How Leeds trail behind their Premier League rivals when it comes to environmental sustainability | OneFootball

In a season that on the field has been about survival, solidity and the return of Premier League football to Elland Road, Leeds United find themselves languishing in an altogether different table – one that has little to do with goals, points or league position and everything to do with environmental sustainability.

A new report undertaken by data firm Tipman Tips has laid bare the stark contrasts in off-field environmental performance across the 20 members of English football’s top flight, and Leeds sit uncomfortably at the foot of it.

The report, the first of its kind to comprehensively rank Premier League clubs on ecological criteria, assessed all 20 clubs across four key markers of sustainability: the number of meaningful sustainability initiatives adopted; pollution levels measured around club operations; transport-related CO₂ emissions; and the quantity of green space adjacent to their stadiums. Unlike many club sustainability statements – often heavy on intent but light on measurable outcomes – this study crunches hard figures in an attempt to set a baseline for where Premier League organisations currently stand.

What emerged was a clear hierarchy. Brighton & Hove Albion, long perceived as thoughtful operators both on and off the pitch, came out on top with an overall score of 80.6 out of 100. The Seagulls’ credentials were bolstered by a relatively low transport emissions footprint – well below the Premier League average – and by the large swathes of green space around the Amex Stadium, as well as the implementation of multiple proactive sustainability measures ranging from renewable energy use to water reuse and waste diversion projects.

The contrast between Brighton and the rest of the league could hardly be starker.

Brentford secured second spot and Tottenham Hotspur third, with Chelsea and Fulham filling out the top five – a mix of clubs with robust sustainability strategies and initiatives now embedded into their operations.

At the bottom, however, sit Leeds. The newly-promoted Yorkshire club’s overall score of just 5.4 placed them last in Tipman Tips’ rankings, and there was a clear driver behind that lowly finish: transport-related emissions. With more than 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions attributed to travel alone, Leeds recorded the highest transport carbon footprint of any club in the Premier League. Adding to the club’s challenges, the area around Elland Road offers a relatively scant 8.04 hectares of green space – a fraction of what many other clubs can boast.

Travel emissions are not an abstract concern. For a club like Leeds – whose fans, players and staff criss-cross the country 19 times a season – patterns of travel are among the most visible sources of environmental impact. Industry research suggests that domestic flights by Premier League clubs in 2024/25 totalled tens of thousands of miles and comprised over a hundred separate journeys, with each avoided flight representing a significant reduction in carbon output compared with rail or coach alternatives.

The Tipman Tips report, while empirical in nature, did not leave Leeds without context. The club have made some efforts in environmental stewardship; for example, they recently achieved a Bronze Award in the Green Clubs Scheme, recognising steps such as offering locally sourced vegetarian and vegan food options and establishing an on-site herb garden at their training facility. However, these do little to offset the tremendous travel emissions and limited green infrastructure associated with Elland Road’s environs.

So what can Leeds do to begin closing this sustainability gap to the rest of the Premier League? The answers are as practical as they are challenging.

One obvious area is travel. A number of clubs in the EFL have signed up to initiatives such as Pledgeball’s Sustainable Travel Charter – a charter that encourages clubs to prioritise low-emission travel solutions for away matches wherever feasible, and to work with supporters on greener travel options on matchdays. Whether it’s joining this scheme or simply committing to a similar approach, a rethinking of travel planning would be a major positive step. Integrating rail and coach as preferred transport modes for short to mid-distance trips and incentivising fans to use public transport, car-share schemes or even cycling could begin to chip away at Leeds’ transportation carbon footprint.

Infrastructure and operational commitments also matter. While Leeds’ historic urban setting and stadium footprint give them less flexibility on green space around Elland Road, the club could invest in biodiversity projects, green roofing and community planting schemes that enhance local ecology while improving air quality. Other Premier League sides, such as Tottenham, have pursued extensive nature evidence and biodiversity monitoring projects that add measurable environmental value to their estates, suggesting there is no one-size-fits-all model but rather a suite of options from which Leeds could take inspiration.

Finally, embedding sustainability into the club’s broader strategic plans, rather than treating it as a public relations add-on, will be key. Brighton’s success in the rankings did not come from a single standout policy but rather from a collection of measures woven into their organisational DNA – from stadium operations to fan engagement and data-led decision-making that scores green issues alongside financial ones.

For Leeds, the immediate priority is clear: reduce emissions, particularly from travel, and fast. If the club are serious about matching their ambition off the pitch to their ambition on it, then being found at the bottom of an environmental league table cannot become the new normal. That, at least, is something both supporters and the broader football community can get behind.