DFL and DFB support training programme on sustainability in sport

SAARBRÜCKEN, GERMANY - AUGUST 5: General view inside the stadium with rain drops on the gras ahead of the Second Bundesliga match between SV Elversberg and F.C. Hansa Rostock at Ludwigsparkstadion on August 5, 2023 in Saarbrücken, Germany. (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Bundesliga/Bundesliga Collection via Getty Images)
Photo: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze)

20 September 2024 – This autumn, the further education programme ‘Sustainability Management in Sport and Sports Organisations’ will start at Leuphana University Lüneburg. At Leuphana’s Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM), professionals and students will acquire comprehensive knowledge to shape amateur and professional sport in a responsible and future-oriented manner. The DFL and DFB jointly support the further education programme and share their expertise within the curriculum.

The DFL was a co-initiator of the educational programme back in 2022. Marika Bernhard, Head of Sustainability at the DFL, says: “Sustainability is an important topic for the future, including for professional sport. With our commitment and the integration of sustainability into the licensing of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, we are pioneers. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to do: to increase the overall impact, it is essential to enable the people involved in the associations and clubs to expand their expertise in the area of sustainability. That’s why we support the further education programme run by Leuphana.”

The German Football Association (DFB) will pass the offer on to the clubs in the 3rd division and the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. Stefanie Schulte, Head of Sustainability at the DFB, says: “The clubs in the 3rd division and Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga have also committed to introducing ambitious sustainability criteria; this season in a voluntary test phase, planned to be mandatory from the new season. This qualification programme is an important building block for us in supporting our clubs.”

The first year of the ‘Sustainability Management in Sport and Sport Business’ programme started at the Leuphana Campus in Lüneburg in October 2022.
Photo: CSM/Anna Lorscheider

The part-time online programme lasts six months and includes a two-day classroom-based event, while the respective modules can also be attended individually.  Participants in the programme deal with the basics of sustainability management, sustainability communication and topics such as mobility, energy, supply chains and circular economy. The programme also focuses on social issues such as health and inclusion. Leuphana sustainability expert Prof. Dr Stefan Schaltegger leads the programme.

The new intake will start in October 2024 and applications can be submitted until then via the university’s website.