This pod is 27 minutes. The same duration as a flight taken by a Premier League club in 2023. The thought-provoking study released this week by BBC Sport suggests the average flight time of Premier Clubs around matches in a period between mid-January and mid-March was just 42 minutes. Short-haul domestic flying is rife in football. Everyone's at it. The players enjoy it, the clubs arrange it, the league allows it. Nobody seems to want to make the first move and stand up for the planet. Why not? And it's not just flights to games The BBC research shows planes often fly in as "ghost" arrivals from different locations in the UK in order to chauffeur the teams a short distance away. So will this study, and the debates raised as a result, lead to meaningful action? Jonathan and Melissa discuss with the man who led the research at the BBC; their Editorial Sustainability Lead, Dave Lockwood. Premier League; clubs, players and administrators; it's over to you.

Full time codes:

01:30. Melissa summarises this week's gloomy IPCC report, calling for us all to act before it's too late. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/

02:30. Jonathan re-emphasises the disconnect between this expertise and the blinkered operations of sport.

05:00 Melissa outlines how this isn't just about millionaires on private jet, it's about an industry not set up to make the necessary decisions.

07:00 We introduce Dave Lockwood, Editorial Sustainability Lead at BBC Sport.

07:30. How did Dave start gathering his research? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65017565

10:15. Did the clubs need to confirm the flights Dave had spotted were actually theirs?

12:00. Dave says the responses were mixed but led to frank conversations. Some clubs were extremely open, he says.

13:00 Jonathan agrees that the tone of the research was important; not just finger-pointing at the worst culprits but displaying a collective picture.

14:15. So how can we move forward? What are the issues? Why would clubs want to erase a perceived competitive advantage?

15:45 Melissa reckons players could get more sleep on a luxury coach rather than a fragmented journey using a very short flight.

18:30. Dave gives more detail on the most fascinating part of his research; the proliferation of "positioning flights".

20:00. Jonathan's baffled by the "madness" of a multi-phase, multi-mode journey to an away game.

22:00 Dave goes all rock and roll and envisages electric buses with beds as the future. You can have that for free, PL clubs!

23:00 Melissa spots another problem here. Clubs are reporting their carbon footprints as part of their quests to reach net zero. Did they realise positioning flights were happening and should be included?!

24:00 Dave summarises by talking about where the Premier League may go with this. People know the scale of the problem now, he says.

26:00 Dave says he's not surprised by the numbers. But his non-football-following friend was astounded. It's broken out of the bubble.

26:45 Melissa summarises her position; hoping collective ambition and innovation can help address the problem now we all know this is happening across the board.

27:00. Do we hit the 27 minute deadline? Of course we don't. I mean, we almost do. It's a good effort. It's down to Jonathan's daughter to cut us off.

Email planetsportpod@gmail.com.

Ahead of Green Football Weekend (2nd-6th February), Jonathan and Melissa get busy with some easy, everyday environmental wins, "scoring goals" for their chosen clubs!  At www.greenfootballweekend.com you can send your team soaring up the sustainability league table by achieving positive results in and around your own home.  Jonathan's been whipping up some veggie delights in the kitchen and - somewhat controversially - using rain water to wash the car!  [Looks great - Ed]. Melissa, meanwhile, is car-less in the most remote part of the UK and pledging to cut down on shower times. Good luck with that!  It's all part of the partnership between Planet League, PledgeBall, Count Us In, the FSA, BT Sport and Sky Sports, aimed at engaging the football community in easy-to-achieve sustainable living.  Jon and Mel agree; it's easy, family-friendly and just a little bit competitive!  Tom Gribbin, founder and CEO of Planet League, joins the pod to explain more.

Times Codes:

00:00. We establish Melissa is in the Outer Hebrides!  Any other podcasts come from the Outer Hebrides?!  Do get in touch!  Jonathan's been down at Southampton FC a lot recently and he talks about their big new wins in the sustainability space.

04:00. We set up Green Football Weekend; an initiative formed by Planet League, Pledgeball, Count Us In, The FSA, BT Sport and Sky Sports.  Why not cruise their website while you listen to the pod?  www.greenfootballweekend.com

05:00  Guiding us through it is Tom Gribbin, founder and CEO of Planet League (formerly Planet Super League); someone who's doing as much as anyone in the sport and sustainability space.  www.planetleague.co.uk is his website; we'll even let him off being a Nottingham Forest fan. 

06:15  Tom talks about the positive contribution of Funso Ojo, the Port Vale and Belgium midfielder.  Great work Funso!

09:00. The "Layer Up Challenge" is one of the fun ways Tom wants football fans to engage.  He talks about the challenge of making sustainability "fun".   Look out for some big names getting involved over the next few days!

10:45. Melissa wants to know more about last year's "Scope F" report, released by Tom and his team at Planet League.  Sports organisations are relatively small businesses, but with huge brand influence.  The power is in the reach and passion; we must use this more, argues Tom.  More info here: https://www.scope-f.com

15:45. Jonathan explains more about the Green Football Weekend league table and how he intends to bring the trophy home for Arsenal with his high-flying team; "XhakaSakaLaka".

17:45. Tom brainstorms ways of linking these individual efforts with the football clubs themselves; there's great creative potential here!  It really would be an easy win for clubs to align themselves with all this positive action among fanbases.

19:15. Some unexpected controversy as Melissa doubts Jonathan's car washing claims.  Tom's in the VAR booth and surely has to arrive at the common sense decision, based on video evidence. [We've checked, it's real: - Ed]

21:15.  More information on what's coming up during Green Football Weeekend from Jonathan; including mentions for Norwich City and Everton. The WSL are doing some great work and I know several broadcasters who are leaving the car at home this weekend; great job guys!

22:30.  Tom rejoins the pod to talk about presentation and language around the sport/sustainability challenge.  Planet League's all about sending a very clear message about the benefits of individual actions; whether that be saving money, reducing calories or protecting animal welfare. 

25:30.  Kitchen concoctions!  Jonathan's very pleased with his Broccoli and Pomegranate Frittata.  Melissa's sounding keen...

In time-honoured tradition, the series wraps with a (virtual) Christmas party.  This can only mean one thing; an editing nightmare for the producer.  Putting that to one side, as we so often do in the broadcast game, we welcome back several available (sorry, favourite) guests featured on the second series of the pod.  Expect to hear from Katie Cross (Pledgeball), Caroline Carlin (Southampton FC) and Fiona Morgan (Sail GP) who arrive in a variety of festive guises to join a party spirit orchestrated by Jonathan, queried by Melissa.   We reflect on 2022 in the sport and sustainability space and set some resolutions for 2023 which may, or may not, involve a challenge that J&M may regret.  So who's wearing the glasses, who brings the gin and who gets the mic-drop moment?  it's all in the Emergency on Planet Sport Christmas Party!   Enjoy and thanks for listening!

With thanks to the European Climate Foundation, Athletes of the World and the production team at NinetyFour19.