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Arsenal 2021

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Policy and Commitment

  • Publicised sustainability policy and strategy available on the Arsenal website:
  • First Premier League club to become signatory to UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (16th November 2020) and in early 2022 signed up to high ambition track with targets of 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040
  • Club-wide Sustainability Strategy Document
  • Senior Management Working Group on Sustainability that reports into Executive Team with proposals and actions
  • Established a Sustainability Communications Group
  • Carbon footprint calculation and reduction strategy in place
  • Sustainable procurement policy
  • Has a Sustainability and Logistics Manager

Clean/Renewable Energy

  • 100% powered by Octopus renewable energy – all sites including stadium, training facilities and staff offices
  • Switched to renewable electricity in 2017, which led to a saving of 7 million kilograms of CO2, enough to fill Emirates Stadium more than 3.9 times

Energy Efficiency

  • Environmental policy includes a commitment to ‘Implementing, documenting and maintaining an Environmental Management System (EMS) to review, monitor and measure performance and impacts across Arsenal procedures, operations and policies.’
  • ESOS and SECR regulations in place, energy metering and management across all sites
  • As part of the SECR Arsenal will be reporting sustainability performance in financial accounts
  • Installed LED lighting with PIR sensors around Box Level and new LED lighting around the outside of the stadium
  • LED and automated lighting to back of house and toilets at Emirates Stadium, Changing Rooms, Part of Highbury House offices, External toilets, turnstiles
  • Restricting use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning to reduce energy use
  • Installed energy metering across all sites
  • LED floodlights (reduced floodlight energy consumption by 30%)
  • A 3MW battery installation at Emirates Stadium reducing energy consumption
  • Replaced some petrol pitch mowers with electric alternatives

Sustainable Transport

  • Actively and visibly encourages fans and staff to use sustainable transport and offers incentive to staff via cycle to work scheme
  • Staff coach now taken to airport for European games, reducing about 20 cab journeys
  • Octopus installed 4 EV charging points at Emirates Stadium in January 2021
  • London Underground, train, buses and cycling advocated
  • Supporters are strongly advised not to drive to Emirates Stadium
  • Two pool vehicles have been replaced with electric vehicles and other replaced with a more economical version
  • Staff and players transport report for reducing emissions for business travel as part of carbon footprint initiatives

Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal

  • Systemic effort in place to vastly reduce/remove single use plastic from operations
  • Plastic bottle usage has been reduced across all sites and, and by approximately 90% at training grounds by installing water machines and water bowsers for pitch side drinking. Bottles are only used for travel and some game days
  • Swapped supplier of security uniforms so they will now all be made from plastic waste from the stadium
  • Saved over 500,000 single cups via our reusable cup project
  • Extended the re-usable cup scheme to now use up to 40,000 cups per game, by installing more draft beer
  • Worked with our stationery company to remove plastic packing from products and select more sustainable items for use in the offices
  • When covering the seats for the return of fans, post COVID lockdown, bags made from 100% UK waste were used
  • The hand sanitiser dispensers used at the turnstiles are made from sustainable wood and are made in the UK
  • Paper straws and wooden stirrers have replaced the plastic ones
  • Removed all single use drinks bottles from offices and have replaced some glass bottles with aluminium “bottles” on our club and box levels
  • Paper cups phased out in administration offices, reusable plastic cups replacing them
  • Removed plastic from matchday programmes

Waste Management

  • 100% of waste is diverted from landfill across all operations
  • Waste sorting station installed at Emirates Stadium where all general waste is hand-sorted to remove all recyclable and re-usable material
  • Signed a long term partnership with Ball, the Aluminium packaging company to work on recycling initiatives
  • Donated food from postponed games to local charities
  • Averaging 90% matchday waste recycling rate with glass, food, cardboard, plastic, paper, metal and grass all being recycled
  • Food and grass goes to compost al Islington residents to use. It has also be used in community projects, where possible food is donated to local food charities
  • Old furniture has been donated to local sports and community club
  • Emirates Stadium’s old floodlights were donated to sports clubs
  • Pallets are returned to the supplying company for re-use

Water Efficiency

  • Water reduction policy in place as part of sustainability policy
  • Pitch water recycling system recycled over 3 million litres of water in 2020
  • A pitch water recycling system was installed at training ground to re-use irrigation water
  • Waterless urinals have been fitted around the entire stadium
  • Run times have been minimised on push taps

Plant based/low carbon food

  • Plant based options are available in stadium, at training facilities and staff kitchens/canteens
  • SRA approved restaurant, multiple vegan options now available on the concourse including:
  • Dirty Beets burger: Beetroot bun, spicy bean patty, vegan bacon, vegan cheese, beef tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickles, vegan chipotle mayonnaise
  • Three bean Mexican wrap: Spicy three bean ragout, tortilla wrap, crisp lettuce, smoked paprika salsa, coriander, lime juice
  • Tortilla chips with Guacamole & salsa dips
  • Sticky Korean glazed vegetables, sticky rice, Asian slaw
  • Veggie Chilli Cheese Fries, Vegetable chilli, crispy onions, jalapenos, red chilli, chives
  • Sustainable food sourcing for catering operation – Diamond Club restaurant has achieved 3 stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association sustainable food sourcing operations

Biodiversity

  • Planting trees programme at London Colney – on-going programme to plant trees as part of the Colney Wood project
  • Matchday programmes offset by investing in tree planting and a conservation project in Kenya – The Arsenal forest is being planted in Bore, Kenya. It is being managed by Carbon Link.  We are currently in the process of planting 12.5 acres of trees, using local workforce –Arsenal sponsors tree planting project in remote village of Magarini subcounty, Kilifi – YouTube

Education

  • Arsenal launched a sustainability module for community department to deliver to local schools
  • Staff education via the “Sustain OUR Game” working group and Yammer site on the Arsenal intranet, where staff are encouraged to be more sustainable and have highlighted actions

Communication and Engagement

 

Additional information

Information sourced directly from Arsenal F.C. staff, website and third party websites
Information updated 22 January, 2022.
To see information on the club from 2019 and 2020, click here