A British professional football club that is powered by renewable energy and serves vegan food to players, staff and fans has received a prestigious United Nations certification.

Forest Green Rovers, which plays in League Two, announced on Monday that it has become the world’s first UN certified carbon-neutral football club.

Based in the Gloucestershire town of Nailsworth, the club has signed up for a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative called Climate Neutral Now for the 2018-19 season.

FGR’s green credentials have been attracting attention around the world for several years. It claims to be the first vegan football club in the world after receiving the vegan trademark from the Vegan Society.

The club says it became vegan because of the “huge environmental and animal welfare impacts of livestock farming”, as well as to improve player performance and give fans healthier, tastier food on match days.

FGR is powered by 100% green energy from Ecotricity – the company founded by the club’s chairman, Dale Vince – some of which is generated by the solar panels on the stadium roof.

The team plays on an organic pitch, which is cut by a solar-powered robot lawnmower, and all rainwater that falls on the stands or on the pitch is recycled to minimise the club’s use of mains water.

FGR has electric car charging facilities at the stadium, to encourage fans to travel to games sustainably.

FGR was promoted to the Football League for the first time in the club’s 129-year history last year and will start its second season in League Two – the fourth tier of professional football in England – next month.