Centering Environmental Justice at the Club

Environmental justice is the crossroads of environmental stewardship and social justice. The era of thinking about these issues separately is coming to a close and a more interconnected understanding is emerging. Environmental justice has its roots in the history of discrimination against BIPOC and low-income communities in the U.S. and around the world, which has contributed to a disproportionate pollution burden in these communities, and an unequal distribution of environmental benefits (i.e. clean air, clean water, limited exposure to toxic chemicals, etc.) in our society.

At the club level, we want to contribute to the social movement that fights for the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens in our society. We believe that all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, deserve equal access to the benefits of a clean and hospitable environment and to avoid being disproportionately subjected to health and environmental risks. In practical terms, this means we consider these historically marginalized communities in decisions that are material to our purpose, mission, competitive strategy, operational processes, and culture. For example, as we make decisions about providing sustainable transportation options for our players, staff, and supporters, we also ask ourselves if the communities that are disproportionately impacted by the negative effects of air pollution and climate change have equitable access to these kinds of transportation options. These types of questions serve to guide us in continuously educating ourselves, cultivating and exploring ideas, building relationships with community partners and experts, and ultimately implementing equitable solutions at the club. To this end, environmental justice also looks like the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in club decisions that could have an impact on our local and global communities. We intend to use environmental justice principles as guideposts that will help us work with our community to achieve our mission.

We’ve learned a lot since our first brainstorming session, and believe we can do better through a lens of environmental justice. We are excited to share this mindset and worldview with our supporters and look forward to sharing our journey of discovery, learning, and transformation with our community through transparency, accountability, accessibility, and community participation. Beyond sport, if we are to meaningfully address the looming interconnected crisis we face as a global community – whether climate change, the ongoing sixth mass extinction of plants and animals, systemic racism, or income inequality – we believe environmental justice is the needed link that can bind our collective efforts, accelerate our understanding of how human-made systems can and must transform, and allow individuals, organizations, and institutions to take more meaningful actions, together.

The founders owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all people who have engaged and continue to show up in the struggle to fight environmental injustice. Many leaders – from grassroots to institutional – have pushed this fight to the highest reaches of our society, creating critical legal protections, but also spreading the stories, voices, and realities of those most affected by environmental injustice to those of us who have not been subjected to such discrimination. These are the leaders we look to and are inspired by to use our privilege and pay it forward through this club.

Whether this resonates with you through your lived experience or because you share our belief in solidarity and kinship with those most impacted by environmental injustice, we hope you’ll join us!