Stockholm (NordSIP) – The Laundromat has given football a good kicking over the last year, with the 2022 Qatar World Cup a festival of greenwashing and social sportswashing. It is therefore refreshing to see better news in the context of the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Denmark and Inter Milan’s Sofie Junge Pedersen has taken it upon herself to address the environmental impact of a global competition involving 32 teams that will takes place in Australia and New Zealand.
Pedersen has been offsetting her own professional travel-related emissions for several years and has so far succeeded in bringing 44 players from four national teams along with her for the World Cup. They have all committed to donating money to environmental projects coordinated by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and DanChurchAid. The campaign is being facilitated by Common Goal and Football for Future, two non-profits dedicated to improving the Environmental, Social and Governance aspects of the sport.
Given the ongoing debate over carbon offsetting, it is particularly encouraging to note the carefully considered message being conveyed by Pedersen. Speaking to Sky Sports, she acknowledges: “We are not perfect, that is important to say. I do not think anyone in our part of the world can speak up about climate change and the green transition if everybody who does so has to be carbon neutral. Nobody is in our part of the world, but we have to celebrate all climate-friendly actions. That is something we can do and it is important. We want to inspire people.”
As a longstanding advocate of sustainable living – Pedersen avoids dairy products, buys recycled fashion and is an active impact investor – she is conveying a well thought out and pragmatic environmental message to a potentially very broad international audience. “The most important thing is to avoid the emissions in the first place,” says Pedersen. “I do not think we can say that we have offset it so everything is fine. The most important thing is that we push for the green transition to mitigate climate change.
Pedersen concludes with a message that Qatar and FIFA should have heeded for the Men’s World Cup last year: “When nations bid for tournaments, it should be as sustainable as possible. That is a message that I hope we can get from this.” The competition kicks off “down under” on Thursday 20th July, and the Laundromat may well have to find a Danish flag to wave in support.
Image courtesy of Pexels from Pixabay
Stockholm (NordSIP) – The Laundromat has given football a good kicking over the last year, with the 2022 Qatar World Cup a festival of greenwashing and social sportswashing. It is therefore refreshing to see better news in the context of the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Denmark and Inter Milan’s Sofie Junge Pedersen has taken it upon herself to address the environmental impact of a global competition involving 32 teams that will takes place in Australia and New Zealand.
Pedersen has been offsetting her own professional travel-related emissions for several years and has so far succeeded in bringing 44 players from four national teams along with her for the World Cup. They have all committed to donating money to environmental projects coordinated by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and DanChurchAid. The campaign is being facilitated by Common Goal and Football for Future, two non-profits dedicated to improving the Environmental, Social and Governance aspects of the sport.
Given the ongoing debate over carbon offsetting, it is particularly encouraging to note the carefully considered message being conveyed by Pedersen. Speaking to Sky Sports, she acknowledges: “We are not perfect, that is important to say. I do not think anyone in our part of the world can speak up about climate change and the green transition if everybody who does so has to be carbon neutral. Nobody is in our part of the world, but we have to celebrate all climate-friendly actions. That is something we can do and it is important. We want to inspire people.”
As a longstanding advocate of sustainable living – Pedersen avoids dairy products, buys recycled fashion and is an active impact investor – she is conveying a well thought out and pragmatic environmental message to a potentially very broad international audience. “The most important thing is to avoid the emissions in the first place,” says Pedersen. “I do not think we can say that we have offset it so everything is fine. The most important thing is that we push for the green transition to mitigate climate change.
Pedersen concludes with a message that Qatar and FIFA should have heeded for the Men’s World Cup last year: “When nations bid for tournaments, it should be as sustainable as possible. That is a message that I hope we can get from this.” The competition kicks off “down under” on Thursday 20th July, and the Laundromat may well have to find a Danish flag to wave in support.
Image courtesy of Pexels from Pixabay
