Under the agreement, the JFA will calculate its organisation-wide greenhouse gas emissions and work towards reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2031 against a 2026 baseline. The initiative will be supported by detailed emissions analysis, power procurement modelling, target setting and the development of a comprehensive decarbonisation roadmap.

The move reflects a growing trend among leading sports organisations worldwide as governing bodies increasingly seek to reduce their environmental footprint while adapting to the operational challenges created by a warming planet.

Protecting the Future of the Game

For the JFA, climate action is not simply about reducing emissions. It is also about protecting participants, communities and the future of football itself.

Japan has experienced increasingly severe summer temperatures in recent years, creating significant challenges for grassroots and elite sport alike. In response, the JFA has revised its Heatstroke Prevention Guidelines and taken the significant step of deciding that tournaments and events hosted by the association will no longer be staged during July and August, traditionally the hottest months of the year.

The decision demonstrates how climate adaptation is becoming as important as climate mitigation for sports organisations around the world.

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, President of the JFA, emphasised the importance of creating a safe and sustainable environment for future generations.

“Protecting an environment where all generations can play football with peace of mind is an extremely important mission for us.”

He added that the partnership with JERA Cross would accelerate the visualisation and reduction of emissions while connecting the power of football with wider behavioural change across society.

Sustainability Through Football

The agreement builds upon the JFA’s wider sustainability programme, known as Aspas!, which focuses on five priority areas: Environment, Human Rights, Health, Education and Community. Through these initiatives, the association has already undertaken environmental conservation programmes, climate adaptation measures, educational projects and community-based activities designed to create positive social impact through football.

Importantly, the JFA has also been investing in better environmental data. Working alongside academic partners and now JERA Cross, the association has been developing a clearer understanding of the emissions generated across its operations. Such evidence-based decision making is increasingly becoming a hallmark of leading sustainability programmes in sport.

The organisation has further strengthened its international commitments through participation in the United Nations’ Football for the Goals initiative, aligning football’s influence with the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Turning Influence into Impact

Beyond reducing its own emissions, the JFA and JERA Cross hope to use football’s unique cultural reach to encourage wider societal change. Through the association’s media channels, partnerships and network of 47 prefectural football associations, sustainability messages will be communicated to millions of participants, supporters and communities across Japan.

As Kengo Ichikura, President and CEO of JERA Cross, observed:

“While decarbonization has often been viewed as a cost, through this collaboration with the JFA, we will take on the challenge of transforming decarbonization into a value that can change society. Soccer has the power to move people’s hearts and spread new values in society”

That belief sits at the heart of the partnership. The objective is not merely to reduce carbon emissions, but to demonstrate how sport can help accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable society.

Within Global Sustainable Sport’s forthcoming 2026 SPI (Sustainable, Purposeful and Impactful) Index, the JFA is expected to rank among the highest-performing sports organisations in Asia and feature within the Top 100 most purposeful sports organisations in the world.

Its combination of environmental leadership, climate adaptation measures and community-focused sustainability programmes provides a strong example of how governing bodies can move beyond commitments and begin translating purpose into measurable impact.