ABSTRACT
Professional soccer, as an important driver of popular culture, has the potential to transform how we view and practice sustainability. Since the 1980s, the field of sustainability has focused on trying to reduce the impact of human activity on the planet by measuring and assessing the behaviour of organizations. While much progress has been made in a number of areas such as recycling and pollution, much more needs to be done to ensure that future generations are not harmed by today’s consumptive society. It is worth examining what all major institutions, including professional soccer, are doing to reduce their impacts. This study focuses on an analysis of the 19 professional soccer teams in the US by assessing sustainability initiatives highlighted on team Websites and on the Websites of their home stadium. The results demonstrate that most teams are doing something to advance sustainability goals. However, the most active teams on sustainability initiatives are found in the Western Conference where the Timbers, Sounders, Whitecaps, Galaxy and Chivas USA are setting high standards for organizational sustainability.
