What does sustainability reporting look like when the pitch floods or fans can’t reach the stadium?

Football is facing a new reality: climate risk is no longer theoretical. Extreme weather, heat stress, and infrastructure damage are disrupting matchdays and threatening the business model of the world’s most popular sport.

At the same time, leading clubs are proving that sustainability reporting isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about preparing for these risks and shaping the future of football.

Juventus, Brentford, Manchester City, and others are publishing detailed ESG disclosures, measuring Scope 3 emissions, and embedding sustainability into governance and operations.  

Their reports go beyond carbon; they cover biodiversity, accessibility, and social impact. And as regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) evolve, these clubs show why transparency matters even when compliance isn’t mandatory.

In this article, we explore how football is redefining sustainability reporting, what leading clubs are doing, and why physical climate risk is the next frontier for the sport.

The big picture: From ambition to accountability and back again

Around 5 years ago, sustainability reporting in football, and across industries, was largely voluntary. Reports were aspirational, filled with big ideas and bold commitments, but light on hard data.  

Then came regulation. Frameworks like CSRD introduced mandatory disclosures, shifting the focus to accountability and measurable progress. Today, we’re seeing a new phase: ambition and accountability converging.  

Clubs like Juventus are not only meeting compliance requirements but using integrated reporting to drive strategy, engage stakeholders, and prepare for climate risk.  

This evolution signals that reporting is no longer just about meeting standards, it’s about shaping the future of the sport.

Today, reporting is becoming a strategic lever for:

• Building trust with stakeholders
• Strengthening investor confidence
• Driving brand differentiation
• Increasing organisational long-term resilience
• Unlocking access to capital and new markets

Companies that embrace this shift are positioning themselves as leaders, not because regulation demands it, but because the market rewards it.  

Transparent, credible reporting attracts investors, secures sponsorships, and opens doors to partnerships that prioritise sustainability performance.

For these clubs, transparency is not a regulatory tick-box; it’s a tool to strengthen trust, engage stakeholders, and shape long-term strategy.

Juventus: Football’s ESG pioneer

Juventus’ 2025 Sustainability Report sets a new benchmark not just for sport, but for any industry:

Key highlights include:

• First Italian football club to achieve CSRD alignment
• Integrated reporting: Sustainability data embedded in financial statements
• Double materiality assessment: Evaluating both environmental/social impacts and financial risks
• Carbon and beyond: Full Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions measured
• Value chain leadership: Scope 3 includes fan travel, an advanced step rarely seen in sports reporting
• Gender equality and inclusion: UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification, accessibility initiatives, and inclusive fan experiences
• Community as a catalyst: Anti-racism campaigns, Save the Children partnerships, and Juventus One para-football programme
• Environmental certifications: ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 20121 for sustainable event management

Juventus demonstrates that transparency done with purpose beyond compliance signals leadership and embeds sustainability into the core of the club’s strategy.

Brentford FC: A holistic approach to sustainability

Brentford’s first sustainability report is a detailed roadmap for progress. Built around 5 pillars: Governance, Climate, Circularity, Nature, and Engagement, it reflects a holistic approach.  

• Governance: A Sustainability Advisory Board provides oversight, supported by a cross-department working group. ‍
• Climate: Full GHG inventory calculated using UEFA’s Carbon Calculator; commitment to a Net Zero strategy. ‍
• Circularity: Two-year kit cycle to reduce waste, reusable bottles for staff, and plans to sort waste on-site. ‍
• Nature: Biodiversity metrics applied across sites, with strategies to enhance habitats and launch community gardens. ‍
• Engagement: Fan sustainability working group, surveys, and campaigns like Green Football Weekend.

Brentford shows that ambition and transparency are not reserved for the biggest players.

Other football clubs driving change

Beyond Juventus and Brentford, other European clubs are setting ambitious sustainability goals and publishing detailed reports that go far beyond compliance. Here are some standout examples.

Manchester City

Net zero by 2030, 10,500 solar panels, Matchday Bus Network to cut Scope 3 emissions, and 20 years of transparent reporting.

Manchester City’s net-zero roadmap isn’t just about energy efficiency; it sets a precedent for integrating Scope 3 emissions into fan travel solutions, a critical challenge for football.

Benfica

Circular economy initiatives, solar panels powering 17% of energy needs, and LED lighting across facilities.

These show how operational changes can reduce waste and emissions while engaging fans in sustainability.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Expert-led Sustainability Advisory Board, 100% green energy, IoT irrigation systems, and electric fleet.

Having an expert advisory board demonstrates governance maturity, ensuring ESG decisions are science-based and future-proof.

Malmö FF

Climate contract with the city, emissions mapping for home matches, and community programmes tackling social issues.

This emissions mapping initiative is a blueprint for understanding physical climate risk at event level.

Across Europe, sustainability reporting is becoming a differentiator in sponsorship, fan engagement, and brand positioning.

These initiatives show progress on carbon and governance, but the next challenge is physical climate risk. Flooded pitches, heatwaves, and disrupted calendars will test how resilient these strategies really are.  

We’ll return to this in the conclusion, but first, what can businesses learn from football’s approach?

Lessons for every business

The strategies shaping football’s sustainability movement apply to businesses across all industries.

• Act before regulation forces your hand: Voluntary reporting signals leadership and builds trust ‍
• Integrate ESG into core strategy: Embed sustainability into governance, operations, and culture, not just a glossy PDF. ‍
• Turn reporting into a growth engine: Transparency attracts investors, unlocks capital, and strengthens commercial partnerships.

CSRD: What it is and why it matters

The CSRD aims to transform corporate transparency in Europe by introducing:

• Mandatory ESG disclosures under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). ‍
• Double materiality: reporting both how your business impacts people and the planet, and how sustainability risks affect financial performance. ‍
• Integration of sustainability data into financial reporting.

Recent Omnibus changes have reshaped the timeline:

• Wave 1 (NFRD companies): Reporting for FY-2024 in 2025 remains, but the Quick-Fix Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1416 allows postponement of certain ESRS disclosures until FY-2027. ‍
• Wave 2 (large EU companies not previously in scope): Originally FY-2025 (published 2026); now postponed two years to FY-2027 (published 2028). ‍
• Wave 3 (listed SMEs and certain small credit/insurance undertakings): Originally FY-2026 (published 2027); now postponed two years to FY-2028 (published 2029). ‍
• Wave 4 (non-EU companies with large EU activity): Scheduled for FY-2028 (published 2029); unchanged so far.

What does this mean? Fewer companies are legally required to report right now, but investor pressure, voluntary frameworks, and market expectations still make transparency a business imperative.  

Leaders like Juventus show that robust, integrated reporting remains essential, even as regulation retreats.

The next frontier: Physical climate risk

Climate risk will change the game. CSRD already requires disclosure of climate-related risks, but most organisations underestimate the impact of physical climate risk: extreme weather, heat stress, and flooding, on operations, assets, and supply chains.

For football, this means flooded pitches, disrupted matchdays, and damaged infrastructure. It also means risks to fan wellbeing, from heatwaves in summer fixtures to unsafe travel conditions during storms.  

In the long term, it could force calendar changes, alter tournament formats, and reshape how clubs plan for player health and stadium safety.

For other sectors, the consequences are similar: operational downtime, asset depreciation, and financial loss. Yet most businesses still lack reliable, science-based ways to measure these risks. This is where solutions like Mitiga Solutions’ EarthScan become essential.

EarthScan provides science-based, asset-level insights into physical climate risk, covering hazards such as flooding, heat stress, and extreme weather so organisations can quantify exposure and plan resilience strategies.  

By turning complex climate data into actionable intelligence, EarthScan helps clubs and businesses move beyond reporting to proactive risk management.

The wake-up call

Football’s sustainability leaders prove that reporting done with purpose, beyond compliance, builds trust and prepares clubs for the realities of climate risk.

The next step is turning those disclosures into actionable insights.

If you’re wondering how to move from reporting to resilience, let’s talk. Book a demo to see how our physical climate risk intelligence helps you go beyond compliance and protect what matters.