Town and sponsors E.ON have teamed up with the Defra Climate Fund and Cred (Community Carbon Reduction Programme) to launch a scheme aimed at making the Blues the UK's first carbon neutral football club.

Save Your Energy for the Blues asks fans to pledge to energy saving measures in return for ITFC rewards, while the club could benefit from E.ON. The season-long initiative, the first of its type, is aimed at helping the club, Town fans and the wider community to understand and tackle climate change through informing, challenging and changing people's attitudes.

Skipper Jason De Vos has been declared a project ambassador and is asking fans to pledge to measures such as fitting energy saving bulbs and catching buses or car sharing to games. In return, fans can receive ITFC Money Can't Buy rewards, while the club will get a significant sum from E.ON when the club reaches the point of carbon neutrality.

Town chief executive Derek Bowden welcomed the project: “This is the first initiative of its kind anywhere in the UK and it is really exciting to think that we will be the first carbon neutral football club in the UK.

“With the help of E.ON, we have been working hard to decrease the carbon emissions that the club produces over the course of a season. We have run a series of energy efficiency tests, which have reduced our energy consumption by over 17% and we have now switched the club on to a green tariff, as well as introducing an energy management system across the stadium and the training ground.”

Secretary of State for the Environment, David Miliband, is also behind the initiative: "Climate change is the biggest challenge we face and raising awareness and understanding is first step we need to take.

"It's exciting that organisations such as Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Town FC are taking on the challenge in such a positive way so people will feel empowered to act. My department recognises that effort through the Climate Challenge fund, which is supporting organisations such as these in their attempts to change people's attitudes.

“I welcome the steps Ipswich Town FC has taken to reduce its energy consumption and in recognising the important role that their fans can play as we strive to address climate change."

Full details of the initiative can be found here.

Photo: Action Images

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