Newcastle United Becomes World’s First ‘Carbon Positive’ Football Club

Tue 4th Dec 2012 | Football Stadiums & Facilities

Following last night’s victory over Wigan Athletic, Newcastle United has announced that it has become the world’s first carbon positive football club.

Working with GET Solutions and CNI, Newcastle United has reduced the environmental impact of the club’s operations to zero.  The club has gone beyond zero emissions by off-setting more carbon than the operation emits, and in doing so, becomes the world’s first football club to be truly ‘carbon positive’.

This has been achieved by making informed decisions and small changes to reduce energy consumption without affecting operational requirements, and by offsetting the club’s residual carbon footprint.  Boiler optimisation, burner management, lighting upgrades, bore holes, energy monitoring and behavioural changes within the operational staff – such as turning light switches off when leaving a room, not leaving electrical items on stand-by – have all contributed to the carbon reductions. 

Eddie Rutherford, Facilities Manager at Newcastle United, 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.  With the help of GET Solutions we have more than achieved this, and now with the support of CNI in off-setting the residual carbon footprint, it is a proud day for us to announce that NUFC is world’s first carbon positive football club.”

Edward Carlton, CNI head of UK operations, added: “Partnering with as prestigious a club as Newcastle United is an excellent place to deliver our first venture in football – a new sector for CNI. We are proud to be a part of Newcastle United’s new environmental message and delighted to have announced the partnership at last night’s fantastic match at St James’ Park.”

CNI’s offset program, following a detailed analysis of NUFC’s residual energy emissions, produced a detailed CO2e profile for the club and resulted in the retirement of a quantity of credits to further the reductions undertaken by the club and make the operation carbon positive for the 2012/13 season.

Image: (From left) - Newcastle United's Eddie Rutherford, Paul Webb, Alan Pardew with CNI's Edward Carlton, Paul Seakens and GET Solutions Conrad Phillips celebrate.

Posted by: Aaron Gourley

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