Football and Climate Change Newsletter

Six of the world’s biggest sports organisations, including FIFA, the International Cricket Council & Formula 1, are being challenged to justify their sponsorship deals with state-owned Saudi Aramco. These partnerships may place them in breach of international human rights standards.

Player workloads and climate issues A new report from FIFPRO, the world players' union, highlights links

What are the links between footballers' workloads and climate issues?

A new free post in the newsletter takes a look at key climate-related issues in FIFPRO's latest player workload monitoring report for men’s professional football. More 👇
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/player-wor...

European Calls to Action A manifesto, a consultation, a motion and more

This new free post in the newsletter looks at calls for actions from European institutions on sport and environmental issues. It also suggests that more engagement is needed with European bodies on these issues.

Read 👉 footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/european-c...

Financial Implications for Grassroots Sport A new report commissioned by the UK Government has been published

A fantastic breakdown by @fbandclimate.bsky.social of the report commissioned by the UK Government, which identifies a £320 million annual financial impact on grassroots sport due to adverse and extreme weather events.

footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/financial-...

Staging domestic matches overseas Climate concerns ahead of an important upcoming UEFA meeting

A new, free post in the newsletter looks at where we are now with proposals to stage domestic league games overseas, the climate issues they raise, and what's next.

Read 👉 bit.ly/overseasmatches

How climate change could force FIFA to rethink the World Cup calendar Soccer faces growing challenges from extreme heat, as seen during the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. this summer.

"I would like to see governing bodies lean into the climate and health science” says @piersforster.bsky.social ‪ in

'How climate change could force FIFA to rethink the World Cup calendar' via @apnews.com apnews.com/article/socc...

Big thanks @mattwoosie.bsky.social for the super kind words and for all your great writing on football and climate issues too!

Dangerous heat is a real threat for the 2026 World Cup. Are teams ready? Experts warn that cooling breaks and later kickoff times may be needed to cope with scorching temperatures when North America hosts the tournament

It's going to be dangerously hot at most of the venues at the 2026 World Cup.

But will FIFA avoid playing matches in the most problematic afternoon hours? With 104 games to get through and the time difference to Europe?

My story @us.theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Licensing, travels, innovation and more Round up #46

📣 New post rounding-up the latest ⚽ football and 🌍 climate news - 'Licensing, travels, innovation and more'

Please donate if you would like to see the newsletter continue in its free and open-to-all form. Link in post too 👇
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/licensing-...

Licensing, travels, innovation and more Round up #46

📣 New post rounding-up the latest ⚽ football and 🌍 climate news - 'Licensing, travels, innovation and more'

Please donate if you would like to see the newsletter continue in its free and open-to-all form. Link in post too 👇
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/licensing-...

A new outlet covers climate policy in the language Brazil knows best: Soccer. With quippy headlines, a "betting" portal, a tournament bracket, and more, Central da COP is pulling out all the stops to inform Brazilians ahead of the next U.N. Climate Change Conference.

Innovative initiative by @obsclima.bsky.social, #Brazil's top #Climate #NGO to use the language of #Football to communicate and educate about #ClimateChange!
@fossilfreefootball.bsky.social @fbandclimate.bsky.social @climateblawg.bsky.social @katharinehayhoe.com

www.niemanlab.org/2025/02/a-ne...

Building a #football team on the shifting sands of the #ClimateChange at the frontiers of the #ClimateCrisis
@climateblawg.bsky.social @fbandclimate.bsky.social @sportpositive.bsky.social
#ClimateJustice #Sports #HumanRights

Plans, storms, 500 days and more Round up #44

📣 New post: Read the latest round-up of recent news and developments from the football and climate change world - 'Plans, storms, 500 days and more' footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/plans-stor...

Plans, storms, 500 days and more Round up #44

📣 New post: Read the latest round-up of recent news and developments from the football and climate change world - 'Plans, storms, 500 days and more' footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/plans-stor...

Is English football hurtling towards a ‘climate doom loop’? Football is facing a future of constant disruption.

English football is hurtling towards a 'climate doom loop' ➿ ⚽

Building on the work of @laurielaybourn.bsky.social and others, I sketch the dynamics of a 'climate doom loop' within English football pyramid for @fbandclimate.bsky.social

substack.com/home/post/p-...

Here are the main arguments 🧵

LA, transport, soft power and more Round-up #43

📣 New post: Read the latest round-up of news and developments from the football and climate change world - 'LA, transport, soft power and more'
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/la-transpo...

📣 Read the first 2025 round-up of news and developments from the football and climate change world - 'Actions, talk, reports and more'👇 footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/respect-ta...

📣 Read the first 2025 round-up of news and developments from the football and climate change world - 'Actions, talk, reports and more'👇 footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/respect-ta...

The Guardian Footballer of the Year Sofie Junge Pedersen: ‘We wanted to send a message’ The Inter and Denmark player wins the award for her climate activism and being behind an open letter to Fifa regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues

Big interview in Milan with the trailblazing Sofie Junge Pedersen - our Guardian footballer of the year for 2024. www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/d...

FIFA’s foul, irresponsible, farcical, and absurd approach to the climate - Carbon Market Watch Despite its talk of making the World Cups climate friendly, FIFA is clearly following the money, whether it is from wealthy and polluting corporate sponsors or countries with questionable human rights...

The selection of hosts for 2030 and 2034 World Cups shows FIFA continue to kick the principle of financial greed ahead of people and planet⚽

Read here about FIFA’s foul, irresponsible, farcical and absurd approach to the climate: carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/12/20/f...

World Cups, grassroots, players and more Round-up #41

'World Cups, grassroots, players and more'

📣 The final 2024 round-up is out of news and developments from the football and climate change world.

Read it for free 👇
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/world-cups...

Fußball-WM 2030 und 2034 | Neue Winter-Turniere? Die FIFA hat die Weltmeisterschaften 2030 und 2034 an Länder vergeben, in denen es im Sommer sehr heiß ist. Gerade für die Fans könnte das zur Gefahr werden.

Die Luftfeuchtigkeit in Madrid beträgt im Juni und Juli tagsüber 0%. Das stimmt natürlich nicht, steht aber so im Evaluationsbericht der FIFA zur WM 2030. Der Fußball-Weltverband hat irreführende oder sogar falsche Wetterdaten benutzt - ein Zeichen für den laxen Umgang mit Hitze. Details im Thread!

World Cups, grassroots, players and more Round-up #41

'World Cups, grassroots, players and more'

📣 The final 2024 round-up is out of news and developments from the football and climate change world.

Read it for free 👇
footballandclimatechange.substack.com/p/world-cups...

Climate X report reveals that 2026 #FIFA #WorldCup venues and 25 largest #football venues in #Europe face $800 million in losses by 2050 due to #ClimateChange, particularly due to flooding and extreme heat.

📌 Read: www.climate-x.com/articles/ind...

@climate.skyfleet.blue @fbandclimate.bsky.social

Female footballers have shown us how – let’s build a sport free of fossil fuel deals | David Wheeler Male players must step up and add their voice to the campaign to stop our sport being sold out to the big polluters who are causing climate change

My article on how FIFA's competitions are being bankrolled by big oil money and how female footballers are fighting back. Male players, fans, and gov bodies in football must join their call to end fossil fuel sponsorship in football!

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Five of the best sports books of 2024 Tales of Ohio hoop dreams, Joseph O’Neill’s football-accented new novel and the effect of the climate crisis on sport

'Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport' by @maddyorr.bsky.social is one of The Guardian's 'Five of the best sports books of 2024'.

"A must-read whether you’re helping out at your local club or running Fifa". 👍 👇

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/d...

Bert, Brazil, licensing and more Round-up #40

'Bert, Brazil, licensing and more'

📣 A new round-up is out of news and developments from the football and climate change world.

Read it for free 👇

Two thirds of UK fans believe soccer should be more sustainable - SportsPro Supporters 'not satisfied' with environmental efforts, with 65% thinking clubs could make it easier for fans to behave sustainably.

'Soccer organisations in the UK will face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact as a younger generation of fans takes action on sustainability' via SportsPro

www.sportspromedia.com/news/footbal...

Footballers at ‘very high risk of extreme heat stress’ during World Cup 2026 Scientists warn Fifa’s current ‘wet bulb’ temperature policy underestimates strain athletes undergo during matches Footballers face a “very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress” at 10 of the 16 stadiums that will host the next World Cup,…

Footballers at ‘very high risk of extreme heat stress’ during World Cup 2026

Polling shows majority of global fans reject FIFA’s Saudi Aramco sponsorship — Cool Down New polling from the New Weather Institute reveals that FIFA’s sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco is overwhelmingly opposed by female fans of women’s football across the globe.

🚨 NEW: Polling commissioned by the New Weather Institute reveals a global backlash against FIFA’s partnership with Saudi Aramco among women’s football fans.

Here’s why the deal is sparking outrage from players and fans. 🧵

Article and polling dataset. 👇