Arsenal’s decarbonisation strategy is science-based

Arsenal recently made headlines in the world of sports and sustainability by becoming the first football club in the world to see its net-zero targets get approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi has set a global standard on how quickly and by how much organisations should reduce their emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Recently, they’ve assessed and validated the Gunners’ net-zero targets.

Arsenal aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and value chain by 2040. Their net-zero science-based target implies reducing their scope 1 & 2 emissions by 90% by 2040 and reducing the intensity of their scope 3 emissions by 97% in the same timeframe.

“We’re proud that our net zero target has today been approved by the SBTi, which is part of our commitment to being thorough and transparent in reducing our footprint. We continue to take actions that deliver against this target, focused on reducing emissions across our value chain.”

Hannah Mansour, Director of ESG at Arsenal

The club’s decarbonisation strategy will focus on reducing energy consumption across its facilities, reducing emissions from travel, minimising waste and collaborating with its suppliers to reduce emissions from procured goods, ranging from food at the stadium to kits sold.

Beyond their emission reduction initiatives, the club also commits to using its platform to raise awareness of environmental sustainability issues. As the club works to meet the SBTi’s standards, we can now expect annual reports on how Arsenal is progressing towards its targets.

Arsenal is spearheading sustainability efforts in the Premier League

This is not the first time Arsenal has taken the lead on environmental sustainability in the Premier League. In 2016, following their partnership with Octopus Energy, they became the first club in the league to power its stadium with 100% renewable energy.

They also worked with Octopus Energy to install a 3MW battery at the Emirates Stadium. With this installation, the club avoids consuming energy from the grid during “peak hours” and can purchase energy when it is cheaper.

Through this partnership, the club is saving 2320 tonnes of CO2 annually. Alongside reducing the carbon intensity of their energy, Arsenal has also worked on consumption reduction initiatives, such as installing LED floodlights, which reduce floodlight energy consumption by 30%.

Further leadership came from the Gunners when they became the first club in the Premier League to join the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. A lot has changed this since, with 9 out of the 20 clubs of the 2024/2025 season committed to the framework.

“We are in a privileged position where the actions we take inspire change on a global scale, and our goal is to drive sustainability together with our people, our supporters, and all our communities around the world. Reducing our impact sits right at the heart of our club strategy, and today is about ensuring we are accountable as we continue our journey to net zero.”

Richard Garlick, Managing Director at Arsenal

We can hope that the validation of their net-zero science-based targets will create waves of climate action in the Premier League and the wider world of sports, inspiring sports organisations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate science.