Claret, Blue and Green: Aston Villa launch environmental commitment

Claret, Blue and Green: Aston Villa launch environmental commitment

Aston Villa is pleased to announce the Club’s new environmental sustainability commitment, ‘Claret, Blue and Green’. Following on the heels of COP 26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, this commitment will see the Club take short and long-term actions to reduce their carbon footprint. Several steps have already been taken to lessen the environmental impact in the short-term while the Club develops a longer-term sustainability strategy.

To inform the Claret, Blue and Green strategy, environmental working groups are being established at Villa Park and the Bodymoor Heath training ground, with staff representing departments across the Club that can positively impact on this agenda.

Among the actions taken over the course of the last year include a continued upgrade of the Building Maintenance System (BMS) to integrate tracked usage and implement remote heating and lighting at the Bodymoor Heath training ground. The Club is improving efficiency through a programme of replacing office and concourse lighting with LEDs and all petrol mowers at the stadium and training ground have now been replaced with electric mowers. Moving forward, the Club is reviewing its fleet of vehicles to incorporate hybrid/electric cars. There will be a new energy supplier which includes Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) for the electricity supply, which guarantees that the volume of estimated consumption is matched with energy from a zero-carbon renewable wind source. There has also been a significant reduction in the printing of paper tickets and steps are also in place to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastic at the Club’s training ground, whilst the recent fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion saw the Club trial food digesters to reduce match day food waste going to landfill.

Another element to the commitment is provided by the Aston Villa Foundation, who deliver a range of environmental activities in schools and with young people promoting awareness and environmental responsibility.