It may have narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League last season, but Gloucestershire-based football club Forest Green Rovers has topped the league when it comes to A Greener Future arena certification.
A Greener Future’s (AGF) annual Greener Arena Certification acknowledges venues around the world that are seeking to make the global event sector more sustainable, and National League club Forest Green Rovers, which has been described by FIFA as the ‘world’s greenest football club’, was the only venue to earn an ‘Outstanding’ certification, for its The New Lawn ground.
‘Innovative and sustainable’
It’s the fourth time the football club has been recognised by AGF, with Dane Vince, CEO of Forest Green Rovers, saying the club was “proud” to receive the recognition, “as we strive to lead the way with innovative and sustainable solutions, in line with our mission as the worlds greenest football club. As an environmental conscious business, we aim to inspire and educate more organisations to help protect the planet and be part of a Green Britain.”
The AGF assessment process includes self-evaluation, on-site visits, and post-event evidence submitted to AGF’s assessors for an independent auditors’ report, with the framework covering 11 key themes, including local environments, community, travel, food, energy, water, waste, inclusion, and governance.
Venue recognition
Earning ‘Highly Commended’ recognition this year was Co-op Live in Manchester and the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, while Glasgow’s OVO Hydro was certified for the third time, earning a ‘Commended’ certification. A group of venues, including ABBA Voyage in London, Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, AO Arena in Manchester, AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, and P&J Live in Aberdeen, were recognised in the ‘Improver’ category.
“Venues are the backbone of the live indoor sector and touring circuit,” commented Claire O’Neill, CEO, AGF. “The more venues that take sustainability seriously, the more artists have a song sheet to sing from that connects with their values and perpetuates a greener event sector for everyone. Hats off to the greener arenas and venues who made the grade in 2025.”
All certified venues will be formally recognised at the International AGF Awards in 2026, which will take place during the Green Events & Innovations Conference, held in partnership with the International Live Music Conference in London next February. Read more here.
