UEFA SES Meeting: Zoppis in Tirana with social and environmental sustainability experts

FSGC Sustainability Manager Andrea Zoppis has just returned from a trip to Tirana, where he took part in the SES meeting organised by UEFA in cooperation with the Albanian Football Association from 28 to 30 October. The customary annual meeting bringing together all social and environmental sustainability experts from the 55 European associations consisted of three days of intensive work, led by the Director of UEFA’s Sustainability Department and his staff. All eleven areas covered by the UEFA Social Responsibility Strategy were addressed, with in-depth discussions and group work both for the environmental sustainability units and for those focused on social impact and inclusion. Among the various activities, it is worth highlighting the transition to the operational phase of the new carbon dioxide emissions calculation system (Carbon Footprint Calculator) created by UEFA and made available to all member associations. The tool calculates the environmental impact of day-to-day activities carried out by individual offices and for individual events, enabling the monitoring and comparison of performance over the years. In this respect, FSGC was among the first associations to begin entering data into the calculator. In the magnificent setting of the Air Albania Arena, participants were also able to experience Walking Football first-hand by taking each other on in friendly matches on the pitch. For FSGC, this initiative goes hand in hand with the launch of the new season of the domestic Walking Football programme, which kicked off last week (for information or to request to take part, please contact [email protected]). In recent years, environmental and social issues have become increasingly crucial, and European football is playing a more and more central role, uniting behind a common front moving in the same direction. FSGC is proud to be part of this effort, actively contributing to its further progress.

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