The Green Party peers supported this Bill and voted for it in the final stage. They felt it wasn’t strong enough on climate change and the environment, especially as the increased risk of floods poses a direct risk to the financial security of many professional clubs. Jenny put 10 amendments on environmental sustainability, none of which were accepted by the government.
Amendment 103 requires the football regulator to include an assessment of football’s resilience against climate change in its “state of the game report”
Amendments 127, 131, 154 and 166 introduce climate and environment management plans as a mandatory licence condition for clubs. Above all, they would also require clubs to identify the impacts that climate change is having and will have on the club and make plans to manage those risks.
Amendment 55 adds climate and environment to the football regulator’s objectives. If the football regulator cannot set sport on an environmentally sustainable footing, football’s long-term viability is at risk.
Amendments 60 and 66 require the football regulator to act in accordance with the net-zero targets in the Climate Change Act and secure the long-term environmental sustainability of football.
Amendment 144 would have clubs consult their fans about climate and environmental issues facing the club.
Report Stage
I worked with the Pledgeball campaigning group to put these two amendments, with some cross party support:
Amendment 12 This amendment adds a new “environmental objective” for the regulator to “monitor and promote” the reduction of English football’s climate and environmental impacts.
Amendment 13 This amendment would mean the regulator would have to exercise its functions in a way that is compatible with the Climate Change Act 2008 and secures the long-term environmental sustainability of English football. Labour voted against this amendment
Jenny’s verbal contributions to this bill catalogued below
Amendments proposed or seconded
Clause 7, page 5, line 19, at end insert—
‘(c) is compatible with the Climate Change Act 2008 and secures the long-term environmental sustainability of English football.
Final legislation here
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb 