The aim of the programme is to reduce the negative impact and ecological impact on the planet of sporting events.

On 6 and 7 February 2023, the kick-off meeting of the Green Team project was held at the headquarters of the Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya (UFEC). The UFEC, as leader of the project, welcomed the 10 European partners who are also part of the project and who will contribute their expertise to the development of the programme.

The Green Team: Sustainability Strategy for Greener and more Inclusive sport events project, which is funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme, aims to reduce the negative impact and ecological footprint of sport events on the planet by creating links between the sector, public administrations and the public.

In the first part of this kick-off, open to clubs, federations and sports agents, Milena de Murga, head of the UFEC’s international and social action department, detailed the key points of this new project, and gave way to a series of presentations by various collaborating organisations and federations on sustainability in the sports sector. Afterwards, Laia Tarradas, from the organisation Ecoserveis, a partner of the Green Team project, put the current situation of sporting events and sustainability into context.

During the second part of the day, the 10 European partners of the project, led by the UFEC, met to start working on its implementation.

“This first meeting has been a good opportunity to get to know all the partners of the Green Team project, and to start defining the roles of each of them in working to improve the sustainability and inclusiveness of sport events”, explained De Murga. “In addition, we have also been able to learn about the current situation of sporting events and sustainability, and to disseminate the key points of the project to other sports organisations and federations,” she said.