FAQ Category: Impact

In the 2023/24 season, fans from more than 180 clubs made 144,781 pledges. This figure represents a 38% increase on the 2022/23 season, during which 105,071 pledges were made. Collectively, the 2023/24 pledges saved 62.5749 million kg in carbon emissions — equivalent to removing 13,603 cars from the road. However, Pledgeball’s impact extends beyond the Pledgeball League. The Sustainable Travel Charter, a joint campaign between the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) and Pledgeball, aims to reduce the environmental footprint of clubs’ travel and has already attracted more than 10 signatories from the EFL. Pledgeball has also partnered with various football and rugby clubs, the Lawn Tennis Association, and International Biathlon Union (IBU) on several groundbreaking projects. In recognition of these efforts, Pledgeball was crowned Grassroots Organisation of the Year at the BBC Green Sports Awards 2024.

The emissions savings figures are intended as guidelines rather than precise measurements. It is impossible to account for all the factors that might influence the carbon savings of any given pledge. For example, if you were to calculate the emissions saved by travelling in an electric vehicle instead of a petrol car, variables such as weather, road condition, mileage, and a range of other factors would all affect the outcome. However, the guideline savings for each pledge are calculated as accurately as possible by experts at the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). As a result, they provide a reliable estimate of the savings you can achieve by making the pledges. 

We won’t be checking up on you, so there’s no need to worry! That said, we’re confident that Pledgeball works — and we have the evidence to back it up. Research shows that “engagement with Pledgeball makes fans…reevaluate their role in tackling climate change  resulting in further engagement with the topic.” Studies also indicate that “fans are more likely to adjust their daily consumption habits in response to their club’s involvement in Pledgeball”. Pledgeball has been found to “increase feelings of individuals’ agency and efficacy”, too, while “individuals who pledged reported having more frequent conversations about climate change.” These findings are reinforced by Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, MBE, director of the UK Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation, who observed that “Pledgeball’s approach is rooted in robust social science principles and has already demonstrated significant behaviour change and emissions reductions.”