It all began in 2015 when professional footballer and environmentalist, Morten Thorsby, read the article “Keep it in the ground” in The Guardian. Soon after, he was able to persuade his football club, Heerenveen, to buy bicycles for the players to ride from the training center to the stadium.

Fast forward to 2020, a meeting with the Italian Environmental Minister, Sergio Costa, planted the seed in Morten’s mind to present a project that linked the world’s most followed sport to the world’s most pressing issue. We Play Green was born.

For the 21/22 season, Morten changed his playing number to #2. The intention was to create a symbol, on the pitch, for the 2015 Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperature increases below 2°C. Since then, #2 has become a We Play Green symbol for everything related to building support for the Green Shift.

Our story continues as we try to tackle the world’s most pressing issue by activating the far-reaching voices and influence of professional football.

We Play Green is a global non-profit foundation that uses the power of football to speed up the green shift. Our team is dedicated to mobilizing the global football family, including professional players and fans alike, to support the transition toward a sustainable world.

We align our efforts with the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals, aiming to create a planet where economy, infrastructure, and societal actions are in harmony with the environment.

We recruit professional football players to become WPG Team Players, providing them with education, training, and support to become climate and environmental advocates within their communities. Our unique player program equips these athletes with a sustainability curriculum and social media training, enabling them to effectively reach and motivate their vast audiences.

We also offer opportunities for collaboration with local and international partners, fostering a network of environmental action. For more details on our initiatives, please visit our Programs section.

Together, we all have a #Role2Play

The #2 Community is the heart of our green transformation. This unique initiative is a powerful symbol of our commitment to the 2-degree global warming limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement. By changing their playing number to ‘2’, our athletes make a bold statement every time they step onto the pitch, reminding fans, clubs, sponsors, businesses, and fellow players of the urgent need to act against climate change.

#2 is more than just a number; it’s a global movement of athletes, fans, and partners united in the fight for a sustainable future. Our community members are the ambassadors of the green shift, using their platforms to raise awareness, inspire action, and drive meaningful change.

We invite you to explore the #2 Stories to learn more about our community members’ journeys toward sustainability. Each story is a testament to the power of sport in sparking global change, one goal at a time.

Join us in the #2 Community. Together, we can keep the temperature rise well under 2 degrees and safeguard our planet for future generations.