Quo: Is it possible for a football club to be more environmentally friendly? Betis is achieving it.
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.
Real Betis becomes the first football club to be registered in the European Union’s EMAS register thanks to its environmental management system.
From an environmental conservation perspective, a football club seems like a case of waste, even more so if it’s located in a semi-arid country like Spain. The grass on a football field consumes around 50,000 liters of water per day, about 9,000 cubic meters per year, equivalent to three Olympic-sized swimming pools. Add to this the cost of lighting, the energy used to mow the lawn, and the recycling problems associated with artificial turf.
Real Betis Balompié has become the first Spanish football club and the second in Europe to register with the European Union’s (EU) EMAS (Community Environment Management and Audit Scheme) Register, managed in Andalusia by the General Secretariat for 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 assess, manage, and improve its sustainability, in addition to publicly communicating the results through an environmental declaration.
In addition to registering on the EMAS Register, Real 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 towards environmental excellence by requiring the preparation of an environmental declaration, a public report that transparently details the club’s environmental sustainability policy, objectives, and results.
In this way, Real Betis joins FC Porto, the first European club to appear on the EMAS Register. This registration has been 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 goals of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan.
How to save resources in football
The club has undertaken various sustainable initiatives 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.
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.
- Smart lighting system that allows you to remotely reduce lighting output 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 leader committed to the environment. - By obtaining the EMAS certification, Real Betis has consolidated its position as one of the leading clubs in sustainability within the sector, aiming to serve as an example for other sports organizations, especially in a context where football has significant social power and where such actions can have a multiplying effect on environmental awareness.
The club is working on new steps and projects to continue advancing its environmental commitment, convinced that sustainability must be one of the strategic pillars of the football of the future. Nearly five years ago, Real Betis created Forever Green, the club’s environmental sustainability platform that seeks to engage the world in the fight against climate change through the media of football. This initiative has led to the club equipping its players with jerseys made from fibers extracted from seaweed.
Read the original article in Spanish here.
