City continued their commitment and drive towards sustainability with a focus on further reducing consumption and increasing renewable energy resources.
There were impressive figures to report from the 2024-25 season with the Club managing a reduction in energy consumption of 160,000kwh of gas, while water consumption fell by just under 30,000 cubic metres.
Source: Manchester City
More than 2,800 solar panels were installed on the roof of the Joie Stadium, home to the Women’s team, in late 2024.
Thousands more panels will be installed across the City Football Academy (CFA). Once the project is complete, the panels will generate enough renewable energy to offset the annual power requirements needed to run the CFA, making it one of the largest producers of renewable energy in world football.
To deliver the project, City is working alongside its Official Solar Energy Partner, JinkoSolar, who supplied the innovative and award-winning solar panels. The first phase of the Club’s solar energy generation project has already produced a significant contribution towards the CFA’s energy requirements.
Elsewhere at the CFA, 11 new rain gardens were built as part of a water discharging reduction scheme, with plans to add further gardens in 2025-26.
The Club worked with Official Water Technology Partner, Xylem, to further improve the efficiency of water management and reduce water waste.
Wildlife counts reaffirmed the healthy status of the landscape and air and water qualities at the CFA, with new fauna species naturally seeding. Bees, invertebrates and bird populations continued to thrive.
Recycling at the CFA remained stable at approximately 74%, and a trial of sharing food origins (production and food miles), ingredients, allergies and supplier information with staff was successful and will be further rolled out in 2025-26.
Away from the CFA, City implemented the Matchday Bus Network following a successful trial in 2023-24.
The network, which is delivered in collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester, is made up of 15 routes covering 71 locations. The network continues to be rated highly by fans, with 67% of users reporting that they used the service to replace private car travel, helping reduce congestion on matchdays.
Further sustainable travel trials took place over the latter part of the season. Fans travelling from the city centre were encouraged to use the CityLink Walking Route by giving them a chance of winning exclusive prizes, whilst cyclists could take part in a Love2Ride challenge.
The season also saw the Club recognised for its sustainability efforts.
The Matchday Bus Network won Innovative Sustainable Travel Project of the Year at Team Modeshift’s National Sustainable Travel Awards, and the Club’s conference and events team won both Platinum and Gold awards at the Greengage Sustainability Awards.
The team who manage the landscaping at the CFA were recognised with a prestigious BALI National Landscape Award for adopting innovative and sustainable landscaping practices, including biodiversity-focused initiatives and a comprehensive soil recycling programme.
