At the Milan derby, Inter takes the field with the WWF for Earth Day

A patch will be applied on the sleeve of each shirt of the Inter squad which tells a fact or a mobilization message linked to the number of the player wearing it

ROME – Great anticipation for the Milan derby, who will see Milan and Inter will be at the San Siro stadium this evening for a decisive match.In fact, if they win, the Nerazzurri will automatically win the championship.Today's derby coincides with Earth Day, the world day which, every 22 April, celebrates our planet.For the occasion, Inter will put their colors at the service of the Earth, to put the spotlight on climate and biodiversity crisis which are the main threats of our time.Demonstrating great sensitivity, in fact, the Nerazzurri club has decided to support the WWF Italy campaign 'The Panda We Are' bringing them into the field ‘Ext1nction Numb3rs’, or the numbers that explain unequivocally the natural crisis we are experiencing.

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INTER TAKES TO THE FIELD FOR EARTH DAY

On the occasion of the Milan derby, on the sleeve of each shirt of the Inter squad will be applied a patch that tells a piece of data or a message of mobilization linked to the number of the player wearing it.The goal is to raise awareness public opinion on the environmental emergency that characterizes our present and risks compromising our future in an increasingly impactful manner.

THE NUMBERS OF THE EARTH

We start, for example, with the number 1 of goalkeeper Sommer, who explains how "We only have 1 planet available" to move to the number shirt 9 by Thuram who will talk about the 9 hectares of forests that are destroyed every minute while the 10, worn by Lautaro, indicates that in the last 14 years there has been an average decline of 10% in biodiversity.The 23 of Barella will denounce how the illegal wildlife trade is worth 23 billion dollars, while the 20 by Çalhanoğlu highlights the 20,000 deaths in Europe due to extreme heat in 2022.Together with Thuram, Asllani and Pavard are the protagonists of video co-produced by Inter Media House and WWF to give life to an even more impactful narrative of the project:their numbers will tell of the 28 tons of plastic dispersed in the Mediterranean every 12 hours and of 21% of the total shark meat sold in Europe.

In the days following the Milan derby, some signed shirts with the exclusive patch dedicated to the campaign they will be put up for auction with the support of Nerazzurri partner eBay.The proceeds will contribute to support WWF Italy's Our Nature campaign which aims to protect key habitats and species in Italy and around the world.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS

There is nothing that can convey more clearly than numbers the impact of our actions on the Earth. In 2022 the presence of environmental pollutants has exceeded the planetary limit, beyond which there is no longer any certainty that ecosystems guarantee conditions favorable to life. We risk contaminating terrestrial and marine food networks, without being able to go back:this happens with plastic but also with pesticides, used for approximately 1/3 of agricultural products globally.The impacts of the climate crisis, pollution and indiscriminate exploitation of resources are evident: In the last 50 years alone, populations of vertebrate species have declined by an average of 69%. (Living Planet Report WWF 2022), an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, which also has direct effects on the health of each of us.

It is estimated that every second 12 people are poisoned by pesticides and in 2022 alone there will be 20 thousand premature deaths in Europe caused by extreme heat, while there are around 70 microplastics that we ingest every minute, through food consumption or from the air.These data want to raise the alarm but also make people more aware: acting for the planet means protecting our health and our future.

The one on 22 April is the first activation of this type carried out with a football club, and for Inter it represents a new and important stage in the journey which has made the Nerazzurri shirt a tool for brand positioning and engagement with its stakeholders.Furthermore, “The Ext1nctions Numb3rs” is the Club's first social responsibility campaign on the issues of climate change and respect for biodiversity.

WE ARE THE PANDA

The countryside #ThePandaWeAreUs, launched by WWF Italy last October, has the objective of change public opinion's perception of the environmental crisis that we are experiencing and highlight the grave danger facing our species.The challenge we face today requires new awareness and responsibility:protecting nature is a vital imperative for humanity itself.

Even though science now warns us daily about the consequences of our lifestyles, our production and consumption models, we continue to inflict very serious damage on the planet, to our health and to our very future on Earth.The power to write a sustainable future is in our hands, in our choices, in the small and large actions we can take every day.Through them, we have the possibility not only to reduce our "ecological burden" to a minimum, that is, the environmental impact of our actions, but also to mobilize to forcefully ask for that change that can preserve nature and, consequently, guarantee us a future on this unique and wonderful planet of ours.