Introduction
The UEFA European Championships, a renowned football tournament, celebrates sports and is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental implications of such a grand event are diverse, originating from several areas such as transportation, stadium energy consumption, and waste production. Transportation plays a significant role in the event’s carbon emissions—supporters from every part of Europe, and occasionally beyond, journey to cheer for their teams (UEFA, 2019). Greenhouse gas emissions result from these trips, whether taken by vehicle, bus, rail, or airplane.
UEFA has projected that trips by fans and staff to games in a single tournament could generate approximately 405,000 tonnes of carbon (UEFA, 2019). The stadiums themselves are another notable source of emissions. They demand considerable energy for lighting, heating, and cooling, often generated from fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases when combusted. Additionally, the construction or renovation of stadiums for the tournament can also lead to substantial emissions.
Different Factors and Initiatives
Another environmental hurdle can be considered as waste management. The fans attending the matches produce significant waste, ranging from food packaging to match programs. If this waste is not appropriately managed, it can end up in landfills, producing methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Nonetheless, UEFA is aware of these environmental issues and is taking necessary action. The organization has committed to counterbalance the carbon emissions caused by the travel of fans and staff (UEFA, 2019).
Moreover, UEFA has pledged to join the UN Race to Zero campaign, aiming to markedly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its events by 2030. Despite these initiatives, some critics contend that the emissions may be higher than reported, and the offsetting measures may need to be revised (UEFA, 2022). Therefore, the efficiency and ability of these measures to meet their targets remain to be determined.
Rough Calculations for Attendance Data
The UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, a monumental event in the world of football, drew an impressive attendance of 574,875 fans (UEFA, 2022b). These fans, traveling from various locations, contributed to the event’s overall carbon footprint. To estimate this impact, we consider the average CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometer for different modes of transport:
- Plane travel is 156 gCO2/passenger km;
- Bus travel is 105 gCO2/passenger km;
- Train travel is 41 gCO2/passenger km;
- Car travel is 48 gCO2/passenger km (Ritchie, 2020).
Assuming each fan travels an average of 500 km, we can estimate the total emissions from fan travel to the tournament. This calculation involves multiplying the number of fans by the average distance traveled and the CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometer for each mode of transport. We then average these totals to account for the different modes of transport used.
The result is a staggering 25,150 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This figure underscores the environmental impact of such large-scale events. The actual emissions could be higher or lower depending on various factors. This analysis highlights the importance of considering environmental impacts when planning and attending such events.
Assessing the Environmental Impact
Using the given data, we calculated 25,150 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The difficulties and uncertainties that these estimates entail must be understood. To begin with, the CO2 emissions data we used are derived from broad-based data. These averages might not precisely mirror the unique situations of the fans who attended the tournament. For example, the emissions from car travel can fluctuate significantly based on different factors. Such factors might be the model of the car and the number of people in the car.
Likewise, the emissions from air travel can differ based on the aircraft type, fuel efficiency, and how complete the flight is. Furthermore, the assumption that each fan traveled an average distance of 500 km is a ballpark figure. The actual distances that fans traveled would have spanned a wide range, contingent on their initial locations and the venues of the matches they went to. Some fans journeyed less than 500 km, while others may have traveled more.
Next, the calculation does not account for other emissions related to fan travel. Those are the emissions from the production of the fuel used in the vehicles or the emissions from the infrastructure supporting transportation (airports and roads). Finally, the calculation assumes that all fans traveled to the tournament using the modes of transport for which we have average CO2 emissions data.
In reality, some fans may have used other modes of transport, like motorcycles or ferries. These could have different emissions profiles due to a dissimilar internal motor. Given these complexities and variability, the calculation of 25,150 tonnes of CO2 emissions should be considered a rough estimate. It provides a general sense of the scale of the emissions from fan travel to the event. However, with things noted previously, the actual emissions could vary.
Conclusion
It is crucial to acknowledge that fan travel constitutes only a portion of the tournament’s total carbon emissions. Other substantial contributors to emissions encompass the energy usage of the stadiums and the waste generated by the spectators. UEFA has identified these environmental consequences and has initiated measures to alleviate them, such as pledging to counterbalance the carbon emissions resulting from the travel of fans and staff and participating in the UN Race to Zero campaign.
Still, since those initiatives are recent, there is time to understand their full potential. It can be said that the UEFA Championships pose a substantial environmental challenge. A fan trip alone contributes an estimated 25,150 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
References
Ritchie, H. (2020). Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint? Our World in Data. Web.
UEFA. (2019). UEFA’s pledge towards an environmentally conscious UEFA EURO 2020. UEFA. Web.
UEFA. (2022a). UEFA commits to ambitious climate targets and joins Race to Zero campaign. UEFA. Web.
UEFA. (2022b). Biggest women’s EURO crowds: 2022 finals the best attended ever. UEFA. Web.