Sports can bridge a divide and bring a purpose to fans that few other disciplines and industries can.
It’s one thing to talk about trying to save the planet for future generations. It’s another to actively do something about it. The NBA does it. So does the NHL, MLB and the NFL.
That’s all great. But to make an even greater impact, these leagues actively engage their fans in conserving, reducing, reusing, and recycling.
The terms ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘Green’ have been bandied about for years now. But what does it really mean to be “Green” in sports and how can that affect positive change?
One example is the Brooklyn Nets and their “Green” initiative and their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Arena. But how does that engage the fans? By definition, a community initiative is an action taken by the community to resolve a problem.
Following the lead of other sports industries, the Nets looked for creative ways to engage fans in both their team and in doing some good for the planet. Their Trees for Threes is a smart way to get the fans to root for them (who doesn’t love it when their home team makes a 3-pointer?) while promising to plant a tree. Trees not only look pretty, they help the planet by trapping and holding particle pollutants in the air that can harm our lungs. They do this by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) while producing oxygen (O).
@BrooklynNets @PwC_LLP @NYRP but then there will be no trees planted how about visiting teams threes?
— The Real Doug Schanz (@dougy2121) March 27, 2015
The NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles also have a Go Green community initiative. Their recycling and composting efforts help them to send not as much waste to landfills. They use biodegradable containers and recycle the corn oil they cook with. Like other businesses, they are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. To offset this, they plant trees yearly. Additionally, they use green cleaning products and use green energy. They’ve partnered with Princeton, NJ’s NRG to help make them as “green” as possible by doing such things as using solar power and wind turbines along with their recycling and composting efforts.
Their hard work paid off when their stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, was awarded LEED Silver certification. To earn Silver certification a business or organization must do specific things such as reduce indoor as well as outdoor water use, have bike racks so fans can have the option of not driving to and from the games, and optimize energy performance. In other words, harness green power.
Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro (aka sunlight, air, soil, plants, animals, and water). Using green power helps to grow the development of new renewable energy, which in turn, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.
For the teams and leagues that have not committed to going green (or don’t know what that entails.), the Green Sports Alliance is here to help. Their founding members include the Portland Trail Blazers (NBA), Seattle Sounders (MLS), Seattle Mariners (MLB) and Seattle Storm (WNBA), and they now boast over 130 teams as partners that are looking to help the earth. They provide a Resource Center so that teams can be guided to more environmentally practices and get their fans involved.
Teams get their fan bases involved with these green initiatives in all sorts of ways.
The Houston Rockets have an environmental Awareness Game each year where they give away a ‘green’ item as well as invite eco-friendly organizations to educate game goers to go green. Also, every game has a public service announcement sharing best practices for conserving, reducing waste and recycling.
There is also financial incentive for teams and venue owners to go green. The cost in utilities can be cut significantly (30% to 60%). That money can be reinvested into the team, the venue, or on fan experience.
That’s what the NHL did, becoming one of the EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club members. The league is #17 out of all members, using 10 times the minimum green power usage.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has possibly the most nutritious green initiative- their stadium, Amalie Arena, boasts a vegetable garden. With their own hydroponic growing system (a method of growing plants that uses mineral nutrient solutions) in a vertical stack farm, they now produce herbs and vegetables, while taking up a very small footprint. Their clever closed system for watering and fertilization sends water back to the tanks below the deck for use in the next watering cycle.
Major League Baseball is also doing its part to engage fans in their green efforts. For the past 6 All-Star games, they have partnered with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) incorporating environmentally intelligent features. Some initiatives the league has come up with was to have the Minnesota Twins and the Downtown Improvement District developed an All-Star Walking Path. They also use in-stadium messaging that promote ways fans can be more environmentally conscious. To offset their carbon footprint they partnered with Green-e Certified to be certified for renewable energy and get water restoration credits.
The US sports market isn’t the only one tackling such an important topic. Global powerhouse Manchester United is doing their part in engaging their fans not just in their stadium but wherever their fans live. What makes their initiative, Reds Go Green, a little different is their reach. Most green initiatives touch the fans in their arena or stadium. Reds Go Green goes to the fans’ schools helping school children learn about how best to use what resources they have.
The Reds have focused their environmental initiatives on reusing resources and convincing other businesses to do so as well. For example, the rainwater that is collected at their facilities is used to water the field. Food waste is composted. Not only do they recycle things like wood, carpet, glass and cans, through their “Nike ‘ReUSE-A-Shoe’ initiative,” they send old sneakers to be recycled and made into training surfaces for sports training facilities.
With all of the green initiatives in sports there is an important problem to keep in mind. As long as the brand is deemed trustworthy by their fan base, their message will be adhered to. If they are faced with scandals, their fans may abandon them and their message.
With so many great Green initiatives to choose from, it’s easy for fans to get behind what their favorite team is doing.