FIFA: Climate change is already affecting football

Addiechi, while addressing the European Parliament's (EP) Sports Group during the session "Environmental sustainability in sport" recently, acknowledged that climate change is a threat to football itself.

"(Climate change) is already impacting the ability for football to be played due to extreme weather patterns around the world, which are affecting the health and wellbeing of players and participants, and they are becoming an existential threat in the territories of some of our member associations," Addiechi said.

Addiechi added that the effects of climate change affected the way that FIFA engaged with stakeholders of the game.

"While I believe that our organisation has been at the forefront of a comprehensive integration of sustainability in the world of sport over the past decades and has the ambition to continue leading that field in the world of sport, I am also aware of the fact that the challenges that we’re facing in this climate crisis are huge," he said.

Addiechi said FIFA had a responsibility to use the reach and impact of its tournaments to raise awareness about the importance and need for climate action.

The event was organised by the EP Sports Group. The session was led by Member of European Parliament (MEP) Tomasz Frankowski, MEP Tiziana Beghin and MEP Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, who moderated the event.

Nicole Mündelein, the coordinator, Host City Working Group Sustainability for UEFA EURO 2024, and Riikka Rakic the International Biathlon Union (IBU) head of sustainability also took part in the discussion.

Source & main image: FIFA