City scoop EFL Gold sustainability award.

Bristol City has been awarded EFL Green Clubs Gold status for its environmental sustainability initiative Project Whitebeam. 

City had been the only EFL club with Green Code status, having been awarded it in 2023, and the club has now been awarded EFL Green Clubs ‘Gold’ as part of the refreshed scheme for its efforts.

Project Whitebeam, a joint effort from the Bristol Sport clubs – City men and women, Bristol Bears men and women, Bristol Flyers and Ashton Gate Stadium – recognises, measures and mitigates the Group’s impact on the environment.

Bristol Sport CEO Gavin Marshall said: “We are proud of the hard work of all the staff at both the club and the wider sporting group. This new gold award cements our position as a real leader in this space and we will continue our commitment to Project Whitebeam and do what we can to be greener.”

EFL Green Clubs assessment covers a range of sustainability criteria which is then verified by a third party auditor. Clubs can now receive Bronze, Silver or Gold status, with a score of 76 or more required for gold. City have scored 89 and provided more than 123 pieces of evidence to showcase the club’s commitment to the green agenda. 

Bristol Sport Head of Change and Sustainability Pete Smith said: “Project Whitebeam is fundamentally about protecting the game we love. More than 150,000 amateur football games were lost to the weather last season while numerous clubs up and down the pyramid have suffered damage by floods and storms. 

“At an elite level, sport has recently seen F1 races cancelled by flooding, Olympic triathlons postponed due to water quality and entire ski resorts closed due to climate change. 

“We’ve found numerous co-benefits. Using local suppliers reduces our food miles but also supports local business, clothing donations divert waste from landfill while keeping homeless people warm and sending unsold matchday pies to a shelter feeds hungry people in our community. Fans can benefit too from initiatives such as free and subsidised transport and free bike repair workshops” 

For more information about Project Whitebeam click here.

Read more about the EFL Green Clubs Gold award here.

This weekend marks Green Football Weekend as City Men take on Norwich and City Women host Charlton.

Throughout the week, City will announce a host of initiatives linked to Project Whitebeam and its commitment to the environment.