Arsenal have become the first Premier League side to sign up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, according to a statement issued by the club.
The framework aims to bring the global sports community in line with the goals of the 2016 Paris Agreement and work towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
Arsenal operations director Hywel Sloman said: “We’ve already implemented a number of environmentally friendly practices across the club.”
He added: “We will continue to use the power and reach of Arsenal to inspire our global communities and push each other towards a more sustainable future.”
In joining the UN initiative, Arsenal are committing to reducing their climate impact by adhering to five key principles laid out in the framework:
- Undertake systemic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility
- Reduce overall climate impact
- Educate on climate action
- Promote sustainable and responsible consumption
- Advocate for climate action through communication
The club will be joining a list of signatories including FIFA, the FA and the IOC, with the hope that other Premier League clubs will follow suit.
This is not the first environmentally friendly initiative the club has undertaken.
They became the first Premier League club to switch to 100 per cent green electricity, and since 1999 they have planted over 29,000 trees at their London Colney training centre.
The Emirates Stadium was also the first in the UK to install large-scale battery energy storage, which is capable of powering the 60,000-seat stadium for an entire match.
Arsenal were recognised for their dedication to fighting climate change in 2019 when they finished joint-top in the UN-backed BBC Sport Premier League sustainability table.
Despite languishing in 11th place in the Premier League after a disappointing start to the season, this is certainly something fans of the North London club can take pride in.
