On 24 August, UEFA released a methodology for measuring spectator travel emissions. Rather than starting with a broad climate promise, it asks a practical question: how should a fan’s journey by train, car, coach or air be counted?
The framework combines surveys, ticketing information and transport modes, placing supporter travel inside Scope 3 emissions. That step matters more than a one-off green matchday because it creates a common process that can influence transport information, ticketing, scheduling and partnerships.
If sustainability cannot change staffing, procurement and routes, it has not yet entered the event product.
01Measure the hardest journey first
Venue electricity and water are relatively visible. The movement of thousands of people outside the venue is harder. UEFA’s methodology, developed with the Premier League, Ligue de Football Professionnel and Deutsche Fußball Liga, recommends a “fan affiliation” approach that includes supporters travelling to away matches.
That changes the boundary of responsibility. A schedule, ticket allocation, transport bundle, arrival information and cycling infrastructure can all influence individual choices. The less directly controllable the source, the more important a shared measurement method becomes.
02When standards enter, slogans can leave
The 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo became the first outdoor edition fully assessed under the Athletics for a Better World standard, covering 55 action areas and achieving platinum recognition.
The useful detail sits behind the label: temporary broadcast generators used biofuel; procured power came from renewable electricity or certified energy instruments; official vehicles used electric, hybrid or fuel-cell systems. Each action belongs in technical plans, tenders and supplier management — not in a communications team’s last-minute checklist.
03It is a system only if every fixture can repeat it
Across four UEFA club finals in 2026, more than 25 tonnes of signage and branding material were recovered and all final venues achieved zero waste to landfill. The important step came before disposal: choosing materials, disassembly methods, sorting space, transport routes and the next user.
At loanDepot park, the Miami Marlins reported recycling more than 80 tonnes during the 2025 season. The Arizona Diamondbacks expanded a reusable-cup programme after more than 16,000 cups were used and recovered in a pilot. These programmes work because every item has an owner, a route and a next use.
04Put the incentive into the competition
SailGP’s Impact League adds an independently assessed environmental and social competition alongside racing. Its value is not another trophy, but the visible place it gives to long-term team action, athlete advocacy, community programmes and partner resources.
That also raises the bar for sponsors. A more valuable role may be supplying circular packaging, transport, energy, data or verification — and sharing responsibility for the result. The strongest right is no longer only appearing in the picture; it is helping the event run differently.
05Write the promise into every matchday
From how fans arrive to what fuels temporary power; from how signage is dismantled to how a cup returns at the next fixture, sustainability is moving into the least glamorous and most important parts of event delivery.
Scale will differ, but responsibility, indicators, workflow and review cannot be absent. The next stage will not reward the biggest promise. It will reward the organisation that can make the promise work, repeatedly, on every matchday.
Sources & further reading
Image credits
- Cover image: Sunderland supporters inside Wembley Stadium. Image: Les Hull, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Section 02 image: Standards translate ambition into responsibilities, deadlines and evidence. Image: filip bossuyt, CC BY 4.0.
- Section 03 image: Repeatability — not one-off visibility — turns sustainability into event capability. Image: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0.