Policy and Commitment
- Launched ‘THE HALO EFFECT’ in early January 2021 which is complete holistic strategy for sustainability at Southampton Football Club and on the main club website: https://www.southamptonfc.com/sustainability
- This strategy pledges to ‘Play the right way today, for a better tomorrow’ and recognises that sustainability is about people and planet, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals to help us shape vision.
- Signatories to UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework on the high ambition track and Race to Zero with a commitment to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and be net zero by 2040
- Sustainability Manager Caroline Carlin has become a management board member for BASIS (British association for Sustainable Sport), which further enables the club to be at the forefront of the conversations and actions to address sustainability in Sport
- Created an internal stakeholder group – Environmental Compliance and Resource Management – that meets quarterly
- Will undertake the BASIS certification scheme which commences January 2022 (Plan to do BASIS certification and explore B Corp)
Clean/Renewable Energy
- 100% renewable energy across stadium and training ground
Energy Efficiency
- Building Management System operating at the Training ground and St Marys Stadium, which the club works with facilities management company, NG Bailey, to manage energy efficiency. Reviewed on a quarterly basis
- LED lighting upgrades ongoing
- Movement sensors added to several external facing areas, with a plan to continue this project to internal concourses in 2022.
- Pitch lights are on timers
- Newest refurbishments at Training ground have included movement sensor lighting and water and heating are on timers
- Weekly management of air conditioning and air handling units
- Clean energy and energy use is a key agenda item for Environmental Compliance and Resource Management – that meets quarterly
- Usage is reported through the SECR reporting process
- Users of the Dome at Staplewood have changed their behaviours towards using lighting within the facility. This means that if for example a 1-2-1 session is taking place on a small area of the dome, they will only light that third of the structure instead of the whole dome.
Sustainable Transport
- Carbon Footprint research project with Southampton University has been undertaken, as part of this there was a staff travel survey and a review of matchday travel
- As a result of their findings, a full match day travel plan with Steer Group commenced in Oct 21
- Phase 1 has included: full engagement with all transport providers in the city, stakeholder engagement meetings with SFC staff, data collection on fan travel and coordinating with a new app development called Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
- About to commence phase 2 of this project of which the scope includes – starting to roll out fan travel initiatives, the ability to book sustainable travel through the app as above, and incentive schemes to encourage fans to do so.
- Actively promote staff Cycle to Work schemes, 3 free bike doctor sessions for all staff this year
- During 2021 internally promoted Canny Commuting and Love2Ride on intranet site and staff Facebook page
- Currently undertaking a research project with Southampton University calculating the carbon footprint for player travel to all Premier League fixtures for Men’s and Women’s first teams and B Team
- This research project is due to complete in April 2022 and the findings will be published
- There are 300 Bike racks at St Marys Stadium.
- Fan travel is tracked through CRM team and Supporter Relations. Engage with Saints Voice panel on input around Sustainable travel through fan groups.
- Sustainable travel to the stadium is promoted on website – public transport and prices, cycling, Voi scooters and map – https://www.southamptonfc.com/supporter-services/-/media/0e8e56151c394c388c5c39b76e344788.ashx
- 8 company vehicles have been upgraded to electric, installed 3 electric charging points with another 4 being added to Staplewood by March 2022. Followed by additional EV points being installed at St Marys by the end of 2022
- Switched courier service provider to CitySprint who are more in alignment with sustainability strategy, their target by the end of 2023 is to be carbon neutral and to have a fleet of 200+ green vehicles that will be live in the major cities throughout the UK.
- Gather and Gather have minimised food suppliers, reducing the amount of deliveries required. 90% of food at the training ground now comes from Harvest Fine Foods, 4/5 deliveries a day is now reduced to just 2. Harvest Fine Foods have a clear Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, reducing impact further
Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal
- Policy in place that sits with the environmental pillar on the Halo Effect strategy, shared with catering and retail divisions and external suppliers.
- Installed cup bins and flags in concourses for reusable cups, created a video to be shown on the screens at matches including players to get as much fan engagement as possible
- Further reduced plastics in staff areas
- Engagement with suppliers to reduce plastic packaging
- 21/22 football kit was made from recycled plastics. The launch of these shirts was held live at a beach clean with players from Academy and Women’s and Girls teams. This was featured on local news stations the issues of plastics in the ocean were discussed, with one of Halo Effect supporters Final Straw Foundation
- Replaced single use plastic bottles with glass water bottles/jugs in internal meeting rooms at both Training ground and Stadium.
- Site survey carried out by Oasis in Nov 21 ahead of installation for fan water refill points on the concourses due to take place during 2022. Expectation that this will significantly reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles purchased on match days/event days
- Pitch side water refill points going in at Training ground early 2022 so that players can refill their reusable bottles during training. This was an issue that was highlighted during a recent review of single use plastics at Staplewood
- All take away packaging is made from recycled material or low impact and recyclable/bio de gradable or compostable materials, with the exception of containers used for team coach food
Waste Management
- Still achieving zero to landfill by working closely with waste management provider Ace Liftaway
- Waste management strategy in place as part of The Halo Effect
- Layout of cup bins, recycling and general waste bins changed to encourage fans to better separate their waste on a matchday
- Delivered training for retail, catering and facilities team members to maximise the use of cardboard compactor
- Focusing on reducing quantity of waste by carrying out ‘re-use’ initiatives. For example, this season donated storage units from the stadium and used footballs from the training ground to local schools
- Recycled several items of furniture, diverting from landfill. Using a local upholstering business, reupholstered over 40 items of furniture at Staplewood instead of buying new, again diverting from landfill and also supporting a local business.
- Used coffee pods sent back to provider through a recycling scheme via supplier partnership.
- Gather and Gather no longer use cooking oil, further reducing deliveries and collections as well as reducing waste.
- Working with waste provider on a plan to donate pitch materials from St Mary’s to local community projects, in May 2022
- Gather and Gather are looking at the options of canned water bottles to reduce single use plastic water bottles.
Water Efficiency
- Preventative maintenance programmes are ongoing, which includes water management and preventing leaks
- EcoProd carried out a full site survey at St Mary’s Stadium in Dec 2021, they are presenting their water efficiency proposals in Jan 22 to the Estates team. This includes initiatives such as waterless urinals and rain water harvesting
- Water efficiency strategy extending to all sites will follow
Plant based/low carbon food
- Vegan meals to menus in hospitality areas and also within the matchday catering provision on the concourses in the stadium
- Gather and Gather provide locally sourced produce from the Hampshire Larder
- A vegan, vegetable and smoothie juice bar has been introduced at the Training Ground each morning, reducing plastic bottles from water and pre made smoothies and juices
- Training ground has self-service salad and pasta bar, with vegan options available and when players have packed lunches for travel, the team make up vegan lunches on request.
- Vegan sandwiches and salads available at staff bistro
- Vegan alternatives available on request at the training ground main canteens, women’s team has 2 vegan players
- As part of partnership with Kingfisher beer this year launched some comms around cooking a vegan meal with professional head chef and some first team players.
Biodiversity
- Biodiversity policy in place, sitting in The Halo Effect environmental quadrant as a key pillar within which there are strategy KPI’s
- Home Grown initiative is still ongoing; pledge to plant 250 trees each time a player debuts in the Men’s and Women’s first teams, and preserving 250 trees in the Amazon region as part of carbon offsetting programme to offset unavoidable emissions. 5 debuts from the men’s team last season so 1250 trees were planted across a local school and training ground. This season so far, 3 debuts from the women’s team and 1 debut from the Men’s team, which means by March 1000 trees will be planted in Southampton and 1000 preserved in the Amazon.
- Ambassadors of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s ‘Team Wilder’ campaign. This partnership will mean working together on Biodiversity initiatives on the South Coast
- In Dec 21 20 trees planted around the front of St Mary’s stadium. This is the first time any plant life has been introduced to the Stadium environment, which is in a highly industrial setting. Phase 2 of this project to ‘green up’ the stadium will include additional planting in more fan facing areas.
- Now have 14 log pile houses at Staplewood, and all of hedgerows and non-playing grasses are left wild. Several wild flower areas planted
- Educational signage within hedgerows to engage staff players and visitors with nature
- Educational session on Biodiversity with school children when planting trees at a local school as part of Home Grown initiative in Jan 2021
Education
- Environmental sustainability training provided for players with a focus on the Halo Effect and the part they can play
- Staff received training from BASIS in March 2021
- Ongoing internal environmental updates and awareness meetings with teams from Procurement, Commercial, Partnerships and Finance throughout 2021
- group H&S manager undertook her IEMA foundation certificate in environmental management in 2021
- Full staff environmental engagement programme in collaboration with our new partnership with HIWWT will continue into 2022
- Educational session on Biodiversity with school children when planting trees at a local school as part of Home Grown initiative in Jan 2021
- Taking part in the Premier League Inspires programme with the Academy U15’s on developing a social action plan to help address environmental sustainability. Saints Foundation are also taking part in this with the local schools they are working with
- Created an environmental education programme for all staff and players for basic Sustainability training that applies to SFC, including: Climate change, Plastics, Waste, Biodiversity, Lifestyle changes – vegan, cycle2work etc.
- Plans in the new year to specifically provide training for certain areas of the organisation e.g. supply chain and partnerships
- Delivered an education session with U17s and U16s on the Halo Effect during 2021.
- Alongside Home Grown initiative, education sessions are provided to children at local school trees are planted at in on the day that the planting is carried out
- Several members of staff took part in BASIS 6 week training course ‘The Fundamentals of Sustainability in Sport’ in March 2021
- Katie Rood from women’s first team is a Halo Effect ambassador at the club, she will be providing environmental education sessions in local schools during 2022 and 2023
Communication and Engagement
- Sustainability strategy ‘The Halo Effect’ is on the club website: https://www.southamptonfc.com/sustainability
- Regularly post stories and information on Halo Effect page on website, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
- New SFC app has a tab for Sustainability making this easily accessible for fans
- Regularly update staff Facebook page and internal intranet with Halo Effect initiatives. Introduced a new social feed on internal sustainability page for staff to share changes they have made both at work and at home to become more environmentally friendly.
- Runners up for 3 awards in 2021:
- BASIS – Club Strategy of the Year
- Big Sustainability Expo – Carbon Reduction project of the year
- Leaders in Sport award – Sustainability.
- Now include information of Sustainability in Academy newsletter, which goes to all parents and guardians of Academy players across all age groups.
- Hosted the Big Sustainability Expo in October 21, this will run at St Mary’s for 2 more years at least. As part of the expo, SFC hosted the Corporate Climate Summit and Board director, Tim Greenwell, sat on the panel.
- Hosted webinars on the Halo Effect and journey to Sustainability for the following: Future South, BASIS, IEMA, VoiceFM (podcast).
- SMT (Senior Management Team) meetings, which are held on a monthly basis, have Sustainability as a key agenda item
- Southampton FC took part in Planet Super League, and actively engaged fans to take part and change behaviour in lives away from the stadium
Additional information
Information sourced directly from Southampton F.C. staff, website and third party websites
Information updated 22 January, 2022.
To see previous information from 2019 and 2020, click here
