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Vegan football club Forest Green Rovers aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
The Gloucestershire-based team exclusively serves its fans and players a plant-based matchday menu. Moreover, it uses sustainable materials such as bamboo in its players’ uniforms.
‘Athletes are very influential’
Dale Vince is the founder of Forest Green Rovers and Ecotricity. He told Business Live that all football teams should slash their carbon footprint and recognize their ‘reach’.
“Athletes are very influential,” Vince explains. “Fans look up to them and take their lead in terms of what they should wear and eat.
“We’re also part of a UN program called Sport for Climate Action which aims to reach billions of sports fans around the world through their favorite medium to get them to become fans of the environment and change the way they live to help tackle the climate crisis.”
“I would say that 10 years ago we were radical in making these changes like taking red meat off the menu, but now it’s fairly normal.”
Forest Green Rovers
Last year, vegan footballer Hector Bellerin invested in Forest Green Rovers, saying the club is ‘showing others the way’.
“So many people feel there’s no solution to the world’s problems, but Forest Green are already doing plenty,” Bellerin said.
” I’m so excited to be part of the FGR family. I’ll be helping where I can, supporting people who want to change the world for the better.
“When I first played Forest Green Rovers [in 2014], all I knew about them was that it was a long way from London! As I heard more about the club and its work, I knew I wanted to meet them and be part of it.”
