UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 marks important sustainability milestone

UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland not only saw unforgettable performances on the pitch and attendance records broken in the stands, it also represented a significant milestone for sustainability at major sporting events.

As the largest women’s football tournament we’ve ever organised, Women’s EURO 2025 had an event-specific environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, the outcomes of which are presented in our new ESG report, published on 4 November – meeting our pledge to deliver results within 100 days of the final.

“UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 demonstrated that sustainability can be integrated into every aspect of a major sporting event,” said Michele Uva, UEFA's executive director of social and environmental sustainability. “From the use of public transport and upcycled materials to inclusive services and stakeholder dialogue, the tournament offered practical examples of how football can contribute to broader societal goals.

“The purpose of this report is to share those examples, reflect on lessons learned and support continuous improvement. It also reaffirms UEFA’s commitment to aligning with international standards, including the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”

Minimising environmental impact

We implemented 34 carbon reduction measures for UEFA Women's EURO 2025, covering key areas such as climate action, sustainable infrastructure and the circular economy.

These measures significantly reduced the tournament's environmental impact, with 87% of ticket holders using sustainable transport methods, 70% of dressing and signage recycled or upcycled and 0% of waste going to landfill.

An accessibility volunteer during the Group A match between Norway and Finland in SionUEFA via Getty Images

Fostering inclusion and accessibility

Aiming to put people at the heart of Women’s EURO 2025, we worked throughout the tournament to prevent and combat discrimination, safeguard individual rights and embrace diversity and inclusion.

Highlights included 1,217 fans accessing audio-descriptive commentary, which was available at every match, 1,384 accessibility tickets being sold to disabled fans from 20 countries, and 53 accessibility volunteers being in place across the eight venues.

Our online abuse monitoring programme also helped protect 443 individuals, including players, coaches and referees.

Upholding good governance

The highest standards of transparency, responsibility and accountability were on display at Women’s EURO 2025, with 46 sustainability criteria for the tournament audited by a third party, and continuous stakeholder engagement helping us to identify and address sustainability risks.

To ensure accountability, all venues had a dedicated sustainability manager, while five commercial partners – the SBB, Lidl, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Visa and Heineken – supported our efforts through targeted initiatives.

This close collaboration and knowledge sharing was supported by a comprehensive reporting system that allowed us to provide a complete evaluation of the tournament’s overall impact.

In addition to the report, we will also be hosting a public event before the end of 2025 alongside the Swiss Football Association.