Over the decades thousands of famous footprints have been left on the sporting fields at Dublin's Croke Park, but the GAA has announced plans to reduce the magnitude of footprints stamped at the famous grounds - those of the carbon variety.

The GAA has unveiled its Cul Green plan, which is set to make Croke Park a carbon neutral venue over the next six years.

Set to kick-off this summer, the plan sets ambitious environmental targets for Croke Park, seeking to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint at the country's most popular sporting venue.

The innovative project has the short-term goals of cutting the annual 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions output by more than two-thirds. This will be done through the implementation of a state-of-the-art environmental-improvement programme covering the stadium's electricity, waste and water management systems.

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Croke Park will immediately contract its electricity supply from a renewable source and an energy efficiency audit will be conducted by ESB to establish how the stadium will become carbon zero, all to be completed before the All-Ireland finals in September.

Estimates suggest the journey taken by GAA fans to the stadium produces carbon emissions of 15,000 tonnes a year.

The Irish Minister for the Environment, Mr Gormley said he was pleased that the ESB is to take an active role in the project: "The decision showed real leadership and will prove a major boost to efforts to raise awareness of the most urgent problem facing humanity."

"Now they are taking practical steps to show further vision and leadership in the modern Ireland. I have no doubt the benefits of this latest GAA initiative will be reaped in the coming years," the Minister added.

(PR/JM)