The PFA has today released a report that explores the impact of climate on Australia and New Zealand’s professional domestic football competitions, the A-Leagues. 

The report’s launch coincides with the inaugural A-Leagues ‘Green Game’ to be hosted by Canberra United this afternoon in the A-League Women. 

The Green Games are player-driven initiatives to introduce new sustainable practices into A-League clubs and to raise awareness for the impact of the climate on competition, and were devised by the PFA’s Our Greener Pitch player group. 

The Games will focus on reducing carbon pollution, offsetting unavoidable emissions, introducing new sustainable practices at clubs, and will raise awareness about the relationship between climate change and football. 

The introductory report, Stoppage Time: A PFA Report on the A-Leagues and Climate Change, is designed to kick off the climate conversation in Australian and New Zealand football. 

It explores the climate’s impact on the A-Leagues and professional players, including extreme heat, bushfires, flooding and rain. It also examines football’s impact on climate and proposes solutions clubs and the A-Leagues can adopt to mitigate their impact. 

Canberra United’s Emma Ilijoski said the Green Games represent a small but important first step in starting the conversation within Australian football. 

“The Green Games are an awesome first step that we can take as a club. Also, as a league, it’s going to be really good for the future. As climate change becomes more of an issue, it’s an opportunity for us as athletes to use our platform and showcase it to our fans.  

“We know that it’s not going to be an easy change straight away. Athletes are also not the best examples – we have to travel. But whatever we can do to help, it has to start somewhere.”  

You can read the report here.