The Frecciarossa Italian Cup finalscheduled for May 15th at the Olympic stadium in Rome, will be the first football event in Italy conceived around the concept of Sustainability in all its aspects. Serie A League, Sports and Health e Rome Mobilityaware of the significant social and environmental impact of sport and the importance of promoting and adopting sustainable practices, announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the project “ROAD TO ZERO” on the occasion of the 2023/2024 Frecciarossa Italian Cup Final, scheduled at the Olympic stadium in Rome on Wednesday 15 May 2024.
The cooperation between all the stakeholders involved in the organization and logistics linked to the match will make it possible to plan – for the first time in Italy – a football event characterized by a focus on Sustainability in all its aspects, with a consequent significant reduction in the relative environmental impact and positive effects in Social and Governance terms (ESG Principles). The project created on the occasion of the 2023/2024 Frecciarossa Italian Cup Final is in line with the UEFA Sustainability Strategy 2030 “Strenght Through Unity” and is part of the 2030 “CSR – Calcio Social Responsibility” Strategy of the Serie A League, which in 2022 was chosen by the highest European football body as the first football league to start a pilot project and undertake a ambitious path, aimed at pursuing and realizing the sustainability objectives set by 2030, monitoring and measuring the results through specific performance indicators.
“Sport and major events such as the Frecciarossa Italian Cup final must be models of social reference on important issues such as, for example, that of sustainability – declares the President of Sport and Health, Marco Mezzaroma -. This is why, as Sport and Health, we are alongside the Lega Serie A in the “Road to Zero” project and the concrete actions it envisages. The commitment to making the Olympic Stadium, which we own, increasingly “sustainable and accessible” is part of the vision oriented towards ESG themes that will characterize the entire season of events at the Foro Italico”.
“The ‘Road to Zero’ project that Lega Serie A will implement this year on the occasion of the Frecciarossa Italian Cup Final marks an important milestone for Italian football”, declared the President of Lega Serie A Lorenzo Casini. “For the first time in Italy, Sustainability, in all its forms, is placed at the center of the organization of a football match. I would like to thank the President of Sport and Health Marco Mezzaroma and the CEO Diego Nepi, the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, the Councilor for Mobility of Rome Capital, Eugenio Patanè, the President and CEO of Rome Mobility Services, Anna Donati and all their offices for making the realization of this initiative possible. Let us continue with this initiative. commitment undertaken with the 2030 ‘CSR – Football Social Responsibility’ Strategy which led Serie A to be chosen by UEFA as a pilot League for the implementation of the principles and guidelines developed by the highest European football body, to which thanks go particular for the constant strategic support he is giving us in this journey, under the supervision of Michele Uva, as well as our Clubs and all the partners involved in the organization of the various initiatives, in order to make Italian football increasingly sustainable”.
“The Frecciarossa Italian Cup final, in addition to being a unique event and show for our city – commented theCouncilor for Mobility of Rome Capital, Eugenio Patanè – from this edition it also represents a major sponsor for sustainable mobility and the ecological transition. The objective of the ‘Road to Zero’ initiative, in fact, is to allow all spectators of the Final to reach the stadium in a sustainable way. For this reason we have implemented a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging the use of public transport, including: free daily ticket for all fans who wish to use it, already in possession of a ticket for the stadium; extension of the subway timetable until 1.30 am; strengthening of all local public transport lines towards the Olympic stadium and shuttles dedicated to the transport of people with disabilities. Finally, we are working on making available a large parking area reserved for those who arrive at the Olympic stadium by sharing vehicles. I thank Rome Mobility Services, signatory of the protocol, which is participating in the working tables on behalf of Roma Capitale for the development of the project”.
In order to achieve the objectives set with the “ROAD TO ZERO” project, three areas of intervention have been identified, affected by a wide range of actions within each of them:
✓ ENVIRONMENTAL: applying the principles of energy saving and circular economy, with actions aimed at protecting the climate and making infrastructure sustainable (for example, the choice to use, for the first time, the “UEFA Carbon Footprint Calculator”, for the calculation of ecological footprint, as well as a series of initiatives to promote sustainable mobility for traveling around the city).
✓ SOCIAL: Strict anti-discrimination policies will be adopted and procedures for the protection of minors and young people will be promoted, in order to organize an inclusive and accessible event for all, with stadium facilities designed to facilitate the participation of people of all abilities. Among the main innovations is the introduction of a “Quiet Sensory Room”, a safe and quiet space that will offer some fans with particular pathologies the opportunity to experience the emotion of the match in a welcoming environment.
✓ GOVERNANCE: the chosen suppliers will have to comply with rigorous environmental, social and economic sustainability requirements, just as the sponsors of the event will guarantee their support for the realization of the project, themselves recognizing the importance of the topic. For the implementation of the “ROAD TO ZERO” project, Lega Serie A made use of the strategic support of Riccardo Luna, Director in charge of Green&Blue, as Coordinator, and Cristiana Pace as Strategic Advisor, Environmental Social And Governance (ESG) in Sports. At the end of the Frecciarossa Italian Cup Final, a detailed reporting phase will also be prepared on the initiatives carried out. The results will provide a virtuous reference model for planning future events, thus contributing to promoting the continuity and effectiveness of the sustainable activities implemented so far. The details of the interventions implemented with the “ROAD TO ZERO” project will be illustrated during a press conference scheduled for May 14th at the Olympic stadium in Rome.