At 8.30pm on 24th March, Arsenal Football Club and its Official Energy Partner Octopus Energy will continue their leadership of sustainability in sport by turning world famous Emirates Stadium dark for an hour to mark Earth Hour 2018. www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour
Manager Arsene Wenger and Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis officially switched Arsenal to Octopus Energy’s green power in 2017, meaning it was the first Premier League club to be fully supplied by 100% renewable electricity.
Following a widely-lauded start, the partnership has gone from strength to strength. The partnership to date has saved 5.7 million kilograms of C02 from being pumped into the atmosphere, the equivalent of 2.8 million trees by Arsenal’s bold move away from fossil fuels.
To raise further awareness of the critical importance of the move towards renewable energy in the global fight against air pollution, Arsenal has also worked with Octopus Energy to launch a massive tree planting exercise around the UK. They will soon see their 1,500th tree go in the ground, following plantings in dozens of different schools and communities.
Highlights include partnering with Arsenal in the Community (and mascot Gunnersaurus) and ex-JLS pop star-turned-farmer JB Gill, to plant trees in an Islington school; the local MP for York helping plant 50 holly and hawthorn trees on an ex-landfill site; sheltering a Brighton school’s play area from chilly coastal winds with a hazel hedgerow; and planting 100 trees at a school metres from a road travelled by more than 10,000 cars daily.
Arsenal FC and Octopus Energy are now asking the public to get involved in Earth Hour and make a #PromiseForThePlanet, a pledge to take one step in their own lives to reduce their environmental footprint. This includes choosing a renewable energy supplier, saying no to plastic cutlery, washing at 30 degrees and cutting the amount of meat we eat. They have been specifically chosen as examples of small behaviour changes people can make that collectively will have a big impact.
Greg Jackson, CEO Octopus Energy said:
“The World Health Organisation reported that people living in 44 British cities are inhaling air too dangerous to breathe.
It’s simply horrifying, and we are so proud to be working with Arsenal on raising the importance of renewable energy sources in combating air pollution and delighted to once again be supporting WWF’s Earth Hour in their critical awareness raising of the precious delicacy of our planet.”
Mike Lloyd, Deputy Stadium Manager, said:
“We are pleased to once again show our support for WWF Earth Hour by joining millions around the world in turning off our lights.
“We are very proud of the work we are doing with Octopus Energy and this is another example of our commitment to sustainable energy.”
Earth Hour was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The 11th annual event is the world’s largest show of support for our planet and sends a powerful message to local and global leaders to put saving our planet at the top of their agendas.
Lights around the world will go out for the hour, from the Taj Mahal to Buckingham Palace, as well as hundreds of millions of people around the world. In the UK alone, more than eight million people and 400 landmarks, including The Shard, Edinburgh Castle and Carnaby Street, are expected to participate.
-Ends-
For journalists in their professional capacity only. Issued by Octopus Energy Ltd. Registered office: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT. Registered in England and Wales No. 09263424. Issued: March 2018.