Just two months after the launch of the Environmental Footprint calculator, the online platform that allows football clubs to evaluate their environmental impacts using the LCA method, the project coordinated by Sant’Anna University scores another goal in the field of sustainability: in May 2023 the Portuguese and Romanian Football Federations, both GOALS project partners, obtained the ISO14001 environmental management certification. 

©️FRF

The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has been active in the promotion of sustainability since its involvement in LIFE TACKLE in 2017, another successful EU-funded project supported by UEFA that promoted environmental sustainability in football. Together with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), they are pioneers of environmental action in football. 

Guided by Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, the two federations have recently taken a step forward on their path to sustainability by obtaining the ISO 14001 environmental management certification in the framework of their participation in the Erasmus+ GOALS project.  

©️FRF

The ISO14001 certification is fundamental for organizations that want to achieve increased trust in the community by demonstrating voluntary commitment to the continuous improvement of their environmental performance. The main benefits are the reduction of costs, by improving the efficiency of processes, reducing consumption of raw materials, water, energy and minimizing of waste.  

The two federations are committed to conducting their operations and activities in compliance with the principles of sustainability and aim to be an example for other federations and clubs, carrying a positive legacy for the future. Through their institutional alignment with the ISO 14001 standard, the football federations of Portugal and Romania reaffirm their leading role in the involvement of sport in sustainability, since they are the first two national football federations to obtain this important recognition.