UN Climate Change News, 24 January 2020 - French Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) announced yesterday that it's joining the UN Climate Change’s Climate Neutral Now initiative. In so doing, the first-division football club acknowledged its social and environmental responsibility by pledging to go climate neutral in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

“It is heartwarming to see the variety of stakeholders who seriously care about climate change and are ready to take the action needed to reach the Paris Agreement goals. We hope that the example set by LOSC coming on board will inspire many more to look into what the initiative has to offer and spark their interest in taking climate action too,” said Niclas Svenningsen, Manager, Global Climate Action at UN Climate Change. “The Climate Neutral Now initiative is very inclusive and allows companies, organizations and individuals alike to join and play their part.”

In joining Climate Neutral Now, LOSC voluntarily pledges to make all of its activities carbon neutral by (i) measuring its greenhouse gas emissions, (ii) reducing all it can, and (iii) offsetting the remainder, in line with the initiative’s requirements.

LOSC collaborated with the independent firm Muxia to measure its carbon footprint and identify areas to reduce emissions. Residual emissions that cannot be immediately avoided will be compensated for: the club will purchase certified emission reduction credits from UN-registered projects, located in developing countries, that are reducing global emissions and contributing to sustainable development.

“We are all responsible for the global warming emergency. At LOSC, we decided not to wait and to act concretely by taking our immediate part in civic engagement for the planet,” said LOSC Chief Executive Officer Marc Ingla upon his club becoming the first French sports club to join the UN Climate Change Climate Neutral Now initiative.

“So, we have taken the initiative to take stock of our own emissions and reduce them where possible. And through our membership in the Climate Neutral Now programme and our investment, the non-reducible part will now be offset by the funding of a sustainable project, certified by the UN. But beyond this action, we wish to raise awareness and invite all those who love LOSC to take personal action that benefits the environment because climate change is everyone's business," said Mr. Ingla.