ekko, the eco-positive fintech, and REPX, the global leaders in fanbase cards, today announced an exclusive sustainability tech partnership, offering billions of football and sports fans globally the ability to fight climate change and support their favourite team at the same time, simply by tapping their card when they shop.
REPX’s impressive co-brand portfolio – including 2022 Champions League winners Real Madrid, Italian Championship winners AC Milan, Europa League finalists Glasgow Rangers alongside motor sports such as Formula One – will be able to offer their supporters access high-quality, sustainable green finance on their co-branded PAY FAN App, supported with all-encompassing digital-first payment cards.
In the pioneering partnership, ekko’s technology will show supporters their carbon impact, carbon offset their purchase, save plastic bottles before they reach our oceans, and plant trees as they tap and engage with their club.
Commercial sport contributes approximately 0.8% of the world’s carbon emissions, which is equivalent to the overall emissions of countries like Poland, Thailand and Spain(1). It is estimated that football contributes around 0.3% – 0.4% of global emissions.(2)
Without climate action, by 2050 23 of 92 English football league clubs are likely to face partial or total annual flooding of their stadiums, as do those of Premier League Clubs Chelsea, West Ham and Southampton(3). In France, Bordeux’s Matmut Atlantique stadium could be completely flooded on an annual basis.(3)
Oli Cook, CEO of ekko commented: “Combining supporters’ passion for their favourite team with our common goal of tackling climate change is going to bring about positive impact at scale. ekko’s sustainability-as-a-service technology, partnered with REPX’s engaged consumer base with billions of fans, has the potential to make real change happen”.
Amanda Harrison, SVP, Head of Business Development at REPX observed, “REPX, as it is known, is a company that is revolutionizing the traditional banking industry by combining payment technology and the passion of billions of fans around the world with social media. Thanks to this partnership, ekko and REPX will be rolling out their exclusive technology partnership to fans in the coming months, with the goal of empowering billions of fans globally to have a positive impact on the environment”.