I am proud to be leading the Everton For Change Fans’ Forum Project Group. It is a new group set up late last year that brings together supporters who have an interest in sustainability and the relevant departments of the Club. More on that later.

First, some GCSE Geography... I know - but please stay with me.

Your textbook will tell you sustainability is built from three parts: the social, the economic and the environmental.

Each of these has to be in-balance to develop sustainably. If one is prioritised, or neglected, eventually they will all come crumbling down.

Think in football terms: if you prioritise attack and forget to defend you won’t get far. Equally, if you focus on defence at the expense of attacking, the overall balance of the team suffers.

A sustainable society works just like this.

A neglect of the environment has the potential to undermine all of the good work already done by the club and its official charity in society and the impacts it has on our economy… and that is why we feel this project group and the club’s Everton for Change initiative is so important.

As our climate changes over the next 50 years, it is the most vulnerable in society who will be affected first.

Not bothered because you are not in that bracket?

Well consider this; regardless of your financial status, sexuality, gender, religion, race - or even if you don’t believe in it - you WILL be impacted by the damage we have, and are doing, to the environment and our climate. It won’t discriminate.

As well as a love for Everton, I’ve also always had a love for our planet. It’s called the Blue Planet for a reason, because it’s the best.

I have managed to turn this love into a career, so I’m actually paid to fulfil my passion in protecting the planet. 

Almost a year ago I was knocking up an application to be on the Fans Forum. I’d seen the start of the ‘Everton for Change’ campaign just before COVID kicked in and wanted an avenue to be involved.

The campaign aims to raise environmental awareness and explore new ways to make a positive impact on the planet.

And the Club have been proactive on that front, ever since its announcement.

The well-publicised ‘Everton for Change’ has and will include measures such as an increase in clean, renewable energy across all Club sites; the removal of single use plastics; a sustainable transport policy for fans, both at Goodison and following the move to Bramley-Moore Dock, big improvements in water efficiency and, visibly, more plant-based and low carbon food options on concourses and within the stadium.

That’s just scratching the surface, with many more plans and improvements in the pipeline.

But here was the chance to combine my two lifelong passions; Everton Football Club and the environment.

Eight months and a rather embarrassing social media campaign begging for votes to get me on the Forum later, here I am, leading the ‘Everton for Change Fans’ Forum Project Group’. 

After several initial meetings with the club, I’m even more confident they are going in the right direction.

It’s early days, as although strong environmental considerations are uppermost in the thoughts of responsible businesses right now, changes in attitude and behaviour can take time to embed within the culture of a workplace, and, in our case, the fanbase.

But just like the social and economic considerations of the local community, these will eventually be part of the everyday running of the club.

An updated and more detailed sustainability strategy and subsequent policy is in the process of being developed, and the club has committed to net-zero emissions, in line with the Liverpool City Council’s ambitious targets.

The move from Goodison Park will also give the Club a massive boost on the environmental sustainability front and, as part of the New Stadium Fans’ Forum Project Group, I have pushed and pushed for as many environmental considerations as possible, in what the club proudly boast will be the most sustainable stadium in the Premier League.

Pop quiz… How many readers knew:

- The Bramley-Moore Dock project is committed to a net gain in biodiversity?
- Almost 100% of all materials dug up are being re-used within the build?
- Rainwater will be harvested for use in toilets or watering the pitch, or that solar panels will generate electricity?
- All 52,888 seats are going to be made of recycled plastic?

As well as all of these there are many other considerations, such as increased noise insulation, flood mitigation measures, and even offsetting the loss of the water body within the dock with the creation of wildlife habitats elsewhere in the region. 

While Everton make their ‘green’ changes, we, as fans, must do too.

Whether we are travelling to the game, or watching from afar, we all create a footprint that has an impact on the environment.

Over the coming months, the Fans Forum and Everton Football Club will be promoting ways we can all make small changes to the ways we support the club, in order to reduce our impact on the environment.

This will culminate in the clubs first ‘Green Matchday’, which, in the future will hopefully be just a routine matchday.

We may not have any control over what happens on the pitch, but together we can all ensure we’re nothing but the best off of it.

I look forward to updating you on some of the exciting fan-led initiatives we have coming up throughout the year…

COYB

Chris