Waving scarves and chanting anthems used to be the extent of supporter involvement in football. Today, fans are taking it a step further, pushing their clubs to take action on environmental sustainability through genuine activism.
From the industrial Ruhr to west London, football supporters are proving that their passion can stretch beyond the terraces and into climate action.
Borussia Dortmund stand out in this space. In 2013, the club’s fanbase and the official foundation partnered with Germany’s green electricity provider LichtBlick to launch Strom 09, an eco-tariff allowing fans to power homes with renewable energy while reducing club-level carbon emissions.
According to BVB’s sustainability report, this scheme has helped cut 81,365 tonnes of CO₂ by the end of 2019 – remarkably, one tonne per seat in Signal Iduna Park. Beyond carbon cuts, revenues from Strom 09 have supported seven local community organisations with €5,000 each. And Dortmund’s environmental agenda has extended into biodiversity projects such as the ‘Borsig Bees’ and nature trails around the stadium.
Dortmund’s chief marketing officer, Carsten Cramer, framed the fan contribution in meaningful terms. “Our fans not only provide the best atmosphere in the stadium, but also far beyond,” he said. “And that’s an important signal, especially in times like these.” It’s a statement rooted in official club releases confirming fans’ role as environmental agents rather than passive observers.
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Far away yet parallel in ambition is Brentford’s approach to fan-driven sustainability. Leading that charge are Sustaina-Bees, an independent supporters’ group made up of Brentford fans with knowledge of and concern for the environmental crisis, helping shape the club’s green ambitions.
Brentford’s first ever sustainability report, covering the 2023/24 season, was unveiled in late 2024. It set out a strategy around governance, climate, circularity, nature and biodiversity and engagement. Central to the engagement pillar are efforts to involve supporters in real-world action – and Sustaina-Bees have been instrumental in that ethos.
One tangible result is the Gtech Community Garden, created on Lionel Road near the stadium, featuring roughly 25 plant species including wildflowers and herbs and even a solitary beehive to support pollinators.
Perhaps their most fan-facing policy was organising guided bike rides to Brentford’s home fixture against Fulham in May. Led by professional ride leaders from Gapped Cycling, fans could depart from Acton, Ealing Broadway, Hounslow East or Richmond, pedalling via quiet roads and cycle paths to arrive at the Gtech Community Stadium around kick-off. The rides were gentle, sociable and strictly family friendly.
Supporters who locked their bikes at one of the club’s secure, staffed cycle parks were rewarded on arrival with a food and drink voucher inside the stadium (plus junior goodie bags) – an initiative aligned with the ‘Bike to Brentford’ scheme aimed at reducing fan travel emissions.
“Initiatives like this are how we bring Brentford fans along with us on our sustainability journey,” said James Beale, Brentford’s sustainability manager. “Cycling to games is already popular … we hope supporters taking part find that cycling to the match is safe, accessible and a great way to build community with other fans.”
The response was also echoed in Brentford’s 2025 fan sustainability survey: supporters rated sustainability at 8.4 out of 10 on average, with 80% keen to learn how to reduce the club’s environmental footprint and 74% likely to get involved in sustainability-focused campaigns. The survey highlighted awareness of the rail travel initiative and recycling schemes, but also flagged that fan-led campaigns such as those driven by Sustaina-Bees are highly valued.
Beyond Brentford and Dortmund, the broader trend reveals a shifting identity for supporters. Fan groups are morphing into environmental advocates, using formal channels like shareholder meetings in Germany or grassroots pressure in England to demand action.
The environmental stakes are huge. Sport-focused climate research from the Rapid Transition Alliance estimates that global football emissions total more than 30 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, rivalling the national emissions of Denmark. And a 2022 global carbon study placed football’s complete footprint – factoring stadium operations, travel, merchandise and sponsorship – at about 64-66 million tonnes of CO₂e, similar to the emissions profile of Austria.
Crucially, fan travel is the dominant component, accounting for roughly 70-90% of matchday emissions in professional football. In the Premier League particularly, travel emissions are estimated to make up around 61% of each club’s overall greenhouse gases, according to independent analyses.
This makes the push from fan-led campaigns especially strategic. Where clubs might view sustainability as peripheral, supporters see an obligation. And they hold leverage. Groups like Gunners for Change, Spurs REWIND and United for Sustainability are mounting petitions, calling for public transport incentives, transparency in emissions reporting and changes to club supply chains.
In Germany, where the tradition of fan ownership grants supporters legal influence, environmental motions now appear on AGM ballots.
And the pay-off is measurable. Brentford’s fanbase activation and Borussia Dortmund’s community-based scheme illustrate a model where supporter-driven climate activism leads directly to tangible CO₂ reductions, operational change and broader awareness.
This isn’t PR for show. It’s activism with measurable outcomes. Fans aren’t just spectators; they’re stakeholders. Whether by switching household energy to renewables in Dortmund or encouraging greener lifestyle choices through Brentford’s Sustaina-Bees, supporters are reshaping what it means to love your club.
With rising global temperatures threatening flooding at stadiums (one study warns up to 25 per cent of English grounds could face annual inundation by 2050), climate change is no longer hypothetical for football – it is existential.
Football fans have always shaped identity and lore. Now they are shaping environmental policy. In Germany, they reduce emissions. In England, they mobilise climate campaigns. Everywhere, they demand that football, as the world’s game, plays its part in the planet’s future.
As supporter activism grows, clubs will increasingly face the choice to either lead or be led. And plainly, a new definition of fandom is emerging. One in which cheering on your team means supporting the planet, too.
To learn more about Pledgeball and how you can pledge to help your club shoot up the sustainability standings, visit Pledgeball.org.
