Will football tackle the climate crisis?

You don’t often hear climate change and football mentioned in the
same sentence, but rising temperatures are set to disrupt every
area of our lives, the ‘beautiful game’ included. Heat and other
extreme weather have already been affecting training and matches,
which experts say we can expect a lot more of in coming years.
But not only is the sport at risk from the climate crisis, it’s
also a significant contributor to it. The operation of
multi-thousand capacity stadiums, spectator travel and
merchandise, not to mention the fossil fuel sponsorship that
props up professional tournaments, mean that football is
currently part of the climate problem. Yet football also has an
audience of billions – all potentially affected by climate change
– who could be part of the solution. Featuring footballers and
fans, we ask if football can tackle its carbon problem and be a
force for good in the fight against climate change. Guests Morten
Thorsby, Norwegian midfielder Sofie Junge Pedersen, Danish
midfielder David Goldblatt, football historian and writer Manuel
Gaber, founder of Unser Fussball campaign Federico Addiechi, Head
of Sustainability and Environment at FIFA


Reporter Uli Knapp Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma
Rippon