Professional Football Players Unite Through Champions Community To Drive Climate Action
During the 2023/24 season Football For Future and Common Goal brought together a group of climate-conscious professional football players to create the first ever Climate Champions Community. Over the course of the year the players collaborated, publicly advocated for climate action, and inspired sustainable change within their networks. Our goal was to equip the group of professional players with the tools and confidence to actively advocate for greater climate action in football; a target we feel we achieved!
Key achievements
All of the participants left with a strong understanding of climate change and its connection to football.
All Champions are actively engaged in Climate Action Projects with tangible real-world impacts.
The vast majority (88%) of participants feel confident to publicly advocate for climate action.
Media coverage from major outlets, including The Guardian, 90mins, Sky Sports, FIFPro, and The Athletic.
Player-led Climate Action Projects
The Community includes international players from top clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Rangers, Juventus, Roma, Paris FC, Arminia Bielefeld, internationally representing Canada, Colombia, Scotland, Denmark, England, and more. Through their participation, many of the players felt empowered to lead their own climate action projects.
Sofie Junge Pederson led the largest-ever player-led climate advocacy campaign, inspiring 44 players participating in the Women’s World Cup to take responsibility for their flights - raising over €25,000 for nature restoration projects globally. This award-winning project received international media attention.
Jessie Fleming became the first player to use Football For Future and Common Goal’s Carbon Transfer Compass to take responsibility for her season's carbon footprint, donating to Zero Foodprint, a regenerative farming initiative in her new local community in Portland. Jessie was also a key figure in the Sofie Project, and she continues to use her platform to drive environmental awareness and change in football. As a result of this great work, she was nominated for BBC’s Green Sport Awards as overseas athlete of the year.
Mael Corboz led impactful initiatives with elevengreen and Goals For Tomorrow, where players donate to climate protection for each goal they score. Last season alone, Goals For Tomorrow raised over €16,000 for tree planting across Germany.
Lotte Wubben-Moy partnered with Nike and Football For Future to help develop the first climate handbook for professional footballers, educating them on the connection between sport and climate change. She also organised climate education workshops for young people through the Arsenal Foundation, supporting the next generation of Gooners to join this important conversation.
Jane Ross has been a constant during the first season of our climate champions community, regularly taking the time to join sessions and contribute. In August, she contributed to an article published by The Athletic on the conflicts of being an elite footballer and caring about the environment and has committed to continuing her climate journey.
Alexei Rojas has worked on sustainability projects with Arsenal on eliminating plastic waste at the training and implementing sustainable behaviours. He has spoken at a number of events on the close relationship between football and sustainability and the responsibility football has in addressing the climate issues that we face today.
Elin Landstrom has been an active member of We Play Green and the European Climate Pact. Alongside these roles, she’s used her platform to raise awareness around the climate crisis, and to educate others to make conscious choices that benefit us and our planet. In August, she contributed her opinions to an article with The Athletic on the conflicts of being an elite footballer and caring about the environment and has been active to introduce new players to Common Goal’s new Climate Champions community.
Daphne Corboz, sister of Mael, joined the community in the second half of our sessions and immediately made her mark, regularly contributing to sessions. In September, she joined the movement @goals4tomorrow as a means of aligning her team's success with positive climate action.
Tess Middag has spoken with various media platforms about her passion for sustainability, become an ambassador for sustainable football boots ‘Sokito’ and is now working with PFA Scotland to drive sustainability across the players union.
Season Two
Through our surveys from season one of the Champions Community we found clear success in raising awareness, fostering a sense of responsibility, and encouraging action among participants. Due to this success we are excited to share that Season Two of the Champions Community will be coming in November!
If you’re a football player who is passionate about the planet then joining season two of our Champions Community is the best way to access opportunities to learn about climate change and football, drive sustainable impact, collaborate on climate projects, and join a community of like-minded players.
Arsenal and Columbia U23, Alexei Rojas shared his thoughts on season one, “Through the Community I’ve gained valuable knowledge to communicate football’s role in tackling climate change and take impactful action in my own journey”. Inter Milan and Denmark international Sofie Junge Pedersen also said, “Being part of the Community has helped me learn how I can make a difference, inspiring real change for our planet”. These testimonials show that the Champions Community is a way to tangibly make a difference in your networks and deepen your knowledge about the intersection between climate and football.
Are you a professional footballer interested in taking action on climate change? Get in touch! info@footballforfuture.org