MCC/Lord’s: Sustainability Champions (Sponsored by Barclays)
By Chris Britt-Searle
The new look Lord’s
"As owner of the Home of Cricket, guardian of the Laws of the game, in a sport with global reach, Marylebone Cricket Club’s approach to sustainability is important both as a statement for a more progressive and forward-thinking industry and to create a case study for other sporting organisations to follow."
Not our words, but those of the MCC, in their 2023 report, ‘A Journey to Net Zero Carbon’. Indeed, Lord’s have been pioneers in the realm of sports sustainability, becoming the first UK sports venue to appoint a full-time sustainability manager, way back in 2009 when Stuart Broad was hitting 169 against Pakistan, and being one of the first major UK sports organisations to sign up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.
That first sustainability manager was none other than Dr Russell Seymour, who after making great strides at Lords, went on to form the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS), and has become the leading voice in UK sports sustainability.
In recent years the MCC has gone on to slash its carbon emissions with numerous initiatives, including:
100% renewable electricity - from offshore wind and solar PV
a ground source heat pump to heat and cool the Warner, Compton & Edrich stands
conversion of floodlights to LEDs
electrification of machinery and vehicles
building management systems to optimise energy use
elimination of gas from kitchens
Impressively, the club has committed to eliminating Lord’s operational emissions entirely by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2040, aided and monitored through a partnership with Net Zero Group. They have also significantly reduced water use, banned single-use plastics, increased recycling rates from 17% to 51%, and have sent zero waste to landfill since 2010.
The current sustainability manager, Stuart Dunlop, who is tasked with delivering on the club’s ambitious targets, is clearly a man on a mission - aiming to fully embed sustainability in everything the MCC does and spreading its message of climate action through their ‘Batting for a better future’ campaign, an educational outreach programme for local schools and a sustainability trail around the ground.
Green walls on the Warner Stand
It’s all very impressive stuff and should rightfully be applauded and championed. However, there’s a slight problem. MCC recently signed a controversial sponsorship deal with Barclays, who have repeatedly been accused of attempting to sportswash, or greenwash their reputation by organisations such as Greenpeace and Badvertising, as well as their own investors, and been the focus of protests at sporting events such as Wimbledon. Though we thoroughly commend the MCC’s progress towards sustainability and its leadership on climate action, we can’t help but question whether their green credentials are somewhat undermined by turning the Home of Cricket into a giant advert for Europe’s biggest financier of fossil fuels.
And we’re not alone. We’ve spoken to several MCC members, who are unhappy with the deal and wanted to air their views. One concerned member said:
“Our Club has promised to only work with partners who have aligned sustainability goals and ambitions and we’re failing badly. We’ve moved from JP Morgan, the world’s worst bank for funding fossil fuel expansion, to Barclays, who are the worst in Europe. This is the MCC, what we do matters, and as the guardians of the spirit of the game we’ve let ourselves down.”
In a similar vein, another member stated:
“As the custodians of cricket’s laws, the MCC represents tradition, longevity, and foresight within the sport. With that role comes a significant responsibility—not just to cricket fans, but to the wider public—to set an example.
Cricket has a unique ability to unite people from different cultures and religions, fostering camaraderie and social connection. In our increasingly multicultural world, this value is immeasurable. As the sport’s core custodians, the MCC should be especially mindful of partnering with organisations that could undermine this positive and unifying aspect of the game.”
Doctors for Extinction Rebellion protest J.P. Morgan’s sponsorship of Lord’s in 2022
This sentiment was shared by Dr Alice Clack, one of the doctors of Health for Extinction Rebellion who was ejected from Lord’s back in 2022, after dropping a banner protesting against J.P. Morgan:
“Two and a half years after doctors from Health for Extinction Rebellion unveiled a huge banner at Lords to demand an end to their compromising sponsorship deal with JP Morgan Chase, MCC are still failing to recognise that fossil fuel expansion poses an existential risk to our health, our societies and to cricket.”
We put these concerns to the MCC, whose spokesperson responded:
“Our 2021 ESG report laid out our commitment to being a sustainable club, to acting responsibly for the good of cricket, making our club accessible to all, and ensuring we are fit for purpose for future generations
This included our goal of forging industry partnerships to strengthen our social initiatives, which is the central vision for this sponsorship: to expand cricket opportunities for all, removing barriers, and levelling the playing field for underrepresented groups, particularly women, girls, and state school players.
“As part of this, we are looking forward to bolstering the work of the MCC Foundation with Barclays’ commitment to community programmes to bring accessible and inclusive cricket to 10,000 young people by 2028.”
To give Barclays their due, they have pledged to ‘facilitate’ $1 trillion of sustainable and transition finance by the end of 2030. In practice, it’s not totally clear what this means and in part, it involves continued investment in polluting industries, such as aviation and shipping, which are supposedly transitioning to sustainability.
The sad fact remains that Barclays are one of the few banks that have actually been increasing their financing of the fossil fuel industry, with $235 billion invested since the Paris agreement in 2015. To cap it all, they continue to invest in fracking, are the 4th largest investors in Arctic oil and gas and are the number one funder of US coal fired power plants. Hardly sustainable, and not at all worthy of gracing the hallowed ground at Lord’s - one of the leading lights for sustainability in cricket and sport around the world.
What you can do
To learn more about Barclays investments in the fossil fuel industry and to find out how to switch to a greener, more ethical bank or pension fund (it’s super easy and some even pay you to do it!) head to:
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