--- title: Rovers Are Top Of The World’s Green League description: Forest Green Rovers are a phenomenon in English football – a club that competes at a relatively high level with sustainability at the forefront. image: https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/Betterworld/news/Rovers-Top-Of-Green-League-420.webp --- Together as business leaders, we can make a difference. 'Heroes of Net Zero' [Follow Us](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rea-8961b617/detail/recent-activity/posts/) [![](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/bw-logo-01.svg)](https://betterworld.solutions/) - - [Why we are taking action](https://betterworld.solutions/statement) - [Real World Examples](https://betterworld.solutions/examples) - [Net Zero Training](https://betterworld.solutions/net-zero-sustainability-training) - [Create your own Policy](https://betterworld.solutions/form) - Menu Menu # Rovers Are Top Of The World’s Green League ![Football pitch in the middle of a forest.](https://betterworld.solutions/hs-fs/hubfs/Betterworld/news/Rovers-Top-Of-Green-League-744.webp?width=1336&name=Rovers-Top-Of-Green-League-744.webp "Football pitch in the middle of a forest.") ### Forest Green Rovers are something of a phenomenon in English football – a club that competes at a relatively high level with sustainability at the forefront of operations. The former EFL1 club, who now play in the national league, has been described by FIFA as “the world’s greenest football club”, and with good reason. The Gloucestershire-based side generates part of its electricity through solar panels installed at its stadium and uses renewable energy supplied by owner Dale Vince’s Ecotricity business for its remaining power needs. FGR operate park-and-ride schemes, provide cycle parking, offer electric vehicle charging points, organise group travel for away matches and offset associated coach emissions. The club implemented measures to reduce waste and resource consumption, has an organic pitch that captures and recycles rainwater, with systems to recycle water for pitch irrigation, and water-saving measures throughout the stadium. Its grounds at The New Lawn in Nailsworth are managed without chemical pesticides or herbicides, and biodiversity is promoted through wildflower planting, pollinator-friendly habitats and beehives. Rovers also became the world’s first fully vegan professional football club – including players and supporters (within the stadium) – which reflects its view that reducing meat and dairy consumption is an effective way to lower environmental impact. Owner Dale Vince, who founded the country’s greenest energy company Ecotricity, uses the football club as a public demonstration of how environmental principles can be integrated into everyday operations. He said: *“When we bought Forest Green Rovers in 2010, we weren’t just looking for a club to back on match days. We saw an opportunity, to turn a football club into a living, breathing example of how sustainability can change the world. We’ve done this by focusing on three core areas – energy, food, and transport.”* Through its community programmes and charity work, Forest Green Rovers promotes environmental awareness, sustainability education, health, wellbeing and inclusion within local communities and schools. Can business in general learn from this approach? As Vince says: *“I didn’t set out to be a businessman, a campaigner, or a so-called disruptor. I just wanted to live a low-impact life. But somewhere along the way, I realised I could do more than just tread lightly. I could try to change the system.”* ### **Explore** If enough businesses act, together we can slow down or help to prevent Global Warming. [![](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/footer-panel/footer-panel-3.png)](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage) ### **A Summary of Evidence** We estimate that widespread adoption of more climate-friendly policies in industry globally, could have the equivalent impact of taking [630.5 million](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage) cars off the roads. [![](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/footer-panel/footer-panel-2.png)](https://betterworld.solutions/examples) ### **Real World Examples** Just a few examples where we have the know-how to do things differently and help both the environment and the bottom line. [![](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/footer-panel/footer-panel-1.png)](https://betterworld.solutions/form) ### **Create your Policy** The case for a great return on investment, from water and energy savings is very clear. "Adopt an [Investment Policy to Prevent Global Warming](https://betterworld.solutions/form)". ### Popular Links - [Video Diary Box Set](https://betterworld.solutions/video-diary-box-set) - [CO2 Summary Table](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage) - [Steam Turbines Case Study](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage/refineries-steam-turbines#video-case-study) - [Pulp & Paper Calculations](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage/pulp-and-paper-plants) - [Betterworld Newsletter](https://betterworld.solutions/newsletter) - [Net Zero Training](https://betterworld.solutions/net-zero-sustainability-training) ![Betterworld Solutions logo white](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/betterworld-solutions-logo-1.png) The AESSEAL plc [Investment Policy to Prevent Global Warming](https://betterworld.solutions/form) is a business-friendly investment policy intended to encourage all stakeholders in any organisation to bring sustainability projects that match the stated aim of that organisation’s policy, to the attention of the right people. Follow us on social media  https://betterworld.solutions is made in association with AESSEAL plc | Registered office address - AESSEAL plc, Global Technology Centre, Bradmarsh Business Park, Mill Close Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 1BZ | Registered in the UK, Company Number 2101607 | You can find the group [Privacy & Cookie Policy here](https://betterworld.solutions/privacy-policy) . - [Home](https://betterworld.solutions/) - [Why we are Taking Action](https://betterworld.solutions/statement) - [Create your own Policy](https://betterworld.solutions/form) - [A Summary of Evidence](https://betterworld.solutions/examples/c02-savings-in-mechanical-seal-usage) - [Real World Examples](https://betterworld.solutions/examples) - [Video Diary Box Set](https://betterworld.solutions/video-diary-box-set) - [Betterworld Newsletter](https://betterworld.solutions/newsletter) - [Net Zero Training](https://betterworld.solutions/net-zero-sustainability-training) - [Real World Examples](https://betterworld.solutions/examples) - [Renewable Energy](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=renewable) - [Waste Reduction](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=waste) - [Water Savings](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=water) - [Power Conservation](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=power) - [Lowering Emissions](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=lowering) - [Recycling](https://betterworld.solutions/examples?f=recycling) × ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Andrew Mosley", "url" : "https://betterworld.solutions/examples/author/andrew-mosley" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-28T09:43:16.742Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-28T09:43:16.000Z", "headline" : "Rovers Are Top Of The World’s Green League", "image" : [ "https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/Betterworld/news/Rovers-Top-Of-Green-League-420.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://betterworld.solutions/examples/rovers-are-top-of-the-worlds-green-league", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/aesseal_branding/AESSEAL-text-logo.jpg" }, "name" : "AESSEAL plc" } } ```