We Play Green was invited to present and speak at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s energy transition week about how football is a way to engage new societal actors to advocate for climate action.

Our presentation consisted of a short video, followed by a 10-minute talk on how football can elicit new climate actors.

To read more about the collaboration between WPG and NTNU, read this article.

Here’s a quick summary of our presentation:

We Play Green believes that football can engage climate action through eliciting awareness, engagement, and eventually a long-lasting, impactful chain reaction.

Football is a social phenomenon that reaches half the planet, and complimentary to that is the fact that a handful of footballers are some of the most-followed people on the planet. This massive reach is important as there is also a massive number of people on this planet who are either, unaware, overwhelmed, or non-believers of climate change. Thus, football in itself, along with its social actors such as professional footballers, coaches, and clubs can reach these integral masses by making them aware of the climate and environmental crises that are happening. But most importantly, they can make them aware of the climate solutions available to prevent climate catastrophe within individual behavior changes. Awareness is the crucial initial first step to then kick-start climate massive engagement, and eventually a long-lasting, chain reaction from the top to the bottom of the football world. To read more about how football is a great way to save the planet from the climate and environmental crises, check out our blog post here.

This fascinating discussion within the workshop led to many questions and concerns regarding potential football “greenwashing”, the materialistic stereotype of the professional footballer, and the massive carbon footprint football travel has on the planet. It was concluded that these concerns are some of the biggest reasons why football can be such a massive driver for climate action. There are many professional (and recreational) players, coaches, clubs, and fans that want to be advocates for climate awareness and action. By creating a platform through We Play Green that normalizes climate action within all facets of football, there can be enough awareness, engagement, and chain reaction to tackle the most pressing climate behaviors and issues within the global football industry and family.