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Tottenham Hotspur host world’s first net zero football match

Credit: Tottenham Hotspur
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London, UK
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Sky and Tottenham partnered for the first net zero match in elite level football on Sunday. Supported by COP26 and the Premier League, #GameZero is striving to drive emissions down in stadiums throughout England’s top division.

As 60,000 poured into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a tense London derby on Sunday, #GameZero provided a promising backdrop for a more sustainable future in English football.

It may be too soon to approach a Spurs fan with talk of net zero – after their team failed to register a goal against Chelsea on Sunday – but the club has rightly been commended for its sustainable milestone.

Tottenham, who had previously been named the Premier League’s ‘greenest club’ for its renewable stadium power and kits made from recycled plastic waste, announced its #GameZero partnership with the division’s chief broadcaster Sky earlier this month.

This industry first move, backed by COP26, aimed to deliver a full-capacity Premier League experience without producing a single carbon emission. We’re talking everything from the matchday activity, team travel, and dietary options for players and fans alike.

So, putting the blushes of team manager Nuno to one side, how did Tottenham fare in its common goal?


A promising start

While we’ve yet to see a climate transparency report emerge from Tottenham or Sky, everything seemed to go to plan.

Both Chelsea and Tottenham squads arrived to the ground in coaches running on biofuel, all food served to fans was sustainably sourced or plant-based, the stadium and Sky broadcast gear ran on renewable energy, and drinks were supplied in biodegradable cartons instead of plastic cups or bottles.

Beyond this, match day programs were handed out to fans encouraging them to consider their own carbon footprints when travelling home and away.

Talking up transport pollution as a big factor, Sky revealed that an offset budget had been put aside to account for travelling fans and the normal waste that comes with having 60,000 divide and conquer the borough’s pubs and restaurants.

Working with Natural Capital Partners and RSK to build reliable data, the match broadcasters stated that a baseline carbon toll is now being offset into reforestation projects in East Africa and the creation of new UK woodlands.

Unfortunately, given the controversy around offsetting, Sky may not offer up public reports for our own peace of mind.


Spreading a positive message

While the game was a definite improvement on the norm sustainability wise, it can’t be said that #GameZero is an entirely full-proof plan to take into the future.

On the other hand, it’s about time elite football started to reckon with its hefty carbon footprint in even the smallest capacity. Like most capitalist enterprises, football has a constant obsession with growth.

Club megastores flog millions of kit strips every season – often donned with sponsors like Qatar Airways, Gazprom, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola – and vendors sell out of polyester matchday scarves by the boot load every weekend.

In an effort to bring more fans to the sport, football associations like UEFA are constantly expanding European competitions with more teams and more games. That means more planes in the air, coaches on the road, and general pollution from spectators.

It is vital, then, that we begin to raise awareness about carbon emissions in sport sooner rather than later.

When you look at it that way, the Premier League is the most watched and coveted league in the world. If the other 19 teams in the division were to follow in Tottenham’s footsteps, it could set a precedent for football associations globally.

‘We know the sport at the highest level is profoundly influential on people’s behaviours,’ said Andrew Simms, a climate change expert at the New Weather Institute.

‘The fact that they’re [fans] talking about these issues around diet, around food, around putting an emphasis on using buses rather than private cars is an incredibly important signal about the kinds of behavioural change that we need to make.’

For many of us, football remained a rare outlet throughout the pandemic and it would be great to see the ‘beautiful game’ become a patron for such an important cause.

Senior Writer London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Editor in Chief at Thred. Keeping up with gaming and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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