Today, an important UEFA meeting on Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility (SES Community) was organized by the Albanian Football Federation (FSHF) at the “Air Albania” stadium. The event concluded this afternoon and brought together representatives from 55 UEFA member federations, who shared their thoughts with fshf.org following the meeting.

Michele Uva, UEFA’s Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, expressed gratitude to FSHF for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of the meeting. He emphasized the importance of close collaboration with FSHF and praised its contributions to social and environmental sustainability efforts.

Uva stated, “We are very happy to be in Tirana, and our thanks go to the Albanian Football Federation for hosting this event with us. It is an honor for us as UEFA and for the other 54 federations to be here working together. Sustainability is improving in the realm of football, and we must address the needs of civil society. Football, as one of the largest platforms in the world, provides the opportunity to involve all stakeholders in sustainability issues.”

He stressed that “Sustainability means social responsibility and respect for the environment, and all 55 member federations are working together to share best practices and advance in this regard. UEFA is very pleased to collaborate with FSHF, which is one of the pioneering federations in improving sustainability issues in Europe.”

Des Tomlinson, a representative of the Irish Federation, praised the organization of the event and the discussions on important topics related to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. He said, “It’s fantastic to be here in Albania, in Tirana. A wonderful environment for our SES meeting, right next to the stadium. The organization has been perfect, allowing us to work closely with colleagues and engage in activities related to SES work. The content of the program has been very helpful, ranging from the Carbon Footprint Calculator to discussions on diversity and inclusion.”

Similarly, Iryina Makarevych, a representative of the Ukrainian Federation, expressed satisfaction with the high level of organization and the meeting’s contribution to enhancing efforts in this direction. She remarked, “We appreciate the organization; everything is well-arranged, including the environment and the program. The sessions where we receive guidance from UEFA, followed by group work to practice, ask questions, and improve our efforts, are particularly beneficial.”

This meeting served as an important platform for advancing sustainability and social responsibility issues in football, strengthening cooperation among UEFA member federations.

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