Roma announced a brand new collaboration with UEFA as the pilot club for its Football Sustainability Strategy 2030, helping define the future of major sustainability initiatives throughout European football.
In recognition of the purpose-driven work carried out by AS Roma in recent years, as well as the club’s progress in creating its own sustainability strategy, the club will work in collaboration with both football’s European governing body and the European Club Association to implement aspects of UEFA’s innovative long-term plan entitled ‘Strength through Unity.’
AS Roma and UEFA will work together closely over the coming months to strengthen the organisation’s sustainability ambitions and deliver a lasting legacy for sustainability in European football.
“We are both honoured and motivated by the opportunity to collaborate with UEFA on this important part of our sustainability journeys,” said Pietro Berardi, AS Roma’s Corporate Chief Executive Officer.
“Being able to work collaboratively with UEFA as European football begins to implement new sustainability practices is not only recognition of the extensive efforts we as a club have made in the field of corporate social responsibility in recent times – but also an additional incentive to take that process even further and help make a decisive difference across the sport.
“We look forward to working closely with all related stakeholders, among whom we can now proudly include UEFA and ECA, as we embark on the process of developing a well-rounded and robust sustainability strategy that we all believe is so important for the future.”
The collaboration will include a series of initiatives aimed at helping to create guidelines and programmes for socially responsible and environmentally friendly actions and practices for long-term implementation across the sport.
AS Roma will also utilise a range of new tools for UEFA-associated clubs throughout the 2022-23 season.
“Football must not simply intercept and follow sustainability and societal trends – it must anticipate and originate them,” said Michele Uva, UEFA’s Director of Football and Social Responsibility.
“Our ‘Strength through Unity’ strategy has set out UEFA’s long-term commitment to drive collaborative and measurable actions, guided by the belief that sustainability is at the core of the success of European football.
“Together with ECA’s newly formed Sustainability Working Group, we will support clubs as they move from ambition to actioning respect for human rights and the environment.
“We look forward to working with AS Roma as the first pilot team around a shared ambition to respect human rights and the environment.”
In addition to working with UEFA, the club is pleased to further establish its role as a leader within the international football landscape as a member of the ECA’s newly formed Sustainability Working Group.
These international engagements are part of the club’s commitment to creating a robust and transparent sustainability strategy. More details of the club’s plans, which are being supported by purpose-driven sustainability agency Enovation Consulting, will be presented later this year.
“Sustainability represents a priority in the ECA agenda for the present and the future,” said Charlie Marshall, ECA Chief Executive Officer.
“We are very proud of working closely with our members, through the newly formed ECA Sustainability Working Group, and with UEFA to enable all ECA Member Clubs to become Sustainability Champions paving the way to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable football industry.
“We thank AS Roma for their commitment to this agenda as a key member of the ECA Sustainability Working Group and we look forward to moving together from ambition to action.”
