SDG STRIKER: PROMOTING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS THROUGH SPORT

The SDG Striker project aims to increase the organisational capacity for Good Governance in grassroots sport organisations.

Co-funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus + Sport Programme, the SDG Striker project aims to increase the organisational capacity for Good Governance in grassroots sport organisations. The project aims to assist clubs to implement and communicate the Sustainable Development Goals through actions at local level so they can align themselves with European, national and local public policy on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGS). The UN SDGS goals are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.

This is done through the testing of three pilots in Portugal, Scotland and Norway. Here in Scotland, the Scottish FA will create a campaign to increase the efficiency of sports facilities and raise-awareness on energy poverty, including training actions to reduce energy bills. The actions will be linked with tackling SDG 1 (no poverty – thanks to the energy poverty campaign), 7 (affordable clean energy), 10 (reduced inequalities) 12 (responsible consumption and production) 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) will do a feasibility study to evaluate the costs, return and other social and economic impacts of installing PhotoVoltaic solar panels in sports facilities. This will be related to tackling SDG 7 (affordable clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 13 (climate action).

Finally, in Norway, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) will create a document on greener alternatives to microplastics to be used as infill material for artificial football pitches, including a Life Cycle Assessment and a comparative environmental impact analysis of new technologies. This will be linked with tackling and promoting SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 13 (climate action).

In addition, SDG Striker will develop a joint understanding of best practices before, during and after being tested, and assess their potential for replication across the national Federations and beyond national borders.

As part of the ongoing work in this space the Scottish FA and Zero Waste Scotland have teamed up to offer free environmental support to football clubs across the country, in a move that could save clubs thousands of pounds every year. By receiving guidance to help identify ways of reducing energy, recycling, water and waste management costs, football clubs could benefit from a financial lifeline, while becoming more eco-friendly through the reduction of operational carbon emissions.

For many of the related technologies, including lighting and insulation, there is also interest-free loan funding of up to £100,000 available to put improvement measures in place – with a cash back offer of up to £10,000 available for a limited period.

Such measures would include installing more efficient heating, lighting, insulation or implementing projects to cut waste management costs and maximize recycling.

As part of the ongoing support, the Scottish FA and Zero Waste Scotland have created the ‘Environmental Sustainability in Scottish Football’ document which has some helpful information on how clubs can adopt sustainable practices.

For further information please click here.