Nyon (GNP): UEFA Japan Sustainability Agreement marks a significant milestone in global football governance, as the Union of European Football Associations has signed a new sustainability cooperation protocol with the Japanese Football Association, uniting two of the world’s most influential football bodies in a shared commitment to building a greener, more responsible future for the sport.
The UEFA Japan Sustainability Agreement is guided by the learnings and impact of UEFA’s Football Sustainability Strategy 2030. Under the protocol, UEFA will share its knowledge, expertise, and best practices with the JFA to support the Japanese association’s own sustainability initiative, known as Asu-Pass. The JFA will leverage European football’s leading practices to strengthen its social and environmental efforts, sharing guidance with its 47 regional associations, partners, and the wider football community across Japan.
The JFA is a member of the Asian Football Confederation, and both UEFA and the JFA are already in regular contact with the AFC to exchange ideas on sustainability matters. This new partnership deepens that relationship and gives it a formal, action-oriented structure.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin welcomed the agreement with strong words, emphasizing that sustainability in football must be clear, practical, and action oriented. He described it as being about using less, wasting less, and leaving the game and all around it stronger for the next generation.
Čeferin said the partnership with the JFA was a natural one, noting that Japanese football reflects values that are essential to sustainability, including respect, discipline, collective responsibility, and care for the wider community. He stated that through this protocol of cooperation, UEFA and the JFA aim to turn shared values into practical action, learn from one another, and create lasting benefit for both football and society.
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JFA President Outlines Japan’s Sustainability Vision
JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto expressed strong encouragement at the conclusion of the cooperation protocol, describing sustainability as an indispensable theme when considering the future of football. He noted that in the global football community today, how football addresses social issues such as climate change, human rights, discrimination, and safeguarding has become as crucial as athletic performance and business growth.
Miyamoto revealed that in the JFA’s growth strategy for 2026 to 2031, sustainability has been positioned as one of three central pillars. Under the JFA’s social action programme Asu-Pass, the association is advancing initiatives centred on five key areas: planet, people, well-being, education, and community.
He said Japan possesses a football culture that connects people, built upon community-rooted activities across all 47 prefectures, and expressed hope that through the partnership with UEFA, Japan could further develop its unique form of sustainability while learning from leading global expertise and practices.
Miyamoto also stated that the JFA aims to share insights gained from this cooperation with its 47 prefectural football associations, various federations, partner companies, and the entire football community nationwide, with the collective goal of contributing to a better society and a brighter future through football.
The UEFA Japan Sustainability Agreement will encompass a range of concrete and practical activities designed to support the JFA in building a more sustainable sporting environment. These include feedback on the JFA’s sustainability focus areas, the identification of key performance indicators, and the provision of UEFA workshops, materials, guidelines, and toolkits.
This structured approach reflects UEFA’s commitment to ensuring that sustainability efforts across global football are not merely aspirational but are grounded in measurable outcomes and clear accountability.
The UEFA Japan Sustainability Agreement is the latest example of UEFA’s expanding international collaboration with confederations and national associations outside of Europe. UEFA has previously signed sustainability and cooperation agreements with the AFC, the Oceania Football Confederation, the Confederation of African Football, and Concacaf, joining forces across the global football family to develop the game and deepen its positive impact around the world.
UEFA’s Football Sustainability Strategy 2030 sets out a comprehensive framework for making European football a leader in environmental and social responsibility. The strategy covers areas including carbon reduction, human rights, community investment, and governance. Through partnerships such as the UEFA Japan Sustainability Agreement, UEFA aims to extend the reach and impact of this strategy beyond Europe to benefit the global football community.
