For the first time, Sport Positive has systematically collated key environmental sustainability information for every English Football League (EFL) club into a table matrix, with the objective of shining a light on activities that football clubs are undertaking in the realm of environmental sustainability, as well as to show where additional progress could be made going forward.  They look at operational impacts such as water, waste, energy, transport, food, education and policies, with the goal of sharing information on positive changes within the structures that currently exist, whilst encouraging increasing action and ambition. 

Further details of the initiative and League Two rankings are here and the overall EFL rankings are  here

During the last year among the things Sutton United have done are

  • Upgraded to high illumination, lower spillage lower energy floodlights
  • Published a CSR Report that includes full quantified disclosure of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and an estimation of our Scope 3   https://issuu.com/suttonunitedfc/docs/sutton_united_csr_report_2022 
  • Carried out a litter pick in the local park
  • Become a hub for Human Forest E-Bikes
  • Installed vape recycling points
  • Developed an improvement plan to reach the Green Clubs threshold
  • Visited local schools leading up to the Green Football Weekend, the club’s head of sustainability, Dave Farebrother, spoke at assemblies at 3 schools to over 600 schoolchildren about climate change and sustainability. Each school received complimentary tickets to a match at Sutton.

In a fortnight Dave is also hosting a climate change awareness event, invited delegates include the FA, the EFL, Sky, the London Borough of Sutton and the Sutton United FC Foundation.

Dave Farebrother said ”Football faces many challenges if it is to adapt to a more sustainable world and we are really pleased that this survey has acknowledged some of the initiatives we have put in place. For some months our focus has been on achieving accreditation under the EFL’s own Green Clubs scheme and we are about to put in place an Environmental Management System that aligns with the international standard ISO:14001. I’m really looking forward to the innovative Climate Change training workshop we will be staging next month with delegates from some of our high profile stakeholders.”