“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” - Chief Seattle

Nature and the wonderful planet we inhabit binds us together. Football is entwined with nature – The soil and grass that make up the pitches that kids kick their first ball on ... the air we all breathe, the food we sell and eat in our stadiums, in our hospitality suites, even in the training ground canteens down to the materials that are kits and clothing are made from ... all intrinsically linked to nature!

However, everyone knows that the activity of mankind is pushing the planet to the limit, often exceeding what the planet can take. 

An ever-increasing world population and changing climate carries the risk of irreversible harm to both people and the planet.

The world is already experiencing some of the negative consequences and the need to take actionto avoid certain tipping points is urgent.

All the worlds various footballing authorities warn those leading the game that we need to protect clubs against the significant risks associated with climate change, such as floods and extreme weather events.

We have seen many examples such as Carlise Untied, Shrewsbury Town and others who have suffered from flooding in the 2023-24 season and seasons before.

That is at the professional level, but we also have a duty to help protect those at the grassroots level, which we know is most at risk.

Operating any football club generates waste, uses large quantities of energy that in turn produces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, use vast amounts of water, and all has an impact on nature.

We are looking to produce a long-term sustainability strategy that will set out to improve our knowledge and understanding of these issues, to measure our impact, and then create improvements. Sustainability aligns closely to our values: