Just as environmental awareness has taken root in society over the last few years, so the sport of football has embraced the need to protect the planet and our surroundings. Proof of this is the fact that more and more clubs are playing an active role in safeguarding the environment by introducing a host of green initiatives designed to save energy, reduce waste and recycle the resources they use.  FIFA.com takes a look at some of the most interesting measures that have been implemented across the globe.

Renewable energies
There are just a few days to go before the start of the Men's and Women's Olympic Football Tournaments, the finals of which will be staged at the National Stadium in Beijing. Known also as the Bird's Nest due to its highly innovative construction, the venue is equipped with a solar-energy and rainwater collection system, the water then being used for cleaning and to irrigate the pitch. This ground-breaking Olympic facility also allows air to enter the stadium naturally and keep spectators cool.

Another major venue that has gone green is the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, the venue for the final of UEFA EURO 2008, which has cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 35 per cent thanks to a number of innovations such as the installation of solar panels to generate electricity.

One of the first football stadiums to install this system was the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf in Berne, Switzerland, which won the 2005 European Solar Prize following a renovation programme that has made it a pioneer in the field. The stadium roof was lined with photovoltaic panels and thanks to the addition of further panels, the facility now produces nearly one million kWh a year under peak sunlight conditions, enough to supply 400 homes for 12 months.

Recycling and water
The 2007/08 season proved to be one of the cleanest in the history of Real Madrid, and we are not talking about a reduction in the number of yellow cards received by the Spanish club's players either. After signing an agreement with Los Merengues, recycling company Ecoembes installed a number of waste collection containers in the public areas at its Valdebebas training complex and at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Over the course of the campaign, nearly 350,000 kilos of waste were collected and recycled. To back up the initiative, a children's recycling party was held outside the famous stadium in April, the aim being to make youngsters aware of the importance of treating refuse properly.

Not to be outdone, Barcelona have made the most of the close season to relay the pitch at the Camp Nou and install a new watering system comprising 52 sprinkler heads that can be programmed individually depending on the state of the playing surface. The duration and intensity of the watering process is controlled in accordance with the amount of sun and wind each area of the pitch is exposed to, thus helping save water considerably and ensure its more effective use.

These selfsame environmental criteria are now being applied in the construction of stadiums elsewhere in the world, such as the new home of Mexican outfit Guadalajara, which boasts a series of tanks for collecting rainwater from the roof and the pitch. Possessing an annual capacity of 30,000m³, the system then filters the water so that it can be re-used for services not requiring drinking water.

A similar system has been set up at the new ground of English non-league club Dartford, in the county of Kent. Two large tanks collect rainwater from all over the stadium via an intricate system of collectors, with the water then being used to irrigate the pitch.

Sustainable development and raising awareness
A nice, flat pitch is essential for playing the game properly. Achieving and maintaining such a surface can often be difficult, however, especially in countries with extreme climates where water is often scarce and required for much more pressing purposes. It is with this problem in mind that FIFA has unveiled its 'Win in Africa, With Africa' project, an initiative through which it will install international-standard artificial pitches in all 52 countries on the continent, with the exception of South Africa, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

A sport with the power to create and set trends, football has a big part to play in raising environmental awareness among its many followers by giving them the chance to dispose of their soft-drink cans safely and by encouraging youngsters to keep the pitches and parks where they play tidy.

So, what can you do to help protect the planet? Has your favourite team gone green and implemented an environmentally friendly initiative? If so, tell us all about it clicking on the 'Add your comment' link below.