“Udinese has thus become the fourth greenest football club in the world”
[ad_1]
“It’s my football that’s changing”, for the better. If it were a song, Udinese’s strategy could probably have this title. Author Magda Pozzo, of the family that owns both the Friulian club and Watford in the Premier League, and Strategic Marketing Coordinator of Udinese Calcio. Always passionate about innovation, she was the first person to introduce the concept of Naming Rights of a stadium in Italy when she signed the agreement with the Dacia Arena (Renault Group) which is mentioned as the Italian flagship for the sustainability.
How should a contemporary stadium be conceived?
“I think it should be a constant incubator of ideas, not exclusively linked to football and matchdays. We conceived the Dacia Arena in this way and we live it like this every day. I believe, above all, that innovation must go hand in hand with sustainability. Innovate is our watchword and the other is eco-sustainability. In this we want to be a pilot club”.
What makes the Dacia Arena the first green stadium in Italy?
“Our mission for eco-sustainability began four years ago by focusing on two factors: the Dacia Arena and sharing this value with our partners. We took the first step with Bluenergy, which supplies the stadium with energy from renewable sources which has allowed us to save over 2250 tons of CO2, at the same time we offset emissions with green projects such as tree planting. Furthermore, throughout the stadium we carry out separate waste collection and have limited the consumption of plastic. Our next goal is to organize a totally zero-emission match without using plastic and getting fans to the stadium with electric car sharing or by bike”.
The appeal
“In the field with the climate belt”. The football match for the Earth
by Cristina Nadotti, Emanuela Perinetti
Is it therefore no coincidence that, this year too, the Football Sustainability Index places Udinese among the only two Italian clubs (the other is Milan) in the top 10, and in fourth position globally?
“It is absolutely no coincidence. For us it is just a first step in a path that we want to be increasingly intense and concrete from all points of view. I would say that we have become an international reference for a club of our size, as evidenced by our adherence to the Sport For Climate Action program of the United Nations, for the promotion of greater environmental responsibility towards our fans and others, of sustainable consumption and, at the same time, the commitment to reduce the climate impact of sporting events and to to support climate action with our communication, a total commitment that has led us to this result.
Is there such a wide gap between English clubs and Serie A in terms of sustainability?
“I believe that in England and Spain the social urgency of this issue has been grasped in advance and this has meant that a gap has been created with respect to our country. I believe, however, that starting with us, a process has begun which leads Italian football in the right direction. We must be aware that football is not just a game, it is a passion and an industry with incredible communicative and social power that must convey positive messages. In the Premier League, for example, there is a lot more empathy with the community and this facilitates the transmission of the value of eco-sustainability. I would therefore say that the first step must be the implementation of a concrete policy involving fans and club partners”.
History
William Troost-Ekong and carbon neutral away games thanks to olive trees: “Football can do more for the planet”
by Fiammetta Cupellaro
Why does the environmental issue seem not to have the same dignity as other equally important ones such as the condemnation of racism, violence, war?
“There is no challenge that is more urgent or more important than the other, we need awareness of the many steps forward that the world of football must take and above all, of the guiding power it has over society. Undoubtedly, for too long, eco-sustainability it was an underestimated theme, believing, even at a political level, that the fight to save the planet, compared to other social emergencies, was secondary. In the field of football, I must say that the importance was first understood, especially in the last period. demonstrates the great commitment of UEFA and Lega Serie A.”
The comment
Football cannot turn its head, environmental sustainability is a priority
by Michele Grape*
More and more athletes are becoming aware. How important is their voice and what sensitivity do you find or promote among the players of your clubs?
“It’s decisive. Today’s football is global and, thanks to social networks, it reaches the new generations at a speed never seen in the past. This ensures that the message arrives direct, loud and clear. It is something extraordinary that must be capitalised. The dedicated captain’s armband is an important symbol that arouses media impact and even curiosity, but the concrete commitment of the protagonists on the pitch conveys the message even more. More and more players are making eco-sustainable choices, I am thinking of former Sampdoria Thorsby and also of Troost- Ekong, our former player in Udine and Watford, who has started a tree planting project to offset CO emissions2 generated by his team’s air travel. It is these messages that we as a club and the players must send.”
[ad_2]
Source link
