The Sustainable Travel Charter
Football clubs pledging to stop domestic flight habit
During a busy football season, football clubs will often rely on domestic flights to take their team from game to game.
With teams taking flights as short as 27 minutes to games, the impact of this was highlighted in a study by the BBC in 2023 showing that, in a two month period, Premier League sides took 81 domestic flights to 100 matches.
With the average domestic flight emitting 254g of CO2 every kilometre per person, the total impact football-related travel has on a club’s carbon footprint is significant.
First launched in 2023, Pledgeball’s Sustainable Travel Charter aims to lower the number of domestic flights that English clubs take to games, thereby reducing the environmental impact of football-related travel.
The charter, developed with the Football Supporters’ Association, Bristol City FC and Millwall FC, encourages clubs to assess how they approach their travel options, such as choosing trains and coaches for transport instead of planes when feasible.
It also calls for more transparency from clubs regarding travel, as currently there are no requirements for clubs to report on their travel activities.
By signing up to the charter, football clubs are marking a significant step towards fighting climate change, whilst also normalising a more sustainable (and common sense) behaviour to both fans and clubs .
Currently 14 football clubs have agreed to the charter, including numerous clubs in the Championship such as Blackburn Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Cardiff City.
Millwall, another club who is part of the charter, have a “no-flight” policy, choosing to avoid air-travel entirely.
Katie Cross, Pledgeball CEOFootball clubs' reliance on short-haul flights is a thorn in the side of their wider sustainability strategies.
This charter seeks to address the elephant in the room and help clubs incorporate more sustainable travel practices into their operations and lead by example in showing fans and the public that climate action means walking the talk.
Having 14 clubs now, including a large number of Championship clubs, very happy to sign the charter, is a real reflection on the importance that is been given to sustainability, and particularly from individuals within those clubs.
These are individuals who have personal appetite to really drive sustainability. Football business is very difficult.
It doesn't prioritise sustainability, it doesn't really allow for it. So if you want to drive it, it has to generally come from a personal place.
Pledgeball is actively working with other teams to see how the sustainable travel charter could be implemented into their matchday operations.
If you’re part of a club looking to get involved, contact us via our email info@pledgeball.org.