Sport Positive Leagues

Ranking top flight clubs on their environmental sustainability initiatves

Menu

Manchester United 2022

By

Policy and Commitment

  • Manchester United has Environmental, Energy & Carbon, & Sustainable Procurement Policies
  • Carbon reduction goals are currently being developed and appraised within a Carbon Management Plan (CMP). These include short, medium and long-term goals, including a Net Zero target. The Club has maintained a minimum 1.5% year-on-year carbon reduction over the past 14 years to maintain the Carbon Trust Standard Accreditation. Manchester United are the only sports Club within the UK to have achieved six successful CTS accreditations
  • In 2023, Manchester United reviewed and updated the Club’s Environmental Policy. The Club recognises its responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment and endeavours to maintain sound environmental performance
  • This policy is implemented by maintaining legislative compliance and having clearly outlined objectives, targets, management responsibilities and employee involvement to continually improve our performance
  • Operational implementation of the policy is overseen by a cross-departmental Environmental Management Action Group (EMAG), which meets monthly
  • The Club’s environmental management system (EMS) has been certified to the ISO14001 international standard since 2012 and was recertified in 2022. Minimisation of resource and energy use and waste are key objectives of the EMS
  • Under the Club’s Sustainable Procurement Policy, all major suppliers are asked to complete a range of declarations covering issues such as environmental performance, modern slavery & human trafficking, staff welfare and food safety, before orders are placed with them
  • Audits are conducted on a sampling basis to ensure that the declarations are being adhered to and action is taken where the right standards are not being met. We place particular emphasis on suppliers’ use of single use plastics to support the club’s efforts to reduce SUP usage in our supply chain. We also ask for a declaration that suppliers have an environmental policy in place
  • Manchester United’s Museum, Red Café and Megastore collectively have historically achieved the Green Tourism Business Award Gold Standard which recognises the environmental achievements of the Club’s visitor attractions. This is being reviewed for reimplementation during 2023
  • Our management systems reflect the unique nature of our business as a major sporting venue, team and We will regularly audit our performance to highlight areas for improvement and measure ourprogress. We expect the same of our major suppliers and contractors and will further develop our own supplier environmental management programme. We are also moving towards a more sustainableprocurement programme. Contractors working on refurbishment schemes and new construction areexpected to meet appropriate environmental standards
  • As a world class sporting business, we have a strong relationship with both our commercial partners andour We will look for ways in which we can leverage our position to influence their environmental activities and encourage them to help us improve our environmental performance
  • The Club has a newly formed Net Zero Steering Group. The senior management Steering Group is responsible for the delivery of the Club’s Net Zero strategy including targets, objectives, milestones and delivery. The Steering Group reports all progress to the Club Environmental Management Action Group
  • The Club is now developing a Net Zero target and milestones. This will include accredited assessment of the newly formed Carbon Trust ‘Route to Net Zero Standard’. The Club has established a newly formed Net Zero Steering Group to develop the strategy and delivery of the Decarbonisation and Net Zero strategy. It is intended that a Net Zero strategy and plan will be established during 2023 for the full Manchester United operation.

Clean/Renewable Energy

  • Over half (52.6%) of the club’s energy supplies were derived from renewable sources between April 2022 and March 2023
  • The Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme has achieved 14 consecutive years of energy and carbon reductions, despite the Club having grown significantly during that time. Since the programme’s launch in 2008, the Club has reduced annual carbon emissions by over 2,750 tonnes, a reduction equivalent to emissions produced by 550 homes for a year
  • The Net Zero Strategy Group are currently reviewing on-site energy generation and green energy supply strategies
  • Match Day electricity generators are now powered from accredited clean biofuel, sourced from the Club’s renewable energy group partner. All grounds maintenance tools are now powered through biofuel. These initiatives have significantly reduced carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels
  • Manchester United has contracted SSE as a supply energy partner. The energy contract has been procured for several years
  • SSE publish annual figures associated with the amount of % energy supplied from renewable sources for electricity contracts. These figures are published at the end of March for the previous year. We have attached the link (below) for the renewable energy source data for the period to the end of March 2022 – https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk/customer-help-centre/help-and-advice/standard-fuel-mix

Energy Efficiency

  • Under the Club’s Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme, Manchester United has achieved a reduction in energy use in excess of 31% since its launch in 2008, despite significant growth in the Club over that time
  • A new LED floodlighting system has been installed at Old Trafford, reducing associated energy consumption by 20 per cent compared with the previous lighting
  • Significant investment has been undertaken to strategically expand the building management systems operation throughout Old Trafford Stadium and Carrington Training Centre. The BMS now operates and controls heating, air conditioning, lighting and power management throughout the sites. This includes conference facilities, offices, public areas and energy intensive kitchens. The expansion has improved energy performance and has significantly reduced energy use and carbon emissions
  • Additional investment has been made into a 5-year sub-metering programme to monitor, target and reduce energy consumption across Old Trafford. The programme was established in 2020 and has been a successful tool for the energy management programme
  • The Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme has achieved 14 consecutive years of energy and carbon reductions, despite the Club having grown significantly during that time. Since the programme’s launch in 2008, the Club has reduced annual carbon emissions by over 2,750 tonnes, a reduction equivalent to emissions produced by 550 homes for a year
  • The Club has achieved the Carbon Trust Standard certifying the Club’s successful commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions annually for the past seven accreditation periods
  • The Club are aligning to the newly formed Carbon Trust Route to Net Zero Standard. The programme and the accreditation will be undertaken during 2023
  • A dedicated energy action group was established in 2022 to provide focused support on energy reductions. The group who reports directly to EMAG has established a considerable working action plan for energy saving initiatives and projects
  • Other energy-saving initiatives introduced during 2022 include a rolling programme of LED lighting schemes, installation of LED car park lighting, replacement of large inefficient gas fired boilers at the Carrington Training Centre, improvements of inefficient heating systems and motors within Old Trafford Stadium
  • The Club has integrated Net Zero and Decarbonisation as a key objective within the stadium’s masterplan redevelopment strategy. This is a key objective for the delivery of Net Zero Objectives and Carbon Management Plan
  • The Club are a member of the Trafford Council Climate Change Steering Group. Key objectives of the Steering Group is to drive Net Zero and Decarbonisation within the Trafford area. The Club is seeking to align with the Trafford Council objectives on Net Zero and good practice
  • Manchester United has extensively invested in Building Management Systems (BMS) that control all heating, ventilation, air conditioning and services for the stadium and training facilities. It also covers the retail store operation (Megastore) located at Old Trafford Stadium. The BMS operation controls all the services including lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, retail advertisement boards and monitoring of energy use within the Retail Store. There are no other stores directly owned or operated by the Club offsite.

Sustainable Transport

  • The Club offset more than 1,800 tonnes of carbon emissions generated across the team’s 2022/23 pre-season tour travel to Thailand and Australia by investment in a reforestation project in Western Australia
  • Free cycle rack facilities are available in three Club car parks around Old Trafford for fans and staff cycling to the stadium. The cycle storage facility continues to be reviewed this year and extended under the objectives and remit of EMAG
  • A review of the Club company vehicle policy is being implemented with a view of extending EV and ultra-low emission standards
  • A series of Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging points have been implemented through the stadium and training ground facility car parks
  • Road sweepers and site maintenance vehicles have been replaced with electrical vehicles within the last 12 months
  • Staff are encouraged to use public transport and cycling, including a relaunched ‘cycle to work’ scheme launched in 2022 to reduce and spread the cost of purchasing a bike and accessories. A significant increase in cycle to work scheme was evident in 2022, showing a growing preference for cycling to work. The club also introduced a hybrid working policy across the club, reducing transport emissions through working from home for up to half the week
  • Manchester United works closely with Transport for Greater Manchester to support the use of public transport by fans on matchdays and align messaging and communications
  • Fan surveys are conducted to understand fans’ travel to and from matches at Old Trafford but are not published externally
  • The Club implemented an accredited ‘Carbon Offset’ programme to mitigate the emissions of international travel associates with 2022 pre-season tour. This initiative has seen considerable positive feedback from fans and stakeholders
  • We do not have a sustainability policy with regards to Team Travel in operation. However, this is something that we will be looking to create moving forward. In the interim, recent offsetting / carbon reduction initiatives related to Team Travel:
  • We have recently purchased 1,800 kg of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with Lufthansa, equivalent to 5.4 tonnes of carbon offsetting (Sport Positive verified)
  • We have reduced our reliance on air travel as our travel method for domestic fixtures, moving instead to rail and road travel where feasible once fixture / training schedules, and multiple other factors including travel times, and availability of the different transport options have been considered. Recent examples of this are the Carabao Cup Final (rail to Watford Junction) and Nottingham Forest (coach travel on the day with day use only hotel), Arsenal (rail to London).
  • We have also reduced our overnight accommodation requirements. We no longer use a hotel for home matches at Old Trafford, and have recent examples of reduced / removed accommodation usage for the following away fixtures: Liverpool and Leeds United (travelled on coach on match day and no hotel usage) and Nottingham Forest (coach travel on the day with day use only of hotel).
  • We are exploring the possibility of using an electric bus as our contingency vehicle for home matches at Old Trafford.
  • On the fan side, we have installed electric car charging points in the Old Trafford car parks and we liaise with Transport for Greater Manchester to encourage use of public transport – attached is a one page summary of the activations. A summer 2022 survey with 22K+ match going fans was undertaken but this data is not published

Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal

  • Reduction of single-use plastics (SUPs) usage across all club operations is one of Manchester United’s key environmental objectives and the club is engaging with suppliers and partners to help achieve this through our Sustainable Procurement Policy
  • The Club has removed all SUPs from kiosk condiment stations on matchdays and replaced them with wooden forks, stirrers and paper straws
  • Use of plastic packaging is being progressively reduced in the Manchester United Megastore and the Club is continuing to actively work with suppliers to widen the range of products where plastic is reduced or eliminated altogether
  • The Megastore has replaced plastic carrier bags for customers with paper bags where possible
  • The club’s kits continue to be made using adidas’s prime green fully recycled polyester
  • Single use plastic swingtags ties have been removed where possible and replaced with string
  • Name and numbering packaging has been reduced from being individually wrapped, to be being delivered in groups of 10

Waste Management

  • Manchester United has a zero waste to landfill policy as part of its Environmental Management System; annually, 502 tonnes of waste are recycled and 727 tonnes converted to energy
  • Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility and recycled to produce biogas which is ultimately used to generate renewable electricity for the grid
  • Food waste is kept to a minimum by menu engineering and good food management
  • Unused perishable food, which would otherwise go to waste, is donated to local food banks after game
  • Waste cooking oil from the stadium is collected and taken to a plant where it is turned into bio-diesel fuel for vehicles

Water Efficiency

  • The Club operates water management programme in a similar way to our Energy & Carbon Management Programme. Water use across all our sites is monitored and reported to our Environmental Management Action Group
  • The Club’s Group Property Services department has many ongoing water reduction programmes and initiatives to conserve water use, including the deployment of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) to the Old Trafford water supplies to allow review of water use, leak detection and assessment out of out of hours water use. Automatic water closure valves have been installed throughout the stadium to prevent water use to concourse urinals during non-match days.  Water monitoring has been provided to pitch water systems and is closely managed by the club’s ground staff
  • The club monitors and reports on water usage as part of its Environmental Management System and any instances of high water use are investigated
  • The Carrington Training Centre has been provided with a water borehole to provide irrigation to a series of training pitches. This has significantly reduced the site water demand from the mains water supply
  • Club sponsorship partners are engaged with water minimisation programme through proactive installation of water saving devices, percussion taps and other measures; our hygiene services partner, Ecolab, is supporting on measures to reduce water usage when laundering textiles
  • The Club have invested in Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) readings for all the water meters at Old Trafford Stadium and Training Facilities . The meter monitoring has an online portal to monitor water usage.
  • A water validation report provided by a specialist water Consultant to deliver monthly reports which allow to show monthly water consumption compared to consumption of the same period last year. These reports allow to identify high water usage to recognise leaks/ high out of hours usage. The report provides a summary of progress on water saving initiatives projects that are reported as part of the water management programme. The results of any out of hours water consumption are reported to the facilities manager where the cause of the increase is investigated.

Plant based/low carbon food

  • Vegan options continue to be available to fans around the stadium on matchdays – vegan spicy potato and cauliflower pies on all 76 kiosks around the stadium
  • Our Staff restaurant, open free of charge for all staff every day, also has vegan options.
  • A dedicated vegan menu is available in all hospitality suites (with options such as Smoked Paprika Vegetable Enchilada, Meatless Chilli, Vegan Lasagne and Vegan Buffalo wings) and in the Red Café, which is also open on non-matchdays
  • There are a range of plant based options available to players at the Carrington Training Complex and when they travel
  • The Club has increased availability of sustainably-sourced and vegan foods in its staff canteens at Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground, and a meat-free burger has been trialled and promoted to staff
  • A variety of sustainably-sourced Fair Trade products are used across the club and food is sourced locally wherever appropriate
  • The Red Café now provides a menu that includes the carbon emissions of all meal choices

Biodiversity

  • Manchester United co-operates with local conservation groups to support biodiversity in the wetland nature reserve adjacent to its Carrington training ground
  • The Club has a litter management programme, including the provision of two street sweeping machines to protect the environment around Old Trafford

Education

  • Manchester United won the Green Football Weekend competition beating over 80 other clubs and CCO’s with 16951 goals scored (over 7000 goals more than second place Leicester). These goals were scored by the young people we work and engage with across schools and community projects along with their friends, families and joined by other fans of the club and Foundation
  • Our work with Planet League who run such competitions and initiatives continues to grow across the schools we work with through the Foundation
  • The MU Foundation in 2023 hosted an event where 48 students from 7 partner schools presented and competed in a challenge of ‘Playing your part to protect the planet’. The winning school will go on to attend the Planet League workshop and attend a celebration event at the end of the season

Communication and Engagement

  • The Club’s Environmental Policy is on the main club website and can be found online here
  • The Sustainable Procurement Policy can be found online here
  • MUFC share stories on sustainability via the website, example here: UNITED AND BETIS PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY IN FOOTBALL
  • The club’s partners are aligned in their focus on sustainability. Manchester United continue to develop their existing partnerships with EcoLab https://www.manutd.com/en/partners/global/ecolab and Renewable Energy Group, a US biofuel producer, “with a shared mission to tackle climate change and create a cleaner world” https://www.manutd.com/en/Partners/Global/Renewable-Energy-Group
  • A staff environment and engagement programme is included within the Red Go Green initiative. During 2022, climate crisis and energy conservation newsletters were provided by the Club’s intranet. This included practical briefings and tips on saving energy at home and the workplace

Sustainable Procurement

  • Under the Club’s Sustainable Procurement Policy, all major suppliers are asked to complete a range of declarations covering issues such as environmental performance, modern slavery & human trafficking, staff welfare and food safety, before orders are placed with them
  • Audits are conducted on a sampling basis to ensure that the declarations are being adhered to and action is taken where the right standards are not being met. We place particular emphasis on suppliers’ use of single use plastics to support the club’s efforts to reduce SUP usage in our supply chain. We also ask for a declaration that suppliers have an environmental policy in place

Sponsorship and Ownership

  • OWNERSHIP
    • Ownership: 100% by Red Football Limited/Glazer Family
    • Information: Malcolm Glazer began to invest in Manchester United in 2003 with the Glazer family becoming the majority shareholder of the club by the end of 2005. Today (at the point of submission)Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer are Co-Chairman of the Club.
    • Country: USA
    • Source of Income: The Glazer Family’s wealth is from real estate/investments, Sports Clubs, natural gas and oil, and stocks and bonds
    • Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Glazer
  • SPONSORSHIP
    • Click link here for more information on your club’s sponsors and sustainability efforts. Scroll along the sheet to find your club, they are in alphabetical order

Information sourced directly from Manchester United F.C. staff
Information updated 14th March 2023
To see information from 2021, click here