Arsenal has today become the only football club in the world to have a net-zero target approved by the globally respected Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The club committed to reach net-zero by 2040 when it signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework four years ago, also becoming the first club in the Premier League to do so.

Today’s approval means that Arsenal’s action plan for net-zero aligns with the most ambitious pathway to limit global temperature rises.

The plan, which is already being delivered, commits the club to the following targets:

By 2030, Arsenal will:

Reduce Scope 1 and 2* greenhouse gas emissions by 42% (compared to 2021 levels).
Reduce the intensity** of Scope 3* emissions by 52%
By 2040, Arsenal will:

Reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90% (compared to 2021 levels).
Reduce the intensity of Scope 3 emissions by 97%
To ensure transparency and accountability in line with SBTi standards, Arsenal will report annually on the progress against these targets.

Arsenal Managing Director, Richard Garlick, said, “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.”

Arsenal Director of ESG, Hannah Mansour, said, “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.

“The full extent of the actions we’re taking for our environment go beyond the scope of our SBTi-approved net-zero target. We will also continue to partner for our goals with our commercial and local partners to help our communities adapt to the effects of climate change. This includes encouraging supporters to make sustainable choices and promote more sustainable travel options, and using our platform to educate, lift voices and inspire action in our local and global communities.”

Arsenal’s journey to net-zero

In line with the SBTi standards, Arsenal’s net-zero action plan focuses on:

· Reducing and decarbonising our energy consumption across Emirates Stadium, Sobha Realty Training Centre, our Academy building, Hale End, and our offices, maintaining our commitment to procure 100% renewable electricity.

· Reducing emissions from travel and transport – including club travel, employee commuting and delivery of products sold through Arsenal Direct. We will be taking action to promote more sustainable supporter travel options, though this sits outside the scope of our science-based target.

· Minimising waste and improving recycling – including matchday waste and water use.

· Working with our suppliers and partners to set decarbonisation goals and reduce emissions from the goods and services we purchase (such as food and drink), as well as from the products we sell and licensed products (including kit)

Beyond this, education and raising awareness of sustainability issues remains a core pillar of Arsenal’s approach to inspire change across its communities in north London and around the world.

Earlier this week, Arsenal launched the Green Action League in collaboration with partner Ball Corporation and teams from across the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment family. This brings back the Green Gooners Cup for supporters, an award-winning campaign that inspired almost 56,000 sustainable actions from Arsenal supporters across 164 countries when it first ran in March of this year.

The club is also working with commercial and local partners to help its communities to adapt to the effects of climate change. That includes working with the London Borough of Islington and other local Islington anchor institutions to create a climate action plan to build resilience.