Our thinking

Huge score or own goal for UEFA?

15 November, 2024

UEFA recently scored a huge environmental win, reporting a 21% reduction in carbon emissions from their 2024 tournament in Germany relative to initial forecasts for the games. But has UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin’s private jet use during the games cast a shadow over this success story?

The UEFA EURO 2024 ESG report, released earlier this month, celebrated over 120 sustainability actions and a €29.6 million investment. These efforts enabled UEFA to achieve 95% of their pre-tournament sustainability goals. Initiatives included providing fans with free public transport passes, offering discounted InterRail passes, and reducing stadium parking availability. Match clustering in regional hubs also cut Participating National Associations’ flights by 75% compared to 2016, while 90% of staff travelled by public transport within Germany. These efforts set a strong example for reducing event-based emissions, offering a roadmap for other major sporting events and festival organisers.

However, recent controversy around Ceferin’s excessive use of private jets during the games, even for trips that would have been less than an hour by car, risks undermining UEFA’s environmental efforts. While fans and staff embraced public transport, Ceferin’s hypocrisy challenges his claim of the tournament being a ‘modern way of shaping a sporting event’.

While we don’t wish to take away from the success of the 2024 tournament, true sustainability requires an organisation-wide commitment, especially at leadership levels. Top executives must actively model the organisations values, only then can UEFA fully position itself as a leader in sustainability.

By Nia Vines