As part of the Erasmus+ GOALS project, amateur clubs are taking a virtuous approach in favor of the environment and playing their educational role vis-à-vis the youngest.
On September 20th and 21st, a delegation fromn Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA), accompanied by the Kosovar Football Federation, met 4 clubs: FC Balkani, FC Drita, FC Prishtina and FC Ramiz Sadiku.
The goal is to address the issue of the environmental impact of their activity within the framework of the European GOALS project launched several months ago with the Romanian and Portuguese Federations and Real Betis Balompié. This project aims to create a simple and accessible tool for measuring the environmental impact of amateur football clubs, as a starting point for clubs’ commitment to act in favor of the environment.
The clubs involved in this program received a visit from two experts from the Sant’ Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa (Italy), responsible for compiling the data collected. These representatives were able to appreciate the quality of the involvement of the clubs, leaders to educators and the municipalities represented.
The Sant’Anna delegation also met Taulant Hodaj, the secretary general of the Football Federation of Kosovo and visited the stadium of the FC Prishtina where the national team plays its matches.
Some deepening interviews have been arranged by SSSA researchers with key managers of the engaged sport organisations. The aim of the interviews was to detect the organisations feedbacks on the different tools and strategies adopted to engage players, families and staff. In particular, economic and organisational feasibility of different environmental management actions and feedbacks on the external public engagement have been investigated through the interviews. Additionally, some contextual factors have been considered through the interviews such as the local public transport system efficiency, the cultural approach towards climate change and CO2 emissions, the National sport organisations specifities etc.
This task was strategic because aimed at measuring the “state of the art” of environmental management in the targeted sport organisations: this data will represent the starting baseline to measure the project’s activities actual impact.
Now, all the partners will work on the creation of the Environmental Footprint Calculator, an on-line tool which will allow football organisations to assess their environmental impacts compared to the baseline scenario.