Udinese were one of the key participants at this year's Thinking Football Summit in Oporto as the club continues to enhance its international reputation as a model for environmental sustainability.
A few months ago, Udinese Calcio was recognised by Brand Finance's Football Sustainability Index as the most sustainable club in Italy and fourth in the world based on ESG parameters.
The prestigious event organised by Liga Portugal brought together many of the leading stakeholders from the world of football to exchange ideas on current issues and the challenges facing football, be they technical, managerial, financial or environmental.
Other participants on the various panels at the Super Bock Arena included Roma general manger Tiago Pinto, former stars Roberto Carlos and Patrice Evra, Benfica president and ex-AC Milan midfielder Rui Costa, and La Liga president Javier Tebas.
As part of the Green Club panel, Udinese head of communications Jacopo Romeo set out the club's environmental commitment and initiatives. He was joined on the panel by Porto's sustainability manager Teresa Santos and Carolina Petterson, executive director of We Play Green, an association of environmentally conscious footballers set up in 2020 with the aim of taking concrete action to save the planet.
The debate centred around the crucial role football can play in achieving environmental sustainability thanks to its ability to convey powerful social messages.
Romeo explained that, thanks to Bluenergy, Udinese has for years used only energy from renewable sources, saving 3,500 tonnes of CO2. He also outlined the club's sustainable tourism project with PromoTurismo FVG and the Macron playing kits, made for the fourth season running using environmentally sustainable material from recycled plastic – a move which inspired all other Macron-affiliated clubs to use the same material.