Adam Holt/Action Images via Reuters
The work here is done in a climate-friendly way: The New Lawn Stadium of the Forest Green Rovers (Nailsworth, November 16, 2019)
Brentford FC set an inimitable symbol for climate protection in a press release at the end of November. According to the wording: There will be no new jerseys in the coming season; they will continue to play in the current one and want to set an example for sustainability. This should not only protect the environment, but also the wallets of the fans. To emphasize again: two years in the same jersey – fantastic. Media reports increased. Sky Sport calls it an “extraordinary action”. Which proves: Football clubs are now allowed to get a pat on the back even for a minimum of avoidance of waste.
Only green electricity
The English fourth division team Forest Green Rovers shows that there is another way. They are to be seen as role models in matters of sustainability, at least the social commitment is bought more from them than the above-mentioned club from West London. The rovers were even certified by the United Nations as the first climate neutral club. The club only uses green electricity that is generated by solar collectors installed on the stadium roof. The groundskeepers also do their work in a climate-friendly way: the lawnmowers, which keep the bright green ground at an acceptable length, are also solar-powered. In addition, weedkillers are not used and rainwater is collected for irrigation. The jerseys are made from recycled materials and the shin guards are made from bamboo. The players get the strength for their hard work on the pitch from vegan food. Food is also an important keyword in the stands: Here, the fans of the rover can choose from a wide range of naturally vegan variants of burgers and the pies popular in English stadiums . The idea for this came from “Britain’s richest hippie,” as Dale Vince is commonly known. The billionaire made his fortune with wind turbines. When the Rovers were on the verge of ruin almost twelve years ago, the convinced vegan brought his ideas along with his wallet.
The Bundesliga has meanwhile also followed suit when it comes to vegan nutrition. While more and more professionals are now eating vegan – presumably for reasons of self-optimization – the fans in the stands are also being served vegan dishes more frequently at the snack bars. In 2019, the animal rights organization PETA named FC Schalke 04 the “Vegan Master”. Thirteen different vegan snacks were available for purchase at the stalls. Nationwide, however, there is still some catching up to do. Four clubs share the last place in the ranking. In Mönchengladbach, Bochum, Paderborn and Regensburg, vegans can only buy fries and pretzels. 1. FC Köln shows how it can be done better. In 2021, the people of Domstadt received TÜV certification for sustainable corporate management. Nationwide, more and more clubs are trying to produce less waste.
Recycling
From the 2023/24 season, the DFL intends to introduce sustainability criteria into the award of licenses. Where previously it was only a matter of having enough equity capital, attention will soon be paid to whether the floodlights consist of LED spotlights and the proportion of the stadium waste that is recycled. Record champions FC Bayern Munich have already treated themselves to their own waste-to-energy plant, in which the remainder of the non-recyclable waste is used to generate electricity. The professional clubs remain silent on one major issue: How do they intend to deal with their enormous air traffic.
