Trying to minimise Norwich City’s carbon footprint and make the club as environmentally friendly as possible has been given added precedence in the Canaries’ annual report for 2020-21.

Page three of the report sets out City’s current energy output, progress made in the last year and objectives for the next stage of becoming more environmentally sustainable.

This includes solar panels being included at the Lotus Training Centre, encouraging employees to buy renewable technology vehicles, purchasing energy-efficient equipment and simple steps such as issuing all staff with a reusable coffee cup.

The revamp of the training ground at Colney has included the addition of an allotment and herb garden, compost facilities to reduce landfill waste, over 645 new and semi-mature trees being planted and a waste-to-water recycling system and electric car charging points being installed.

Another initiative is working with sustainability partner Kotkamills, a Finnish manufacturer of fully recyclable food and drink items.

Described as a multi-year partnership, the objective is for over 100,000 items to switch to plastic-free alternatives over the next three years, as part of the club’s contribution to fighting the climate crisis.

A three-year rolling programme is also already underway to change all of the stadium lighting at Carrow Road to LED lamps.

The club's objectives for 2021-22 include a target of reducing baseline electricity consumption by two per cent, continuing to install low-energy lighting in all club buildings and reviewing supply contracts to determine the feasibility of using renewable energy sources.

Finance director, Anthony Richens, explains: “For us as a public company within the local area it is key for us to drive sustainability. We talk about financial sustainability but it’s the environment as well.

“We’ve continued our partnership with Kotkamills, making sure to use paper cups where available, we’ve even put in a herb garden at the Lotus Training Centre so that we are growing our own produce to cook in the kitchens.

“It’s different things, that might seem small, but they are here for the long term to make sure that we are sustainable - and not just financially.”

- The Canaries' progress has been featured in a video produced by Kotkamills for the Finnish Embassy ahead of the approaching COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. The video can be watched above

NCFC EXTRA: Inside Norwich City's rejuvenated Colney training ground