embodies our ambition to showcase that football can be part of the solution in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions," explained UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister.

📈 One stat: The Men's World Cup 2022 generated approximately 3.63 million tonnes of CO2e, with over half coming from transportation.

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