Sunday’s derby game between Tottenham and Chelsea is going to be a special one as Spurs look to host a carbon net-zero game with the support of Sky, COP26 and the UK government in a bid to raise awareness of Climate Change and inspire the supporters to take action.

The match, which has been labelled as “Game Zero” by its organisers, is part of the UK government’s campaign – Together for our Planet, which celebrates the steps taken by individuals and organisations in the UK to combat climate change ahead of the COP26 summit. 

The COP26 summit, to be hosted by the UK, is intended to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The match comes six weeks before the summit and people can expect more such initiatives across the UK in the coming weeks.

Talking of Sunday’s match, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy said: “We are delighted to be the chosen partner of Sky on this ground-breaking initiative that will demonstrate the role our game can play in addressing the urgent issue of climate change.”

“We’re proud to be working with COP26 and Tottenham Hotspur to make #GameZero the world’s first net-zero carbon football match at the elite level.”, said Jonathan Licht, Managing Director, Sky Sports. “We hope that by using the power of sport, we can inspire and support football fans to make simple changes to reduce their carbon footprint and make more climate-friendly choices.”

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said: “Climate change affects every aspect of our lives, including the sports that we love to watch and play. We can all take steps to help protect the planet for future generations, including in major sporting events.” 

He added: “That is why I am delighted COP26 is working with Sky, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and the Premier League to show how football is going One Step Greener by hosting the world’s first major net-zero football match.”

Spurs and Sky Sports are two of the signatories of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework and among the founding partners of Count Us In, which is a global movement aimed at mobilising one billion people in the fight against climate change.