Premier League clubs are facing calls from climate charities to cut down on private jet travel, with research showing that 84 per cent of domestic away games could be reached by coach in under four and a half hours.
Many top-flight football teams and some other elite sport sides regularly charter private jets to travel to away games within the UK, with arrangements made by clubs themselves for flexibility and to reduce travel time on other modes of transportation like coaches and trains.
However, it’s a practice which climate charity Possible said produces on average 40 times more carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) than the same journey would by coach.
An average coach journey produces 0.07 tonnes of CO2e while an average private jet flight for the same journey would use 2.8 tonnes of CO2e, the charity said.
Treble-winners Manchester City reportedly traveled to domestic matches by private jet 10 times last season, which Possible said generated the same emissions as over 400 electric coach return journeys – enough to take every Premier League side to each of their games in a season.
The charity added that its recent research showed the team only saved an average of one hour in travel time per trip.
Possible also revealed to i that 70 per cent of respondents to a recent public survey agreed that Premier League football teams should take climate impacts into consideration when choosing how to travel to domestic away games within England.
Rob Bryher, aviation campaigner at Possible, said: “Football has the chance to reduce its emissions output significantly, simply by changing the way teams travel domestically.
“Almost all of these games can be reached by coach or train without costing the club more than an hour more of their time, but the impact would be significant in cutting carbon and setting a really positive example on tackling the climate crisis.
“We need football clubs, and the Premier League itself, to support climate-friendly travel so that football can continue in a sustainable and positive way.”
In September, Man City manager Pep Guardiola‘s comments about his side’s lack of air travel availability to return from Newcastle were labeled “irresponsible” by climate activists in September.
Man City reports its own travel and sustainability data but many other teams don’t self-report whether they have used private jets to travel to games, Possible added.
It comes amid ongoing action from other campaigners aimed at travel more climate-friendly, with football teams having been criticised previously for their use of short-haul flights despite maintaining that these represent a fraction of total domestic air travel.
Research by BBC Sport in early 2023 found evidence of 81 instances of teams flying short distances to matches instead of travelling by road or rail.
The average duration of these flights was reportedly just 42 minutes, with some lasting less than half an hour.
Emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the burning of plane fuel contribute to climate change, and are significantly worse in short-haul flights than any other form of transport, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Aviation campaigners at Flight Free UK have petitioned the UK government to ban domestic flights on routes that can be travelled by train in under 4.5 hours.
Meanwhile, football and climate charity Pledgeball is using its Sustainable Travel Charter to call for football clubs to voluntarily look at their teams’ travel choices in order to reduce the number of flights taken by EFL sides each year.
Clubs including Forest Green Rovers, Swindon Town and Millwall have worked with Pledgeball and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to support the charter, with the latter having implemented a no-fly policy.
The Sustainable Travel Charter states that “4 hours of travel time was a reasonable time frame within which lower carbon travel options should be taken”.
Katie Cross, Founder and CEO of Pledgeball, said: “Premier League clubs choosing to take private jets when there are more sustainable alternatives available to them is like scoring a hattrick of own goals whilst the fans get rained on.
“Whilst some PL clubs have declared that team travel makes up a small proportion of their total measured emissions, this does not account for the significant impact of normalising this high carbon behaviour by such influential organisations and individuals.”
A Premier League spokesperson said that the league recognises the need to take action on climate change and was committed to reducing its overall climate impact, adding: “In November 2021, the League joined forces with other leading sports organisations by signing up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.
“Since then the Premier League has made two years of data submissions, as we aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
“The Premier League is in the process of finalising an environmental sustainability strategy which will set out plans to deliver climate action. As part of this strategy, the League will continue to engage with clubs and current partners to find practical ways of reducing football’s environmental impact.”
Manchester City was approached for comment.