Real Betis Balompié Scores Big with EMAS Certification
Real Betis Balompié has announced its Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certification. The LALIGA club is now the first Spanish football club and the second in Europe (the other being fellow project partner FC Porto) to receive the certification. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Real Betis Balompié as a partner in the FREE KICKS* project, co-funded by the EU, that addresses circular economy and environmental sustainability within football organisations.
What is EMAS?
EMAS is a voluntary program rewarding organisations based on three key principles:
- Performance: Managing and continuously improving their environmental impact.
- Transparency: Openly sharing environmental information with the public.
- Credibility: Having their environmental management system verified by independent experts, thoroughly.
What does EMAS certification mean?
Real Betis has an approved environmental management system to track and reduce its environmental impact. To achieve EMAS certification, Real Betis completed the following steps: conducted an environmental review, adopted an environmental policy and program, established and implemented an environmental management system, prepared an environmental statement, and finally, secured independent verification by an accredited EMAS verifier.
Why is this a big deal?
- Spain’s First: Real Betis has a massive influence on fans and other clubs as a top LALIGA club. They are the first football club in Spain to obtain EMAS certification.
- Global Leader: Less than 30 of over 4,000 EMAS-certified organisations in the EU are in sports! Real Betis Balompié and The Rafael Gordillo Sports City are now global leaders in sustainability.
- Economic and Community benefits: EMAS certification has proven to lead to more efficient resource management, cost savings and relationships with the local community.
- Strengthening Environmental Credibility: 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.
Innovative measures at the Rafael Gordillo Sports City include:
- Rainwater harvesting system
- Replacing rubber with cork on artificial fields, eliminating microplastics and reducing turf temperature, which reduces water use.
- Smart lighting systems
- Bioclimatic building designs
- Aerothermal energy for the production of domestic hot water
- Electric mobility and charging
- Grazing with goats and sheep
To learn more about EMAS click here.
To view the official press release in Spanish click here.
* Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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