J.LEAGUE is promoting a wide range of activities in the clubs’ hometowns in line with our mission “To foster the development of Japan’s sporting culture, to assist in the healthy mental and physical growth of Japanese people” and the J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION “Make Japan happier through sports.”
Within our sustainability initiatives, J.LEAGUE and each club operate within three defined frameworks: “Fostering Regional Communities (Community),” “Towards an Inclusive Society (People),” and “Climate Action (Planet).”
The 2025 season in particular saw an enhanced focus on Climate Action to protect the “Planet,” which forms the foundation for “Community” and “People,” in response to recent global warming and increasingly severe disasters caused by climate change. The aim is to leave an environment where sports can be played for the next generation.
The Current State of J.LEAGUE Climate Action
Actions for Transitioning from the “Awareness Changes” Phase to the “Behaviour Changes” Phase
Following the “J.LEAGUE Climate Action Roadmap” developed in the 2024 season, multiple actions were taken in the 2025 season to facilitate the transition from the “Awareness Changes” phase to the “Behaviour Changes” phase.
(1) “Awareness Changes” Activities for Children, Fans, and Supporters
As an awareness-raising activity for children who will shape the future, the “J.LEAGUE × Shinji ONO Smile Football Tour for a Sustainable Future supported by Meiji Yasuda” project, which began in 2024, was continued. In this project, Shinji ONO, a Co-opted Member of the J.LEAGUE’s Executive Committee, conducts football clinics and sustainability talks for primary school students. This fiscal year, the programme was held 15 times (including three sessions scheduled for January to March 2026).
June was designated Climate Action Month, during which the individual efforts of each J.Club were communicated collectively as a league-wide “movement” rather than as isolated “points,” with the aim of changing stakeholder awareness.
Additionally, the 2025 season saw the launch of the J.LEAGUE Climate Action Ambassador programme and “J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Classes” for primary school students, further accelerating activities for children.
(2) Promoting Initiatives at Clubs
The “J.LEAGUE Sustainability Business Activity Grant Programme” was established to provide concrete support for promoting activities at each club going forward.
(3) Establishing Evaluation Criteria for Climate Action Activities at Each Club
In April, J.LEAGUE decided to participate in “Sport Positive Leagues” from 2026. This framework quantifies the climate action of football clubs and allows their progress and direction to be understood at a glance. J.LEAGUE established its own evaluation criteria, with implementation beginning in the 2026 Special Season.
Action 1: Announcement of Participation in Sport Positive Leagues (SPL)
What is SPL?
SPL is an international evaluation framework that quantifies the climate action of football clubs and allows their progress and direction to be understood at a glance.
It scores 12 categories important for climate change countermeasures—including policy, energy, waste, biodiversity, and education—using a unique evaluation matrix and publishes the results in a league table format.
Expected Benefits of Participating in SPL
J. J.LEAGUE will participate in SPL alongside all 60 clubs, creating an environment where clubs can improve by learning from each other’s initiatives. By making these efforts visible, it will become easier for stakeholders such as fans, supporters, local governments, and businesses to understand each club’s environmental contributions, and, as a result, deeper, community-rooted climate action is expected. Through participation in SPL, J.LEAGUE will further strengthen its activities to pass on the sporting environment to the next generation in a sustainable manner.
Comment from Claire Poole, Founder of Sport Positive Leagues
A New Era of Sustainability and Resilience in the J.League
The implementation of the Sport Positive Leagues (SPL) framework within the J.League represents a pivotal moment for Japanese football. Globally, elite sport is recognising that climate and environmental risk is not an external issue, it is a direct operational, financial and reputational priority. For leagues and clubs, adopting a structured, evidence-based sustainability framework ensures not only environmental progress, but governance credibility, commercial resilience and long-term fan trust.
For the J.League, SPL offers a unified approach for measuring, improving and communicating climate and sustainability performance across all clubs. The framework provides clarity: clear criteria, consistent metrics, and a roadmap that supports clubs at different stages of their sustainability journey. This is especially significant in Japan, where clubs vary widely in resources, infrastructure, and levels of environmental engagement. SPL supports positive change, while encouraging more ambition.
Crucially, the initiative positions the J.League as a leader in sustainable sport in Asia and shows the move to align with other elite football leagues globally like Premier Leauge and Bundesliga. Football, through its scale, cultural influence and relationship with younger generations can help support visible, community-level action. By adopting SPL, the J.League is demonstrating that sustainability is not an optional add-on, but crucial for long-term commercial success and a strategic element of modern football management, stadium operations and community identity.
Expectations for the J.League and Its Clubs Over the Next Year
After a year of engagement and observation, I have seen an encouraging shift, sustainability is increasingly understood not as a cost, but as an opportunity. Clubs are recognising its role in operational efficiency, brand differentiation, commercial partnerships and youth engagement. Many are already embedding sustainability within everyday decision-making, whether through energy management, waste reduction, transport planning, or community programmes.
Over the next year, I expect to see deeper integration of SPL principles into club strategies and governance structures. This includes improved data collection, clearer internal accountability, and more consistent communication of environmental initiatives to fans and partners. I also anticipate greater innovation, Japanese clubs are well placed to pilot new technologies, collaborate with local authorities, and lead on fan behaviour change.
Most importantly, having spent time with J.League representatives and clubs on a study trip to the U.K., I was impressed by the interest, curiosity and insights. This leads me to believe that J.League clubs will very quickly set a strong collective benchmark. By coming together to share best practice, celebrating progress and supporting clubs’ challenges, the league and clubs can accelerate improvement across all divisions. The foundation is in place; now the focus turns to momentum, ambition and visible leadership. The J.League now has the opportunity not only to transform Japanese football, but to influence global standards for sustainability in sport.
※This initiative is supported by a grant from The Nippon Foundation.
Action 2: Establishment of the “J.LEAGUE Sustainability Business Activity Grant Programme”
Grant Programme Overview
Prior to the introduction of SPL, the J.LEAGUE Sustainability Business Activity Grant Programme was established in April to promote climate action initiatives. The first round covers activities conducted from 1 April 2025 to 15 March 2026, with a total grant amount of 240 million yen and a maximum application amount of 4 million yen per club.
Eligible Projects
Climate action implemented by J.Clubs, specifically projects related to the 12 categories defined as evaluation categories in SPL:
1. Policy, Commitment, and Reporting
2. Clean Energy
3. Energy Efficiency
4. Sustainable Transport
5. Single-Use Plastics Reduction/Removal
6. Waste Reduction/Management
7. Water Efficiency
8. Plant-Based/Low-Carbon Food
9. Biodiversity
10. Education
11. Communication
12. Sustainable Procurement
※This initiative is supported by a grant from The Nippon Foundation.
Action 3: Launch of Climate Action Ambassadors and Environmental Education Classes
What are Climate Action Ambassadors?
J.LEAGUE players and former players who conduct activities as icons for each club’s climate action and environmental initiatives.
They also serve as teachers in J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Classes, inspiring children through these classes to aim for a society where “awareness” of climate change shifts so that “actions” to consciously address it become the norm.
J.LEAGUE’s Co-opted Members of the Executive Committee—Shinji ONO, Kengo NAKAMURA, and Atsuto UCHIDA—have also been appointed as Climate Action Ambassadors.
The purpose of these classes is to help children learn about the current state of climate change and its causes, and to encourage behavioural changes in their daily lives. The classes also aim to work with children to raise awareness of climate action and increase the number of people who support it. J.Clubs will implement these classes at primary schools in their hometowns.
In collaboration with Tokyu Land Corporation, which signed a “J.LEAGUE Climate Action Partner” agreement in May 2025, these classes will be held sequentially at primary schools in J.Clubs’ hometowns, with five sessions planned by June 2026.
The classes target upper primary school students and are conducted using the environmental education short animation series FUTURE KID TAKARA, sponsored by J.LEAGUE. J.LEAGUE Climate Action Ambassadors serve as teachers, utilising the animation and original worksheets.
Comments from Related Parties
Senior Associate, Planning, Business Promotion Group, Business Strategy Department, Infrastructure & Industry Business Unit (also Policy and Community Relations Group), Tokyu Land Corporation
Kento NINOMIYA
At Tokyu Land, we are developing the environmental education programme, ReENE ÉCOLE, to help children in areas where our power plants are located and across Japan learn about environmental issues centred on renewable energy in an enjoyable way. In fiscal 2025, we plan to hold at least 10 environmental education outreach classes for primary and junior high school students nationwide.
To reach more children through these outreach classes, we signed a Climate Action Partner agreement with J.LEAGUE, which has a nationwide network through its clubs, and conducted joint environmental education activities. The Climate Action Ambassadors from each club were more popular with the children than we had imagined. It was also very impressive to see how the children actively participated in the classes through explanations linked to football and the use of animation.
We plan to continue conducting outreach classes multiple times in the future and hope to work closely with J.LEAGUE and clubs across the country to communicate the importance of “climate action” and the challenges posed by climate change to children in each region in an easy-to-understand way.
When I began learning about J.LEAGUE’s climate action, it was a trigger for me to understand the current state of the planet and to start thinking about and acting on what I can do to change the future of the Earth. I hope that, through this project, many children and as many people as possible will come to know the current state of the planet, learn, and take action, just as I have. Let’s take action together so that children of the future can fully enjoy football and other sports.
I hope that through these classes, the children who will be the protagonists of the future will learn about the current state of the planet and come to see what they can do to protect the future of the global environment they live in as their own issue, think about what they can do, and take action. I myself want to learn and communicate alongside them.
For action and behaviour on the issues of climate change to become an everyday norm, I think it is very important for everyone to question the abnormal summer heat we have all been experiencing in recent years—why it is getting so hot and what will happen in the future—and to learn about the current state of the planet and the not-so-distant future that will come if things continue as they are. As a J.LEAGUE Co-opted Member of the Executive Committee, learning about climate action was the trigger for me to think and take action. I would be happy if the J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Classes, starting now, could serve as a trigger for as many people as possible to learn what they can do for themselves and the future. Let’s work together as the football family.
J.LEAGUE Climate Action Ambassador
First J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Class
Former Vegalta Sendai player
By serving as an ambassador, I had the opportunity to think about and learn about the environment, which I had previously thought of as someone else’s problem, and I felt it had given me a valuable experience.
As this was the first environmental class for a J.Club, there were many unknowns about the flow and atmosphere, and I was nervous going in. However, I was saved by the cooperation of everyone involved and the children of Matsuiwa Primary School.
Actually, having the class after playing football helped us get closer to the children first, and I think it made for a smooth transition into the class.
In the class, the videos kept the children engaged without them getting bored, and I think they actively participated in presentations and discussions.
Conducting this environmental class as an ambassador was beneficial for me, and it also provided an opportunity for people to learn about Vegalta Sendai through the environmental field rather than just through sports. I expect this activity to serve as a trigger for more and more people to think about environmental issues. For that to happen, it is important not to end it as a one-off event but to continue it consistently.
I imagine other clubs will conduct classes in the future, and I think it would be valuable to exchange information about each club’s experience.
First J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Class
Former Vegalta Sendai player
In taking on the role of Climate Action Ambassador, I expected it would be an opportunity for me to learn about the extreme weather we have been experiencing in recent years. I was reminded again that various problems are occurring on Earth right now, and they are affecting our daily lives and the environment for athletes.
During the environmental class held at Matsuiwa Primary School in Kesennuma, the discussion sessions with the children generated many ideas and were very enjoyable.
This was the first [environmental class] held among J.Clubs, and I think it was a good class in which adults and children learned and thought about the future together.
Also, by playing football together in the schoolyard before the class, the children learned about the professional football team Vegalta Sendai, and I think we created an opportunity for them to become fans.
The fact that children could enjoy football through the gateway of the environmental field and learn about Vegalta Sendai might also provide a hint to clubs conducting grassroots activities.
As environmental issues will likely worsen in the future, I feel it is necessary to continue these activities, hoping that, through them, our voice will reach many people and the circle will expand.
Second J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Class
Former Oita Trinita player
Rei MATSUMOTO
On this occasion, I served as a lecturer for the J.LEAGUE Environmental Education Class as a J.LEAGUE Climate Action Ambassador. During the preparation stage, I had concerns about how to communicate with primary school students, how to conduct group work, and how much background knowledge to include. However, based on the materials provided by J.LEAGUE, I addressed each issue through discussions with the club and schoolteachers.
On the day itself, my nervousness while waiting for the children in the school’s multipurpose hall quickly faded. The children’s smiles as they came in, full of energy, saying “Hello!” and their voices saying, “It really is Rachel!” and “I have the number 7 uniform!” transformed the atmosphere into something warm.
Once the class began, I felt a sense of the future in the children’s eyes as they were drawn into the animation and their serious engagement with the group work. As the session progressed, I watched their expressions change from playfulness to seriousness to a sense of crisis—and when I witnessed that transformation, I was deeply moved. I strongly felt that “they will surely take something away from this class.”
Originally, climate change might have seemed like a distant concept to the children. But through this class, if they imagined even a little that “even small things matter, so we should start taking action,” “let’s try taking action together,” and “that connects to our own future”—that is a seed of hope.
When the class ended, I became convinced that what we provided to the children and what the children gave back to us—this dialogue is precisely the mission that clubs should fulfil in their hometowns.
With their smiles and serious gazes as my hope, I want to continue engaging in social cooperation activities. I feel as if the children’s positive energy has pushed me forward.
※The information published is current as of December 22, 2025.
