Interview

Going green

Through his foundation We Play Green, Union Berlin midfielder Morten Thorsby is showing how football can play a leading role in the fight against climate change

WORDS Chris Burke | INTERVIEW Christoph Kuppers

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!
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Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Available now
Issue 22
Get your copy for interviews with William Saliba, Raphinha, Harry Kane and more...
Buy now
My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world.
By

The 26-year-old then convinced Heerenveen, his team at the time, to buy bicycles for the players to ride from their training ground to the stadium. But he has made his biggest splash by setting up the We Play Green foundation, a non-profit movement that aims to spearhead an effort within the game to support environmental causes. Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has signed on as an ambassador, while other players involved include former Dutch international Siem de Jong and Denmark women’s stalwart Sofie Junge Pedersen.

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved,” says Thorsby. “My thought was to create a platform where the players could come together and use my journey over the past seven years to make it easier for other players to take part and speak up. The more players there are, the bigger the audience we reach.”

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved”

Several of them have followed Thorsby’s lead in adopting the No2 shirt at their clubs. “That symbolises the 2C target from the 2015 Paris Agreement, when all the countries in the world agreed to limit global warming to well below 2C,” he says. “I’m encouraging players to take the No2 to show their support.”

The ultimate audience for his message, however, is the sport’s vast fanbase. “My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world. In the end, who decides where football is going? The fans. If we get enough fans to believe we want a green football, we want football to become sustainable and contribute to making a green world, that’s the football we will have. If we do this together, it’s still possible to make a great change.”

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Interview

Going green

Through his foundation We Play Green, Union Berlin midfielder Morten Thorsby is showing how football can play a leading role in the fight against climate change

WORDS Chris Burke | INTERVIEW Christoph Kuppers

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!
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Available now
Issue 22
Get your copy for interviews with William Saliba, Raphinha, Harry Kane and more...
Buy now
My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world.
By

The 26-year-old then convinced Heerenveen, his team at the time, to buy bicycles for the players to ride from their training ground to the stadium. But he has made his biggest splash by setting up the We Play Green foundation, a non-profit movement that aims to spearhead an effort within the game to support environmental causes. Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has signed on as an ambassador, while other players involved include former Dutch international Siem de Jong and Denmark women’s stalwart Sofie Junge Pedersen.

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved,” says Thorsby. “My thought was to create a platform where the players could come together and use my journey over the past seven years to make it easier for other players to take part and speak up. The more players there are, the bigger the audience we reach.”

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved”

Several of them have followed Thorsby’s lead in adopting the No2 shirt at their clubs. “That symbolises the 2C target from the 2015 Paris Agreement, when all the countries in the world agreed to limit global warming to well below 2C,” he says. “I’m encouraging players to take the No2 to show their support.”

The ultimate audience for his message, however, is the sport’s vast fanbase. “My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world. In the end, who decides where football is going? The fans. If we get enough fans to believe we want a green football, we want football to become sustainable and contribute to making a green world, that’s the football we will have. If we do this together, it’s still possible to make a great change.”

Interview

Going green

Through his foundation We Play Green, Union Berlin midfielder Morten Thorsby is showing how football can play a leading role in the fight against climate change

WORDS Chris Burke | INTERVIEW Christoph Kuppers

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!
Sign UpSign In

Morten Thorsby is not your average footballer. The Union Berlin midfielder is a Norwegian international whose previous clubs include Sampdoria and Heerenveen, but it’s not his career on the pitch that sets him apart. In fact, he came close to walking away from the game altogether a few years ago, just when his star was first on the rise. The reason? His one overriding passion, and now the focus of his We Play Green foundation: the need to combat climate change.

“My engagement with the climate and environmental crisis kicked off around the Paris Agreement in 2015,” he says. “I was very surprised no one was speaking about this in football. Back then there was talk about racism, women’s rights, all other issues, but when it came to the climate and environment, no one was speaking about it. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It’s the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – and is facing right now.”

Initially Thorsby felt it was impossible to reconcile his concern for the environment with the life of a footballer, and he discussed quitting with his parents. Instead he realised that his raised profile offered him a platform to communicate and the means to mobilise clubs, organisations and fellow players to join him in taking a stand – though not without first taking a cold, hard look at his own impact on the planet.

“You start with yourself,” he explains. “You look at your own lifestyle and how you can do better. Because I’m a football player, I have a footprint which is much bigger than the average person’s because of all the travel, so it’s also difficult for football players to speak up about this. I’m trying to become as good as possible but in today’s system, nobody can be perfect. I’ve changed all the things I can do something about in my personal life: travelling, how I eat, how I live my life, how I heat my home. We have to just admit we’re not perfect, but we want to improve.”

Available now
Issue 22
Get your copy for interviews with William Saliba, Raphinha, Harry Kane and more...
Buy now
My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world.
By

The 26-year-old then convinced Heerenveen, his team at the time, to buy bicycles for the players to ride from their training ground to the stadium. But he has made his biggest splash by setting up the We Play Green foundation, a non-profit movement that aims to spearhead an effort within the game to support environmental causes. Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has signed on as an ambassador, while other players involved include former Dutch international Siem de Jong and Denmark women’s stalwart Sofie Junge Pedersen.

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved,” says Thorsby. “My thought was to create a platform where the players could come together and use my journey over the past seven years to make it easier for other players to take part and speak up. The more players there are, the bigger the audience we reach.”

“The role of football players and football could be so huge, to spread this awareness and get more people involved”

Several of them have followed Thorsby’s lead in adopting the No2 shirt at their clubs. “That symbolises the 2C target from the 2015 Paris Agreement, when all the countries in the world agreed to limit global warming to well below 2C,” he says. “I’m encouraging players to take the No2 to show their support.”

The ultimate audience for his message, however, is the sport’s vast fanbase. “My goal is to reach out to all 4 billion football fans all over the world. No other religion or country or culture is even close to reaching out to that many people. That’s why football is in a position to actually save the world. In the end, who decides where football is going? The fans. If we get enough fans to believe we want a green football, we want football to become sustainable and contribute to making a green world, that’s the football we will have. If we do this together, it’s still possible to make a great change.”

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