The European Leagues launched its Sustainability Expert Group this week in Zurich, Switzerland, in parallel to the UEFA Respect Forum 2025. The initial group brought together representatives from 14 member leagues and aims to accelerate social and environmental sustainability across domestic football competitions.
Coinciding with the second edition of the UEFA Respect Forum (7–8 May 2025), which focused on advancing sustainability in European football, the launch of the expert group provided a great opportunity for leagues to come together and offered our members the chance to share best practices in this field, while discussing possible cooperation between leagues and with other stakeholders . With a diversity of league profiles, the Expert Group is designed to serve as a dynamic platform for strategic dialogue, shared learning, and coordinated progress in sustainability.
The Forum itself gathered a wide range of stakeholders – including National Associations, Leagues, Clubs, and international organisations – for two days of engaging panel discussions, thematic working tables, and expert-led talks on sustainability.
Our President, Claudius Schäfer, was present for the opening of the Forum, where he highlighted the growing commitment of leagues across Europe to sustainability:
“An increasing number of leagues have engaged with sustainability. More and more are appointing sustainability leads, creating dedicated departments, and integrating ESG into how competitions are managed. Some have already implemented a wide range of measures, while others are still in the early stages. That is where our network has value – by connecting different realities, sharing approaches, and enabling collective progress. Together with UEFA and other stakeholders, we aim to align efforts and build long-term, coordinated responses to shared challenges.”