The Challenge
Liverpool FC’s ambition has always been to operate as a sustainable club and business. Three years ago, it identified there was a huge amount of good work happening across the Club and the LFC Foundation in areas relating to its people, its communities, and its contribution to a healthier planet. However, this work was fragmented and sitting in silos across the club.
Recognising the increasing importance of sustainability to all its stakeholders—from passionate supporters and commercial partners to employees and suppliers—Liverpool FC challenged Think Beyond to consolidate these initiatives into a world-leading strategy that would position Liverpool as a true leader in sports and sustainability.
From there ‘The Red Way’ was born. Here’s how it was created and the impact it’s delivered.
The Solution
Think Beyond developed Liverpool FC’s sustainability strategy, embedding environmental, social and economic sustainability into every area of its operations and strategic decision-making.
By aligning Liverpool FC’s objectives with its business strategy and collaborating with its stakeholders, Think Beyond supported the organisation in setting ambitious targets and creating initiatives to reduce the club’s environmental impact, elevate its social responsibility and support the commercial team in increasing revenue.
This led to Think Beyond creating the implementation framework that enabled Liverpool FC to become the first Premier League Club to be certified to the ISO20121 standard – widely recognised as the gold standard for sustainable event management.
With sustainability now fundamentally embedded across every facet of the club, Think Beyond worked closely with Liverpool FC to further refine and advance its sustainability efforts.
Think Beyond supported the club in developing its carbon emission inventory, quantifying its total greenhouse gas emissions and highlighting both its direct and indirect emissions. This enhanced Liverpool FC’s operational efficiencies and delivered cost savings through improved environmental performance monitoring.
A biodiversity action plan and water and waste management were also developed to further the club’s sustainability goals.
Central to the success of The Red Way was an internal communications strategy which galvanised the entire club around its sustainability ambitions, from administrators and senior management to players and in-stadia personnel.
In March 2023, Think Beyond supported Liverpool FC to publish its first sustainability report. A significant moment reflecting The Red Way as an intrinsic part of the organisation, it showcased both the club’s successes and challenges as it inspires others to kickstart their sustainability journeys. The latest report was published in April this year along with a fun video featuring stars Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and others to engage fans on sustainability.
The Impact
Liverpool FC’s commitment to sustainability is already yielding significant results across its entire operations, showcasing the integration of sustainability practices as not just beneficial for its local community, its people and the planet, but also a major driver of business success.
Here’s an overview of the impact it has delivered:
- Prestigious Recognition: Liverpool FC won the Environmental Sustainability award at the 2024 FEVO Sport Industry Awards, has been lauded as the most sustainable football brand in Europe by Brand Finance's 2023 Football Sustainability Index and maintained its top position in the Sport Positive League in 2022 and 2023. It was also presented with the SEAL Environmental Sustainability Award and the Sustainability Award at the Football Business Awards in May 2023.
- Purpose-driven Partnerships: 46% of Liverpool FC's partnerships are aligned to pillars and/or objectives of The Red Way, including collaborations with Standard Chartered, Cadbury, SC Johnson, Nike and Expedia.
- Record-Breaking Revenues: The 2022-2023 season marked an increase in Liverpool FC's global commercial revenues by £25m to £272m, making it the club's biggest revenue source.
- Environmental Excellence: Liverpool is the only Premier League Club certified to ISO 20121, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 certifications, showcasing its leadership in sustainability.
- Sustainability milestones: Liverpool achieved a 29% reduction in emissions against the previous season (2021-22), running 94% of club operations on clean energy and offsetting 100% of emissions from its football operations - all of which contribute to the club’s aim of achieving net zero by 2040.
- Community Impact: In the 2022-23 season, the LFC Foundation saw a 47% increase in support, reaching over 122,000 individuals, up from 83,000. The foundation injected £5 million into the Liverpool City region's economy and generated over £32 million in health benefits. For every £1 spent, the foundation created a social return value of £13.
Embarking on Your Sustainability Journey
The transformative journey of Liverpool Football Club, underpinned by The Red Way, exemplifies the profound impact that a committed sustainability strategy can have on both an organisation, the planet and its broader community. It’s a testament to the power of purpose-driven action, showcasing that sustainability and commercial success are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.
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