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Leicester City 2021

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Policy and Commitment

  • Club is in process of defining its zero carbon implementation timetables and working towards joining UN Climate Change commitment
  • Although do not have policy in place, the club are actively engaging with a number of consultants across the operation to begin this process, with the ambition to audit, educate and make a real difference to habits and behaviours across the business
  • LCitC will submit a written statement of ‘Intentions and ambitions’ to Premier League Community Fund by 31st March 2022. We will also submit operational action plans to cover: Transportation, Energy, Food, Nature, Recycling

Clean/Renewable Energy

  • 100 percent renewable energy supplied to all LCFC sites (verified by Sport Positive)
  • Club is investigating implementation of large scale Solar PV and other clean energy sources as well as battery storage as part of the larger development of the King Power Stadium

Energy Efficiency

  • Centrally controlled Building Management System enabling us to monitor energy usage and implement changes to increase efficiency where possible
  • ESOS Stage 2 is ongoing with the results being reported annually in the Clubs financial statements. The Club’s CO2 usage is independently measured as part of this process
  • LED lighting throughout the new training ground including floodlighting on pitches
  • LED lighting and software for full control with PIR occupancy detection in rooms and circulation corridors at Training Ground
  • Training Ground has centrally controlled Building Management System enabling us to monitor energy usage and implement changes to increase efficiency where possible
  • Heat recovery system built into the buildings heating and ventilation system at Training Ground
  • All lighting replaced with LED or low energy lighting
  • Flood lights now based on LED
  • ESOS2 Scheme involving full monitoring of energy usage is being followed

Sustainable Transport

  • Bus, train and park and ride options advocated
  • Club Promotes travel by public transport and by cycle and on foot
  • Planning for EV charging points at King Power Stadium and Belvoir Drive in process. EV charging points have also been included in the stadium expansion plans
  • Subsidised travel for away games to reduce individual car travel advertised, primarily a coach service but, on occasion, this has also included train travel. Details here: Buy Tickets: Leicester City Ticketing (lcfc.com)
  • Club is exploring ways to work with Leicester City Council to enhance the public transport provision to the Stadium
  • Cycle to work scheme available for staff
  • Bike racks available on Training Ground site
  • EV charging points and low carbon transport on site at the new training ground such as electric vans, buggies, scooters and bicycles
  • Dedicated car sharing parking bays
  • Public transport options to get to stadium
  • Bus, train and park and ride options available
  • Reduced catering delivery schedule to twice weekly from daily
  • Media Teams and dropbox systems set up to minimise travel between club sites and reduce paper and printing
  • Recently conducted travel survey to better understand Women’s team away travel. Planning to release an annual fan survey for LCFC in February 2022 that will include obtaining data of travel habits and preferences

Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal

  • Policy in place for the reduction and removal of single use plastic
  • Drinking fountains installed
  • No longer use any plastic straws or cutlery, replaced with wooden and compostable alternatives
  • Developing plan to reduce and comply with ISO 14001
  • Supporting the Premier League and Sky’s ‘Pass on Plastics’ campaign, and Leicester City Council’s environmental campaign, ‘Kicking it to Plastics’
  • Reusable cup scheme in operation at King Power Stadium
  • Use of phone entry to stadium to remove printing of tickets
  • Supply chain have been asked to remove plastic from their operations; i.e. the linen that comes in plastic wrapping to the venue
  • Leicester City replica shirts are made from recycled material and the Foxes Fanstore stocks a small range of recycled products.
  • Water stations throughout Training Ground with players and staff given reusable water bottles so single use plastic eliminated
  • Take away coffee cups removed at Training Ground unless requested
  • Provision of personalised water bottles to all LCFC staff in September 2019 then refreshed in January 2022 and currently being distributed as well as providing reusable bottles to participants

Waste Management

  • Waste management policy in place across all sites
  • Zero-waste to landfill – non-recycled, general waste is sent to be turned into energy
  • New recycling hub in process of being implemented at King Power Stadium but not operational yet
  • Recycling bins in offices
  • Food waste is separated at Training Ground
  • Mixed recycling skips alongside general skips at Training Ground
  • The club return all of their grass clippings into various areas of the site to return the carbon to the soil. The club also works with a local farm to enhance and enrich their soils by adding our grass clippings across their land
  • Kit donation scheme supporting refugees and people seeking asylum
  • Food poverty strategy including providing meals during school holidays to children and young people entitled to ‘free school meals’ in partnership with Leicester City Council’s Holiday Activity Fund for example and the redistribution of match day sandwich packs in partnership with Levy UK

Water Efficiency

  • Review of water efficiency strategy in progress
  • Some pitch irrigation is fed from rainwater
  • A government energy saving opportunity scheme – ESOS Stage 2 – is ongoing
  • Water use has been reconstituted to go to watering pitches and some of the irrigation is fed from rainwater
  • During the reconstruction of the new stadium pitch, the club installed a water reclamation system which to date has saved / reused around 820,000 litres of water and reduced the amount of nitrogen applied to pitches.
  • We have installed a 100,000 litre tank the entire length of the west stand to store water, which is then pumped back into above ground tanks, treated and reused
  • Significantly reduced the amount of water that goes to sewers
  • Supplier enables improved data on usages and where water can be saved
  • Isolation valves across all bathrooms have been installed to isolate local leaks
  • Sensor flushes now installed in all general access toilets at King Power Stadium and some waterless urinals in use
  • At Training Ground solenoid water control cuts water off when lights are off to prevent leaks and showers running in empty rooms
  • All Training Ground taps on sensors with timed automatic shut off
  • All flushes on urinals sensor activated and all toilets on dual flush at Training Ground
  • Macerator with built in water reducer in kitchen waste at Training Ground

Plant based/low carbon food

  • All hospitality meals have vegetarian and vegan options, on concourse catering increased options including vegan pasty, vegetarian pie etc.
  • Introduced a vegetable and herb garden that is managed by our landscaping team
    • Over the last year we have produced sweetcorn, potatoes, carrots, radishes, cabbage and lettuce to feed the kitchen on a seasonal basis. Reducing the requirement for specific deliveries
  • Vegan and vegetarian options on offer daily and herb garden on site at Training Ground

Biodiversity

  • Policy in place in the form of a LEMP (Land Ecology Management Plan), which sets out clear objectives that the club must achieve in line with planning conditions
  • Planting of approximately 22,000 semi established trees, mature translocated trees and the enhancement of biodiverse planting areas and grasslands –carried out as part of the Seagrave project, the club worked strategically with consultant to map out the species, their placement on site and the work is still ongoing to date which is led by the club and, due to scale, implemented by a contractor. Further detail found – https://www.mclarengroup.com/leicester-city-football-clubs-new-training-ground-is-now-complete/
  • We have introduced and enhanced our woodland and grassland areas with specific species to encourage biodiversity
  • The Club have a dedicated landscapes team who work in this area to ensure objectives are met or exceeded.
  • Grounds team have used policy standards to improve areas across all tier-respective sites to increase and encourage biodiversity across the clubs natural footprint
  • An independent report carried out shows that the scheme has a new biodiversity gain of +8.74 and a woodland linear gain of +4129. The document is reviewed annually, and we anticipate further increases in both areas over the next 12 months
  • A significant part of the King Power Stadium site has been allocated as a nature reserve since its construction. This area is mostly wooded and partially borders on the River Soar where there is a large marshland area which supports a wide range of birds and other wildlife.
  • The Club also supports Leicester City Council in removing litter from the River basin.
  • Tree planting events have taken place with our Chair of Trustees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative with more events planned

Education

  • Outdoor learning sessions delivered to Leicestershire young people delivered in partnership with National Forest Company and is partly funded by DFREA and Premier League/Professional Footballers Association
  • Sustainability Working Group formed and key staff attending industry training around sustainability to gain better knowledge
  • As part of the club’s Sports Turf Academy, we are exploring how grounds teams can reduce the amount of nutrition applied to pitches whilst maintaining their required standards. This work could lead to less requirements for raw materials and reduce the requirement, leading to less carbon produced by the manufacturing process and less release of nitrogen into drainage systems
  • To develop our action plans LCitC hosted a training / awareness raising session for all staff and staff with a specific interest or passion in this area have joined a working group

Communication and Engagement

Additional information

Information sourced directly from Leicester City F.C. staff, website and third party websites
Information updated 24 January, 2022.
To see 2019 and 2020 information, click here