Premier League's Brentford Top the Table for Sustainability

Upon hearing the word 'sustainability' in a footballing context, the natural connection to make would be to the financial health of a club or the chances of a team maintaining their league form.

Rarely, if ever, are the subjects of climate action, ESG or decarbonisation mentioned in mainstream coverage of the beautiful game.

However, football and sustainability are inherently linked, and recently, more and more of the sport's key figures are beginning to realise this.

By a considerable distance, football is the world's most popular sport. Billions of people from across the world invest their time, money and emotions in their favourite teams, and the cost of facilitating this global obsession - both financially and environmentally - is huge.

Whether its transportation, merchandise, food waste, plastic pollution, energy or water usage, broadcast-related emissions: the football industry is a leviathan of consumption.

The environmental impact of the Premier League

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world's most popular league, the English Premier League, which is followed avidly by almost two billion people globally. As such, the Premier League's governing body is beginning to regulate for a sustainable future.

In February 2024, the Premier League mandated that all 20 of its teams deliver "robust sustainability policies" - along with strong recommendations for net zero roadmaps and ESG reporting - in an effort to create a culture of eco-consciousness within the league. 

Slowly but surely, progress is being made on this front, with Arsenal and Liverpool receiving commendations for their behind-the-scenes ESG work in 2024.

Another of the Premier League's clubs has flown under the radar, though, registering some of the most impressive sustainable achievements in the entire league.

The club? Brentford F.C.

Brentford's first-ever sustainability report

In early December 2024, Brentford published its first-ever sustainability report, revealing a bold strategy to address climate change and foster sustainability within professional football.

The report - which focuses on the 2023/24 season - introduces a framework that aligns the club’s ambitions with growing environmental concerns among fans and stakeholders.

The report outlines Brentford’s five-pillar sustainability strategy, which focuses on governance, climate, circularity, nature & biodiversity and engagement. Each pillar is designed to tackle specific environmental challenges while integrating sustainability into the club's operational and community ethos.

"Our first-ever sustainability report marks an important step in Brentford F.C.’s journey in this area," says James Beale, Brentford’s first-ever Sustainability Manager, who was employed to guide Brentford's transition towards sustainability.

"This report sets out the way we are approaching this issue, as well as some of the progress we’ve made to date. As this is our first report, we know it is just the beginning."

Top to bottom: Brentford's leadership and advisory group for sustainability

One of James' first acts as Brentford's Sustainability Manager was to assemble a group of experts to lead the club's pursuit of sustainability.

The club's Sustainability Advisory Group is a collective of five external professionals, whose knowledge spans the report’s five key areas. Meeting at least twice a year, the group provides vital oversight and guidance in an attempt to deliver best practices and meet external benchmarks.

James highlights the group's role in driving accountability. “We’re committed to continuing this work with transparency and accountability as we move forward,” he says.

The carbon footprint of a Premier League club

Amongst many other things, the report details Brentford’s ongoing work to assess and improve its carbon footprint data. Across the 2023/24 Premier League season, Brentford produced 527 tCO2e of Scope 1 emissions, 705 tCO2e of Scope 2 emissions and 7,533 tCO2e of Scope 3 emissions.

The club has yet to set a firm net zero target, but the report states their commitment to setting one very soon.

When it comes to waste management, the club has focused on implementing the principles of a circular economy - aiming to reuse, recycle, and remake wherever possible.

These steps resonate with a Premier League-wide push to embed sustainability into the fabric of English football. The challenges are vast, given the league's global scale and the varied infrastructure across clubs. This last point particularly applies to Brentford, which is far from being as established, storied and monied as others in the league.

Regenerating nature in the city

Another of Brentford's key achievements detailed in the report is its approach to conservation.

The Gtech Community Garden, which was established during the summer near the club’s Gtech Community Stadium, is one such example. Created to foster biodiversity in the local area, it also acts as a serene natural space for locals to use at their leisure.

This initiative speaks to the club’s dual focus on local engagement and environmental enhancement, providing a tangible example of how sports organisations can contribute positively to their surroundings.

James is hugely enthusiastic about this project. “We are pleased to have transformed this space on Lionel Road into a community garden that everyone can enjoy," he says.

“Nature is integral to our efforts to become more sustainable. We wanted to create a healthy environment around us for our community. This garden helps support that idea with its plant species which attract many different pollinators.

"This couldn’t have been done without the huge support of our club partner, Gtech. We’re also grateful to Cultivate London who helped create the garden.

“We’re excited to see how this garden develops and know that our fans will be at the heart of its evolution.”

Engaging fans, partners and the local community

The report also reveals that Brentford’s approach isn’t limited to internal policies. Engagement with fans, such as the independent “Sustaina-Bees” group, reflects the club’s desire to foster grassroots advocacy. The group's insights have shaped strategies, helping the club create a more inclusive and community-driven approach to sustainability.

The club has also taken steps to address football's biggest contribution to greenhouse gas emissions: fan travel. In an effort to encourage Brentford supporters to travel to away games via train, rather than car, the club has offered to subsidise 20% of all train fares. It's a smart move, which lightens the financial load on the fans whilst also cutting the club's Scope 3 emissions.

Survey data revealed that Brentford fans rank sustainability as highly significant, with an average score of 8.1 out of 10.

The Premier League context

Whilst the actions of individual clubs like Brentford are key to achieving sustainability in football, it is incumbent on the sport's governing bodies to set the tone.

In recent years, the Premier League has been taking steps to strengthen regulations and act more responsibly. Initiatives such as the Green Football Weekend, for instance, have helped to highlight the role clubs have in addressing the climate crisis.

Elsewhere, the Premier League has launched partnerships with organisations like Football For Future, a group of activists and experts that advocate for a heightened focus on environmentalism in the sport.

However, challenges remain, including ensuring consistency across clubs and managing the high-carbon footprint associated with international fan travel.

Brentford’s report positions the club as an emerging leader in sustainability within the league. While larger clubs might have greater resources, Brentford’s clear strategy and commitment demonstrate how smaller organisations can wield influence and innovate.

As the club continues its journey, the emphasis remains on collaboration, accountability and creating solutions with meaningful impact.

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