Marca: Betis, the first Spanish football club to register for its EMAS environmental management system
Disclaimer: This article has been translated using artificial intelligence and may not be entirely accurate. If there are any inconsistencies, please refer to the original version in Español.
A new step in sustainability for the Verdiblanco club thanks to its new Sports City
Real Betis Balompié has become the first Spanish football club and the second in Europe to register with the European Union ‘s (EU) EMA (Community Environment Management and Audit Scheme) Register , managed in Andalusia by the General Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change through the Andalusian Climate Change Office . This recognition confirms that the Betis club has an environmental management and audit system that allows it to evaluate, manage, and improve its sustainability performance, in addition to publicly communicating the results through an environmental declaration.
In addition to registering with the EMAS Register , Betis previously obtained ISO 14001 certification , an internationally recognized standard that establishes a framework for organizations to develop an externally verified environmental management system. EMAS represents a further step toward environmental excellence by requiring the preparation of an environmental declaration, a public report that transparently details the organization’s environmental sustainability policy, objectives, and results.
In this way, Betis joins Porto , the first European club to appear on the EMAS Register , a registration made possible thanks to its participation in the European Free Kicks project , co-financed by the EU and coordinated by the Scoula Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa (Italy). This initiative promotes the circular economy and environmental sustainability in football organizations and drives football’s transition towards the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan .
In this context, the certificate means that “an independent entity recognizes our environmental management, in compliance with the standards of sustainability, one of the club’s fundamental pillars,” highlights Real Betis Balompié’s Director of Operations, Enrique Castillo .
The efficiency of this management system, which includes a consolidated environmental policy and requires a commitment to continuous improvement, is reflected in the various sustainable actions implemented at the Rafael Gordillo Sports City . The process of implementing all these measures lasted an entire season and involved numerous club departments, implementing various procedures for natural resource management, environmental training, supplier selection, emergencies, and communications, among others.
In this regard, Fausto Scaldaferri , head of the Green and White club’s Environmental Management System , highlights the main challenges for achieving this designation as “the integration of environmental issues and the involvement of suppliers in a sector, football, where sustainability is still something new and little known.”
Innovative measures
The Rafael Gordillo Sports City integrates multiple sustainable and innovative measures that promote more efficient and environmentally friendly management.
· Rainwater harvesting system: Rainwater and drainage are collected in a pond and reused for irrigation, avoiding the use of public water resources.
· Replacing rubber with cork on artificial fields, eliminating microplastics and reducing turf temperature, which reduces water use.
· Intelligent lighting system, which allows lighting power to be remotely reduced when not needed.
· Bioclimatic design of the main building, which minimizes sun exposure and reduces the need for cooling in summer.
· Exclusive use of aerothermal energy for the production of domestic hot water, completely avoiding the use of natural gas.
· Electric mobility, with 100% electric vehicles, a charging station, and its own photovoltaic plant for supply.
· Grazing with goats and sheep, which act as “biomowers,” reducing the use of polluting machinery and providing natural fertilizer.
· A benchmark committed to the environment
By obtaining the EMAS , Betis has consolidated its position as one of the leading clubs in sustainability within the sector, with the aim of serving as an example for other sports entities, especially in a context in which football has significant social power and where this type of action can have a multiplying effect on environmental awareness.
In this regard, the organization is working on new steps and projects to continue advancing its environmental commitment, convinced that sustainability must be one of the strategic pillars of football’s future.
Read the original article in Spanish here.
