The development in recent years of widespread awareness about the impact of major public events has led the world of sports to become the bearer of messages and behaviors in favor of environmental sustainability .
The international project “Greencoach – Incorporating sustainability into the governance of sports organizations” , carried out by a consortium formed by Ecoserveis (Spain), project coordinator; TDM 2000 International; Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Studi Avanzati (Italy); Norwegian Football Association (Norway); Association of French-speaking Football Clubs (Belgium); Swedish Football Federation (Sweden); Lithuanian Grassroots Football Federation (Lithuania); French Football Federation (France); has given material to this new awareness.
Co-financed by the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus+ Sport Programme , the project promotes the environmentally efficient management of sports clubs and the events they create, promoting sustainability as a central theme in the day-to-day of their activities.
A central element of this process was the development of a tool to monitor the consumption and environmental impact of a non-professional sports club . Through this platform, it is possible to monitor and work to reduce emissions and environmental impact derived from one’s own activities. The tool is free and available at the following link: https://www.greencoacherasmus.eu/green-coach-tool/ .
To stimulate awareness among sports organizations about the environmental footprint and sustainability in sports centers, while promoting responsible and conscious behavior in general, two manuals have also been developed that contain non-formal education activities for young footballers and sports club managers. The publications aim to stimulate individual reflection and self-awareness to find solutions to improve one’s own environmental impact and promote the adoption of sustainable solutions by sports club management.
The manuals are available for free in English, French, Lithuanian, Swedish and Norwegian at: https://www.greencoacherasmus.eu/tools/educational-tools/
Ecoserveis, as project coordinator, is the association responsible for coordinating the efforts of those responsible for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) of the 5 European football federations participating in the project in order to define indicators, identify the tasks necessary to meet the proposed objectives, ensure compliance with these objectives, ensure the proper functioning of the tools and ensure the visibility of the results.
Marc Vallverdu
Ecoservices Association
