SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
o Arsenal Football Club
To offset the emissions generated in the matchday programme production process over the course of a season, Arsenal FC are planting ‘The Arsenal Forest in Africa’.
Partnering with not-for-profit organisation CarbonLink, it has been calculated that the club need to plant 12,500 trees – which will each absorb 20kg of CO2 over the next 10 years – to offset the production.
In addition the Arsenal Forest is being supplemented by Gunners fans at £1 per tree – a quirky gift for the fan who has everything – and the Forest now has over 15,000 trees.
The Forest creates work for 60 people in Bore, Kenya, predominantly women, propagating, potting, preparing, planting and nurturing the trees, the wages provide them with the chance to send their children to school and create other business opportunities.
The Forest will create a new ecosystem where flora and fauna can flourish on land suffering from deforestation. Arsenal have also supplied the workers and local Bore Lions football team with kit, nurturing a strong Arsenal identity in the region.
The Arsenal Forest has been on national news channels in Kenya and a Visitors Centre has been built to cater for the burgeoning interest across the country.
o Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
With the Amex stadium located in the South Downs National Park, the club already follows stringent restrictions to keep light pollution to a minimum, keeping gas usage, traffic, litter, and waste to a minimum to preserve the local wildlife Our fans in Brighton and Hove are the only city in the UK to elect a Green Party MP in the past four general elections This challenges us further to match this in the way we operate and the services we provide We are BOLD – Continually challenging partners and suppliers to produce and operate in a “greener” way; HUMAN – Treating people, animals, and the environment equally, enhancing our togetherness with the community around us; MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Implementing small changes which have a massive impact on our overall sustainability All match ticket purchasers enjoy free train travel within the club’s travel zone, with 42% of matchday attendees travelling to the Amex via train Along with 100% recyclable food packaging, biodegradable cups, plant based cutlery, kit made from recycled fibres, provision of plastic free sanitary products, full digital ticketing and ground water recycling at the training ground, together with our community we will continue our commitment to environmental sustainability.
o Hibernian Football Club
The Hibernian Football Club is a leading professional football club in Scotland. In 2019 the Club was named in Greenest Club in Scotland by PDE Waste Technologies. We have embraced our role as leaders in Scotland in furthering environmental, social, and corporate governance. During the year, we have made progress in generating our own energy through installing solar panels in the stadium and training centre, limiting food waste, using compostable containers, electrifying our vehicle fleet, and installing both workplace and commercial EV chargers, and working with our partner relationships to focus on establishing environmentally operations in both matchday and non-matchday processes. We understand our position and influence in Leith and the wider landscape of Scottish Football. For that reason, we make an effort to promote a message of inclusivity and create a welcoming and positive environment at Easter Road Stadium and beyond. During 2021, we launched our first club-backed LGBTQ+ Supporters Club and set the attendance record for a Women’s football match in Scotland. We firmly believe that we are responsible citizens and are committed to playing our part in furthering the conversation on sustainability in football.
o Liverpool Football Club
Summary of headline achievements, to date, related to the environmental targets associated with The Red Way:
• Built the associated Sustainability Management System (SEMS) and operational framework to deliver The Red Way strategy and obtained external certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) to ISO 20121
• Increased our position on the Sport Positive Premier League Environmental Sustainability League Table position – moving from joint 5th in 2021 to joint 1st in 2021
The highest increase from any club in 2021 An achievement, LFC believe is based on our holistic approach to addressing environmental impacts
• Certification of LFC’s Energy Management System (EnMS) to ISO50001 has also achieved
• Signatory to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework (higher ambition), but LFC are committed to exceeding this framework’s targets, having devised a robust carbon reduction plan to ensure action contributing to LFC’s Net Zero ambitions is accelerated
• For several years, 100% renewable energy, electricity & gas, has been sourced for use across all LFC UK operated sites
• The transition to sustainable aviation fuels for charter flights and biofuels in team coaches has already commenced
o Norwich City Football Club
Norwich City and MM Kotkamills have been working to eradicate the use of Single-Use-Plastics that exist around a typical football Club. Having swapped out 100,000 products per year to MM Kotkamills plastic-free, recyclable alternatives. As well as these operational changes, the Club has been inspired to take our fans, partners and suppliers with us on our journey towards a greener future. This has involved creating a Sustainability Hub on our website, giving fans ideas on what they can do to become more sustainable.
o Southampton Football Club
Southampton Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the Premier League Based in Hampshire, on England’s south coast, the club plays its home games in the 32,000 capacity St Mary’s Stadium. Proud of our 136-year heritage, but constantly moving forward, the club is renowned for doing things differently and uses its strong set of guiding principles to turn potential into excellence, both on and off the pitch. We say we play the right way for a better tomorrow and it’s a philosophy that guides our club in everything we do It’s this belief that inspired us to create our sustainability strategy, The Halo Effect. In January 2021, we launched The Halo Effect. Our sustainability strategy signals our commitment to live up to our environmental, corporate, fan and social responsibilities. From cutting carbon and improving biodiversity, to being a force for good in the community, promoting equality and becoming a more responsible business – we’re thinking about how we can be a better, more conscious, and more sustainable club in every aspect of how we work, play and connect with people.
We’re committed to ensuring a sustainable future for our club, our fans and our community.
o The Football Association
Wembley Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in the world, attracting the biggest events in sport and entertainment and over two million visitors per year. It plays a central role in The FA Group’s dedicated sustainability efforts, which are driven by a full-time lead alongside FAST, The FA Group’s dedicated Sustainability Team comprising a group of passionate employees from across the business keen to continuously improve the way we work.
From the redeployment of soil from the famous pitch to local parks, to the conversion of stadium waste to energy to power homes, The FA is dedicated to devising and implementing change, becoming an industry leader and inspiring the wider sports industry to rethink its approach.
The FA recognises that football’s role in addressing sustainability is multifaceted. This year, The FA will launch its sustainability strategy to address its impacts across the organisation. The strategy sets out ambitious targets that ensure The FA Group tackles the biggest challenge of our times and upholds its mission to provide industry-leading inspirational venues. Through this strategy, The FA aims to be role models in shaping a positive future for all, by driving forward environmental ambitions across every world class FA site.
o Tottenham Hotspur Football Club & Sky
On Sunday 19th September, 2021, Tottenham Hotspur partnered with Sky to host the world’s first ever net zero carbon football match at an elite level.
This groundbreaking initiative, taking place ahead of COP26, aimed to raise awareness of the threat of climate change and inspire football fans to make simple changes that will help reduce their carbon footprint.
Spurs and Sky worked to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as energy used to power the game, travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.
Net zero was achieved thanks to both teams using biofuel coaches, fans walking and cycling to the game and choosing more plant-based food options. The stadium was powered by 100% renewable energy and Sky achieved a 70% reduction in emissions from the production crew covering the match.
Through extensive coverage across Club and Sky platforms, Game Zero raised awareness of climate change to the millions of people watching the match and educated the football community and beyond. It demonstrated how teams, fans, broadcasters, caterers and everyone who’s part of a matchday can make small changes that add up to make a big difference.
