Risk news

Football League clubs have been urged to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to cut their energy, waste and water output.

As part of a new partnership between the Football League Trust (FLT) and the Environment Agency (EA), all 72 Championship, League One and League Two clubs in England and Wales will have their funding partially linked to improvements in green performance.

By striving to become more eco-friendly, football clubs may be able to persuade SMEs to act in a similar manner, claimed FLT north-west regional manager Dean Grice.

"Football clubs are at the heart of many communities and we want that heart to be green," he said.

Mr Grice added that while changes may not happen overnight, clubs such as Oldham Athletic have already looked to become greener by using paper produced from sustainable sources.

The EA has warned that unless firms and households cut their water consumption, England and Wales could be at risk of a major water shortage in the future.

Some 25 million people in England currently live in an area which has less available water than Spain or Morocco, it warned.

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