Gary Neville promises "green revolution in sport"

England football coach Gary Neville is helping to kick off a new campaign to encourage sport teams, governing bodies, and fans to take more responsibility for reducing their environmental impact.

Sustainability in Sport aims to produce eco-standards for stadiums and pitches, help clubs measure and manage their carbon footprint, engage with sports equipment manufacturers to use more sustainable materials, and run workshops to share expertise and experience.

Launched last week, the campaign is based on the work renewable energy company Ecotricity has done with its local football team in Gloucestershire, Forest Green Rovers. Ecotricity chief executive Dale Vince is also chairman of the conference side and has introduced a range of environmental measures over the last year.

Perhaps the most eye-catching is a solar-powered electric robot lawnmower, which trundles up and down the world's first organic football pitch. But more prosaic changes, including a system that recycles all of the water sprayed on the pitch and banning read meat in favour of locally sourced vegetarian food, have also helped cut the club's impact.

A club spokesman told BusinessGreen the next phase of its work would be to "touch base with other clubs" and harness the "extraordinary power of sport" to publicise the campaign.

The world will be watching the London 2012 Olympics, but few will be aware that its 3.45 million tonne carbon footprint is the equivalent of adding an extra city the size of Cardiff for a year - and almost twice the impact of the Beijing games in 2008.

Neville said in a statement the environmental impact of sport is "massive but often overlooked".

"With the Olympics putting sport at the forefront of people's minds, we believe the time is right to launch a green revolution in sport," he said.

"Sporting stars are role-models for people throughout the world and delivering messages on sustainability through sport can reach a diverse global audience."

A charity match between Forest Green and a Manchester United XI will take place at the club's New Lawn stadium on Sunday 5th August with all proceeds going to the Sustainability in Sport foundation.