The National Football League Draft planted 44 trees in Detroit as part of its effort to help mitigate environmental impacts tied to the draft, but some say it won’t do much to address  effects of the three-day event.

As seedlings, the 44 trees would be able to absorb approximately 572 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, offsetting just a fraction of the millions of pounds of emissions the draft is creating.

But Jack Groh, who heads NFL Green, said the initiatives – a few dozen trees and some aid for local farmers – aren’t aiming to offset the carbon. Even so, he said, they will yield some benefits.

“The trees are not being used as an offset – the trees are part of an initiative to green the local community,” he said. “A couple of dozen trees planted in a city park has an impact immediately.”

One local advocate said the NFL could have done more to help Detroiters facing environmental injustice.

“It would’ve been even more impactful if NFL Green had involved actual Detroit residents from the most environmentally affected communities,” said Jeremy Orr, a lifelong Detroiter and Michigan State University law professor. For the last two years, Orr, a former collegiate athlete for the university, has been a partner for Avenew, a collective that utilizes the sports industry to elevate climate justice solutions.

The NFL Draft is expected to draw up to 400,000 people and create approximately 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to DTE Energy. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and harms human health. The estimation doesn’t account for fans traveling to Detroit, and travel is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions for sports events. To address the impact, NFL Green has worked with local partners on environmental initiatives for the draft. But the majority took place outside of Detroit. 

Compared to the 44 trees planted in Detroit, the NFL is planting more than 5,000 trees in state forests in Michigan. The NFL also provided some volunteer hours at two Detroit farms. 

Groh said he didn’t know the budget for the Detroit initiatives. However, one of the three Detroit organizations that received money said it received $7,000 from Verizon, which had to be split with one of the other organizations. 

The NFL is worth $163 billion. Orr said the organization could have done better, noting its legacy as a leader in the industry. 

“For over three decades, the NFL has set the standard for environmental sustainability. It pioneered environmental initiatives for its games, stadiums, and events —making it the first professional sports league to do so,” he said. “By engaging Detroiters, their firsthand experiences could have contributed to the creation of environmental projects that directly improve their environments and enhance the quality of life in their communities.” 

There was no open call for community members to get involved in the environmental programming. Instead, the few organizations were invited by the NFL to submit proposals. 

NFL Green started in 1993 to mitigate the environmental impacts of NFL events and leave a “green” legacy in host communities. Groh said for all of the league’s events a grant program is put together that invites select, local community groups to submit proposals for environmental projects. The grants require a match by local organizations. 

The Michigan State University Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation (MSU-DPFLI) was one of the three organizations selected for a grant. DPFLI received $7,000 from Verizon, one of the NFL’s main sponsors, which was split with local nonprofit Keep Growing Detroit. 

Stathis Pauls, an instructor for the MSU program, said the money was used to plant approximately two dozen trees–according to an NFL press release–and will be used to buy work tools for the site. Pauls said that approximately 30 volunteers showed up for the tree planting. 

Pauls said while it’s impossible to truly mitigate the impact of corporate behemoths like the NFL, he felt the NFL staff cared about the work.

“…as far as the [NFL] people that I worked with, it felt like they were engaged, they showed up, they participated. They did everything by the book, and I appreciate that.” 

The NFL, community partners, and volunteers also planted 20 trees at Patton Park. 

Groh noted that while carbon removal is just one positive that trees provide, a more important benefit is to create greenspace, add canopy to cool down temperatures and absorb air pollution.

“It’s less about a numbers game for us than does this make a difference in that neighborhood and in that community?” he said. 

DTE announced on April 22 it would pay to offset emissions from this weekend, making the draft carbon neutral. The offset emissions will include those from event production and operation, food and beverage preparation and consumption, merchandise sales, and transportation for NFL employees and vendors, according to a press release. 

But those offsets also occur elsewhere – in northern Michigan, where DTE is protecting trees that “may have otherwise been cut down.” 

The NFL Draft sustainability efforts will also include funding the enrollment of 40 local, income-qualified households in MIGreenPower, DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program that supports the development of wind and solar parks in Michigan. These customers will be enrolled in the program’s Community Support pilot for two years.

“This will attribute 100% of their electricity use to renewable energy – which helps DTE develop additional renewable resources in Michigan – and provide credits which will reduce their electric bills,” Chris Lamphear, manager of corporate communications for DTE, said by email. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect Jeremy Orr’s work with Avenew. An earlier version of the story misidentified the organization.