In this episode of The Deal Room from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by Adrian Wright, Ian Dutton and Harry Lynch to unveil the Sports Sustainability Consortium. What began eight years ago as an unexpected conversation about EV chargers has evolved into a wider offer spanning solar, charging infrastructure, finance, installation and ongoing servicing. The panel explore why the timing is finally right, how clubs can cut costs while improving their ESG credentials, and why sustainability is rapidly becoming a serious commercial and recruitment issue across sport.

Key Takeaways

The Sports Sustainability Consortium has been years in the making.

Adrian explains that the idea started when a global EV business asked whether SGI could help place charging points at sports clubs. The market was too early then, so the team spent years learning the sector elsewhere – in car dealerships, hotels, golf clubs and retail – before bringing that knowledge back into sport at the right moment.

This is more than just chargers and solar panels.

The consortium brings together manufacturers, installers and finance specialists, allowing clubs to access the right expertise without needing to become experts themselves. Instead of relying on a single installer’s preferred products, clubs can be connected directly to the real decision-makers behind the equipment and funding.

The financial case is now very compelling.

A major theme throughout the episode is that sustainability is not just about doing the right thing environmentally; it can create immediate savings and long-term revenue. Adrian describes projects where monthly energy savings exceed finance repayments, leaving clubs in a positive cash-flow position while gradually paying off an asset they will eventually own outright.

Clubs have more options than they think.

Not every club has to dive in with a full-scale stadium-wide scheme. Some may start with a handful of chargers at a training ground, while others can explore roof-mounted solar, ground-mounted systems, rented bays in stadium car parks or self-operated charging points that generate income. The flexibility is part of the appeal.

Sustainability is becoming a real operational role in sport.

Harry notes that, depending on the size of the club, sustainability can now sit with a dedicated lead rather than being bolted onto someone else’s job. In other cases it still falls under stadium, operations or facilities teams, but the direction of travel is clear: clubs are taking the subject more seriously and need informed people to drive it internally.

Brands increasingly care about ESG alignment.

Ian makes the point that sponsorship is no longer just about visibility. Brands want to work with rights-holders whose community impact and environmental ambitions match their own. That means a credible sustainability strategy can help clubs win commercial deals, not just save on their energy bill.

There are already proven examples in the market.

The panel reference clubs and rights-holders already moving in this direction, including Plymouth Argyle, where sustainability measures such as solar, LED lighting and water-saving systems are delivering measurable impact. They also mention Hednesford Town as another example of a club visibly leaning into solar adoption.

The biggest obstacle is often confusion, not resistance.

Clubs have lots of questions: who pays, who owns the bays, who maintains the systems, how financing works and whether they are tied in for years. SGI’s argument is that clubs do not need to solve all of that alone; their job is to simplify a complicated market and present clear, evidence-backed options in language decision-makers can understand.

Sport is particularly well suited to this space.

From stadium roofs and training grounds to cricket venues, golf sites and racecourses, sports properties often have the kind of space and energy demand that make solar and charging especially viable. The panel believe this is only the beginning, with future stadium developments likely to bake these systems in from day one rather than add them later.

SGI want to lead this globally – but authentically.

Ian says Adrian’s ambition is for SGI to become the leading sports agency globally in sustainability. Part of that means practising what they preach: energy-efficient offices, public transport, carbon literacy training and emissions offsetting all form part of their own effort to be credible in the space.

Key Moments

“The fact that we can assist clubs with facilitating that divide between how do you install them, how do you refinance them, where do you get the equipment from… this is the new era.”

“Clubs are realising, actually, we really need to have a clear focus on our whole ESG strategy… there’s a huge potential revenue stream and cost saving to the clubs as a result of it.”

“If a club is going to save £15,000 a month and they’ve got a finance bill of seven, they’re £7,000 better off.”

“A lot of brands nowadays want to align their brand with clubs or rights-holders that are doing good within the community and for the environment.”

“This is only the start… over the next 10 years this is really going to explode.”

About Sporting Group International

Sporting Group International (SGI) is a global sports marketing and sponsorship agency with representatives across Europe and Asia. They connect brands, clubs, governing bodies and athletes through high-value partnerships, including stadium naming rights, shirt and sleeve sponsorships, official partnerships and endorsement deals. SGI also support rights holders and investors with strategic commercial advice, international market development, recruitment and talent management, helping to drive revenue growth and brand visibility across the world of elite sport.