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We have today launched a new five-year sustainability strategy, setting out our plan to make a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which we serve.

The new strategy, titled ‘Playing for the Future’, will drive forward our environmental ambitions until 2028, and will ensure that we continue to be a role model in shaping a positive football future for all.

The strategy has been created through extensive consultation with a wide range of football stakeholders and environmental experts, and focuses on three core areas:

1. SHOOT FOR NET ZERO – fight climate change and reduce emissions

• Achieve net zero status by 2040
• Invest over £35m to deliver the 2040 ambition
• Work towards reducing CO2e emissions 50% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, reducing electricity consumption by 30% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline, and reducing gas consumption by 20% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline

2. SAVE OUR RESOURCES – optimise resource consumption

• Reduce resource consumption across Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park, and embed more sustainable practices across the organisation
• Minimise impact of waste through procurement choices, avoiding waste, identifying reuse opportunities and maximising recyclability
• Reduce water consumption by 30% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline
• Protect biodiversity across all FA venues – animals, wildlife, plants, micro-organisms

3. MAKE AN IMPACT – deliver and govern change across football

• As the governing body of English football, The FA is in a unique position to drive wider environmental and societal change across clubs, leagues, and with partners
• The FA will create the operational framework to embed this strategy across the whole organisation, including its facilities, and increase awareness and environmental sustainability practices across football, whilst governing and supporting wider change
• The strategy will also ensure FA partners are aligned and committed to the sustainability ambitions

The launch of this new sustainability strategy builds on the extensive work across Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park to drive operational sustainability efforts, particularly around waste, food and energy. The strategy will be reviewed every two years and further updates will be provided in due course.

Mark Bullingham, The FA’s Chief Executive, said: "The climate crisis presents one of the most significant challenges of our lifetime, and we are determined to play our part in inspiring positive and meaningful change. Through our new five-year commitment, we want to make tangible progress through our own sustainability initiatives, while raising awareness, and bringing the wider football community with us on this journey.

"We look forward to working with the leagues, clubs, County FAs and our partners to harness the unique power of football so that together we can have a beneficial impact on the planet and a positive influence for future generations."

Ruaidhri Dunn, The FA’s Head of Procurement and Sustainability, said: "We are delighted to launch our new five-year Playing for the Future sustainability strategy during Net Zero Week, which sets out our clear direction of travel to drive positive change for the environment.

"We are very proud of our achievements in recent years to become more environmentally friendly, including Wembley Stadium being awarded the highest standard of sustainability by the ISO, however we want to make further progress. Our new strategy focuses on a number of key areas including reducing emissions, optimising resource consumption, plus governing and supporting wider change across football – and we look forward to driving forward with the next phase of our sustainability efforts."

Useful resource : FA Sustainability Strategy 2028

As an Olympic International Federation, the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) is following the UN and the IOC’s leadership in recognising sport as an important enabler of sustainable development and peace.

As part of its Corporate Responsibility and good governance, FIH has released a new Sustainability Strategy in 2022, with the aim of encouraging the global hockey community to contribute positively to the FIH’s development goals.

The general concerns around climate change and the desire to take responsibility have sparked stronger development of sustainability initiatives within floorball, and resulted in the International Floorball Federation (IFF) signing the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA) in 2019. That same year, the IFF started preparing its Strategy for 2021-2032 – “Strengthening the Foundations” – which includes sustainability as one of the main focus areas.

The United Nations recognises sport as being a “key enabler of sustainable development” and, through sustainable global events, sports organisations can deliver on several objectives that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Since the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) became a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA) in 2020, it has been systematically integrating sustainability throughout its organisation and events.