Launched in June, Save Today, Play Tomorrow, is Birmingham County FA’s over-arching strategy for the next four years to create and support lower-carbon football in the West Midlands.

Save Today, Play Tomorrow is a series of planned initiatives, strategic partnerships and infrastructure investments that fall under four key themes – health and wellbeing, positive education, climate action and reconnecting football with nature; all with the aim of stimulating conversations and positive action around the role football can play in addressing climate change.

Richard Lindsay, Business Insights Manager at Birmingham County FA and Project Lead for Save Today, Play Tomorrow, said: “To be recognised and shortlisted by the panel as a finalist for this award is a fantastic achievement for our organisation – the staff, but equally the leagues, clubs, teams and thousands of grassroots football participants within our region that collectively are on this journey of positive change with us.

“We feel privileged to sit alongside our fellow nominees in this category and are proud of all of the wonderful projects that are being showcased. We are all too aware of the climate emergency we are facing, but sport can and does play a pivotal role in leading on change, both on and off the pitch.”

The Sustainability in Sport category at the Sports Business Awards has been created to recognise sporting organisations which are placing sustainability at the heart of their objectives and engagement.

Birmingham County FA are joined in the category shortlist by Extreme E, Norwich City Football Club – Kotkamills, SalGP, The Kia Oval and The Ocean Race.

The winner for 2021 will be announced at the Sports Business Awards ceremony at The Kia Oval – the home of Surrey County Cricket Club – on Thursday 18thNovember.