Leading parcel delivery company DPD has signed a two-year partnership deal with football club Forest Green Rovers.
The deal brings together two of the most sustainable brands in their respective fields. DPD’s stated aim is to be the most sustainable delivery company in the UK, while Forest Green Rovers have been recognised by global footballing body FIFA as the greenest football club in the world.
DPD, which has over 3,000 electric vehicles on the road in the UK, has been the club’s parcel delivery partner for the past two seasons, delivering replica kit and merchandise for fans. Today’s announcement will see that partnership extended with a new two-year deal through to the end of the 2024/25 season.
The deal means that DPD’s logo and branding will appear on the back of player’s shirts for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Perimeter advertising and hospitality packages are also included.
Forest Green Rovers (FGR) is known for being the only vegan football club in the world and in 2019, FGR chairman Dale Vince was appointed as a Climate Champion for the United Nations who also recognised FGR as the first Carbon Neutral football club in the world as part of the UN Climate Neutral Now pledge. The club’s green initiatives cover every aspect of its operation including energy, transport, food, waste and supporting nature and biodiversity.
Going forward, the club has planning permission to build a sustainable Eco Park complex which will include a new 5,000 capacity, state-of-the-art wooden stadium, and training facility.
DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel delivery depot in 2018 and by the end of this year will be delivering to 30 of the largest towns and cities in the UK using only all-electric final mile delivery vehicles. By that time, the DPD fleet will include 4,000 electric vans and all 1,600 of its HGVs will have been converted from diesel to renewable biofuel. Across the DPD network, buildings are powered by solar panels and renewable electricity, while 100% of waste avoids landfill. Recycling initiatives generate cash for the innovative DPD Eco Fund which awards funding to sustainable projects benefiting the community and the environment.
Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability DPDgroup UK, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering up with Forest Green Rovers. The club has been such a leader on sustainability, not just within sport, they have shown all organisations what is possible. We are proud to be their delivery partner and just as proud to see our name on their shirts next season. Together we are reducing emissions, investing in green innovation and helping protect the planet for future generations. We wish them every success on and off the pitch in the next two seasons and hopefully together we can continue to raise awareness of what can be achieved.”
Forest Green Rovers chairman, Dale Vince, added: “Transport is one of the big three drivers of the climate crisis - and a focus of our work at FGR. Delivering stuff is a key part of that and it’s fantastic to see the work DPD are doing, specifically the electrification of parcel deliveries. This is how we get to a Green Britain - and at the same time clean up the air that we breathe. As a club we’re very excited to have the opportunity to work with DPD.”
Details on all of DPD's sustainability initiatives can be found on its dedicated DPD green website green.dpd.co.uk.
