Hugo Viseu, Senior Event and Infrastructure Sustainability Manager at UEFA, joined IAEH members on 21 July 2026 to set out how sustainability is embedded in UEFA competitions from bid requirements through to post-event verification, and what UEFA looks for from host cities at each stage. The final section was prepared specifically for the IAEH and addressed the role of the bidder. Areas covered included the following:

– Sustainability follows the whole event life cycle, from bid requirements and host appointment through strategy, action plan and delivery, to verification and reporting, with each stage tied back to a single framework rather than treated as a separate exercise.tockholm in the context of global music tourism
– A four level performance system. UEFA’s Event Sustainability Performance Evaluation System sets different maturity targets according to the scale of the competition, from youth tournaments up to a men’s EURO. The top two levels require external audit, and the audit of the 2026 Champions League Final is under way.
– What the bid chapter actually asks for. Sustainability is one of eleven chapters in the bid documentation. Bidders submit a sustainability concept committing to human and financial resources, to the stated targets, and to providing data for verification. Commitments that go beyond the requirements raise the evaluation score.
– The national association as the route into the city. All 55 UEFA national associations now have a sustainability manager, and the session explained how they broker the introduction to host city counterparts on transport, waste and energy, including where language is a barrier.
– Circularity depends on local partners. Consideration on how emissions are costed and the value directed to host infrastructure. Identifying stakeholders such as local upcycling and food donation partners discussed.
– The gap outside the stadium perimeter. Litter, resting places, shaded areas and the disposal of forbidden items at the turnstiles fall between the stadium operator’s remit and the city’s.
– Who owns fan zone emissions. Practice varies widely across event organisers, and UEFA moved to bring fan zones inside its own reporting scope at EURO 2024 after initially leaving them out.
– Social expectations are equally specific, covering joint human rights declarations, grievance and rapid response mechanisms, online monitoring requirements, accessible seating  and commentary, multi-faith rooms and safe spaces.
– What strengthens a bid. Host city strategies and city programmes identified and integrated from the outset. Legacy commitments that can be shared as practice with other hosts.

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