Sports & Entertainment Greening
Enhancing The Environmental Performance of Major Venues Operations & Supply Chains
Alice Henly
Urban Fellow
Natural Resources Defense Council
What is Greening?
Reviewing an organizations operations and supply chain with an eye towards reducing environmental impacts. Greening incorporates environmental considerations into decisions made about the products and services purchased and offered, in tandem with other factors such as cost, product quality, and availability.
The Importance of Sports & Entertainment Greening
An effective cultural and market-based approach for addressing:
Water scarcity Energy resource availability and stability Climate change pollution and impacts Toxins & health Food security Ocean & wetlands changes and the depletion of sealife Deforestation Natural resource depletion (including minerals)
Sports and entertainment greening helps address all key environmental issues:
Waste & Recycling
Global Warming
Wildlands & Wildlife
The Components of Venue Greening: Energy Water Waste Purchasing Smart Growth Health & Concessions & Environmental Transportation Justice Transportation Green Building & Facilities Public Education
Energy & Air
Oceans & Water
The Triple+ Dividend of Greening
Green initiatives can provide the triple dividend of benefitting: the financial bottom line, the wellbeing of the local community, and the global and local environment.
Greening operations and supply chain can also provide sports and entertainment organizations with the opportunity to: Strengthen their brand Better engage with their fans (aka their clients) Address environmental liabilities (aka brand risks) Create a healthier work environment for staff Identify new green-based sponsorship opportunities
The Importance of Sports & Entertainment Greening for Environmentalism
Greening initiatives: Provide unparalleled visibility for environmental issues to help shift cultural norms. Have significant on-the-ground environmental impacts. Send an environmental message to the vast sports and entertainment industry supply chain. Make the business case for sustainability.
All U.S. Professional Sports Are Greening
Major League Baseball National Basketball Association United States Tennis Association Major League Soccer National Hockey League Womens National Basketball Association National Football League National Lacrosse League
U.S. Collegiate Sports Are Greening
The NCAA Final Four established a Sustainability Committee for the 2011 events planning and production greening.
The Ivy League is greening all Ivy League Championships.
Arizona State, University of Texas and University of Washington have joined the Green Sports Alliance.
Green Sports Alliance
Mission to help sports teams, venues and leagues enhance their environmental performance. The GSA already has a membership of 90 professional and collegiate teams or venues that represent 13 major sports leagues.
[Link] @sportsalliance
Sports Greening Produces Significant On-The-Ground Environmental Benefits
13 facilities are LEED Certified 10 facilities have on-site solar arrays 100+ teams have recycling programs 15+ facilities have water-efficient fixtures 4+ facilities have green roofs
13 Professional Sports Venues Have Earned LEED Certification
American Airlines Arena Miami Heat LEED-EB Certified
Consol Energy Center Pittsburgh Penguins LEED Gold Construction
Rose Garden Arena Portland Trail Blazers LEED Gold-EB Certified
Amway Center Orlando Magic LEED Gold Construction
JELD-WEN Field Portland Timbers LEED Silver- EB Certified
Philips Arena Atlanta Hawks, Thrashers LEED-EB Certified
LEED Certified Sports Venues
Target Field Minnesota Twins LEED Silver Construction
AT&T Park San Francisco Giants LEED Silver EB
Nationals Park Washington Nationals LEED Silver Construction
Air Canada Centre Montreal Canadiens LEED-EB
Marlins Park Florida Marlins LEED Silver
Toyota Center Houston Rockets LEED Silver EB
Significant Sports Market Supply Chain
PAPER INDUSTRY CHEMICALS INDUSTRY SOLID WASTE INDUSTRY Cleaning & Maintenance Programs & Paper Products BEVERAGE INDUSTRY AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
Concessions & Food
STEEL INDUSTRY
Sports Greening = Huge Supply Chain Impacts for the $425 Billion Professional Sports Industry
PLASTICS INDUSTRY Apparel & Souvenirs
Facilities & Equipment
Transportation & Sponsors AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY TEXTILES INDUSTRY
ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY
Environmental Data Tracking
We aim for league tracking systems to quantify, at minimum, facility operations data in the areas of: 1. energy consumption, 2. waste management and recycling, 3. water consumption, and 4. paper purchasing. *Data comprehensiveness and quality are ongoing challenges.
Greening of the Supply Chain: Where to Start?
Greening of the Supply Chain: Where to Start?
Company-Wide Approach
Involve all levels of staff -- not only the business leaders, but also representatives from all departments Conduct energy, water and waste audits -- then track, in real time data Establish a company-wide Sustainability Commitment and Purchasing Policy Set goals -- both incremental low-hanging fruit & long-term targets Actively request environmentally-preferable products -- flag your goals for your suppliers and work collaboratively with them *See the NRDC Greening Advisor at [Link].
Business Models of the Financial Benefits of Greening
Through numerous energy efficiency improvements, in 2009 Safeco Field saved over $1 million in just over three years, and projects to save $500,000 every year after. Busch Stadium used energy efficiency measures to cut their energy use by nearly 24% and they annual energy cost by 15.2%, saving over $300,000. The Target Centers 2.5 acre green roof captures about a million gallons of stormwater per year and saves $10,000 annually in stormwater charges. In three years Progressive Field cut their annual waste in half by expanding their recycling facilities to sort waste onsite, saving $50,000 annually. The STAPLES Center replaced all of their 179 urinals with waterless urinalssaving over 7 million gallons of water a year and saved over $28,000 in direct water costs annually.
On-Site Solar Energy Business Models
Fenway Park - Solar Thermal System
Provides 37% of hot water needs Maximum daily solar panel thermal energy production approximately 1.1 million BTUs
Progressive Field - PV System
8.4-kW photovoltaic system Enough to power all 400 televisions in the stadium
On-Site Solar Energy Business Models
STAPLES Center
US Airways Center
345.6-kW PV system Provides 5-10% of energy use at arena and Nokia Theatre
194-kW PV system Able to generate 331,233 kWhs of energy annually enough to power arena for 26 Suns home games
Green Roof Business Models
Citi Fields 15,000 sq foot green roof reduces stormwater runoff by approximately 80%.
Nationals Parks 6,300 square foot green roof in the left-field concession area helps minimize heat gain and water runoff.
At 2.5 acres, the green roof atop the Target Center captures about a million gallons of stormwater per year, saving $10,000 annually in stormwater charges.
Water Efficiency Business Models
The STAPLES Center replaced all 179 urinals with waterless urinals to save 7 million gallons of water and over $28,000 in avoided water costs annually.
The AT&T Center saves 13.2 million gallons of water a year after installing low-flow toilets, urinals and fixtures, aerating shower heads and using a recycled water system for cooling towers.
Citi Field installed waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets, saving about 4 million gallons of water a year.
Recycling Business Models
Safeco Field diverts 82% of the ballpark's waste from landfill. Lincoln Financial Field diverts 72% of the stadiums waste from landfill. AT&T Field diverts 67% of the ballpark's waste from landfill. Yankees Stadium diverts about 40% of waste from landfills. PNC Park diverted over 346 tons of waste from landfills in 2009.
Composting Business Models
Safeco Field diverts 20% of their total waste through the food and yard waste composting. Over 200 tons of food waste, grass clippings, landscape, trimmings, compostable cups and other organic waste are composted annually at Oakland Coliseum . About 15% of recycled waste is organics at PNC Park. All serviceware is bio-based. Pirates staff and green team are trained to capture organic waste throughout the facility. About 12 cubic yards of compost are collected per game at AT&T Park, including food waste, grass clippings.
Broadway Green Alliance
Mission to identify and disseminate better environmental practices for theatre professionals and reach out to theatre fans throughout the country. The BGA brings together producers, all New York Broadway theatres, theatres nationwide (touring productions), theatrical unions and their members, and related businesses.
[Link]
Other Examples of Entertainment Greening Work
Since establishing a partnership with the Academy in 2006 we have successfully initiated many environmental standards for the annual Oscars events that have industrywide influence including: purchasing 100% carbon offsets, integrating recycling programs, and using up to 100% postconsumer paper products.
Since establishing a partnership with the Recording Academy in 2007 we have established many environmental standards for the annual GRAMMYs events including: recycling and composting programs, the STAPLEs venue energy audit, and up to 100% postconsumer paper products.
The 63rd Tony Awards, in collaboration with the BGA and with guidance from NRDC, took steps to reduce the environmental impact of its annual awards show telecast and related events. NRDC and the BGA are currently working on greening the 2012 Tony Awards.
Business Models from Greening the Academy Awards
The awards pre-show features a 100% recycled content red carpet (49% postconsumer), which is reused. The Awards events now use reusable china or compostable serviceware, which is composted alongside 75% of all food and plant waste. 3,000 linen cocktail napkins were purchased in 2008 for reuse during events, replacing disposables. Carbon offsets into wind and solar power projects for onsite biodiesel generators are purchased from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. All tissue paper products, including napkins, are 100% recycled content. Transportation offered by the Academy to presenters and staff included zero-emission hydrogen (25% of vehicles) and hybrid (60%) vehicles.
Business Models from Greening the GRAMMY Awards
Most furniture and set pieces on stage are rentals and/or reusable. The GRAMMY Celebration features reusable china and glassware. The menu created by Along Came Mary for the GRAMMY Celebration includes locally grown and produced meat, produce and cheese. All seafood is sustainably produced. Plastic, aluminum, bottles, and paper are collected for recycling. All glass, paper, and cooking oils are recycled, and food scraps composted.. The entire production of the live broadcast of the GRAMMY Awards (16 MWh) is powered by 100% renewable energy . Paper products (envelopes, letterhead, posters, etc.) are printed on paper containing 50-100% postconsumer recycled content.
Green Sponsor Engagement Business Models
The NBA partnered with Sprint for 2012 NBA Green Week, with a key focus on electronics recycling. MLS partnered with Continental Tire to launch a Solar 4R Schools project that installs panels on local schools. The USTA partners with GDF Suez, the US Opens energy provider, to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates. The NHL is partnering with Hydro Ottawa Limited and Enbridge Gas Distributed to provide Scotiabank Place with a full-scale energy audit.
Green Fan Engagement Business Models
In-arena signage, banners, hand-outs. Community green events. Public Service Announcements (in-arena, TV, online). Website promotion. Social Media promotion.
Ongoing Challenges
Collecting comprehensive and high quality data. Limited expertise (and varying interest) in sustainability/greening. Limited staff time with small back-of-house shops. Keeping up with the fast-paced evolution of green markets/products. Discerning between legitimate green claims and green-washing. Delivering the upfront capital to invest in green initiatives.
Alice Henly NRDC Fellow ahenly@[Link] Learn more at: [Link]/business [Link]/sports @NRDCGreenSports
