They say the best teams don’t rebuild; they evolve. That’s exactly what Liverpool Football Club has done, not just in replacing Jürgen Klopp with Arne Slot and lifting a record-equalling 20th league title, but in how they’ve become football’s most credible sustainability leaders.

While the headlines celebrated goals, trophies and farewells, something just as remarkable has been happening behind the scenes. Under the banner of The Red Way, Liverpool FC has been transforming how a football club thinks, acts and leads on sustainability, not with sweeping promises, but with consistent, credible progress.

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Liverpool FC for the past three years through Think Beyond. And in that time, I’ve seen first-hand what makes the Club so effective at turning good intentions into long-term impact.

It’s not a secret formula. It’s not a splashy campaign. It’s a culture of steady, purposeful improvement, built on strong governance, shared responsibility and a belief that doing better each year is better than promising the earth and delivering an atlas.

Here are a few personal reflections on what sets Liverpool FC apart, and what others across sport and business might learn from The Red Way.

1. Act First, Talk Later

One of the most important things Liverpool FC got right was starting The Red Way not with a glossy strategy document, but with action. In 2021, the Club focused on embedding sustainability into day-to-day operations. Guided by Think Beyond, they developed clear governance, realistic targets and internal systems aligned to the internationally recognised ISO 20121 standard, well before releasing a public report.

This decision shaped everything that followed. It signalled that sustainability wouldn’t be treated as a campaign or a corporate add-on, but as a core part of how the Club runs. It’s why The Red Way isn’t a strategy; it’s a commitment to building a better future for ‘Our People, Our Planet and Our Communities’, and it’s reflected in the way decisions are made across the Club.

2. Make It Everyone’s Job

It’s easy to say that sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. But Liverpool FC has operationalised that belief in a way few organisations do.

While sustainability is led by Rishi Jain, Director of Impact, responsibility for implementing The Red Way is shared across every department. Colleagues are assigned objectives tied to the three pillars of the strategy, and delivery against these goals is assessed annually as part of performance reviews. Crucially, training on The Red Way is mandatory and embedded into onboarding and ongoing staff development.

This creates a sense of ownership. It builds literacy. And it means that sustainability isn’t left to one team; it becomes part of what it means to work for the Club.

As Executive Sponsor of The Red Way, Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer, Jonathan Bamber plays a vital role in keeping sustainability embedded within the Club’s decision-making. His sponsorship sends a powerful message that sustainability is a strategic priority, not a sideline.

And this mindset is taking hold. The retail team, for example, recently launched their own “Sustainability Week” campaign on LFC Retail’s Instagram, shining a spotlight on sustainable products and the small design changes they’ve made, from removing single-use plastic to rethinking how items like wrapping paper are packaged.

These weren’t top-down instructions. They came from a team that took pride in their role and chose to bring The Red Way to life in a way that felt authentic to them.

3. Partner for Impact

Liverpool FC knows that its primary role is to be a successful football club, win trophies and serve as a pillar of the community. That doesn’t mean solving every sustainability challenge alone. It means building the right partnerships to help.

A powerful example from the 2025 The Red Way Impact Report is the Club’s collaboration with Husqvarna UK. The Grounds team faced a clear sustainability challenge: reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Rather than tackle it in isolation, they worked with Husqvarna to transition to electric hand-held equipment and integrate a fleet of robotic mowers. This is sustainability as problem-solving, targeted, practical and done in collaboration with expert partners.

This kind of alignment is only possible because Liverpool FC has been deliberate in bringing its partners on the journey. One of The Red Way’s key goals is for 100% of commercial partners to align with the Club’s sustainability approach. That doesn’t just mean badge-slapping; it means helping each partner find the unique role they can play in creating impact.

4. Share Progress, Not Perfection

In a space where many are still hesitant to share until they have all the answers, Liverpool FC has led by being open and transparent. The Club’s The Red Way Annual Reports lay out clear progress against KPIs and aren’t afraid to acknowledge challenges or areas for improvement.

That honesty has built trust. It also gives the Club permission to speak authentically at industry forums and events, sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where the journey is heading next. This transparency sets the tone for a more collaborative sports industry, where lessons can be shared and scaled rather than hoarded.

5. Get Better, Not Just Bigger

Perhaps the most powerful lesson from Liverpool FC is that real progress comes from continual improvement, not from setting a single big goal and hoping for the best.

Because The Red Way is underpinned by ISO 20121, the Club is committed to annual cycles of review, reflection and improvement. No single project has carried the burden of success. Instead, the Club has taken steps forward across a wide range of areas, always asking, “what can we do better this year?”

A case in point is the investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to mitigate the carbon impact of domestic charter flights. In elite sport, removing all short-haul flights isn’t realistic in the near term. But that doesn’t mean the Club does nothing. By investing in SAF, Liverpool FC is backing a solution that will be critical to aviation’s future. It’s not a perfect fix, but it’s a meaningful step, and it’s better than last year.

The Red Way is working, not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real.

It reflects what Liverpool FC is on the pitch: disciplined, ambitious, and focused on improving with every game. In sport and in sustainability, success isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about building the systems, culture and momentum that allow you to keep showing up, year after year, with purpose.

And while there’s no trophy for being the most sustainable football club, Liverpool FC’s 12 GOAL medals and recognition as Most Sustainable Club 2024, Sustainable Governance Winner, ESG Programme of the Year and Sustainable Packaging Award are proof that the Club’s leadership is being seen and celebrated.

Just like their performance on the pitch this season, their off-pitch progress has been nothing short of title-worthy.

If you’d like to learn more about The Red Way, feel free to reach out.