Majority of Bundesliga clubs have no concrete climate neutrality target - survey

The majority of football clubs in the German Bundesliga have not yet set themselves a climate neutrality target with concrete steps for the 2021/2022 season, according to a survey from non-profit myclimate. In contrast, almost all of the respective host cities of the clubs have already set a target year for climate neutrality, and marked corresponding interim targets to get there. Four teams (FSV Mainz 05, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, VFL Wolfsburg and FC Köln) say they have already achieved climate neutrality, and two more teams have set carbon and climate neutrality targets (Arminia Bielefeld and Hertha BSC). “This shows that it is already possible [to be climate neutral] at this point in time - even for Bundesliga clubs," said myclimate managing director Stefan Baumeister. “In the future, it will be important for them to continue working on reducing the proportion of CO2 emissions that are being offset today.” The remaining 12 of the 18 clubs surveyed have not yet committed to a specific year for neutrality.

Bundesliga clubs and companies can achieve "climate neutral" status by reducing and offsetting all relevant greenhouse gas emissions they cause using the "avoid - reduce - offset" principle, according to myclimate. The first step toward climate neutrality is therefore to record and calculate all of a club's climate-relevant consumption data using a CO2 balance sheet.