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As the Manchester United acquisition process progresses with interested parties preparing to go head-to-head for one of Europe’s most prized gems, a number of questions and areas of concern have been raised regarding some of the potential buyers.
Qatar’s candidacy, led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, has generated controversy in the media, with the country’s human rights record being called into question.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s richest people and chairman of petrochemical giant INEOS, also put forward his proposal to complete a majority takeover of Manchester United, an offer that, like Qatar’s, has sparked a fierce reaction, this time from environmentalists and activists who have questioned the INEOS record on environmental matters.
INEOS is the world’s fourth largest chemical company globally, with 194 sites in 29 countries and revenue margins of up to $65 billion a year.
The London-based corporation produces a wide range of chemicals and petroleum products that are used in a multitude of everyday applications.
Beyond large-scale manufacturing and production, INEOS is also an active investor in sports companies. Ratcliffe is the proud owner of the major cycling and sailing teams and principal partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team.
INEOS also owns OGC Nice from France and Lausanne-Sport from Switzerland.
INEOS Environmental Registry
The nature and scale of INEOS’s day-to-day operations mean that the company is one of the world’s largest consumers of fossil fuels and therefore a significant generator of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Athletic reports: “The company’s oil, chemical and power plants in Grangemouth, Scotland, produced more than 3.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019, making the company the largest source of emissions in the world.” country”.
“A report by the non-governmental organization Food and Water Watch and Food and Water Action Europe points to a major fire at the INEOS facility in Cologne in 2008, as well as an oil leak in Norway, chemical leaks in France, controversies over chemicals dumped in Italy and the release of toxic gas resulting in the hospitalization of workers in Belgium”.
In the report, the content of which is detailed by The Athletic, Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, calls INEOS’ environmental record “appalling.”
Hauter adds that INEOS is a climate disaster waiting to happen.
According to the report, “between 2014 and 2017, 12 of the 14 company plants in a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database failed to comply with a major environmental regulation for at least a period of time.” three months”.
Combine these damning revelations with the public fact that Ratcliffe is an outspoken supporter of fracking and it’s easy to see why environmental lobbyists are up in arms over his bid to take over Old Trafford.
These allegations against Ratcliffe and INEOS come at a time when Premier League clubs are scrambling to reduce their carbon footprint.
Teams are encouraged to reduce the use of aircraft when taking short trips to rival turf and instead use alternative modes of transportation.
On the specific position of the Red Devils on the issue, the club has an official environmental policy on its website which states: “Manchester United recognizes its responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment and will strive to maintain strong environmental performance throughout of our environmental management ISO14001. system.”
“As a world-class sports company, we have a strong relationship with both our business partners and our fans. We will look for ways in which we can use our position to influence their environmental activities and encourage them to help us improve our environmental performance.”
United’s environmental policy also contains a commitment to reduce the amount of waste produced, minimize the use of non-renewable materials, and ensure that the institution’s recycling rates improve.
Environmentalists’ concerns about “sports laundering”
Environmental groups are of the opinion that if Ratcliffe’s bid to buy United is successful, it would represent a concerted effort to launder his “dirty” sports business.
Matt Woosnam describes sports laundering as: “The practice in which an organization that is involved in controversial practices tries to appear more respectable by engaging in sports.”
The main concern is that if INEOS were to become the main administrator of a club of United’s stature and caliber, their sport-washing campaign would be elevated to another level.
Dale Vince, owner of green energy company Ecotricity and League One club Forest Green Rovers, insists INEOS’s poor environmental record should automatically rule Ratcliffe out of the race to buy Manchester United.
Vince told The Athletic: “In my opinion, Ratcliffe should not be allowed to own a Premier League club, in the same way that oil states should not. However, I do not expect him to be prevented from taking office.”
“Foreign citizens and entities must not be allowed to own English clubs. At the heart of all this is a tax question: Does Ratcliffe reside and pay tax in the UK? The various oil funds and states (who are involved in other Premier League clubs) don’t.”
Vince insisted that environmental issues such as integrity and ethical issues should be at the heart of the Premier League owner-manager test.
Frida Kieninger, director of EU affairs at Food & Water Action Europe, fully agrees with Vince’s sentiments.
She opines: “We don’t know how the acquisition of INEOS will affect Manchester United’s game, but one thing is certain: leaving the future in the hands of dirty companies like INEOS will result in a clear loss for people and the planet.”
“Companies with this amount of influence have integrated into mainstream culture, sponsoring sports teams and world tournaments and, in the case of INEOS, facilitating world records.”
“But this practice, considered by some to be ‘sports laundering’, gives social license to companies that are often responsible for driving climate change, damage to nature and serious threats to human health. Exposure to plastics can alter the hormonal systems of humans and impair fertility.”
The Peoples Person reported last month that Greenpeace, an independent environmental organization, issued a statement urging United club executives not to accept Ratcliffe’s proposal.
The overwhelming consensus among environmental experts is that a future in which INEOS is in control of the Theater of Dreams would in effect set back football’s attempts to make a switch to green energy. Such is the influence and dominance that the 20-time English champions have.
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