FA launches five-year sustainability strategy

FA launches five-year sustainability strategy

Making Wembley Stadium even more environmentally friendly will be central to a new five-year sustainability strategy launched by the FA.

The new strategy, titled ‘Playing for the Future’, will drive forward the FA’s overall environmental ambitions until 2028, and make a positive impact on the environment and local communities.

Central to the plan will be new initiatives at Wembley Stadium which will ensure it continues to be one of the greenest stadia in the world. It includes avoiding waste, improved recycling rates and reduced water consumption.

The strategy has been created through extensive consultation with a wide range of environmental experts, and focuses on three core areas:

1. SHOOT FOR NET ZERO – fight climate change and reduce emissions

• Achieve net zero status by 2040

• Invest over £35m to deliver the 2040 ambition

• Work towards reducing CO2e emissions 50% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, reducing electricity consumption by 30% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline, and reducing gas consumption by 20% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline

2. SAVE OUR RESOURCES – optimise resource consumption

• Reduce resource consumption across Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park, and embed more sustainable practices across the organisation

• Minimise impact of waste through procurement choices, avoiding waste, identifying reuse opportunities and maximising recyclability

• Reduce water consumption by 30% by 2028 from a 2019 baseline

• Protect biodiversity across all FA venues – animals, wildlife, plants, micro-organisms

3. MAKE AN IMPACT – deliver and govern change across football

• As the governing body of English football, The FA is in a unique position to drive wider environmental and societal change across clubs, leagues, and with partners

• The FA will create the operational framework to embed this strategy across the whole organisation, including its facilities, and increase awareness and environmental sustainability practices across football, whilst governing and supporting wider change

• The strategy will also ensure FA partners are aligned and committed to the sustainability ambitions

The launch of the new sustainability strategy builds on the extensive work across Wembley Stadium to drive operational sustainability efforts, particularly around waste, food and energy. The strategy will be reviewed every two years and further updates will be provided in due course.

Ruaidhri Dunn, The FA’s Head of Procurement and Sustainability, said: " We are very proud of our achievements in recent years to become more environmentally friendly, including Wembley Stadium being awarded the highest standard of sustainability by the ISO, however we want to make further progress.

“Our new strategy focuses on a number of key areas including reducing emissions, optimising resource consumption, plus governing and supporting wider change across football – and we look forward to driving forward with the next phase of our sustainability efforts."

You can download a copy of the new strategy here