Manchester United To Offset Carbon Emissions During US Tour
Manchester United has pledged to offset carbon emissions generated by air travel during its pre-season tour in the United States through investment in renewable wind energy.
The club has offset 450 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) to cover the necessary air travel by players and staff during the club’s first visit to the US since 2018.
Erik ten Hag’s squad will play pre-season matches across four states, starting in New Jersey before traveling to San Diego, Houston and Las Vegas as the team prepare for the upcoming season.
Recognising the impact of international travel and, for the second consecutive year, the club is working with Carbon Neutral, to offset CO2e during the two-week pre-season camp.
The carbon offsets purchased by the club will be utilised within The Crow Lake Wind project, which is situated east of Chamberlain, South Dakota. The site hosts 108 turbines which supply renewable energy to 129,000 homes – offsetting approximately 432,000 tonnes of CO2e per year.
Adding to the range of measures taken by Manchester United to limit its environmental impact, the club will also retrospectively compensate for carbon emissions generated from travel during the 2022/23 domestic season, by planting 1,250 trees through a collaboration with Trees4Travel where every tree is also backed up with United Nations CER renewable energy project carbon credits.
With Trees4Travel the club have compensated 205 tonnes of CO2e with the UN renewable energy carbon credits but on top of that are simultaneously supporting reforestation projects in developing countries, helping restore ecosystems, biodiversity and supporting local communities in Kenya.
Speaking of the project, Manchester United’s Chief Operating Officer, Collette Roche, said: “We are delighted to be back in the United States for the first time in five years.
“However, we recognise the responsibility we have in mitigating the environmental impact of our travel and that is why we have invested in renewable energy to compensate for the carbon emissions generated across all travel last season and the US tour.
“We are constantly looking to reduce our carbon footprint and at more sustainable travel options during the domestic season, and while we accept offsetting has limitations, we want to take all the positive action we can.”
The club has achieved 15 consecutive years of carbon emissions reductions and was also the first UK sports organisation to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard certification for commitment to carbon reduction.
