Udinese turns Serie A fixture into UEFA sustainability testbed

Udinese will use their Serie A home match against Cagliari on September 19 as the first dedicated league fixture organised around UEFA’s new Football Event Sustainability Manual.The initiative, called Play for Sustainability – Tutti in campo per il pianeta, will become an annual programme focused on testing, measuring and improving environmental and social practices around matchdays.Udinese strategic lead Magda Pozzo said: “This isn’t about presenting a single match as a definitive solution, but about creating an annual commitment that allows us to test tangible actions, measure what works and continue improving year after year.“Working with UEFA and applying the Football Event Sustainability Manual gives us an important framework for turning this ambition into practical action.”The Cagliari fixture will include initiatives covering sustainable transport, renewable energy, waste management and recycling, responsible catering, accessibility and fan engagement.Supporters will be encouraged to travel by bicycle through the Stadium by Bike programme, while Udinese will collect data across mobility, energy, waste, catering and participation.Preliminary results will be published after the match and used as a benchmark for future editions, giving the project a measurable operational element rather than functioning solely as a sustainability campaign.UEFA chief of social and environmental sustainability Filippo Veglio said: “UEFA is pleased to support Udinese in staging their low-emission match, demonstrating how sustainability can be integrated into the organisation of a regular league fixture.“We want to show how the practical actions contained in the manual can be adopted across European football.”The initiative builds on Udinese’s wider investment in Bluenergy Stadium, where 2,409 photovoltaic panels generate an average of around 3,000 kWh of electricity per day.Surplus energy is shared with supporters and local businesses through the club’s Energia in Campo renewable energy community.Udinese also use UEFA’s Carbon Footprint Calculator to measure Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across their operations, giving the club a more detailed picture of where environmental impact is generated.The September 19 fixture will therefore serve as both a live operational trial and a potential blueprint for other clubs, with UEFA looking to demonstrate that sustainability standards can be embedded into ordinary league matches rather than reserved for major finals or tournaments.