Cool Down

6 Aug 2025

🚨BREAKING! 🚨 🌍 The Fossil Free Declaration is a new global initiative inviting athletes & sports organisations to sever ties with the industries driving climate breakdown. Get involved by inviting your favourite athlete or team to join. ✍️ More 👉 cooldownclimate.org/the-fossil-f...

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thefootballweek.comTurkish Airlines and Liverpool: The Sponsorship Strategy - The Football WeekExplore the strategy behind Turkish Airlines’ Liverpool sponsorship, from global brand positioning and market expansion to measuring commercial returns.

Liverpool FC are the latest club to partner with a polluting airline. ✈️ Here’s why we need to stop airlines buying our love of the beautiful game.👇 thefootballweek.com/2026/10/11/t...

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🚨 Introducing the A-Z of Badvertising, the new public information campaign on the ad industry’s tricks to push pollution-as-usual. 📺💨 🅱️ is for ‘Badvertising’, persuading people to buy stuff which is against their own interests. 👉 find out more at www.badverts.org/campaign-upd...

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cooldownclimate.orgFIFA takes the top prize at the Bad Sport Awards 2026 — Cool DownFIFA scoops two of the four awards at the Bad Sport Awards 2026.

🏆 The Bad Sport Awards 2026 are here. And this year’s winners have been making some truly spectacular contributions to the world of sportswashing. Here are the winners… 🧵

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healthpolicy-watch.newsAs Deadline Nears, Civil Society Urges Spain To Nominate María Neira In WHO DG Election - Health Policy WatchWith Thursday’s 24 September deadline looming, international scientific societies and civil society leaders are pushing Spain to sponsor a last-minute WHO Director-General nomination for Dr María Neir...

🚨 BIG NEWS: Fossil ad ban advocate María Neira has been nominated by Spain to lead the World Health Organisation. Neira has been a consistent supported of such a ban, even describing fossil fuels as the "new tobacco". 🛢️🚬

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The Green Runners

@thegreenrunners.bsky.social

Sportswashing is an oily stain on our sports. We campaign for all running events drop high-carbon sponsors. We’ve identified 41 races with high-carbon sponsors. 24 gas & oil, 14 airline & three car manufacturers. No doubt we’ve missed many more. @badvertising.bsky.social

thegreenrunners.comSportswashing: Drop polluting sponsors - The Green Runners CICThe Green Runners say that taking sponsorship money from high-carbon industries to support a running event or fund local charities isn’t ethical. We’ve called

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The Green Runners

@thegreenrunners.bsky.social

22 Sept

Wizz Air claim to have the lowest airline CO2 emissions in Europe. At the same time, their desire is to provide everyone with flights at the lowest price & all you can fly annual passes. Reducing emissions while fuelling demand for cheap flights isn’t the answer. @badvertising.bsky.social

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The Green Runners

@thegreenrunners.bsky.social

21 Sept

Nine European races are sponsored by Wizz Air. Together with @badvertising.bsky.social & @flightfreeuk.bsky.social, we call on the races to drop the airline at the earliest opportunity. Big polluters have no place in our sport. They’re taking the Whizz 🤬 ✍️ Sign our petition. 🛑 Stop #sportswashing

c.orgSign the PetitionDrop Polluting Sponsors - Stop taking the Whizz

cooldownclimate.orgThe Premier League banned gambling sponsorship on shirts. Could polluting sponsors be next? — Cool DownFor twenty years we were told it couldn't be done. Football needed the bookmakers and gambling companies’' money. Take it away and clubs would go under, the pyramid would crumble, the product would su...

NEW PIECE: Football said it couldn’t afford to lose gambling sponsors. Then twenty Premier League clubs started this season without a front shirt betting sponsor Football did not collapse. So why do many view high-carbon industries so differently? 🧵

cooldownclimate.orgThe Fossil Free Declaration — Cool DownLaunched by the Cool Down - Sport For Climate Action Network, the Declaration is a pledge for sports organisations, athletes, and fans to demonstrate climate leadership by rejecting sponsorships and c...

So what would a serious approach to restricting polluting sponsorship look like? Not just shirts. Kit, stadium naming rights, competition title rights and digital inventory - across the men’s and women’s game and the wider football pyramid.

The Premier League has shown that a sponsorship industry once described as indispensable can be phased out. The question is whether it is ready to apply the same thinking to the industries whose products are endangering the future of the game.

premierleague.comPremier League statement on gambling sponsorshipClubs agree to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts, the first UK sports league to do so

The gambling ban wasn’t imposed by government. In 2023, Premier League clubs voted overwhelmingly to remove betting sponsors from the front of shirts, with three seasons to phase out existing deals. They were given time to adjust.

goal.comHow Man Utd, Tottenham & more are exploiting a 'loophole' in the Premier League's new anti-gambling sponsor rules | Goal.comBetting sponsors are no longer allowed on the front of Premier League matchday shirts, but the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham have ensured gambling adverts are still everywhere

But there’s a big warning here too. The gambling ban only covers the front of the shirt. So betting brands have moved onto sleeves, training kits and other spaces. A partial ban doesn’t necessarily remove an industry from sponsorship.

The comparison matters because high-carbon sponsors are typically protected by the same "we can't afford it" argument. This means that - despite the harm they cause - fossil fuel companies, airlines, and unsustainable car companies get off the hook.

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bbc.comBristol becomes first city to ban fast fashion advertsNew rules prohibits the promotion of flights, cars and travel agents on council-owned billboards.

15 Sept

CAMPAIGN WIN: Bristol has just banned high-carbon advertising on publicly-owned space. With the city including fast fashion for the first time. Momentum is building across the UK for a fossil fuel ad ban. 🚀 Here’s the story so far. 🧵

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theguardian.comLiverpool agree £60m-a-year shirt sponsorship deal with Turkish AirlinesLiverpool have announced a new shirt sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines worth more than £60m a year to the club

9 Sept

A recent sponsor switch-up for Liverpool FC is keeping polluting industries in the lead. Here’s how we can change the game. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

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theguardian.com‘What are we doing?’: Brennan’s anger at racing in 44C heat as Van Aert wins shortened stageBritain’s Matthew Brennan complained of the high temperatures the riders were racing in as Wout van Aert won stage 15 of the Vuelta a España

7 Sept

Another Vuelta a España stage has been adapted due to extreme weather. And riders are rightly questioning this new normal. www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/s...

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unep.orgLimiting Overshoot - Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards returnLimiting global warming to 1.5°C remains a cornerstone of the Paris Agreement, yet under current policies and alternative near-term trajectories, exceedance of 1.5°C is now widely assessed as unavoida...

4 Sept

The UN has revealed that the world is likely to breach 1.5°C of warming within the next few years. It is not more important than ever that we not only ramp up renewables, but also reduce demand for fossil fuels. This is where a fossil ad ban must come in. 🧵 1/6

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Eben Muse

@ebenmyrddin.bsky.social

1 Sept

I published this article for the Welsh magazine 'Barn' today. It's the only story I've seen about the morally dubious sponsorship of the @eisteddfod.cymru Science Village by Valero, one of the world's largest oil refining companies. barn.cymru/en_gb/yr-eis...

barn.cymruYr Eisteddfod a’r diwydiant olew – BarnBraf oedd darllen datganiad yr Eisteddfod, yn fuan wedi prifwyl y Garreg Las, eu bod yn ‘bwriadu cyflwyno…

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nytimes.comLife-changing injuries and postponed seasons: How the heatwave is impacting grassroots footballThe United Kingdom has endured its hottest and driest summer on record, leaving grass pitches rock hard and cracked ahead of the new season

31 Aug

Extreme heat is causing serious injury and postponed seasons in grassroots football. While elite football promotes harmful industries, players at other levels are left to suffer. www.nytimes.com/athletic/752...

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bbc.co.ukGianni Infantino: Uefa pursuing criminal legal proceedings against Fifa presidentUefa is pursuing criminal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over the scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup.

28 Aug

BIG NEWS: Criminal legal proceedings are being launched against Fifa president Gianni Infantino by Uefa. But Fifa has a deeper issue than Infantino - it has been selling the game to the highest bidder for decades. 🧵 1/6

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cyclingweekly.comVuelta a España stage three neutralised and then abandoned after hailstormHeavy weather stops race in Font-Romeu, France

25 Aug

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España race was cancelled yesterday as extreme weather threatened rider safety. 🌧️ As climate chaos impacts cycling’s biggest events, polluting sponsors remain in the lead. 🚴‍♂️ www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/vuelt...

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theguardian.comPSG’s Ligue 1 home opener moved to Rennes after pitch damaged by heatParis Saint-Germain will face Rennes in Brittany because the Parc des Princes playing surface is a risk to ‘the safety and wellbeing of the players’

24 Aug

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 opening game on Sunday was relocated due to extreme heat.⚽️ Meanwhile PSG’s owners are still one of the world’s most prolific fossil fuel producers. 🛢️ www.theguardian.com/football/202...

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change.orgSign the PetitionGlobal petition: Gianni Infantino to resign & FIFA reform

21 Aug

🚨 Petition: Infantino must go. Under Gianni Infantino, football's crowning tournament has become a political vehicle and advertising platform for polluters and the power hungry. ⏪ Let's revisit some of his lowlights. 🧵 1/5 Sign: change.org/infantino-out-now

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football365.comThe hidden costs involved in Bruno Guimaraes' move to ArsenalArsenal paid Newcastle £75m to sign Bruno Guimaraes, but the cost doesn't end there when moving a player and his family between cities.

18 Aug

Football carries many hidden environmental costs. And moving a player between clubs can shed light on the wider issues the game has with carbon emissions. ⚽️ www.football365.com/news/hidden-...

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theconversation.comWho does sport really belong to – the fans or the funders?Fifa’s recent sell-off controversy has reignited the debate about ownership of football and other sports.

17 Aug

The controversial and failed bid by FIFA president Infantino to sell stakes in future football tournaments goes beyond football, and raises an important question: who does sport really belong to? theconversation.com/who-does-spo...

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13 Aug

🚨 In a new piece for CyclingWeekly, Matt Rendell investigates the self-declared "green" claims of the Arctic Race of Norway. Spoiler: it's about as green as a satsuma. 🍊 📖 Full piece: www.cyclingweekly.com/news/the-uci... Join the Fossil Free Declaration 👉 www.cooldownclimate.org/the-fossil-f...

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11 Aug

🌡️ Over TWO THIRDS of the UK is in drought. Sports pitches have hardened while athletes are struggling to perform in the heat. Yet, decision makers continue to bury their heads in the arid sand by partnering with polluting sponsors. 📺💨 An explainer on sportswashing. 🧵 1/2

theguardian.comScratch of the day: local football season postponed due to ‘rock hard’ pitchesDrought and record heat have forced the Norfolk and Suffolk league to move kick-off to the end of August as the ground is deemed too dangerous to play on

10 Aug

This. There's no beautiful game without the grassroots.

Badvertising@badvertising.bsky.social

🚨 Grassroots football league forced to delay the start of its season due to heat wave. While elite teams and Fifa promote fossil fuel interests, the climate crisis is having significant consequences for grassroots football. Here's the state of play. 🧵 1/7

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theguardian.comRevealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisisIran conflict windfall over three months reignites calls for companies ‘cashing in on human misery’ to pay for environmental damage

6 Aug

🚨 Big Oil made $93 BILLION in profit in three months. As war pushed oil prices up and fossil-fuelled heatwaves, fires and drought devastated communities, oil giants cashed in. 🫰 And they’re still allowed to advertise like they’re part of the solution. 🧵 1/7

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theguardian.comFifa rapidly accelerates plan to expand World Cup to 64 teams from 2030 tournamentFifa has accelerated plans to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams and opened a tender to research companies to assess the economic benefits quickly

5 Aug

This week, FIFA has come under fire for trying to privatise the World Cup. And now, FIFA president Infantino aims to rush through an expansion of the 2030 World Cup to a whopping 64 teams. This is a short-sighted, money-making, climate-wrecking plan. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/football/202...

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theguardian.comGianni Infantino ‘has lost Uefa’s confidence’ after Fifa chief scraps World Cup sell-off planGianni Infantino ‘has lost the confidence’ of Uefa following his aborted project to sell off the World Cup to private investors, European football’s governing body has said

3 Aug

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing heavy leadership challenges after he ditched his controversial World Cup sell-off plan. 💰 Now more than ever, FIFA must drop their polluting sponsors and start protecting the future of football. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

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bbc.comEkaterina Alexandrova: Russian tennis player collapses on court amid 34C heatWorld number 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova collapses on court and had to retire from her first-round match at the Memphis Classic due to high temperatures.

31 July

⏪ This week Ekaterina Alexandrova collapsed in 34C heat at the Memphis Classic. This marks the third high-profile heat safety incident in elite tennis this year. 🧵 1/6

cooldownclimate.orgWhy athletes could be the next generation of climate leaders — Cool DownThe Oxford Climate Leadership Research Centre is recruiting a cohort of influential athletes who want to use their platform to inspire climate action.

30 July

Athletes are among society's most influential. Yet, despite caring deeply about the climate crisis, many feel unable to speak out. In a pioneering new programme, Oxford University is helping athletes step into climate leadership. 👇 Share the application 👉 leadership.climate.ox.ac.uk/join-us/

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FairSquare

@fairsqprojects.bsky.social

29 July

No one owns football. It is the common property of humanity. FIFA plans to sell off its tournaments to private equity. It is not FIFA's to sell. Our statement: rebootfifa.com/news/reboot-...

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bbc.comFifa World Cup plans: First lot of private cash could be received by end of OctoberFifa could bank first lot of private World Cup cash by end of October as European football's governing body Uefa will hold a meeting of all 55 member associations on Thursday afternoon to discuss its ...

30 July

🚨 The World Cup is officially for sale. 🏆💰 Fifa President Gianni Infantino is trying to sell a 20% stake in Fifa competitions to private investors. Here's how FIFA corruption, a strange orange man and petrostates all intersect. 🧵 1/9

cooldownclimate.orgAs fossil fuelled heatwaves and wildfires kill back home, Spain’s young stars are being used to sell more oil — Cool DownThe stadium fell silent in memory of wildfire victims before Spain’s World Cup quarter final. Seconds later, giant screens lit up in the green and blue branding of Aramco, the world’s biggest oil comp...

NEW PIECE: Spain's World Cup quarter-final began with a minute's silence for victims of deadly wildfires. Seconds later, screens lit up with Aramco's branding. As fossil fuelled wildfires raged back home, Spain's young stars were used to sell more oil. 🧵 1/6

footballforfuture.orgA LANDMARK CLIMATE REPORT AHEAD OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP | Football For FutureElite athletes and community leaders celebrate the creation of Fields of Change, the first ever training resource designed to help grassroots organisations integrate environmental sustainability into ...

The irony is hard to ignore. Football is already being transformed by climate change. Matches are increasingly played in dangerous heat, players need cooling breaks, and grassroots clubs are dealing with flooded and damaged pitches. 5/6

The sporting world eventually recognised that tobacco advertising was damaging. 🚭📺 The same question now faces fossil fuels. Read Peter Crisp and Andrew Simms' new piece on Cool Down. 👇 6/6

To top off the tournament's sportswashing, Spain's Pau Cubarsí received the Young Player Award from Aramco chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan. 💰💨 In Cubarsí's nation, over 1,000 have people died in recent heatwaves, and 13 people were killed in wildfires just days before the final. 3/6

This is no accident. Just as tobacco companies once used sport to make cigarettes seem aspirational, fossil fuel companies are using football's biggest stage to normalise the industry driving the climate crisis. Aramco reportedly pays around $100 million a year to sponsor FIFA. 4/6

FIFA has stated that it takes climate breakdown seriously. 🤥 Yet throughout the World Cup, billions of viewers watched Aramco - the world's largest oil company - promoted across stadiums, broadcasts and the Young Player Award. 2/6

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maaal.com2026 World Cup Sponsors Achieve $61 Billion in Brand Value from $2.8 Billion in Sponsorship InvestmentsA private deal was executed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) today, Wednesday, involving 327,034 shares of the National Commercial Bank (SNB) at a…

23 July

The 2026 World Cup directly increased demand for fossil fuels. In a new report, the World Cup is revealed to have increased the brand value of the world's largest fossil fuel company by 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗦 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀. Here's the story. 🧵 1/6 maaal.com/en/news/deta...

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cyclingweekly.comPro cyclist opens up about fossil fuel sponsorship amid sweltering TourCycling, with its shady, drug-suffused past, has a long history of awkward silences and unfathomable omissions. As the world warms and blistering temperatures affect the Tour de France, an eerily fami...

22 July

"Concerning the climate crisis... there is a rule of silence, as deeply rooted in cycling culture as the old omertá about doping.” In a seismic interview, a pro cyclist speaks out - under condition of anonymity - on the sport's fossil fuel sponsor problem. 🧵 1/6

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cooldownclimate.orgWORLD CUP 2026: a tournament we can't ignore — Cool DownHere’s all the resources you need to get clued up on the most polluting World Cup ever.

20 July

Spain may have lifted the trophy, but the real World Cup winners are the polluting companies whose adverts filled every stadium during the tournament. www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/world...

cooldownclimate.orgWhen the storm came, trust was our greatest asset — Cool DownKathy McAllister, executive director of GOALS Haiti, describes life after Hurricane Melissa, the recovery for grassroots sport and the power of trust.

When Hurricane Melissa hit Haiti, football pitches became emergency hubs. Not because of the grass. But because of the trust built there over years. A powerful piece from Kathy McAllister of @goalshaiti on why sport is about far more than sport. 👇 1/6 www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/when-...

theguardian.comFifa urged to drop Saudi oil giant Aramco as activists target World CupFifa has defended its Aramco sponsorship, saying revenues are reinvested back into football at all levels

Meanwhile, football's global governing body continues to accept sponsorship from the industries fuelling climate breakdown. 🤯 5/6 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

If football wants to protect the game, it needs to protect the communities that sustain it. That means investing in grassroots resilience-not allowing polluting companies to sportswash their reputation. Read the full piece. 👇 6/6 www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/when-...

straitstimes.comWorld Cup 2026: Haiti, a ravaged nation whose heart beats for footballThe Grenadiers, as Haiti’s team are known, made their only previous World Cup appearance in West Germany in 1974. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

As climate impacts worsen, that's the real value of community sport. Not just producing players - but creating resilient communities that can respond when crisis hits. 3/6 www.straitstimes.com/sport/footba...

climatejusticecenter.orgGlobal Center for Climate Justice

The irony? Communities like those in Haiti have contributed the least to climate breakdown, yet face some of its worst impacts. 4/6 www.climatejusticecenter.org/newsletter/h...