THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE AND KNOWLEDGE
The Pro League acknowledges that the current sustainability landscape in Belgium mirrors the situation in other leagues, particularly with the transition from ESD to CSRD. Over the past two years, they’ve focused on raising awareness among clubs about these regulations, despite the lack of clarity regarding their practical implications. They have informed clubs of reporting obligations. However, they admit that the specifics remain unclear.
We at ESSMA will address the CSRD and also explore broader sustainability topics during the ESSMA Summit in corporation with partners. KPMG will provide a theoretical framework on the CSRD, while Johan Cruijff ArenA will present how they have implemented these practices. They will also collaborate with Arcades and GSES, to integrate best practices, including from the USA, to provide practical, actionable steps for clubs.
CSRD AND ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
The Pro League assessed the balance sheets, employee numbers and other criteria of their clubs to classify clubs as small, medium or large companies. All clubs of the Pro League will be affected by the CSRD by 2027-28 and it’s essential for them to be prepared. The challenge is helping clubs map their current efforts to the CSRD framework, as they often lack that specific knowledge. The Pro League has also updated its license criteria, adding two sustainability requirements. Clubs must propose a social policy plan within five pillars: inclusion, equality, accessibility, well-being and ecological sustainability. Each club’s plan will be tailored to its context and by 2026-27, a full-time staff member must be responsible for these initiatives. This aligns with UEFA’s licensing and ensures that sustainability efforts are effectively managed.
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS IN THE FUTURE
We at ESSMA have collaborated with the University of St. Anne and several other stakeholders to create an ecological footprint calculator, which is available online for free for clubs and stadium operators.
The Pro League has established a football and social responsibility plan for 2023-2026, focusing on the five pillars. These pillars, developed in cooperation with the 21st Group consultancy and stakeholders, align with the Sustainable Development Goals to enhance clarity and accountability. The league has set specific goals for each pillar to improve club operations and monitor impact using VUB measurement methods. The Pro League acknowledges the complexities in measuring impact, especially in areas like inclusion and ecological sustainability. They are developing KPIs to assess their efforts, understanding that quantifying social themes is challenging.
We at ESSMA want to highlight the difficulties in quantifying matchday impact, referencing data from EURO 2024 about fan travel methods. We think it would be interesting for sustainability manager and stadium managers to attend the session at the ESSMA Summit on sustainable practices at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, which will also discuss the ‘Green Event Standard’ for evaluating ecological footprints in stadium operations.
SUPPORT FROM ESSMA AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS
The Pro League highlighted the utility of ESSMA’s overview on our website about CSRD but told us there is a need for deeper exploration into these areas. The Pro League has a partnership with More2Win, which supports Eredivisie clubs in their sustainability efforts. They acknowledged that specific directives for football clubs and leagues are still unclear, which presents a major challenge for leagues in disseminating tailored information about how to incorporate the CRSD specifically for football stadiums.
As the Pro League continues its journey towards sustainable development, it is clear that there are still many questions to be answered and challenges to overcome. However, with a strong commitment to both social responsibility and environmental sustainability, they are well-positioned to lead by example. We look forward to seeing how these efforts evolve and contribute to a more sustainable future for football. Join us at the ESSMA Summit in Madrid to hear more insights from European Football Industry Experts as we tackle the pressing sustainability issues shaping the future of European football.
The full version of this interview is available exclusively for ESSMA-members on our Knowledge Platform.
