Half Time: J.League’s climate action, SPL joins in to start “scoring”: Which 60 clubs will come out on top in sustainability disclosure?
In April last year, the J.League announced that it would become the fifth club in the world and the first in Asia to join the Sport Positive Leagues (SPL), an international initiative that scores soccer clubs’ climate actions. At a conference hosted in January, the league revealed the evaluation criteria and rankings for the 2026 special season, when the league will officially enter the league. (Interview and text by Morimoto Kazuhiro)
J.League becomes first in Asia to “score” climate action
At the Sustainability Conference 2026 held on January 28th, the J.League revealed details of its participation in Asia’s first “new league.” The league is called the “Sport Positive Leagues.” In response to recent abnormal weather and rising temperatures, each team’s various climate actions will be categorized into 12 areas and scored. The results will be announced in a ranking format to determine the winning team.
For example, if a team completely eliminates single-use plastics in all its stadiums and other facilities, they’ll get 2 points. If they promote this activity by interacting with fans and supporters, they’ll get 1 bonus point. (The actual scoring system is much more detailed, but we’ll leave that out here. For details, see the SPL special page .) Each team’s environmental efforts are evaluated using SPL’s unique scoring system.
What’s unique about this system is that it actively encourages the sharing of examples of good initiatives. Environmental activities, which have traditionally been difficult to judge as good or bad, can now be easily recognized as effective if they are given a score based on an objective evaluation. This will facilitate horizontal expansion between J.League clubs, and ultimately become a new system that will create a wave of sustainability promotion.
At the beginning of the conference, J.League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura spoke strongly about the need to take measures against climate change and also mentioned the business benefits of participating in SPL.
“The natural environment that forms the foundation of sports has certainly changed. Children’s playing environment may be restricted (due to extreme heat, etc.), and they may lose the enjoyment of their weekends. Now is the time to act to protect soccer culture.
In recent years, our commitment to social issues and the environment has deepened our relationships with companies and led to the creation of new partnerships, which ultimately contributes to increasing the value of clubs and leagues.”
He emphasized that climate change is not something that can be solved by one person alone, but something that “we all win together,” and called for the importance of climate action.
What is the international initiative “Sport Positive Leagues”?
First of all, what is the SPL? Claire Poole, founder and CEO of Sport Positive, who visited Japan for a conference, explained the benefits of joining the SPL.
“SPL is a platform for quantifying and promoting the actions being taken by the entire sports world to combat climate change. Just as we strive to win on the pitch, we also strive to improve each other in environmental measures. This positive competition will be the engine that accelerates change.”
SPL was founded in 2018. Poole, who has watched it grow, explains how the current format came about.
“At the time, the environmental activities of many clubs were not well known to the public, so I proposed to each club that they make their sustainability efforts visible and raise the bar of their goals. This was featured on BBC news in November 2019, and it caused a big stir. The BBC told us that no one would read a lengthy report, so we decided to create a league table.”
In fact, the scope of these activities is expanding. Liverpool increased its plastic bottle collection rate from 25% to 99% in the 2021/22 season. Southampton FC, previously 18th in the SPL, has turned its frustration into motivation to become a leader. All 20 Premier League clubs now have sustainability officers.
Based on these results, Poole says that the “influence of fans” is sports’ greatest weapon.
“The ranking format used by the SPL is familiar to sports fans and serves as a powerful hook. The passion of fans who are proud of their club’s efforts is also attractive to partner companies. Sustainability needs to be seen as a business weapon,” he appealed.
A British club that adheres to the basic principle of “not doing anything that is not right”
It was Peter Smith who translated Poole’s strategy into a concrete and practical business model.
Smith has been with Bristol Sports Group for 17 years, where he has been responsible for the core of club management, from player discovery to stadium redevelopment. Bristol City FC, owned by the group, is a team equivalent to the English second division, but is a leading club that finished second out of 72 clubs in the English EFL in the 2022/23 SPL season.
“Having seen the situation on the ground, I can say with certainty that sustainability is not a cost that puts a strain on management. Rather, it strengthens the club’s identity and generates new revenue. This is not simply about environmental protection, but can be seen as a strategic element that enables the club to remain an essential presence in the local community,” says Smith.
For example, reducing energy and water usage not only reduces the burden on the environment, but also directly saves the club money. Furthermore, the club’s environmentally conscious attitude has earned the trust of fans, and when it comes to food, more and more people are choosing sustainable products even if they are slightly more expensive.
“Even if the container is 10 pence more expensive, fans will buy it if there is a valid reason for it. By sticking to our basic principle of ‘not doing anything wrong,’ such as not selling cheap products made in poor working conditions, we have been able to build relationships with partners such as Standard Chartered, a major global bank,” says Smith.
J.League clubs can also learn from Smith’s ideas. For community-based clubs, tackling environmental issues can be a tool for building bonds with residents and businesses. With the SPL as a measuring stick, “community contribution activities,” which were previously abstract, can evolve into management data with objective value.
Current situation of J-League clubs: “65 classes canceled in three months”
Concrete actions are already being taken at J.League clubs, with examples from Cerezo Osaka and JEF United Chiba being shared during the panel discussion.
Cerezo Osaka Vice President Takeshi Miyajima said that the club’s goal was to “leave an environment where future children can play soccer,” and that the club began by learning about environmental issues.
“We have thoroughly changed our mindset, with all employees and players taking sustainability tests, and we are now taking actions that are visible to fans, such as making the reduction in plastic used in stadium meals visible and using food waste to make fertilizer and grow vegetables.”
Meanwhile, Kaoru Takahashi, director of JEF United Ichihara Chiba, said that last summer’s extreme heat and thunderstorms forced the cancellation of 65 classes at the club’s soccer school over three months. This triggered the club to realize that “climate issues have a direct impact on club management,” and accelerated its efforts.
“We are working with Chiba City to collect disposable chopsticks and recycle them into fuel. Last season, we also worked with our parent company, JR East, to hold a digital stamp rally to encourage people to use trains. This will help encourage people to use public transportation, so we would like to hold it again this year now that we have been promoted to J1.”
Poole praised these efforts, saying, “I’m impressed that Japanese clubs have begun such a diverse range of initiatives.” Smith, in turn, offered encouragement based on his own experience to the two clubs who are struggling with the difficulty of collecting data, saying, “We’re struggling too. It’s important to move forward with the resources you have now, rather than waiting for perfect data.”
Changing the “social system” with the J.League’s communication power
The SPL will collect information and evaluate climate action activities from January to June in conjunction with the 2026 special season. The results are scheduled to be announced after October, and the first champion will be decided from among the 60 clubs. The top 20 clubs will be announced in this first round. The SPL 2026/27 season is scheduled to begin in July 2026.
However, the real purpose of this ranking is not to compete for position. It is about how to solve the enormous challenge of climate change. If one club finds a good solution, it can be shared with everyone, improving the environment across the league and Japanese society as a whole. In other words, the SPL is a system that allows everyone to “win together.”
Takayuki Tsujii, Executive Officer of the J.League (Sustainability Area), spoke about the role that Japanese soccer should play:
“When viewed from the perspective of society as a whole, the amount of CO2 emissions that a J.League club can actually reduce may be very small. However, the J.League has the power to communicate. I think it is important to use our efforts to change the social system together with the 13.5 million fans and supporters who attend the games every year, local governments, schools, financial institutions, and companies.”
And at the end of the conference, he emphasized the importance of taking on challenges.
“When I visited the SPL in the UK, one phrase that stuck with me was ‘Progress over perfection.’ Even if we’re not perfect, even if we don’t have the knowledge, we speak out for the future. That’s the kind of J.League I want to be,” said Tsujii.
The J.League is utilizing grants from the Nippon Foundation to promote sustainability, and Nippon Foundation Chairman Junpei Sasakawa expressed his high expectations for the organization.
“The J.League and its 60 teams across the country are important contributors to society. We recognize that they are one of the few organizations that are deeply connected to local communities and have the passion and technology to solve local issues. The Nippon Foundation would like to commit to these activities together with us to make society better.”
