Professor Ed Hawkins says the club's decision to use the climate stripes has opened up conversations around climate change
Hawkins, a Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, describes the decision to adopt the climate stripes as "brave" and says that their appearance throughout the 2022-23 season has helped people who might not otherwise engage in conversations around climate change to get involved and talk about it.
The University lecturer created the climate stripes in 2018 as a clear, visual way of showing the effects of climate change in our local area - Berkshire.
Each stripe represents the average temperature for a single year, relative to the average temperature over the period as a whole. Blue indicates cooler-than-average temperatures, while red shows years that were hotter than average. The large section of red as the graphic progresses demonstrates the rapid heating of our planet in recent decades.
Reading Football Club made an emphatic statement by choosing to use the climate stripes on their kit ahead of the 2022-23 season, also using the design across their digital assets and signage around the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Professor Hawkins believes that the widespread use of the climate stripes across the club has generated important conversation around the changes to our climate.
"It's brought a climate conversation to an audience that wouldn't normally talk about these issues. It's fantastic that it's been able to broaden the conversations and generate some discussion about the climate."
The Royals launched their collaboration with the University of Reading when they unveilved their home kit in July 2022 and Hawkins suggests that the decision required bravery from key people at the club.
"I think it was quite a brave decision by the club and quite a radical one to put the climate stripes on the sleeve and on the kit. There was a little bit of skepticism from the fans to begin with.
"But as soon as they recognised what it was all about and why these decisions were being made I think they started to really embrace it.
"You see the fans online talking about the kit, about how proud they are, and hopefully it's started some conversations around climate change at the game or even afterwards."
Finally, Hawkins explained the latest coloured stripe that's been added to the chart - with the data for Berkshire in 2022 recording the second-darkest red.
"Every year we add more stripes because as time goes on, the climate continues to change. And last year was the warmest year on record for Berkshire and for the UK as well. It's another reminder, along with the heatwave we had last summer, that climate change is having a big impact on our society."