Let’s start with some climate change 101: Climate change is real, scientists agree, humans are causing it, and it’s bad. 97% of climate scientists have made it loud and clear that we have to keep global warming below 1.5ºC in order to avoid locking humanity into a future of accelerating environmental degradation, social instability, and conflict. Our future, of course, will be determined by the choices we make now. “Inclusive and green economies, prosperity, cleaner air and better health are possible for all, if we respond to this crisis with solidarity and courage”, said UN Chief António Guterres. We couldn’t agree more; this club exists because we believe soccer can be an exemplar of solidarity and courage. Not only do we plan to do our part to decarbonize our business, we’re committed to being transparent along our journey, sharing wins, losses, and what we’re learning. We hope those stories will offer helpful insights, and encourage collectivism and solidarity. 

Friends, we are tight on time, but not out of time! And to be clear, we don’t believe we are ever truly out of time when it comes to building a brighter future for all; we believe it’s more a matter of addressing our challenges while they’re more manageable, rather than less. The science tells us we have to collectively reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Net-zero means that we reduce the heat-trapping GHGs we emit to as close to zero as possible, and remove any residual emissions from our atmosphere using nature or technology. In short, the main point of net-zero is reducing emissions. The good news is that net-zero is technically feasible, humanity has the technology and resources to make this happen. The bad news is that current global commitments and efforts to reduce climate pollution lead to an 11% increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. 

It’s important to note that there is no safety net when it comes to achieving our global emissions reduction targets. Carbon removal technology is not yet scalable, and there is still a lot of work needing to be done to ensure environmental and climate justice are central to scaling project development. Likewise, we can’t depend on nature to absorb increasing levels of pollution. Our profligate carbon pollution exceeds nature’s capacity to remove, store, and maintain the stable climatic conditions that allowed humanity to survive and prosper over millennia. Although beneficial, and indeed an essential ingredient of a healthy and stable climate, planting more trees or enhancing other natural carbon sinks won’t bail us out of our responsibility to achieve global GHG reduction targets. So it is with that in mind that the club is getting our own house in order and following the guidance of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the global leader defining and promoting best practices in emissions reductions and net-zero target setting in line with climate science. As this is our first season, we’re using SBTi guidance, and Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards, to help us understand the pathway to net-zero. We are taking the process step-by-step, starting this season by taking inventory of all the ways our club produces GHGs directly from our operations and indirectly from our venue, vendors, and fans. We are also working to measure emissions and set targets. This is not a simple process, nor is net-zero immediately achievable. Becoming net-zero will take time, and we will continue to share our journey publicly and informally with other clubs with the aim of continuously improving our own approach, and empowering more of our community to take steps towards net-zero. While there is still much to learn, and plans to finalize, we are taking some steps to reduce emissions. We’ve started our net-zero journey in the following ways:

  1. We tracked the transportation emissions from our open tryouts using Greenhouse Gas Protocol tools and guidance, and offset those emissions by purchasing verified carbon offsets from a project that advances climate justice. Check out the first and second tryout blog posts for more information. Carbon offsets don’t count towards SBTi net-zero goals, but can play an important role in neutralizing club emissions and provide needed funding for projects that advance aspects of climate justice. 
  2. Our apparel is made from environmentally preferable materials that can be returned to the vendor to be recycled into new products, keeping our products in use longer and out of landfills. Our apparel is also produced in a way that utilizes renewable energy, reduces energy use, and reduces overall greenhouse gas pollution. 
  3. Our kit vendor is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and uses the HIGG Index tool to guide best practices in more sustainable product development. Their facilities are powered by solar energy, they’ve developed award winning waste management systems at their facilities, are removing 12 million plastic water bottles from landfills in their product design, and are transitioning their factory vehicles to hybrids. 
  4. We are partnering with CATMA, our local transportation management association, to execute a sustainable transportation plan for our matchday experience. We are working together to connect supporters with more sustainable and financially accessible transportation options. 
  5. We’re working with King Street Center on a pilot project to build relationships with local youth around soccer and climate justice. This partnership is focused on building community ties between players and local youth from underrepresented and historically marginalized communities, cultivating an inclusive and inviting club environment for these communities, and using dialogue and art to highlight climate justice solutions. This will be a learning opportunity for our club and community alike. We are excited to have youth teach us what more we can do, or what we can do better, to build a club that they feel represents them and also advances climate justice in our community. 
  6. We are working with an external team of consultants to build an internal system to track emissions, developing a plan to reduce those emissions, and working with our venue, vendors, and supporters to collaborate on emissions reductions over the course of our first season and beyond.

Importantly, we can only do so much on our own. For our club to truly be successful in the fight to turn a climate crisis into an opportunity for solidarity, courage, and prosperity, we are working to support our fans in joining us on this journey. If you’re ready to sub in for climate action, here are three things you can do today:

  1. Calculate your carbon footprint in five minutes.
  2. Make climate pledges to reduce your carbon footprint.
  3. Join the community conversation. Let us know what immediate step you’re taking to reduce your carbon footprint so we can celebrate another win, and share your story with our community! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or email us (club@vermontgreenfc.com).

If you’ve taken those steps and are looking for more, consider the following options:

  1. Offset your remaining footprint through the Climate Hero platform. We aren’t claiming that their portfolio of offsets is perfectly aligned with climate justice criteria, but they have made the effort to source projects that provide social benefits to local communities, which is a step in the right direction.
  2. Call out your favorite club, league, sports broadcasting platform, or other important stakeholder in the sports industry and ask if they have information on their greenhouse gas emissions and what they’re doing to reduce them. Because this is a team effort, after all, tag us so we can join you in the conversation! For example, “Hey (favorite club), do you know what your climate impact is? What are you doing to reduce your emissions?” Please feel free to add your personal touch, that you support climate action efforts, small and large, and make it clear this issue is important to you!

We appreciate you being part of our community, and, as always, GO GREEN!