Arsenal FC and its renewable energy partner Octopus Energy have together helped plant thousands of trees across 50 UK schools and its own training ground in London, as the two organisations announced they have delivered seven million kilograms of CO2 savings since the club switched to 100 per cent green electricity last year.

Gunners' players Hector Bellerin, Petr Cech, and Aaron Ramsey recently joined Octopus Energy and local schoolchildren to plant the first 100 trees as part of a new wood at the club's London Colney Training Ground. A further 400 are to be planted over the course of the current football season.

Arsenal and Octopus Energy said the new trees would build on its tree planting programme last year, which saw nearly 2,000 trees planted across 50 UK schools.

The move forms part of a commitment towards global sustainability and "creating better air quality for the next generation and local communities", they said.

Arsenal has been working with Octopus Energy since 2017, when the club became the first Premier League club to switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity.

Octopus Energy revealed today the move has to date helped save seven million kilograms of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent to filling the club's Emirates Stadium more than 3.9 times.

Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy CEO, welcomed the continuing partnership with the club. "It's fitting to plant Colney Wood and be able to extend carbon offsetting at Arsenal FC with Bellerin, Cech and Ramsey, planting alongside the next generation," he said.

In addition, Arsenal announced it has now installed a water recycling system at the London Colney Training Ground which takes water running from pitches and reuses it for further irrigation. The club's restaurant has also previously been awarded two stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

In addition the club revealed that team-mates Bellerin and Cech both now drive electric vehicles.

Bellerin said it was important to "leave the planet as clean as we can".

"We've helped to plant trees, and I think it's important," he said. "Arsenal being a massive platform, with loads of fans around the world, this is a good way to encourage them and let them know there are things we can do apart from just recycling. It's the little things like this that you can do - little by little - that makes a big improvement."

CREDIT: Arsenal FC