Club signs up to UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework
Oxford United, a Sky Bet League One football club, has signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, an initiative aimed at supporting and guiding sports organisations in tackling climate change, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The initiative, launched in 2018, has more than 250 signatories worldwide, including FIFA, UEFA, The FA, the International Olympic Committee, Formula 1, Sky Sports and BBC Sport.
Oxford United is the 13th English football club to sign the pledge following Birmingham County Football Association, Bristol City Football, Liverpool Football Club and Oxford United Football Club Limited, to name a few.
The club is committed to halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2040.
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face, and football has an important role to play in tackling it. Oxford United is committed to improving sustainability in the English Football League and are proud to have signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. This is a club-wide commitment across all our operations, and we have a clear strategy to ensure we become one of English football’s most environmentally friendly clubs.
Oxford United’s chief executive officer Tim Williams
As part of its net-zero commitment, the club is building a state-of-the-art low-carbon 16,000-capacity stadium at the Triangle in Kidlington.
The stadium will use low-impact materials in the build as well as sustainable sources of power, including 3,000m2 of solar panels to generate electricity and heat recovery solutions to maximise thermal efficiency.
The facility will use heat pumps, which are anticipated to provide an estimated 80% reduction in CO2 emissions per year in comparison to gas boilers.
The club is also planning to include drainage systems, rain storage and recycling solutions at the establishment, while adding gardens and public spaces to improve the biodiversity in the area.
Williams added: “The Stadium will act as a blueprint for future design and transform how modern stadia operate with the future of our planet in mind.”
Source: Oxford United, February 9, 2024
