Nottingham Forest have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Official Sustainability Partner E.ON as the club look to achieve ‘net zero’.
This agreement will continue to see both parties work together on the ‘Football with no Footprint’ project while also exploring opportunities for promoting greater sustainability in Nottingham and the wider football community under the same project.
As part of this initiative, E.ON will help the club build a sustainability strategy, including a roadmap of how the club can achieve its sustainability objectives.
E.ON, who also became our official training wear partner this season, have been a partner of the club since 2021. During the partnership, E.ON helped Forest create our Fan Zone earlier this year, with sustainability at its heart, including a state-of-the-art flexible solar canopy roof covering the main stage, giant screen and seating area. The cutting edge solar energy solution generates and stores around 12,000kWh of energy every year, comfortably delivering more power than is required to run the facility and saving an estimated 2,472 kg of CO2 each year. An on-site solar battery storage unit was also be installed to capture the sun’s energy on days the Fan Zone is not open.
Nottingham Forest Chairman Tom Cartledge said: “We are delighted to continue and grow our relationship with E.ON. From the moment I arrived, the ownership made it clear to me that part of the next phase of growth of the club needs to be based around sustainability principles and there is no one better to partner with than E.ON as we drive after the idea of football with no footprint.”
Our commitment to sustainability has already been recognised by Sport Positive, who support the global sports community to increase ambition and take action on climate change and sustainability.
Sport Positive Founder and CEO, Claire Poole said: “Given the evolving landscape of sustainability in football, we decided to shift our league table matrix to a report this year.
“If we had done the league table, Nottingham Forest would have been up there as one of the most improved clubs.
“Nottingham Forest has taken serious action in the last 12 months, from joining UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action and making a net zero commitment, putting policies in place around sustainable transport, water and others, calculating and publishing greenhouse gas emissions. The focus on this area and improvements are there for all to see.”
Scott Somerville, Director of External Affairs at E.ON, said: “Football clubs, especially Nottingham Forest, sit at the very heart of their communities and can inspire people both on the pitch and in their daily lives. That’s why it means so much to us to help the club to be the playmakers in their own sustainability journey, just as we hope to bring that message to their fans and the wider community.
“I’m incredibly proud that our work together has been recognised, and Forest are one of the most improved clubs in Sport Positive’s latest report. But like the teams on the pitch, getting better just inspires us to reach greater heights.”
