“Responsibility is at the heart of our DNA” | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund has been committed to social responsibility since its foundation in 1909. Club founder Franz Jacobi knew that “the quality of a football club is reflected in how it fulfils its social responsibilities.” BVB continues to uphold this vision as a fundamental principle to this day, implementing it through concrete goals and measures to ensure the future viability of the own organisation. “We are much more than just a football club. Sporting success, as our core mission, and future-oriented, responsible action will always go hand in hand for us,” promises Marieke Philippi, Head of Corporate Responsibility.

Borussia Dortmund understands sustainability as a holistic approach that encompasses ecological and social perspectives as well as governance aspects. The sustainability strategy is deeply rooted in the organisation, implemented across departments and continuously developed. Social responsibility towards fans, employees and society as a whole is a high priority and is put into practice through numerous concrete initiatives. “We are a social anchor with enormous influence, not only locally or regionally, but also internationally,” says Boris Davidovski, Sustainability and Communications Officer in the Corporate Responsibility department.

As a listed company, Borussia Dortmund is also subject to special transparency requirements. An d it rises to the challenge. A few days ago, a sustainability statement (available for download) was published for the first time based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), a new European sustainability reporting standard. “In doing so, we are not only setting new standards in the transparency of our activities, but also underlining our ongoing commitment to meeting the complex requirements of the present and the future,” emphasise the managing directors of the KGaA, Hans-Joachim Watzke, Thomas Tress, Carsten Cramer and Lars Ricken.

At a strategic level, the eight-time German champions have defined a total of eight core objectives, which are divided into three levels. “The core objectives describe our areas of action, and we have assigned effective measures to them,” explains Marieke Philippi. Under her maiden name Köhler, the former BVB handball player has set highly acclaimed milestones in Borussia Dortmund’s sustainability strategy – and defined these specific goals with her team.

Social responsibility and inclusion

BVB has long been committed to combating all forms of discrimination and promoting democratic values, for example through educational and remembrance work. In addition, there are special measures to promote inclusion, such as blind commentary and sign language interpretation at home games, which have been in place for 20 years now. This also includes the work of the club’s own foundation, “leuchte auf”, an autonomous organisation that assumes social responsibility through voluntary work and cooperation with local institutions, among other things, and implements joint projects with fans and fan clubs.

Sustainable merchandising and supply chain management

Part of the merchandising collections carry sustainability seals, e.g. the use of responsibly grown organic cotton. Suppliers and partners are required to sign codes of conduct that ensure human rights and shared values.

Mobility and transport

Whether from Rheine, Minden, Aachen or Siegen: travel by train (Regional-Express), bus and underground is included in the tickets for all home games. The fact that free use of local public transport (ÖPNV) is valid throughout the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and not just in the city or region is unique in Germany. In addition, there are discounted job tickets for employees and the option of bicycle hire. The electrification of the vehicle fleet is progressing, as is the development of the charging infrastructure.

Climate competence training

Last year, internal training was conducted for the first time to raise awareness of the impact of individual actions on emissions and the environment. This led to positive feedback and initial behavioural changes among the participants.

“Creating the space to learn about climate change, understand the complex interrelationships and ask critical questions with regard to politics and society is important and has always been our approach to engaging with people and raising awareness,” says Marieke Philippi.

BVB sees sustainability as an integral part of its business model and acts as a socially responsible player along the entire value chain – from match operations and merchandising to sponsorship and catering. And the club sees itself as a “multiplier with perspective on socially relevant issues at the heart of society,” says Davidovski. “When you think of sustainability, your first instinct might be to think of ecological issues: how can we make things greener and more efficient, conserve resources? But it’s much more than that and means considering ecology, social issues and economic efficiency in equal measure. And this is often where the difficulties and complexities lie.”

“Borussia Dortmund faces both challenges and responsibilities towards fans and society when it comes to environmental issues,” states the current sustainability declaration: “Three areas have been identified as significant because they present opportunities and risks: climate change (in particular climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions), water resources and the circular economy. To strategically strengthen the company’s environmental and climate expertise, three new positions have been created and recruited over the past two years: an energy manager, an environmental manager and another energy management specialist. In order to be able to thoroughly assess the impact of climate-related risks, Borussia Dortmund is currently conducting an internal climate risk and resilience analysis.”

The most visible sign of more sustainable, responsible action is the PV system on the roof of SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. A key component is now the renewal and expansion of this system. With over 9,500 new solar modules and an output of more than 4.2 megawatts peak, Germany’s largest stadium will soon have the largest PV system on a stadium roof worldwide. “It has world-record ambitions,” says Davidovski. In conjunction with a 3.4 megawatt-hour battery storage system, renewable energy will also be available when the sun is not shining. Surplus electricity will be fed into the grid. The system is expected to contribute to an annual CO2 reduction of almost 1,500 tonnes.

The photovoltaic system is a very effective measure, but it is only one of many larger and smaller measures in a detailed decarbonisation plan to reduce CO2 emissions. The stadium in particular poses major challenges. “This is an ongoing modernisation of an old building, in which we are trying to get the most out of our landmark facility,” says Davidovski.

All planned and implemented measures have a strategic grounding. And the work is interdisciplinary. The distances are short, even though Borussia Dortmund now employs around 1,000 people spread across the Rhineland Damm (administration) and Hohenbuschei (sports) locations, as well as SIGNAL IDUNA PARK and the fan shops. Planning, coordination and work are carried out strategically.

Other measures that are being considered and, in some cases, have already been implemented include: connecting several properties to the district heating network, constructing additional photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the properties, converting decentralised heating systems to electric heat pumps, further developing the mobility concept and creating an emission reduction plan for the upstream and downstream value chain. The goal is to reduce energy consumption by 25% by 2030 compared to 2023/24. The switch from natural gas to district heating and the extensive electrification of the vehicle fleet are expected to result in annual savings of over 1,000 tonnes of CO2.

And that's not all. The maintenance of the pitches and the operation of the stadium are water-intensive. One approach in this area is to separate rainwater and wastewater at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, which is currently being examined. A water and wastewater strategy is currently being planned, and a cistern has been installed at the training ground in Brackel.

At a higher level, German professional football has also made considerable progress in professionalising sustainability management. The men's Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are the first professional sports leagues to have made sustainability a mandatory part of the licensing process. “All clubs see football as having a responsibility to society as a whole,” emphasises Hans-Joachim Watzke, both as BVB boss and as chairman of the supervisory board of the German Football League (DFL). “All of this reminds us every day that the challenges of our time are complex and that a deep understanding is required to comprehend the multitude of issues and responsibilities that come with them,” says Boris Davidovski.

“As a social actor with enormous influence, we at Borussia Dortmund are aware of our role and special responsibility and see it as an ongoing task to continuously develop ourselves in order to remain fit for the future. This process requires regular adjustments and new approaches in order to meet the diverse requirements. We can promise that BVB will continue to work resolutely in the future to live up to its role model function and contribute to the success of society as a whole with positive impulses,” emphasises Marieke Philippi.Author: Boris Rupert Photos: Alexandre Simoes, Hendrik Deckers