| By Laura Millan In a sign that climate action is starting to take root in professional sports, some of the world's greatest football players took the train to work. FC Barcelona's players chose the railway over a private jet when traveling to a recent match against Getafe CF, which plays on the outskirts of Spanish capital Madrid. It was the first time the club's male team rode the rails to a game. They did so to reduce their impact on global warming, the club's sustainability directory Jordi Portabella said in an interview. "We decided to do this trip to state that the club wants to be a solution to climate change, and not a problem," Portabella said. "We want to increase the number of trips we make by train instead of plane." Professional football remains a laggard when it comes to taking basic steps to address its climate impact such as systematically calculating its direct greenhouse gas emissions and those of fans traveling to see matches. But over the past few months, dozens of symbolic initiatives have emerged, from clubs serving vegan food in stadiums to players biking to training grounds. Together, these efforts point to a growing awareness by clubs and players that climate change is having an impact on the sport, and that they in turn need to do something to reduce their contribution to heating up the planet. Barça's choice of transportation shows some more progress. While the train was chartered — which alone isn't as green as riding public transport — the club said their deal with Spain's national railway company Renfe included a request that the trip be powered by renewable energy. Portabella said Barça players and staff actually enjoyed the 2.5-hour ride from Barcelona to Madrid. Some clubs have come under fire for not appearing to take their climate impact seriously. Paris Saint-Germain faced backlash after coach Christophe Galtier joked last September that his team was looking into the possibility of traveling by a "sand yacht" instead of a private jet. The comment, which sent star forward Kylian Mbappé into a fit of giggles, clashes with France's efforts to cut back short-haul flights. "It probably wasn't their intention," Portabella said. "But Mbappé's and the coach's answer increased awareness of the situation that humanity is facing." Over the past year, Barça has been switching to LED lights and began sourcing all of its power from renewables as part of a renewed sustainability push. This season, the club started calculating its own emissions for the first time ever, a necessary step toward reducing its carbon footprint. Other clubs are taking action, too. Real Betis in the city of Seville signed an agreement with Renfe so now the club's football and basketball teams travel by high-speed train to matches across the country, and fans are given discounted train tickets, too. In Germany, many Bundesliga clubs offer fans free public transport to the venue and back to attend matches. Known as KombiTickets, the system provides free transportation across whole regions — not just a city — a few hours before and after the game. "We all know there's a lot of money in the football industry, so we certainly have the responsibility to help society with the green transition," said Sofie Junge Pedersen, a Danish defensive midfielder with Juventus FC who has been speaking publicly about climate change for years. "Football has to contribute to this fight against climate change not only to make the green transition in the football industry, but to help outside."  Sofie Junge Pedersen Photographer: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Football players face increasingly harsh conditions as the planet warms, from playing in extreme heat to dealing with flooded pitches, she said. These issues impact not just professional players in Europe, but also grassroots teams across the continent and leagues in Africa, Asia and Latin America, some of the regions worst-hit by climate change. "This is a threat to football," she said. "If we don't have a good climate, it won't be possible to play like we do today." Click here to continue reading the full story on Bloomberg.com. Like getting the Green Daily? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to breaking news on climate and energy, data-driven reporting and graphics and Bloomberg Green magazine. Organizers of games have a lot to learn. Qatar claimed their World Cup as "carbon neutral," and while that never could never be true, that doesn't mean sustainability is a non-starter for football's biggest party.
Footballers are showing support for climate action. Last year English club Reading FC incorporated a data visualization of global warming known as "climate stripes" into the sleeves of their shirts.  Courtesy of Reading Football Club There is another sport calling itself football. And its annual final play-off game — the Super Bowl — is America's favorite event to watch. The ads targeted around the match account for a surprising amount of emissions. Sports sponsorships are another worry. There is a growing push to ban fossil fuel companies from advertising their brands at sporting events like professional cycling. | 
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