The Institute for Sport Governance and Sportimpakt present the sixth edition of the report analyzing the CSR performance of football clubs in PKO BP Ekstraklasa. This document summarizes the clubs’ activities during the 2023/24 season, offering insights into trends and challenges in social responsibility within Polish football.

Key Findings

The report highlights increasing engagement of Ekstraklasa clubs in CSR activities:

• The average analysis score reached 31%, the highest result in the study’s history.
• The greatest improvement was observed in environmental initiatives, showing a 6-percentage point increase compared to the previous year.
• Clubs are investing in promoting alternative transportation for matches and improving the transparency of football academy management.

Despite progress, several CSR areas still require improvement:

• Waste reduction and the implementation of sustainable procedures at stadiums,
• Promotion of codes of conduct,
• Ensuring healthy environments for sports events.

Dr. Paweł Zembura, the report’s author, notes:

“The report shows that Polish football is taking steps toward greater social responsibility. However, real change requires a coherent approach, transparency, and consistency in implementing initiatives.”

CSR Leaders

This year’s top performers include:

1. Widzew Łódź – ranked first with a record score of 72%, recognized for its environmental efforts and effective communication with the local community.
2. Lech Poznań, Legia Warszawa, Warta Poznań – acknowledged for their commitment to CSR initiatives.

New Regulations and Challenges

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) introduced Social Responsibility Criteria as part of the licensing process for the 2023/24 season, significantly impacting the results. Clubs are increasingly publishing CSR activities to meet licensing requirements.

Report recommendations include:

• Developing measurable CSR/ESG indicators and implementing non-financial reporting,
• Increasing transparency by publishing regulations and policies on official websites,
• Enforcing the new criteria by PZPN.

Full Report

The full report is available below and for download at the provided link. Reports from previous years can be accessed here.

Report Partners

This year’s report was supported by outstanding partners, to whom we extend our sincere thanks!

• Partners:
  • InPost,
  • Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu,
  • Polski Instytut Dyplomacji Sportowej,
  • Polskie Centrum Studiów i Badań Olimpijskich,
  • Wydział Zarządzania UW.
• Media Partners:
  • OdpowiedzialnyBiznes.pl,
  • SportMarketing.pl,
  • PracaSport.pl.
• Partner of Good Practices:
  • Koło Naukowe Prawa Sportowego „Ius et Sport”.

Authors: