The Gañafote Cup, faithful to its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, has taken a decisive step towards the environmental management of its events. For the first time in its history, the tournament has started the calculation of its carbon footprint, corresponding to the 2025 edition, thanks to the collaboration of the Huelva-based company Gabitel Ingenieros, a benchmark in engineering and sustainability. This milestone marks the beginning of a process of continuous improvement that reinforces the vision of the Gañafote Cup: a tournament that educates in values on and off the field.
A real commitment to the environment
The Gañafote Cup 2025 has been the first event of the circuit in which a complete study of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been carried out. Thanks to the collaboration agreement with Gabitel Ingenieros, it has been possible to accurately analyze the environmental impact of the tournament, making it a pioneering example of sustainability in grassroots sports.
The result of the study shows that the Gañafote Cup 2025 generated emissions of 7.56 tons of CO2 equivalent per participant. Most of these emissions (99%) come from overnight stays in tourist accommodations, which has identified a key area of improvement for future editions.
Partnership with local lodging providers to reduce emissions
Based on these results, the organization has decided to encourage hotels and lodging establishments
that partner with the tournament to calculate their own carbon footprints, with the goal of implementing reduction measures and promoting more responsible sports tourism.
The Gañafote Cup thus aims to extend its environmental commitment to the entire value chain of the event, promoting a model of sustainable, conscious, and collaborative sports.
Reforestation in the Odiel Marshes: Offsetting Emissions
As part of its mitigation efforts, the Gañafote Cup has sponsored the planting of 680 Pinus pinea (stone pine) trees in the Llanos de Bacuta, within the Marismas del Odiel Natural Park (Huelva).
This initiative will absorb approximately 197.2 metric tons of CO₂, thereby offsetting the emissions resulting from travel organized by the event and the event’s electricity consumption.
In this way, the Gañafote Cup is able to offset most of its direct environmental impact, with the only remaining area requiring offsetting being accommodation-related emissions.
Reduction and Continuous Improvement Goals
The organization has approved a Three-Year Emissions Reduction Plan (2025–2028) with specific targets.
Among these, a key commitment is to reduce Scope 1 emissions—those associated with the organization’s own vehicles and shuttles—by 5% for the 2026 edition compared to the 2025 baseline year.
In addition, work is underway to create a standardized data collection protocol, which will improve the measurement and tracking of emissions in the coming years.
Making the Most of Natural Light: An Energy-Efficient Event
One of the distinguishing features of the Gañafote Cup is its low direct energy consumption.
The tournament is held in the spring, making the most of natural light for Matches activities, which means that Scope 2 emissions (electricity) are practically zero.
This approach demonstrates that sustainability can also be integrated into the design and planning of sporting events.
Toward a Carbon-Neutral Gañafote Cup
Based on the experience gained in 2025, the organization has decided to officially register its carbon footprint with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) at the end of the year.
This official registration will be the next step toward the ultimate goal: making the Gañafote Cup a carbon-neutral tournament by 2030.
A Local Partnership with Global Impact
The partnership with Gabitel Ingenieros, a Huelva-based company committed to sustainable innovation, has been key to reaching this milestone.
This agreement reflects the Gañafote Cup’s commitment to working hand in hand with local companies, generating a positive impact not only on sports but also on the economic and environmental fabric of the province of Huelva.
“This first carbon footprint calculation is a starting point. It allows us to understand, take action, and improve.
Sustainability isn’t a challenge—it’s part of the Gañafote Cup’s DNA.”
Gañafote Cup demonstrates that sport can be a powerful tool to educate in values, care for the environment and build the future.
The countdown to a greener Gañafote Cup has already begun.
