The primary environmental goal at Euro 2024 was stated in advance: significantly reduce the air travel of the competing teams.
The group stage saw a 75% decrease in the number of flights taken by the participating sides compared with the 2016 edition, with more squads using buses and trains.
Fans have also travelled sustainably around Germany, supported by a partnership with Deutsche Bahn, which has sold over 200,000 EURO 2024 tickets at reduced prices. More than 500,000 Fan Pass Users have activated their public transport tickets to get around the host cities and their surroundings.
It has not been without its challenges, with long delays picked up in some media, particularly involving England fans leaving Gelsenkirchen after their first match of the Group Stages.
A surge in demand from fans aiming to arrive or leave a single venue within a short period of time will undoubtedly cause challenges, but they would be even worse if fans were trying to get there by car.
The teams’ travel is only a small percentage of the overall emissions, but it is important in terms of setting a benchmark that if it is OK for the players, then it should be OK for the fans.
In an additional sustainability initiative, 100 per cent of the 1.8 million match tickets distributed during the group stages were done digitally, removing the paper waste and the additional footprint of delivering a physical product to fans from across the continent and worldwide.
Sport for Business, in partnership with SSE Airtricity, has created a Sustainability Leadership Group. The group will meet to discuss areas of mutual interest and potential collaboration over the next three years.
Find out more and get involved.
Register your interest to attend a Sport for Business event here.
SSE Airtricity are proud partners of the Sport for Business Community.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations including all the leading sports and sponsors, commercial and state agencies.
Find out more about joining us today.
Check out our upcoming events to discover ways of connecting in person with our membership.
