Newcastle United world’s first ‘carbon positive’ football club

Newcastle United football club has gone beyond zero emissions by off-setting more carbon than the operation emits, becoming the world's first football club to be 'carbon positive'.


The club achieved this by reducing energy consumption without affecting operational requirements, and by offsetting the club’s residual carbon footprint.

Further initiatives include boiler optimisation, burner management, lighting upgrades, bore holes, energy monitoring and behavioural changes within the operational staff.

Facilities Manager at Newcastle United, Eddie Rutherford, said: “It’s all about savings, savings, savings. The less energy we use, the less carbon we emit and the less impact we have on the environment, both locally and globally.

“It is a balance between achieving this and maintaining the very high operational standards required of a Premier League club.”

In early November, the Carbon Trust sent a letter to all teams in the Premier League, Football League and Scottish Premier League asking them to reduce their carbon footprint.

Along with Newcastle United, football clubs Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City have already achieved the Carbon Trust standard but the organisation is calling on the hundreds of other clubs to engage in a sustainability title race.

Leigh Stringer

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