By Dela Ahiawor
Theme: Green Sports
Tottenham Hotspur will face Chelsea in the world’s first major net zero carbon football match dubbed “GameZero” on Sunday, September 19 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
With global climate impacts: melting ice, rising sea levels, devastating heatwaves, intense storms etc., intensifying- “GameZero” aims to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions (also known as carbon neutrality). This is achieved by balancing carbon dioxide emissions with its removal through carbon offset projects: Forestry and conservation, renewable energy, community projects (funding boreholes) and waste to energy ( converting methane to electricity).
The upcoming special fixture is the outcome of a partnership between Sky and Tottenham Hotspur. The match will be held under the auspices of the UK Government, COP26 (UN climate talks) and the Premier League- aiming to inspire greater awareness of the worsening climate catastrophe and also inspire football (soccer) fans to take positive actions in the bid to minimize their environmental footprint.
As per reports on Spurs official website, Jonathan Licht, Managing Director, Sky Sports said: “We’re proud to be working with COP26 and Tottenham Hotspur to make #GameZero the world’s first net zero carbon football match at the elite level. We hope that by using the power of sport, we can inspire and support football fans to make simple changes to reduce their carbon footprint and make more climate-friendly choices.”
COP26 President-Designate, Alok Sharma also said: “Climate change affects every aspect of our lives, including the sports that we love to watch and play. We can all take steps to help protect the planet for future generations, including in major sporting events. That is why I am delighted COP26 is working with Sky, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and the Premier League to show how football is going One Step Greener by hosting the world’s first major net zero football match.”
Spurs are also taking part in “CUP26” which started on September 7.
The CUP26 tournament is the biggest football campaign on combating climate change. The tournament trophy will be awarded in the first week of COP26, the UN climate change talks to be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland later this year.
Sustainable football
Sustainable sport (football) embraces eco-friendly measures: renewable energy, cutting emissions, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, species preservation, safer chemicals and good environmental practices to combat climate change in the bid to improve the health of our planet.
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