What gives Dan hope

Dan points to some of the most inspiring sport and climate projects he’s seen, especially those rooted in local communities. Think practical work that doubles as education and opportunity, like turning waste plastic into a community football pitch, or linking food growing, learning and play in contexts where safety and belonging are part of the climate story too.

There is no “apolitical sport”

A key thread is that football is never just football. Money, ownership, sponsorship, media, and power sit right alongside the goals and chants. If football shapes culture every weekend, then it can shape climate culture too, what feels normal, what feels “cool”, and what gets talked about in the first place.

The money question, and the influence question

Lola does the maths on Premier League wages and asks what could happen if a fraction of that wealth was redirected. Dan talks about Common Goal, where players pledge 1 percent of their salary, and how even “small” percentages become real money for grassroots action. But he also makes the bigger point, the most transformational change is often cultural, when players use their platform to shift values, especially among younger fans.

Fans are a lever, not an audience

One of Dan’s most actionable suggestions is simple: check your club’s website. Is there a sustainability plan, reporting, or a named lead? If not, ask. If yes, ask what’s next. Dan shares how supporters’ trusts and fan surveys can give clubs the evidence they need to act, and the confidence to do it even when results on the pitch are wobbling.

A practical place to start

Travel is a great example of climate action that also improves the matchday experience. Better rail options, sensible kick off times, fewer “stranded fans” moments. People care about that for many reasons, and climate benefits come along for the ride.

Football creates an imagined community, a shared emotional world. This conversation is a reminder that climate action needs that same collective energy, and that change often starts with the simplest move: asking the question, then asking it again, louder, together.