What is Sport Lisboa e Benfica’s Sustainability Strategy?

Valued at approximately US$3.44bn, the football market has a strong impact on people, communities and the environment.

Many football clubs around the world are employing sustainability initiatives, such as waste management techniques and renewable energy for their stadiums, in order to cut down their emissions and make a positive impact.

As part of its journey to boost its sustainability, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, known as Benfica, has published its 2025 Sustainability Report.

What do the fans think about sustainability?

During the 2024/25 season, Benfica conducted a survey among its members and fans.

This revealed that 80% of people consider sustainability a relevant topic, with climate change among the top three concerns, alongside health and housing.

It also showed that 75% of fans want Benfica to be the most sustainable club in Portugal and among the most sustainable in Europe.

Fans value topics such as transparency and ethics in management, waste management, water and fuel consumption reductions, safety of members and fans and tackling discrimination and promoting respect.

Rui Costa, President of Benfica, says: “Sport Lisboa e Benfica builds its future with responsibility, vision and commitment.

“In this spirit, it is with an enormous sense of commitment that we present our first Sustainability Report, an institutional milestone that reflects a path of constant evolution.

“This marks a new chapter in how we view the Club’s impact – on and off the pitch. Built with rigor and determination, we consolidate a broader and more integrated vision of what it means to be Benfica: to win, yes – but to win with values, ethics and with a future.”

Environmental action

The Club has invested in energy efficiency in its infrastructure, replacing around 85% of its lighting with LED Technology at its Stadium and Campus.

This change, as well as modernising its screens, has contributed to reducing energy consumption for match days and daily operations.

Benfica is also aiming to switch to electric mobility, with 52% of its fleet being plug-in hybrid vehicles.

It has installed 90 charging stations, with some integrated into an electric mobility hub for public use.

Manuel de Brito, Vice-President of Benfica, says: “Sustainability is not an isolated project. It is a new model of value creation – competitive, inclusive, responsible and lasting.

“By integrating ESG principles into our strategy, we are making Benfica more resilient, more innovative and better prepared for the future, while contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the common good.

“We believe that sport has a transformative role in people’s lives, and it is our responsibility to use this power positively and sustainably. Our Members and fans, naturally, due to their strong emotional connection with the Club, are our primary focus.”

Win in All Fields: Benfica’s strategy

Benfica developed its 2025-2030 sustainability strategy, Win in All Fields, which identifies four strategic pillars for the club:

• Win Well – the foundation of the strategy, focused on ethics and transparency
• Win at Home – improve what it can control, focused on internal operations and infrastructure
• Win Away – influence change, working with partners and suppliers to promote sustainable choices
• Win for Many – translate the work from the previous pillars into a positive impact amplified by the actions of its communities

The club says that the four pillars do not operate in isolation, instead they are an integrated system that helps it make the biggest impact possible on the environment and people.

Henrique Conceição, Head of Sustainability at Benfica, says: “It’s over 121 years of history fighting to win on the pitch and to build the physical, social, moral, cultural and intellectual heritage that makes Benfica what it is today.

“We are a national and global reference and we will be one in the field of sustainability as well. We have a legacy, a responsibility for who we are and a vision for the future that drives us to do more and better.

“Benfica identifies with a world in which the goal goes far beyond athletic achievement, a world aiming for peace, prosperity, human rights, promoting sustainable development, able to meet present needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet theirs.”