Saints score wins off the pitch with host of sustainable initiatives

They might be bottom of the Premier League and staring at the prospect of relegation, but off the pitch Southampton Football Club is leading the way when it comes to the environment.

Saints have become a high-profile sporting pioneer in their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and highlighting the importance of sustainability.

The club has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the environment is at the heart of its operations, from electricity use to waste management and transport.

Operations and Sustainability Manager Caroline Carlin

Operations and Sustainability Manager Caroline Carlin said The Halo Effect strategy is firmly embedded into the culture, values and behaviours across all club sites and departments.

It was conceived after Saints came a lowly 18th in Sport Positive’s annual sustainability league table for Premier League clubs. The club realised they needed a much more strategic approach and now they are up to joint third behind Liverpool and Spurs.

Caroline said: “It was the first time we’d been asked questions about sustainability and it was such a catalyst for us. It led to us forming a group of representatives across the club. The Halo Effect was born out of those conversations.”

As well as developing environmental initiatives, The Halo Effect also looks to empower fans by giving them a voice, support the local community by giving back to the city and demonstrate leadership through corporate responsibility.

Caroline added: “It has been a brilliant opportunity for the club to make a statement in the environmental space and to be transparent about every step we take to be more sustainable and less impactful on the environment.

“It does involve making difficult decisions, but it’s discussed at board level and is a key part of our business. When we have such a big profile, it’s the responsible thing to do.

“It’s about using our voice to say we’re going to make changes and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

To cut down on fan travel, the club has introduced a park and ride service for the last seven games of this season.

Caroline said: “Fan travel on match days has a significant impact on the environment. We’re running an extended trial and the service has been well-received. We hope we can carry it on long-term.”

Lighting is constantly upgraded to LED, there is greater use of movement sensors and encouragement of staff to reduce energy use.

Eleven out of the club’s fleet of 30 vehicles are now electric and the target is for 100 per cent electric by 2025.

“In the past everything went in a skip. There is a clear cultural shift to be more sustainable.”

Zero waste to landfill has been achieved by reducing, reusing or repurposing products through initiatives such as donating used footballs to local schools and furnishings to grassroots clubs.

Caroline explained: “In the past everything went in a skip. There is a clear cultural shift to be more sustainable.”

Saints are also working to reduce single-use plastics, have introduced reusable cups at St Mary’s Stadium, and even the players’ shirts include fibres made from recycled plastic water bottles.

There are refillable bottles in hospitality areas and locally sourced and plant-based food options.

University of Southampton business student interns have been helping the club by assessing the environmental impact of different departments – this year the focus is on the catering operation.

Tree planting at Foundry Lane Primary School

Meanwhile Saints are running a Home Grown initiative, where 250 trees are planted every time a Saints academy player makes their first team debut. So far 2,750 trees have been planted at schools in the Southampton area.

Saints have also become a member of The Solent Cluster, a cross-sector collaboration of businesses and academic institutions and the first major decarbonisation initiative to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from industry, transport and households across the Solent region.

In the run-up to World Earth Day on April 22, the club joined forces with football-themed climate action brand Planet League to launch an interactive campaign to encourage fans to go green.

Supported by the club’s official energy and utility partner Utilita, the Saints Planet League Cup tournament saw fans participate in up to 100 green challenges to score ‘goals’, move up the league table and win prizes.

The challenges included travelling by public transport, turning the heating thermostat down, eating a meat-free meal, taking shorter showers and donating clothes to charity.

Caroline said: “By enabling fans to see the actual impact of their actions, including money saved and CO2 reduction, we hope the friendly competition will encourage them to consider the environment and continue making small, meaningful changes to help our planet.”