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1. fc Köln 2021

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1. fc Köln

Clean/Renewable Energy

Energy Efficiency

  • Sustainable management system according to ‘ZNU-standard’ which is applicable to all club sites; including the youth academy, the boarding school and all six fan shops.
  • Use of LED lamps and the installation of motion detectors to help reduce electricity consumption thanks to the participation of OKOPROFIT https://fc.de/fc-info/club/ueber-den-fc/nachhaltigkeit/
  • The club’s administration building is heated and cooled by a geothermal system (total value of 157,000 kWh/a).
  • The boarding school operates an air heating pump in combination with solar thermal energy for hot water preparation.

Sustainable Transport

Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal

  • It is the club’s goal to reduce single use plastic across all club sites
  • Since 2019, all drinks at home games have been handed out in reusable cups. Fans are then able to collect their deposit (2 euros) or opt to donate that to the FC Foundation.
  • Together with their service providers, they have found a system that minimises the requirements for transporting the cups to and from the stadium, therefore saving unnecessary travel.
  • The cups are rinsed hygienically and safely in a large facility in Köln, cutting down further on transport.
  • The reusable cups used are much more stable than the previously used disposable cups, but they no longer have a handle. This significantly reduces the risk of injury should a cup be thrown, an argument that was used for a long time against reusable cups.
  • The cups can also be returned to every checkout in the stadium, this helps to avoid long queues after the final whistle.
    More info: https://fc.de/fc-info/news/detailseite/details/mehrwegbecher-bei-den-heimspielen/
  • Due to the pandemic, the staff canteen is closed and lunch can only be taken into the office as a takeaway
  • The club has issued reusable lunch boxes to all employees (like Tupperware) so that there is no longer any need to resort to the disposable foam containers from the canteen, for example.
  • In 2023, all merchandise suppliers are socially certified. Membership cards will in future be made from recycled material, and the professional autograph cards will be printed on environmentally certified paper. https://fc.de/fc-info/news/detailseite/details/ab-2021-klimaneutral-fc-erhaelt-nachhaltigkeits-zertifikat/

Waste Management

  • Around 85% of waste is recycled. The rest is incinerated, and in that process, energy is generated and used again
  • The club’s waste management strategy is applicable to all club sites with the exception of the stadium, which is owned and operated by a municipal subsidiary.
  • Waste percentages are as follows:
    – paper & cardboard: 47%
    – green cuttings: 35%
    – residual waste: 15%
    – bulky waste: 1%
    – old file disposal: 1%
    – Other: 1%
  • Participated in a waste prevention project.
  • Introduction of recyclables separation in offices and development of a recyclable container system to reduce residual waste quantities and increase the amount of recyclable material: implemented as a result of participation in OKOPROFIT https://fc.de/fc-info/club/ueber-den-fc/nachhaltigkeit/

Water Use

  • Water efficiency measures are carried out on a case-by-case basis
  • Waterless urinals are used in the stadium and at the training ground
  • Reduction of water flow rates in the shower areas https://fc.de/fc-info/club/ueber-den-fc/nachhaltigkeit/
  • A rainwater cistern for the use of service water was installed at the club’s boarding school. The two water storage tanks have a total volume of 30,000 litres. The rainwater is used to operate the washing machines and all the toilets in the boarding school. With a calculated demand of 1,424 litres per day, this results in savings of approximately 520,000 litres of water per year.

Plant based/low carbon food

  • Vegan food is not only offered in the stadium, but also in the canteen (which also is a public restaurant) to the staff/employees and guests every day.
  • 80% of all food and drinks that we offer in the stadium (both on the concourse and in all hospitality areas), as well as in our facilities, are locally sourced.
  • All vegetables are produced by local farmers and are not bought in wholesale/retail.
  • The club gets their meat products from a meat factory whose headquarters is only 4km away from our training ground. The beer comes from a local brewery in Köln. They admit that improvements can be made when it comes to the purchase of non-alcoholic beverages.

Communication/Engagement

  • Club philosophy outlines their desire to promote sustainability “We want to be a role model through active environmental protection inside and outside the club and also bring a social and ecological awareness into the club’s heart of all Cologneers”. https://fc.de/fc-info/club/ueber-den-fc/nachhaltigkeit/
  • Signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework
  • FC Koln are guided by the Global Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
  • One of the clubs main objectives is Climate action: Take immediate action to combat climate change and its effects: With the planned expansion of our training ground, the ecological compensation measures will go well beyond what is required by law.
  • Member of the initiative: ZNU goes Zero
  • Part of the Alliance for Development and Climate from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) https://allianz-entwicklung-klima.de/
  • CO2 neutrality from 2021, which they are on course to achieve https://fc.de/fc-info/club/ueber-den-fc/nachhaltigkeit/
  • A large fan engagement project with a budget of €60,000 is scheduled to start in the summer of 2021. This includes the construction of 500 bird boxes, the implementation of an app / software to promote carpooling to the games (home and away), the holding of consultations on energy-saving driving with the partner FORD and the implementation of bike check days
  • In order to draw attention to food waste and to further support the work of the board, the club declares the Bundesliga home game against FC Augsburg to be the action match day and points to the work of the board. The main sponsor of the association, REWE, made way for the panel logo on the equipment: https://fc.de/fc-info/news/detailseite/details/mit-der-tafel-auf-der-brust/

Information sourced directly from 1.fc Köln staff, website and third party websites
Information updated March 26th 2021