News article
UEFA Euro 2024 allocates final round of climate funding for grassroots clubs
The UEFA Euro 2024 climate fund has announced the recipients of its final wave of financing for German clubs and regional football associations.
The final €698,000 – making the fund up to €7m total – has been donated to 30 amateur clubs to invest in sustainable infrastructure, helping them to improve their operations relating to energy, water, waste and mobility.
In total, more than 190 grassroots clubs and 21 regional associations across Germany have benefited from the climate fund. The money was distributed across three rounds.
Grassroots clubs in host nation Germany have been able to apply for financial support for climate-protection projects since early 2024. Across the three rounds, 5,586 grassroots clubs applied for funding.
In March, 2,307 projects were submitted, resulting in 80 being funded. This was followed by 2,019 submissions in May with another 81 funded projects. Clubs could apply to receive up to €250,000 for their projects, and were required to contribute 10% of the total costs, capped at a maximum of €5,000.
Thanks to the investments in sustainable infrastructure, UEFA estimated that roughly 60,000 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved; this is the equivalent of the electricity used to power more than 11,000 homes for one year.
Many of the successful project applications revolved around carbon reduction via energy efficiency, or a switch to renewable energy. Clubs were able to apply for multiple projects.
UEFA’s climate fund, which was launched earlier this year, is part of the football governing body’s wider sustainability efforts.
Also revealed earlier this year, UEFA’s Carbon Footprint Calculator is tailored to football organisations to allow them to assess and understand their carbon emissions. The calculator is focused on football-specific areas such as mobility, facilities, logistics, and purchased goods and services.
UEFA Euro 2024 will come to a close on Sunday, with Spain set to face England in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Image: Richard Boyle on Unsplash