History

Environmental Commitment

 

1. Introduction

‘Environment is one of the pillars of Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club’s ‘Football & Social Responsibility Strategy’, expressing its ambition to preserve and regenerate the environment and leverage the power of football to raise awareness and catalyse action, minimising our negative environmental footprint becoming net zero by 2030. Furthermore, the Club recognises that football can play a key role in actively promoting sustainable development and climate action.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club wants to seize all possible opportunities for maximising the positive aspects of the game while mitigating any negative impact making a better future for both football and society. The Club’s Environmental Commitment set out in this document supplements Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club’s Human Rights Commitment and is based on the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, the Paris Agreement objectives for the sports sector and the European Climate Pact pledge.

The aim is to embed environmental initiatives into the Club’s strategic decisions to ensure it generates a tangible impact moving forward. These initiatives are based on Climate and advocacy, Circular economy, Event sustainability & Infrastructure sustainability. We recognise that an integrated and evolving approach is required to balance all aspects of sustainability.

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2. Scope

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club has a responsibility to ensure football fits in a sustainable, safe and diverse society. All Club activities can only be implemented when the direct and indirect impact on environments, societies and economies has been acknowledged.

This document sets out Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club Environmental Commitment. It will serve as a foundation for the Football and Social Responsibility (FSR) objectives for environmental issues that are material to football (1). The Football & Social Responsibility Officer will lead on developing and implementing initiatives based upon it in Club operations internally, at its matches/events and at all Club initiatives.

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3. Objectives

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club has set out targets to translate its Environmental Commitment into concrete actions. Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club acknowledges these targets may evolve to include future developments and welcomes inputs from stakeholders.

To ensure transparency, progress against objectives will be reported on in the annual Football and Social Responsibility Report, which is available to the general public.

Throughout its operations and match day/events, Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club should optimise the consumption and life cycle of products, most notably food, packaging, branded items and waste. It should embed the 4R approach – reduce, reuse, recycle and recover – in everything it does, to minimise the impact of our Club and sport on the environment and drive resource efficiency and cost savings.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club aims to reduce football’s carbon footprint while preventing and reducing the degradation of the environment by the football ecosystem and leveraging its reach and visibility to promote the urgency of action.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club intends to become net zero by 2030. To do this, the Club will devise, plan and run programmes and events with the intent of preventing and reducing any negative environmental impacts at the Club and the surrounding communities.

In addition, Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club aspires for football to be a vehicle for environmental protection, engaging society and governments on key topics and providing information and education to raise awareness.

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4. Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club’s commitment

Determined to contribute to the human right to a clean environment, Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club strives to ensure that football will leave a positive legacy.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club commit to helping preserve and regenerate our environment while empowering others to do likewise. While embedding environmental considerations into strategic decisions, the Club will also use its voice and leverage the power of the football platform to raise environmental awareness and catalyse action in society.

The Club will measure progress to document and communicate how the Club is preventing, minimising and remediating football's impact on the environment.

Responsibility for developing and implementing initiatives based on this commitment lies with the Club's Football and Social Responsibility Officer. The Club will consult with internal and external stakeholders and will commit resources to meet the objectives set out.

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5. Environmental references

Sports for Climate Action Framework (2)

Recognising that:

· the Paris Agreement represents a global response to the scientific consensus that human activity is causing global average temperatures to rise at unprecedented rates;

· the goals agreed in the Paris Agreement translate to reaching climate neutrality in the second half of the twenty-first century. Sports organisations need to take an active part in contributing to the realisation of these goals;

· delivering on the climate agenda also contributes to the broader Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

· all sports organisations, regardless of size or geography, have opportunities to take actions that will result in a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions;

· actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions have multiple synergies and co-benefits with, among other things, expanding economic opportunity and securing livelihoods, using resources more efficiently, driving economic competitiveness and innovation, strengthening environmental, social and economic resilience in the face of increasing climate impacts;

· sports have a unique power to inspire a wider societal change that embraces a low-carbon future and keeps the planet safe for future generations.

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Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club supports the goals of the Paris Agreement in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and affirms the Clubs commitment to:

1. undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility;

2. reduce overall climate impact;

3. educate for climate action;

4. promote sustainable and responsible consumption;

5. advocate for climate action through communication.

Paris Agreement on Climate Change (3)

The Paris Agreement seeks to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future. Its central aim is keeping the global temperature rise this century to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Acknowledging the sports sector’s contribution to climate change through travel, energy use, construction, catering, etc., Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club aims to play its part in contributing to the goals established in this agreement.

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (4)

As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club recognises the SDGs as a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve, safeguard and secure the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere”. Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club is committed to “promote the implementation of the SDGs and to raise awareness on how football can play an enabling role. (7)

Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. (5)

The National Assembly for Wales approved the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 on 29 April 2015, and it came into force in April 2016. The Act establishes the seven national well-being goals for Cymru and expresses Cymru’s commitment to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Acts sustainable development principle commits the Club to take action to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Cymru. This means acting in a manner which ensures that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

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6. Conclusion

Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club’s Environmental Commitment, with its stated scope and objectives, will be reviewed and updated annually.

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Current version was approved by the Clubs Board on 1st March 2023