UEFA releases 2022/23 Respect Report
Monday, December 18, 2023
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UEFA stepped up activities and redoubled efforts to continue delivering against its Football Sustainability Strategy 2030.
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The UEFA Respect Report provides an annual comprehensive insight into how European football's governing body is building a more sustainable future for European football.
"The spirit of sustainability beats strongly in the heart of European football, echoing the commitment of UEFA to inspire and empower a community of change-makers who recognise the importance of collective efforts in nurturing a future with more substantial social and environmental policies and practices."
5 reasons to read the report
- Discover how and why UEFA positions sustainability as a long-term investment in the success of European football
- Learn how UEFA has accelerated the strategy to action positive shifts around social and environmental sustainability
- Find out about the growth of collaborative action across Europe's fast-growing community of football sustainability professionals
- Read stories about the real-life impact of collaboration between UEFA and its football stakeholders
- Find resources and toolkits developed by UEFA to accelerate the uptake of sustainability policies
UEFA's efforts included the important step of nurturing European football's growing sustainability community by encouraging member associations to develop their own dedicated strategies. In total, 46 of 55 associations achieved this objective.
By the end of the season, UEFA had met all 18 of its 2022/23 targets. Total financial investment in sustainability activities amounted to €12.5 million, almost a quarter more than the previous 12 months; of this, approximately two-thirds supported our strategy's social policies compared with a third for environmental initiatives.
"By the end of the season, UEFA had met all 18 of its 2022/23 targets"
Acceleration required extensive collaboration with partners and stakeholders representing the entire football ecosystem. Drawing on existing partnerships with the European Club Association (ECA) and European Leagues, we helped their members to develop more strategic approaches to social and environmental sustainability.
UEFA strengthened its internal commitment to sustainability by identifying potential risks and mitigating actions across financial, operational, reputational and strategic activities. We also reviewed regulations and policies, updating our inclusive language guidelines, enhancing accessibility at our Nyon headquarters and continuing to prioritise workplace equality. For the first time, UEFA also appointed disability and access officers for all our elite competition finals.
Football as a driver to reduce
UEFA believes that European football can play a catalytic role in tackling global sustainability issues, both by measurably reducing our sport's impact on the environment and using its popularity and visibility to raise awareness and promote solutions. Our environmental activities are based on four policies and targeted actions, spanning climate action and advocacy, circular economy, event sustainability and sustainable infrastructure.
During the 2022/23 season, we zoomed in on a wide range of policies, toolkits and partnerships to encourage, support and lead the way in embedding environmental sustainability practices in the football ecosystem.
Football as a unifying force
Love of football brings together people of different backgrounds, ages and nationalities. While the discrimination that afflicts all of society inevitably plays out on and off the pitch, our sport has the potential to break down barriers and unite communities. Together, UEFA's seven dedicated sustainability policies recognise that everyone involved in football should be treated with respect and enjoy equal rights and opportunities.
Also in this domain, the past season saw the creation of programmes, supporting toolkits and collaborative efforts that delivered social value, protected rights and helped tackle discrimination across European football.
You will find details of all our actions in the field of sustainability for the 2022/23 season in the Respect Report.