During a study in 2023, it was found that Premier League Football Clubs take a whopping 80% of their journeys by plane. The average journey time was 42 minutes, with the shortest flight just 27 minutes.

Team travel is frequently highlighted as a major part of football’s carbon footprint. It is not an easy problem to solve, but action appears to be being taken. Earlier this year, Premier League announced its Environmental Sustainability Commitment, which includes Club’s developing a robust environmental sustainability policy by the end of the 2024/25 season. This follows a drive across all industries for corporates to review their Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) policies.

Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace all currently publicly share some or all their carbon footprint. Some clubs know their emissions footprint but don’t currently publicly report on scope 1, 2 and 3, beyond the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) regulations.

The commitment by the Premier League builds on existing actions and provides a foundation to underpin long-term environmental ambitions. This includes developing a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission dataset (scope 1, 2 and 3) by the end of the 2025/2026 season and work towards a standardised football-wide approach to measuring emissions.  Having a standardised football-wide approach will enable a level playing field.

The Black Boot Trophy

In partnership with Campaign for Better Transport and Fossil Free Football, a ‘Black Boot’ trophy will be up for grabs this season.

The ‘Black Boot’ award has been introduced to target the Clubs’ carbon footprint and will be awarded to the team for their ‘outstanding contributions to football’s carbon footprint’ whenever an unnecessary flight is taken.

Domestic flights create 246g of CO2 per passenger and cause more than six times more emissions than rail or coach travel. With many journeys easily substituted by train or coach travel, the campaign is looking for clubs to change their travel habits. 

The difficulty of course is that with many clubs facing a congested fixture list and recovery for the players seen as a key priority, balancing ESG priorities with the on-field priorities is difficult when a 25-minute flight could replace a 4-hour coach journey. For an evening game it could be the difference between arriving home at midnight as opposed to an overnight hotel stay and travel the following day (or arriving home at 3am!).

ESG Commitments

Football Clubs in the Premier League are increasingly recognising the importance of ESG factors and are actively incorporating sustainability practices, including taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and using more sustainable travel. Additionally, Clubs are focusing on social initiatives like community outreach programs, diversity and inclusion efforts, and responsible business practices to create a positive impact beyond the field. By Premier League Clubs prioritising ESG considerations, they are embracing their role as responsible organisations and contributing to a more sustainable future.

With all that being said, coaches continue to be seen as a vital way for fans to travel to games, will thousands using this economic and sustainable solution every match day.

JMW’s Commercial Road Transport Team are delighted that the Premier League is recognising both the essential role coaches play in supporting such an integral part of British culture and in combatting the climate crisis.