Can sports be environmentally friendly? A look at green football

But if there were a league of environmental purity for football teams, who would be champions? It's a question being asked in the forthcoming edition of Ethical Consumer magazine. It largely sticks to assessing Premier League sides, but the results are interesting nonetheless. When looking at just the environmental credentials of the stadium alone, then Manchester City's Eastlands comes out top with its recycling initiatives, on-site electric vehicles, and experiments with rainwater toilets and solar energy. (Apparently, plans to install an 85-metre wind turbine to power the stadium are on hold due to fears about ice falling from the blades in winter!)

"Most significantly," says Ethical Consumer, "Man City has also worked with the local council and public transport providers to co-ordinate buses and trains and to promote safe walking and cycling routes. According to Pete Bradshaw, head of corporate responsibility at the club, this has led to a 50% cut in the number of parking spaces needed, with over 70% of fans coming to matches on foot or by bus." (Non-league Dartford actually gets the top marks for its new "eco stadium" which collects 20,000 litres of rainwater a day to water its pitch.)

But haven't Man City just been bought up by Abu Dhabi United Group, which is owned by the emirate's oil-rich family? How does that affect Man City's eco rating? Well, Ethical Consumer has also assessed the clubs in terms of the environmental and ethical credentials of their owners. Needless to say, most of the Premiership clubs fare pretty badly on this front with their rag-tag mix of super-rich owners, many of whom, according to the magazine, have their fingers in all manner of unethical pies.