Sustainability in sport: Jona Peters – a direct hit for environmental protection

As a central defender, Jona Peters usually stands where the opponent doesn't want him to be: Defenders think ahead, react quickly and are persistent throughout the game – much like a sustainability manager, who also has to take a few hits. For 27-year-old Jona Peters, sustainability is as much a passion as football:  The Hamburg native studied Environmental and Sustainability Studies at Leuphana University Lüneburg and deepened his knowledge at Utrecht University with a master's degree in Sustainable Development.

He has now completed the part-time certificate programme ‘Sustainability Management in Sport and Sports Organisations’ at the Leuphana Professional School: ‘I knew Professor Schaltegger from my time at Leuphana College and am impressed by his visionary thinking,’ says Jona Peters.

The graduate has developed a comprehensive sustainability concept for his club, laying the foundation for a very special award: FC Rosengarten was one of only three amateur clubs in Germany to receive 20,000 euros in funding as part of the DFB's ‘Anstoß für Grün’ (Kick-off for Green) competition.

Peters' in-depth knowledge, gained in part from the certificate programme ‘Sustainability Management in Sport and Sports Organisations,’ was crucial to this success. The part-time programme, offered in supported by the DFL German Football League and the German Football Association (DFB), provides targeted skills at the interface between sport, the environment and management.

‘The certificate not only gave me specialist knowledge, but also the courage to implement concrete ideas in the club. The best practice examples were instructive and relevant to everyday life,’ says Peters. It was particularly important to identify the biggest levers for sustainable action in sport – for example, in the areas of energy, fan mobility and consumer behaviour. FC Rosengarten now serves sustainable beer, and vegetarian sausages were available on Sustainability Day. In addition, used sports clothing was exchanged, a flower meadow was planted and, for the first time, ‘Warming Stripes’ armbands were worn – a visual representation of global warming. ‘Of course, some fans politicise and criticise such innovations. But these discussions also show that we are reaching people,’ reports Jona Peters. Almost nine million people are organised within the DFB: ‘People who would otherwise never talk to each other meet on sports fields. This is exactly where we can start discussions.’ we are getting people talking,‘ reports Jona Peters.

Almost nine million people are members of the DFB: ’People who would never otherwise talk to each other meet on sports fields. This is exactly where we can initiate discussions and raise awareness – especially at the amateur level," says Jona Peters. FC Rosengarten is using the 20,000 euros to make its clubhouse climate-friendly: walls will be insulated and a solar panel will be installed on the roof.

In addition to his involvement in the club, Peters works for a shipping company in Hamburg, where he is involved in the decarbonisation of shipping: ‘I've also taken a lot from the certificate for my job, for example on sustainability reporting and sustainable business models,’ says the sustainability manager.

Now, further steps are on the agenda for FC Rosengarten: sustainability is to be enshrined in the club's statutes, for example. ‘We will continue to expand our concept,’ promises Jona Peters. For the former DFB referee, one thing is clear: perseverance is crucial, both in defence and in environmental protection.