Football For Forests — in collaboration with We Play Green — is kicking off a global movement with the launch of an innovating app that leverages the power of football for good.
On Friday in Berlin, the F4F app officially launched with the aim of facilitating large-scale restoration. A joint initiative created by think tank Climate Focus and Planet League, the Football For Forests app brings together the concepts of doing good and having fun.
So how does it actually work?
Here's everything you need to know about the app.
LEARN MORE: FootballForForests.org
What is Football For Forests?
Football For Forests gives football fans the opportunity to help save rainforests while also cheering on their favorite clubs.
According to the Football For Forests website, an area of forest equivalent to 17 football pitches is lost every minute. That is nearly 1,500 pitches of destruction in the duration of a single football match.
Football for Forests (F4F) is helping turn this trend around: with the help of the global football community and the enthusiasm of football fans, they restore tropical forests, pitch by pitch.
How does Football For Forests app work?
The app turns fans into climate philanthropists via the global Forest Restoration League in which fans compete for their clubs to restore the most forests. Donations received through the app directly fund forest rehabilitation projects in the Amazon region, currently focused on Colombia with plans for future expansion into Brazil.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Google Play | App Store
After downloading the app, fans select a favorite team and then pledge a cash amount for every goal scored by that team. It's that easy! You can then follow along with a live leaderboard to see how your team fares. Last year during initial beta testing, fans of Arsenal finished atop the leaderboard, turning goals and pledges into 35,000 new planted trees which equates to 25 football pitches.
The first full season kicks off July 20 with the start of the Women's World Cup and runs through May 31, 2024. F4F added Women's World Cup teams to the latest app release, giving fans the chance to turn national team goals in Australia and New Zealand into new forests.
Football For Forests statements
Morten Thorsby, Union Berlin midfielder and Norwegian national team member
"Rainforests hold immense significance for humanity. I firmly believe that We Play Green and Football for Forests can harness the power of the global football family to protect these ecosystems. We all have a role to play!"
Dr. Charlotte Stack, Director of Climate Focus
"The statistics speak for themselves: 17 football pitches worth of forest are destroyed every minute, totaling more than 1,500 football pitches during a single football match. This is a drastic and cruel reality that underscores the fact that this is no longer a game. It is vital that we all step up and actively fight against the destruction of our forests, preserving our habitat."
"Football for Forests provides a unique opportunity for everyone to actively participate in forest restoration. Every goal, every fan, every company and every sponsor helps restore forests. Not only that, Football for Forests makes reforestation enjoyable! I am confident that together we can achieve great things. If the global fan community doesn't have the power to counter deforestation, then who does?"
Julio Rozo Grisales, Project Leader at Amazonia Emprende
"Through tree planting, we have already restored 30 pitches in Caquetá, in the Colombian Amazon region. Everyone can contribute, we involve local communities in reforestation efforts and collaborate with youth groups through a forest school, known as Escuela de Bosques. We aim to create awareness and sensitize all population groups to this issue, harnessing the power of the local community to protect our forests."
