Watching your favourite football team on a smartphone or tablet might not always be good for your social life, but it could be much better for the environment.
The Carbon Trust has worked out that viewing games through an internet connected device rather than on TV could have a carbon “bootprint” up to eight times lower.
Both Sky and BT have offered apps that allow fans to follow their teams on personal devices, reflecting the growing number of Brits watching broadcasts on smartphones and tablets. In the UK, 27 per cent of smartphone owners and 63 per cent of tablet owners are now using their device to watch live TV.
However, while viewing games on internet-enabled devices may lower the environmental impact, using mobile data - 3G or 4G - has quite the opposite effect, potentially increasing carbon emissions 10-fold. And watching a whole game through mobile data could have the same associated emissions as driving 10 miles in an average petrol car, the Carbon Trust says.
But dedicated supporters may be shocked to find out actually going to games has the highest carbon footprint - particularly away games - due not only to the travel, but also the half time pie and other food and drinks.
In fact, the best way to lower your emissions while watching the game is to go to the pub or watch at home with friends, although be careful what TV you use - LEDs are the most energy efficient, followed by LCD and then plasma. Watching on a plasma screen could result in lifetime emissions a third higher than a similar sized LED television.
The Carbon Trust has published the data ahead of the season’s curtain raiser, the Community Shield between Manchester United and Wigan at Wembley this weekend. It calculates this single game will result in 5,160 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted, with 5,000 tonnes coming from fan travel alone. This is equivalent to the annual emissions from energy use for around 1,000 average UK households.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who is supporting a drive to make sport more sustainable, urged fans to take action to reduce football’s environmental impact.
“When it comes to cutting your own carbon bootprint, it is all about understanding your impact and making sensible choices to reduce it,” Neville said. “The best thing fans can do is share the experience of watching a match, either by watching the game with each other, or travelling together to the stadium.”
A number of famous football clubs have been working to reduce their carbon emissions. Liverpool has cut its carbon footprint 14 per cent and aims to reduce energy and carbon 10 per cent over each of the next two years, while Manchester United has shrunk its carbon emissions 18 per cent in recent years.
Michael Rea, chief operating officer at the Carbon Trust, said the organisation is working with a number of organisations to reduce the “carbon bootprint” of the sport.
“The FA, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Bolton Wanderers have all been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard, as have both Sky and BT,” he said. “Our work helping teams, broadcasters and the telecoms industry to continuously reduce their environmental impact will in turn help to reduce the impacts of fans when they are watching football.”
