Football, Gender & Environmentalism, the ultimate hat-trick?

This season's Premier League has begun, and in celebration, Edie has ranked all teams on their sustainability. Manchester City AND United are leading the title race...with Norwich and Crystal Palace sat in relegation! Is it possible for environmental action amongst football clubs to help to engage more guys in climate action!?

All clubs were ranked on their efforts to use low-carbon energy sources, their resource-efficiency and their use of energy management champions.

Yes, this is not really a scientific ranking, but it does show how all aspects of our life can be, and should be, more environmentally friendly. It is also a brave attempt to engage an audience who have been shown to see sustainability and environmentalism as a lower league concern.

Because caring for the environment continues to be an overwhelmingly feminine issue in the developed world. A recent international study of over 2,000 people found that being environmentally ‘good’ was associated as a feminine trait. Caring for the planet tends to be associated with nurturing and caring - often seen as feminine qualities. This damaging association is isolating half of our population!!

This also relates to a wider problem of sustainability and environmental awareness being an issue of the white middle class. Tackling climate change and promoting good actions for our planet needs to involve everyone and work is still needed to think about how we engage other demographics and audiences with the environmental movement. Netflix’s ‘Our Planet’, Justin Bieber’s climate change tune and the presence of young adult Greta Thurnberg are helping to engage new audiences. However, more is needed, particularly to encourage men to embrace sustainability as much as their female counterparts.

Football can also be an instigator for positive social change, with research by Stanford University finds showing reduced Islamophobia in Merseyside since the Mo Salah's arrival at Liverpool!

• Check out the index and see where your team appears on the ranking. Then, talk about it with your friends - by bringing environmentalism and sustainability into day to day conversations. It helps to normalise and engage others with its relevance and importance. 
• Challenge the gender stereotype - if you’re a guy reading this, show others how you can care about the planet, but still be a pretty darn cool chap!
• Check out these inspirational leaders and networks who are helping to bring new demographics to the environmental movement - Judy Ling Wong the Brown Environmentalist and Maria Adebowale-Schwarte are all working to make sustainability and environmental action appealing to all.