We're asking the Premier League to ditch domestic flights
With the Green Football Weekend coming up, it’s great to see so many football teams getting involved with climate action - from encouraging fans to reach stadiums by public transport, to getting players eating more plant-based proteins.
But if we’re serious about the climate impact of football, we can’t ignore the fact that many teams are using private jets to reach their domestic away-games - even though the vast majority of those journeys could be made by coach in under four and a half hours.
Manchester City Football Club, for instance, chose to fly to 10 of their 19 domestic away games last season - racking up over 56 tonnes of CO2 emissions, that’s more CO2 in one season than 21 years worth of travel if the team used an electric coach!
If the Premier League introduced a ‘no-fly’ policy for teams, they’d cut so much carbon that the combined emissions from all Premier League team’s away games would be lower than the emissions Man City clocked up for those ten games last season. Doing so would be an important step forward in showing that the football world is serious about the climate crisis and leading the way in sustainable sports.
Lots of football clubs are already cutting back on flights.
Millwall, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, Mansfield Town and Swindon Town are others who support Pledgeball’s Sustainable Travel Charter, a voluntary agreement for clubs to think environmentally when making decisions about team travel. And Crystal Palace’s policy prohibits the use of flights unless absolutely necessary.
“Our teams all travel to matches by train or coach unless absolutely necessary.”
By choosing to fly, some big names are letting the side down.
Football’s governing bodies have the power to speed up the transition to flight-free football, and to shift norms so that more footballers can choose flight-free travel.
So we’re asking decision makers in the FA, the Premier League and the Women’s Super League to take action today and implement a simple ‘no fly’ policy for their leagues.
Instead of chartering unnecessary flights, football teams should kit out luxury electric coaches with everything from far-reclining seats to onboard physiotherapists, designed for pre- and post- game comfort.
Do you agree?
*Read Crystal Palace Football Club’s full environmental statement at: www.cpfc.co.uk/information/environmental-statement/.