Impact report

2024/2025

stadion amsterdam NV

read on

Dear reader,

Every year, millions of people experience thrilling moments in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.


But there is more going on than what you see in the spotlight: behind the scenes, we are building a stadium that is just as green as our pitch. We want to lead the way and do better every day – including when it comes to sustainability. With this first Impact Report, we are proud to share our Net Positive journey. Transparent about our successes, but also honest about the challenges we encounter along the way. 


What the world needs now

Our climate is under pressure. Social inequality is growing, something we can already see in the immediate vicinity of our stadium. The real question is no longer whether companies need to change, but how quickly they dare to do so. At Johan Cruijff ArenA, we’re not playing the waiting game, but taking the initiative.


The ArenA team is committed to Net Positive: a policy that revolves around giving back more than we take. This mission has mobilised our entire organisation, inspiring partners, visitors and the entire sector. We are also constantly learning, from our partners and within the sector. Because teamwork is part of our DNA. 


For us, the match never ends

Net Positive is not an end goal – it’s a journey. A journey we’re not embarking on alone, but together with our partners, visitors, employees and neighbours. Every match, every concert, every event is an opportunity to do things better than yesterday. This makes us relevant today as an employer and for our business partners and other stakeholders, while we take responsibility for future generations.


Tanja Dik

ceo — Johan Cruijff Arena

We want to give back more to the world than we take – that's what Net Positive means for the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

A bold goal

Net positive

Every year, millions of people experience unforgettable moments in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. From the last whistle that seals a championship to the final encore of a legendary concert, we create moments that last a lifetime.


But every magical evening conceals a less glamorous truth: energy consumption, CO2 emissions, waste. The environmental toll of spectacular experiences. We know things can change. We know they must change.


Actively contributing to a better world

Many companies are striving for Net Zero – zero CO2 emissions, playing in balance with nature. For us, that is just the warming up. We are striving for Net Positive: a strategy that revolves around giving back more than we take. To actively contribute to a better world, not just limit the damage. Both in terms of our environmental footprint and our social impact. 


Net Positive is not a marketing term. It is our playing style. Our way of showing that the biggest events can go hand in hand with big sustainable and social ambitions. That spectacular experiences and positive impact are not opposites, but rather a powerful combination.

 Three pillars,

one goal

Our Net Positive action plan rests on three pillars.

Within each pillar, we set concrete goals and work as a team every day to achieve them. We are happy to share our successes, but also our challenges. Because only by being transparent can we learn and, together with our partners and colleagues in the sector, set a new standard for sports and event venues worldwide.

Don't wait and see

Our climate is under pressure. Social inequality is growing. The real question is no longer whether companies need to change, but how quickly they dare to do so. At Johan Cruijff ArenA, we’re not playing the waiting game, but taking the initiative.


As the Netherlands' largest event venue in the heart of the Zuidoost neighbourhood, we are in a unique position. Millions of people visit us every year. Hundreds of suppliers work with us. That kind of influence comes hand in hand with responsibility. A responsibility we embrace. The ArenA is also a great platform for working with partners, suppliers and peers to find new ways to keep doing things a little better.


Who are we doing this for?

This report

explains how

In this first Impact Report of Johan Cruijff ArenA for 2024/2025, we take you behind the scenes. You can read about solar panels and sustainable grass maintenance, about recycled car batteries that stabilise our power grid, about young people from the Zuidoost neighbourhood who are realising their dreams in our stadium.


We share our successes, but also our stumbling blocks. Because you cannot achieve Net Positive on your own, and not without trial and error. It requires courage, transparency and a willingness to learn constantly.

you cannot achieve Net Positive on your own, and not without trial and error.

Net positive

highlights

“With its Net Positive strategy, Johan Cruijff ArenA is taking a great step forward: not only zero emissions, but also making a positive contribution to people and the environment. The council appreciates this ambition and sees the ArenA as an important partner in achieving concrete sustainability goals. This Impact Report provides insight into how these goals are being achieved, and I am very pleased about that.”

Steven van Weyenberg

Alexander Scholtes

&

Aldermen of the City of

Amsterdam

the future

starts now

Net Positive is not an end goal. It’s a journey we’re on with our partners, visitors, employees and neighbours. Every match, every concert, every event is an opportunity to do things better than yesterday.


The world needs companies that are committed to playing clean, social and fair.

On to Net Positive!