February 19 – UEFA’s Champions Innovate campaign has selected three startups to aid them in their bid to boost innovation around the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley.
The campaign, which seeks to partner a member of its sponsorship roster with an ambitious start-up company to tackle an environmental issue, has selected UK-based businesses Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball to lead its innovation projects.
Each project is set to target a different problem faced by the UEFA team, including the ‘Green Energy Challenge’, ‘Sustainable Food Challenge’ and ‘Fan Engagement Challenge’.
The first project – a Green Energy collaboration between UEFA premium partner PepsiCo and fledgling UK Tech company Pavegen – will use fan engagement to generate power for an event at the Champions Festival in Trafalgar Square, by converting footsteps into electrical energy.
The power of Pavegen’s smart flooring technology will then be evaluated as a model for promoting renewable and sustainability awareness at future sporting and entertainment events.
Combating the sustainable food challenge, UEFA partner Just Eat Takeaway.com joined forces with startup ‘My Emissions’, a carbon labelling company, to measure and communicate the carbon footprint of food options available at the UEFA Champions League Final.
This collaboration, initially tested in the UK, has proven successful, prompting its expansion to a wider audience. The selection of Just Eat Takeaway.com into the Champions Innovate programme also underscores their growing commitment to providing fans with information for making environmentally conscious choices.
Finally, Pledgeball, a research-focused charity dedicated to promoting sustainability in sports, is partnering with Mastercard to mobilise fans in the fight against climate change.
Breaking new ground within UEFA, Mastercard and Pledgeball will establish a League where fans can actively work to minimise their carbon footprint.
Through the promotion of sustainable practices, the collaboration represents a significant stride towards cultivating a more eco-friendly Champions League Final in London and fostering an environmentally conscious sports community.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1735042349labto1735042349ofdlr1735042349owedi1735042349sni@g1735042349niwe.1735042349yrrah1735042349