This summer, the Football for Future joined forces with Arsenal Academy to host climate education workshops for academy players from U12s to U16s from both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

These workshops created a unique space for young players to engage with the fundamentals of climate change and the natural sciences, to explore the different ways that climate change affects football, and to creatively envision what a greener game could look like.

FFF founder, Elliot Arthur-Worsop, stated: “with climate soaring up the football agenda, it's important to engage the next generation of players on how climate change is threatening the future of the game, and how we can collectively tackle this issue, on and off the pitch.

“It was inspiring to see how much pre-existing knowledge the young people had, and their enthusiasm for this important topic. These are the players of the future, and with attitudes and awareness like this, the future of the game is in good hands.”

In addition to the educational workshops, the players embarked on a tour of the Emirates Stadium where they were shown first hand the sustainable initiatives that the club has put in place. It's one thing to talk about change, but these young people got to see the tangible work that the club is doing to reduce our own impact on the planet.

Chris Thurston, Arsenal’s Player Care Manager at Hale End, said: “Our determination to develop Strong Young Gunners includes a commitment to educating our players around topics that will help them towards becoming better people, as well as better players.

“As part of the Lifelong Learner Programme, we are really pleased to work with Football for Future, who delivered workshops which helped the players to see the link between climate change and football and inspired them to think about the actions they can take now to make a positive impact themselves.

“It has also been a great opportunity for the academy players to learn more about some of the great work that Arsenal already does at the Emirates Stadium including methods to reduce waste and using renewable energy sources amongst others.

"This commitment to action and education is integral to how Arsenal Acts to reduce our environmental impact.”

Arsenal has been one of the first professional clubs in the world to offer climate education to their academy players, and the results speak for themselves.

The sessions sparked a profound understanding of the link between climate change and football, giving our players the tools to work on creative sustainability projects.

The academy players had the privilege of touring the Emirates Stadium, witnessing the real-life sustainable initiatives that the club has put in place, inspiring change and reducing our impact on the planet.
We emphasised football's pivotal role in climate action, nurturing a sense of responsibility.
Recognising the influential voice of players, we ignited inspiration to drive change both on and off the field.

Together, we're creating a legacy of sustainable football, and the future looks bright. We're excited to see the positive impact the Strong Young Gunners will make on the world. This is more than just a workshop; it's a movement.