This research investigates ecological value creation at Forest Green Rovers Football Club (FGR), who are recognised as a pioneer of sustainability and as the first vegan and carbon-neutral football club. We draw attention to the under-researched role of value creation, more specifically, ecological value in ecopreneurship studies.
Via case study research, based on data from 45 semi-structured interviews with FGR staff, fans and local community, the methodology explores the interplay between forms of capital (strategic, economic, social and cultural) and the causal mechanisms driving ecological value creation.
Our findings highlight FGR's global impact has not necessarily been achieved through success on the football pitch, but by leveraging football to champion ecologically motivated practices. This study highlights how inter-relational forms of capital and the distinct mechanisms at play position FGR’s primary purpose as the creation of ecological value.
We see this article as an important contribution in drawing attention to value creation in ecopreneurship research, enriching knowledge by examining forms of organising that seek to redress the status afforded to privileging economic capital, that marginalises ecological and social imperatives within dominant organising logics.
For ecopreneurs and organisations, the case study highlights how ecopreneurship leverages multiple forms of capital. These findings offer a basis for strategic interventions that promote systemic transformations and extend ecological innovation beyond traditional industries.
This study offers novel contributions to ecopreneurship through its focus on value creation, stakeholder perspectives and the application of Parsons' social systems theory. By situating the study within football - a unique empirical context, it advances theoretical and practical understanding of value creation and ecopreneurship's role in systemic change.
