Leeds Rhinos kicks off a new partnership with Ecotricity
Ecotricity becomes Leeds Rhinos’ official energy supplier
Founded in 1870, Leeds Rhinos is a rugby club rich with history. Over the past 155 years, they’ve won the League Championship 11 times and the Challenge Cup 14 times. Regarding off the pitch matters, the Super League team recently shared some exciting sustainability news.
They announced that Ecotricity will become the club’s official energy supplier. It’s a perfect partnership as Ecotricity is on a mission to eliminate fossil fuels, while the Rhinos are committed to reaching Net Zero, demonstrating how sports and businesses can come together to accelerate decarbonisation efforts in the UK.
It’s not the first time that Ecotricity powers the sustainability efforts of a club. As the principal sponsor and majority owner of Forest Green Rovers since 2010, the green energy provider led them to become the world’s first carbon-neutral football club.
“We’ve already brought a green revolution to football at Forest Green Rovers, the world’s greenest football club. By joining forces with Leeds Rhinos, we’re now showing that there’s another way for rugby league as well, inspiring fans and the broader community to embrace green energy.“
Dale Vince OBE, founder of Ecotricity
Through this partnership, joint efforts will be made to educate and involve the club’s community in sustainability initiatives, with the potential to reach 96,000 people through the Rhinos’ community programs. That’s how renewable energy can enter the world of sports to drive change.
Leeds Rhinos are leading the charge to Net Zero
The club recognises the critical role sports can play in driving climate change mitigation efforts. That's why, as part of its ESG Strategy, Leeds Rhinos has committed to reaching Net Zero for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and to reducing its Scope 3 emissions by 37% by 2050.
“Our commitment to sustainability is integral to who we are as a club. Partnering with Ecotricity allows us to further this mission, creating a model for how sports teams can champion environmental stewardship while engaging with their fans.”
Sue Ward, Operations Director at Leeds Rhinos
Beyond partnering with Ecotricity, Leeds Rhinos has already been implementing sustainability initiatives. They’ve installed 8 electric charging points and have solar panels on the roof of their stadium that generated 185,000 kWh of clean power throughout 2024.
The club is also focusing on decarbonising fan travel as it currently represents 51% of Scope 3 emissions and 42% of the club’s total footprint. That’s why they’ve partnered with First Bus to offer reduced rates to supporters and grow bus usage to and from the stadium on matchdays.
We’ve seen rugby union teams such as Munster Rugby and Northampton Saints taking climate action, and it’s encouraging to see rugby league teams such as Leeds Rhinos driving environmental sustainability initiatives within rugby.
