“For football fans, the story of Sutton United from the National League reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup is a classic. But what many people may not be so aware of is that Sutton United's Gander Green Lane is the only ground and football club to have achieved The Planet Mark™,” said Steve Malkin, founder of The Planet Mark™.
Sutton United was first certified by The Planet Mark™ in 2013, after the club's volunteer committee recognised that sustainability was essential for the club's success.“We were delighted when Sutton United became the first football club to be awarded the prestigious Planet Mark in recognition of its endeavours to become more sustainable," said Dave Farebrother, chairman of the board of directors at Sutton United and himself a Chartered Environmentalist, who believes that sustainability is a challenge that every business needs to address. "In a way energy is the easy part of the challenge, but we are also looking at how we manage water and waste and we have a big focus on social areas, including people with disabilities and learning opportunities for young people."
“While running a football club sustainably can be a challenge, setting carbon reduction targets is a great way to drive energy efficiency and cost saving, which in turn can contribute to the financial sustainability of any club, whatever its size,” added Malkin.
The Planet Mark™ was founded three years ago with the iconic Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, and is awarded to businesses, properties, new developments and projects that are committed to reducing their carbon emissions. Since it launched, The Planet Mark™ has certified over 100 organisations and delivered an average carbon emissions reduction of 14.5% per employee for its clients. Planet Mark-certified businesses have a minimum requirement to reduce their carbon emissions by 2.5% per year.
See more at: http://www.theplanetmark.com