Major League Soccer’s 7th Annual Greener Goals Week of Service highlights League-wide activations and raising awareness for environmental issues throughout the soccer community.
One Planet pre-match jerseys
Inspired by reforestation and natural ecosystems, MLS players will be sporting adidas One Planet pre-match jerseys in celebration of Earth Week. Titled “One Planet. One Chance.”, the pre-match jerseys are made from recycled materials and come in three distinct colors representing the Woods, Soil and Water.
The 2024 One Planet pre-match jerseys are available at MLSstore.com and select club retail locations.
Greener Goals Week of Service MLS partnerships
Throughout Greener Goals Week of Service, MLS clubs and the League office staff will volunteer their time by conducting environmentally friendly projects in partnership with charitable organizations to positively impact local communities.
To reduce waste and help address food insecurity in their region, MLS clubs will also partner with local charities and food organizations to distribute food, that was prepared but not consumed, following matches at their stadiums. MLS venues will collectively divert more than 61 tons of food to local food donation programs, which is equivalent to approximately 146 tons of CO2e emissions and comparable to 467 one-way flights from San Jose to Montreal.
As part of the League’s commitment to address its environmental impacts where our matches are played, MLS will partner with SandSi and Green 2 Sustainable to pilot a new program, with select MLS venues, that will measure their greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impacts. This measurement tool will provide MLS venues the opportunity to benchmark environmental performances and explore opportunities to reduce emissions associated with game-day operations in addition to supporting local environmental initiatives in their communities.
To amplify efforts surrounding reforestation, MLS is partnering with One Tree Planted to plant 1,000 trees on behalf of each MLS community, up to 29,000 trees across the League. Fans will have the opportunity to support this initiative – for every social post using #GreenerGoals, MLS and One Tree Planted will plant one tree as part of large-scale reforestation projects taking place in the U.S. and Canada. This campaign will aim to reforest 68 acres of land to provide cleaner air and water, stored carbon, stabilized soils and improved biodiversity.
This announcement arrives during a period of unprecedented momentum behind the sport of soccer in North America, with MLS’ 29th season underway, the second season of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the second season of Leagues Cup and Copa America taking place in 2024, the Concacaf Gold Cup and FIFA Club World Cup slated for 2025, and the FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S., Canada and Mexico in 2026.
Major League Soccer is committed to taking steps to address its environmental impacts and seeks to inspire clubs, players, partners, fans and staff to improve the communities where we live and play our games.
Club partnerships
Atlanta United will be partnering with the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Green Team for the entire month of April to host volunteer events within the stadium and community. Through events such as stadium garden-bed beautification, river clean-ups and beekeeping classes, Atlanta United and AMBSE associates will volunteer their time to help keep Atlanta green.
Evergreen, presented by YETI, is Austin FC's sustainability platform that focuses on enriching green spaces, efficiently utilizing resources, and diverting waste into reusable forms. Through year-round impact, Evergreen drives to encourage our community to join us in protecting and promoting Austin’s environment, which is central to making our city vibrant and full of life.
In conjunction with MLS Greener Goals, the Chicago Fire will be celebrating Earth Day with a Club-wide staff volunteer project at Navarro Farm, a local non-profit and Fire partner. Navarro Farm, located in Frankfurt, Illinois, was founded with the purpose of creating a place for individuals with special needs to participate in an agricultural experience, and learn real-world skills, including farming. Fire employees will assist with a variety of Earth Day-themed projects such as gardening, weeding, and working in the farm’s butterfly garden, to support and highlight the important work local agricultural organizations are doing to feed their communities, combat greenhouse gas emissions, and offset the harm done to the environment through sustainability initiatives such as beekeeping.
The partnership began in 2023, when the Fire hosted a soccer clinic for Navarro Farm campers led by goalkeeper Spencer Richey and defender Wyatt Omsberg. Richey and Omsberg learned about the campers’ day-to-day on the farm and assisted them in harvesting vegetables, before leading them through a variety of games designed to teach soccer skills. For a behind-the-scenes look at the experience, CLICK HERE.
This year FC Cincinnati are excited to embark on two impactful Greener Goals projects.
The first project, in collaboration with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, will take place on April 16th. FC Cincinnati staff and supporters will help to beautify the surroundings of our 10th Mini Pitch, inaugurated in December 2023, along with other areas at Lunken Playfield.
The second project, organized in partnership with Cincinnati-based reclamation upcycling organization Scrap 2 Home, will be held on April 18th. Volunteers will help to transform reclaimed wood, otherwise destined for landfills, into furniture that will be donated to families in need through New Life Furniture Bank.
In April, Rapids staff and players will take part in Greener Goals Week of Service along with hosting a Sustainability Night on April 20th. On April 17th, volunteers will join us at the Denver Zoo, where players and staff will assist with a landscaping project alongside the horticulture department.
Additionally, on April 10th, another group will gather at Sand Creek Greenway in Commerce City to pull weeds and plant trees, enhancing the area's natural beauty. Finally, on Sustainability Night, the Denver Park Trust will set up a table on the concourse, showcasing their partnership with the New Day kit and launching fundraising efforts to support sustainability initiatives in the community, with plans for a potential sustainability drive in the future.
As part of Greener Goals Week of Service, the Columbus Crew are partnering with Columbia Gas, Rumpke and Columbus City Schools for an event at Windsor Stem Elementary, a partner district of the “Stay in the Game!” Network, focused on promoting school attendance.
Volunteers and students will emphasize the importance of recycling and supporting the environment. During school dismissal, Crew, Columbia Gas, Rumpke and Columbus City Schools representatives will conduct a clap-out to recognize students’ attendance and dedication to learning, including about protecting the planet.
FC Dallas are partnering with the environmental organization Keep Dallas Beautiful as part of MLS's seventh annual Greener Goals Week of Service. Keep Dallas Beautiful focuses on litter prevention, recycling and beautification efforts in Dallas. FC Dallas staff will participate in a club-wide service project to volunteer their time cleaning up a North Texas community center and park as part of this initiative.
D.C. United staff, fans, and players will take part in Greener Goals Week of Service by partnering with local nonprofits and businesses to support sustainability initiatives throughout the District. On April 17th, D.C. United will host its signature volunteer program, United We Serve with Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) who redistributes equipment to expand access and equity within youth sports and recreation programs in under-resourced communities. Staff, fans and players will help sort, organize and inventory donated sports equipment at LPF's warehouse. To further support Leveling the Playing Fields efforts, the D.C. United Foundation and local business, Pupatella, will also host a sports equipment drive at Audi Field and Pupatella's DC location from April 15 to May 15.
As a part of Greener Goals Week of Service, Houston Dynamo FC are partnering with the Houston Independent School District to host a beautification project at the Milby Sunrise Center on April 23.
Staff, players and local volunteers will help with projects that include planting new trees and trimming existing trees in the garden, building stands for rain barrels and refreshing granite walkways leading to the facility, as well as a variety of additional activities to help beautify the community center.
The Dynamo will also continue their efforts to help combat reforestation this year by bringing back the Trees for Wins program, powered by Shell Energy. For each win the Dynamo earn this season, Dynamo and Dash Charities, along with One Tree Planted, will plant 350 trees as a part of a reforestation project in East Texas.
As part of MLS Greener Goals Week of Service, the LA Galaxy will partner up with Garden School Foundation to expand and refurbish the gardens at Annalee Elementary School in Carson, Calif. LA Galaxy fans, supporters, and staff will volunteer to help with weeding and mulching around the garden beds, assembling the garden beds, filling beds with soil and compost, and planting.
Furthermore, all students at the school will receive a brand-new pair of shoes courtesy of Shoes That Fit.
To celebrate MLS Works Greener Goals Week of Service, LAFC will partner with Heal the Bay to host a beach clean-up in Ocean Park, Santa Monica on April 17th. Heal the Bay is dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy, and clean. That Saturday on April 20, LAFC host the New York Red Bulls at BMO Stadium in a Greener Goals match, where organization One Tree Planted will be honored as part of the community spotlight, and sustainable small business Manalisco Growers Inc. will be featured. Both events serve as a continuation of the Club’s efforts to raise awareness for environmental issues and help create sustainable communities in Los Angeles and beyond.
While Inter Miami CF’s sustainability efforts run throughout the year under the club’s motto of Harnessing the Power of Fútbol to do Good, during April Inter Miami will focus on two major efforts in collaboration with two of their main partners.
Following a successful beach cleanup on February 27 to help save the oceans by collecting 205 lbs of waste, Inter Miami and Fracht Group are teaming up again for #TeamSeas, a global campaign to raise money to remove 30 million pounds of plastic and trash from our oceans.
During the April 20 match at Chase Stadium, Fracht will have a night takeover and for every goal and/or save Inter Miami CF make, Fracht will donate money to #TeamSeas throughout the rest of the MLS regular season. In addition, the club will organize a Fútbol Equipment Drive on April 16 with Florida Blue to collect lightly used fútbol equipment to then donate to local underserved youth fútbol clubs during a distribution on April 24.
Minnesota United will kick off their first clean-up of the year with support from the city of St. Paul and new club partner, nVent. Our biannual clean-ups focus on the Midway community of our neighborhood near Allianz Field (The club hosts the clean-up event in the spring and fall each year).
This year, CF Montréal will be partnering with Soverdi (Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain), a non-profit organization that has sought to implement a multitude of eco strategies over the last 30 years with the aim of increasing urban green spaces across the city of Montréal.
Following a brief introduction and demonstration of standard tree-planting techniques, CF Montréal volunteers will be paired up and get to work planting greenery with the support and supervision of the Soverdi team.
Nashville SC are celebrating Greener Goals this April by partnering with the Cumberland River Compact to promote clean energy and sustainability at Middle-Tennessee schools.
For the second year in a row, the Nashville SC Community Fund is providing grants to local schools to support youth-led projects that are improving the sustainability of their campuses. In addition to the grants, children from select schools will take part in Nashville SC’s pre-match ceremonies on Saturday, April 27 when the Boys in Gold take on the San Jose Earthquakes at GEODIS Park.
New England Revolution players and staff will recognize their commitment to “One Planet” by volunteering at the Urban Farming Institute of Boston on Wednesday, April 17.
The group will assist UFI’’s farmers at the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm in Mattapan, MA with tasks ranging from mulching and weeding to planting and harvesting. A previous recipient of the Revolution Players Collaborative Fund in 2023, the Urban Farming Institute of Boston’s mission is to develop and promote urban farming to engage individuals in growing food and building a healthy community. They envision a city whose vacant land is abundant, food cultures are diverse, and people are excited to grow and share food.
Parks play a vital role for New Yorkers, providing critical clean air and green space. For this year’s Greener Goals Week of Service, New York City FC is organizing park cleanups at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens and Crotona Park in The Bronx on April 17 and April 20.
New York City FC fans and staff volunteers will work together to help clean up these important community resources.
The New York Red Bulls and Audi have teamed up with the Greater Newark Conservancy for a day of planting fruits, vegetables and flowers. Our aligned goals and consideration for the environment make it a partnership truly based on our mutual support of the community.
Orlando City will host two clean-up events during Greener Goals week. The first event in partnership with OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) will focus on storm drain marking and park beautification. The second event will be a neighborhood clean-up event around the stadium with fans and supporter groups.
Philadelphia Union have announced their Greener Goals Initiatives for the month of April.
Building on last year's success, the Union will now plant 25 trees for every regular-season goal scored, inviting local elementary school students to explore the Philadelphia Zoo's Trolls: Save the Humans exhibit, and partnering with PHS and Subaru for tree planting initiatives.
Additionally, they will team up with Richard Burns & Co. for a stadium campus clean-up and host a fundraiser to support the Sean Hughes Memorial Fund, assisting a local family in raising money to beautify and build a memorial garden in honor of their father/husband. On April 27 the Union will celebrate Greener Goals Night at Subaru Park as they take on Real Salt Lake.
The Portland Timbers are gearing up for the 2024 MLS Greener Goals Week. This year, there will be multiple volunteer events in which players and staff will be present.
On April 16th, the front office will be volunteering again at the Kindness Farm, a first-generation immigrant, refugee, and queer-led 501c3 nonprofit farm in SE Portland. The second annual We Believe in Portland event, occurring on April 19, is a downtown Portland cleanup initiative. Staff and at least one player are expected to participate in the cleanup. On Earth Day, the Timbers will be supporting SOLVE’s Providence Park cleanup.
This season Real Salt Lake will be joining HealUtah to again impact the protection and prosperity of the Great Salt Lake. Players, coaches, executives and staff from RSL, Real Monarchs and Utah Royals FC come together under the club’s “One Utah” umbrella to volunteer for an Earth Day river clean-up event. The stakes are high for both people and nature.
Without intervention to create renewable energy and improve the air quality and clean the water supplies of Utah residents, starting with the Jordan River revitalization, we risk weakening mountain snowpack and damaging local and global industries, all while risking the collapse of the Lake’s ecosystem. All Utahns need to care about this issue because the health of Utah – our economy, our air, our water supply and our wildlife – are what’s at stake. Protecting the Great Salt Lake protects Utah.
The San Jose Earthquakes and Coca-Cola will be partnering with Our City Forest for their third annual tree planting event, which will take place throughout Japantown in San Jose on Saturday, April 20.
Forty volunteers from the Quakes and Coca-Cola will dedicate their weekend morning to helping beautify their community. This partnership has produced 40+ trees being planted across the Bay Area over the last two years, with an additional 30 trees planned for 2024.
Seattle Sounders FC were excited to celebrate Earth Month at their home match on April 6. Fans in attendance supported the club’s expert partner, EarthGen, by participating in the day’s 50/50 raffle – of which EarthGen was the beneficiary. On April 20, Sounders FC will also be celebrating “Pod Night” as the Rave Green take on Vancouver.
This orca-themed celebration of Earth Day will center on the Salish Sea and the orcas that reside there with appearances from Sammy the Sounder and the club’s expert partners from the Seattle Aquarium. On the field, the team will be seen sporting the adidas One Planet training tops. Sounders FC and RAVE Foundation are also joining Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle for Black Earth Day.
This day of environmental stewardship focuses specifically on the Black community and the Yesler neighborhood of Seattle.
Sporting Kansas City are teaming up with the Heartland Tree Alliance in partnership with Kansas City Parks and Recreation for a day of service during the week of Earth Day and Arbor Day by planting trees at Swope Soccer Village in Swope Park on April 24.
The club’s front office staff will volunteer alongside Sporting KC players in support of Kansas City’s initiative to plant 10,000 trees as part of an environmental effort to improve the urban tree canopy to enhance green spaces for a healthy, sustainable community. The day of service aligns with “Sporting Sustainability Month,” during which Sporting Kansas City will showcase the club’s multi-faceted platform to reduce food waste, raise awareness for recycling and composting, renewable energy sources and water conservation.
Less than one year after launching their commitment to host zero waste matches, St. Louis CITY SC have hosted their first zero waste matches at CITYPARK by diverting over 90% of matchday waste away from the landfill. CITY SC accomplished this by avoiding single-use plastic products and using all-compostable food containers, flatware, and paper products with on-site recycling and composting collection.
CITY SC are now working to help inspire and educate fans on the impact food and product waste has on the environment and how they can reduce waste at CITYPARK and in their own homes and communities through the club’s goal: Zero campaign. CITY SC will feature Goal: Zero and other highlights at their Sustainability Match on April 14. For MLS Week of Service, St. Louis CITY SC staff are teaming up with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation and Gateway Arch National Park to participate in a clean-up event on the Mississippi Riverfront in celebration of National Park Week and to bring awareness to the effects of plastics pollution in our river's systems.
In support of MLS Greener Goals Week of Service, Toronto FC will host a community cleanup featuring both hands-on activities as well as guided nature hikes and education about the local ecosystem.
In support of the MLS Greener Goals Week of Service, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be visiting Lord Strathcona Elementary School and provide a soccer clinic followed by an Earth Day assembly. As part of the assembly the students will be learning the importance of the environment and then Whitecaps FC players and staff will participate in a school ground clean-up.
