By JULIE HANCHER, Green Philly

Green Sports Alliance hosted its Annual Summit at Lincoln Financial Fields

As you pick up your Impossible Cheesesteak at the next Phillies game, did you ever consider if there are any chemicals in the wax paper underneath the sandwich? Whether your college basketball stadium is composting? Or even if there?s recycling at stadiums?

With millions in their fan bases, sports can be a place of celebration where we watch our cities come together and athletes break records? or occasionally, win the Super Bowl. But the sports venues also have an important decision: whether to set an environmental precedent or to create a giant environmental footprint for a few hour event.

That?s where the Green Sports Alliance comes in to provide education and resources to the industry. Self-defined as ?the environmentally-focused trade organization that convenes stakeholders from around the sporting world (teams, leagues, conferences, venues, corporate partners, governmental agencies, athletes, and fans) to promote healthy, sustainable communities where we live and play,? according to their website.

Green Sports Alliance hosted about 500 attendees to its annual Summit in Philadelphia, at Lincoln Financial Field on June 19th and 20th.

A local lens in the conversation about Environmental Justice & Sports

One of the first sessions at the Summit was Beyond the Ballpark: The Role of Sports in Environmental Justice Reform, moderated by Kunal Merchant of Lotus Advisory. The incredible panel included:

• Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate & Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation and Founder & CEO, Revitalization Strategies
• Connor Barwin, NFL Player & Founder, Make the World Better Foundation
• Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education
• Nehemiah Vaughn, Youth Ambassador, Green for All

Jerome Shabazz provided an overview of the Overbrook Center (which he explained during our tour last summer), emphasized the role of bringing the community to the table when making decisions. When we?re designing spaces and programming in communities, how do we include the community in design? How does social justice play a role?

Shabazz challenged attendees to think beyond environmental justice to environmental freedom. As Shabazz mentioned, ?People should have a right to breathe, move and live in their local communities.?

The first step to being a leader is the decision to become one.

After watching his teammates on the field in Houston for four years, former NFL Eagles Player Connor Barwin wanted to make a change. While growing up, he understood the importance of playgrounds and urban spaces. As he biked down 20th Street, he noticed the dilapidated courts in South Philadelphia. Although he initially hoped he could donate $40,000 to repave the court and playground, he ended up with a $750K master plan 18 to revamp the entire area. Smith playground now has courts, green stormwater infrastucutre, a community garden and rain garden.

Working with partnerships, Make the World Better is now working on its fourth site, a $14 million project in Southwest Philly.

His biggest advice for those who want to make a difference? According to Barwin, ?Get involved in your neighborhood.? Also, make your intentions known. As Barwin shared, ?Your voice goes a long way in changing policy, especially environmental justice policy.?

How can we talk about the urgency around climate change with a clock ticking? We need to incorporate more storytelling with our urgency. According to Santiago Ali, ?Facts will move minds, stories move hearts.?

Teaming up for Greening & Cutting Costs with Green Attorney Brad Molotsky

Brad Molotsky, Partner at Duane Morris, discussed strategies to save energy, cut plastic packaging, and save money ? at a procurement panel.

But one of his prime examples was how collaborating with similar organizations can make sustainability efforts easier and cheaper. ?The Phillies, Sixers, Eagles and the Flyers are all within spitting distance of each other. They were thinking about wasted food coming out of these stadiums and each had separate trash contracts. So they got together for a stronger solution.?

What did Philadelphia sports teams do? They got together financially and collaborated on a composting solution, taking food waste to a farm a short distance from Philadelphia.

What can we learn from this? What other businesses or families could we ?collaborate? with on our sustainability initiatives, to get away from straws, start composting or other ideas?

Other innovations from Green Sports Alliance?s Summit

Young Entrepreneur Monika Dharia created a greener poncho that actually removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Instead of using petroleum ponchos to keep fans dry, Monika?s EcoRain poncho is made from sugar-based ethylene and sequesters 3.09 kilograms per kilogram of raw material.

EcoLite is cutting Teflon-like chemicals from your (Impossible) burger?s wax paper at the stadium. Fluorochemicals that add a nonstick coating can end up anywhere including those food-grade papers, popcorn bags, shoes and many other places including fast food restaurant paper wrappers. (AND they?re still legal in PA!) EcoLite includes safe lines, and confirmed none of their Philly versions has the chemicals. There were a couple of products that contained PFAS, but are phasing out all PFAS chemicals from their products by 2021.

Read the full article here.

The post How Your Favorite Sports Teams are Greening the Future of Sports appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By NBC Miami

Super Bowl Committee Announces Coral Reef Restoration Project

The post Super Bowl Committee Announces Coral Reef Restoration Project appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By JONATHAN M. GITLIN, ars technica Cars

When you think of motorsport, you probably don’t associate it with being environmentally aware. But there are actually racing series that take the concept of reducing carbon emissions quite seriously. Obviously, there’s Formula E, which races electric cars powered by biofuels. But well before Formula E was a thing, there was the American Le Mans Series. Back in 2008, the series partnered with SAE International, the US Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency to create the Green Racing Challenge, a race-within-a-race that looked at energy consumption and carbon emissions as well as sheer lap time to determine who went the farthest, fastest, and most cleanly.

The program survived the 2013 merger between the ALMS and another series, Grand-Am, but sadly came to an end of sorts in 2016 when the series aligned itself with a Le Mans rulebook that mandated E20 rather than cellulosic E85 as the gasoline/ethanol blend of choice. But the hiatus is now over. “We?re getting the band back together” said Scott Atherton, president of IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), the sanctioning body that runs what we now call the WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. “We were the first racing series to form partnerships with DOE and EPA, and we’re making IMSA a leader in reducing the environmental impact of our sport,” he said at a press conference held at this year’s Detroit Grand Prix at the end of May.

Green racing is an actual thing

In the past, the Green Racing Challenge was only for one of the GTLM class, contested by road-based machines like Corvettes, Ferraris, and Porsche 911s. Now, the goal is for the entire series?which sees a mix of DPi prototypes, GTLM cars, and the more amateur-friendly GT3 versions all race together?to achieve Green Racing Cup status. Yes, that’s actually a thing. In 2014, SAE published green racing protocols to ensure that efforts such as these have some meaningful impact. It’s a technical manifesto that I think many here would be on board with, as laid out by its mission:

Green Racing uses vehicle competitions to promote and accelerate the use of advanced technologies and renewable fuels. This results in increased availability and acceptance of cleaner and more efficient vehicles in the marketplace worldwide. Green Racing provides exciting and engaging entertainment and a versatile communications platform that attracts growing numbers of fans and sponsors, while presenting industry and the fan base with a path to sustainable personal mobility worldwide. These recommendations also extend to the environmentally-sensitive operation of motorsport facilities and off-track team operations.

The protocols lay out differing levels of commitment (core, enhanced, elevated, pinnacle) and five different elements (propulsion systems, fuels/energy carriers, energy recovery, improving efficiency, emissions reduction) to create a matrix that could be applied to any of the hundreds of disparate racing series.

Part of the announcement confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in racing. As expected, in 2022 the DPi class will indeed add a hybrid powertrain component?something we first reported at last year’s Detroit race. However, this will almost certainly be some kind of standard or spec system to avoid the eight- or nine-figure annual budgets that were necessary to fund development of the 1,000hp hybrid prototypes that gave the World Endurance Championship its brief golden age. (I’m actually of two minds about this one. Budgets have to be kept in check, but using a spec hybrid system undermines any potential claim to be facilitating technology transfer from track to street.) Further down the road, Atherton suggested that there could well be a role in IMSA for electric touring cars or even electric prototypes in the series.

It?s more than just the cars

In addition to hybrid DPi cars, Atherton revealed that IMSA’s current tire partner, Michelin, and its fuel supplier, VP Racing Fuels, will be working together as part of the program. “We want to reduce tire use to deliver an environmental benefit equal to the carbon footprint of on-track activities,” Atherton said, adding that VP will be showcasing an advanced fuel with an increased renewable content as well as increased octane. “It will effectively foreshadow the fuels we?ll be using in the future in road cars,” he said. However, there’s no specific calendar yet for the introduction of this new fuel. “It will depend on when next-generation consumer fuel becomes a commitment and a plan. We have meetings set up in June to sit down with partners to define that. Ideally would be with introduction of the next-generation DPi, but that seems very aggressive today,” he said.

At this point, some readers might be angrily preparing a comment to point out that a race series’ carbon footprint is much larger than just the race cars burning fuel on track. Atherton agrees, and he wants cleaner power in the IMSA paddock. “I want to get rid of the small diesel generators at the track, they’re a particular bugbear of mine,” he told me, adding that the series would be talking to Formula E about its experience with running its paddock on renewable energy. “We don’t want to mandate generators, because it comes down to availability. But how about synthetic diesels that teams could use with rental generators?” he suggested.

Finally, there’s the carbon impact of the teams and fans getting to and from each event. Before any mandatory carpooling gets introduced, the plan is to improve the efficiency of the logistics that send teams cross the country over the course of the season. To that end, IMSA is becoming an affiliate of EPA SmartWay program, which helps companies make their freight and supply chains more efficient. “That?s a successful program for us that has thousands of partners across the country that help work in really improving freight efficiency, the protocols that are associated with that, the reporting obligations, the best practices, all of those things IMSA can really help us improve,” said Karl Simon, director of the EPA’s Transportation and Climate Division. “We’ll look for areas where there are benefits great and small?we have to find the areas where we can make a difference,” Simon said.

Read the full article here.

The post America?s Sports Car Racing Series Embraces Being Green Again appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Jon Wilner, The Seattle Times Pac 12

Bill Walton will be the keynote speaker for the Pac-12?s sustainability conference Tuesday in Seattle. (Rick Bowmer / The Associated Press)

At the Pac-12?s inaugural conference on environmental sustainability, in 2017, keynote speaker Bill Walton did something that would have been surprising for anyone but Bill Walton. He announced his personal cell number in front of hundreds of attendees and asked them to send him examples of green efforts in their lives.

Walton is a keynote speaker for the third annual sustainability conference, which begins Tuesday in Seattle. He had not yet finalized his podium plan at the time of our recent conversation, but the remarks will undoubtedly be heartfelt.

The environment is on Walton?s Rushmore of Passions, alongside basketball, cycling and the Grateful Dead, and he has become the willing, public face of the conference?s expanding green efforts. Those efforts include the 2018 formation of Pac-12 Team Green, described by the conference as the first sustainability platform in college athletics. Led by deputy commissioner Jamie Zaninovich, Team Green is designed to support environmental work on Pac-12 campuses with seminars, waste-diversion competitions, best-practices discussions and corporate sponsors.

?There couldn?t be a better place to host,? Walton said of the two-day conference on the University of Washington campus, ?particularly because of what (Washington Governor) Jay Inslee is doing to try to change the course of history in face of challenges with population, with habitat destruction and with the choices we make.?

During an hour long interview about his work with the Pac-12 on sustainability, Walton was raw and unfiltered. At one point, I went 25 minutes without uttering a peep. He talked about the moment his spine failed, in February 2008: ?When you?re lying on the ground and you?d rather be dead, things change, your perspective changes.? He quoted the Dead, Dylan and Neil Young. He cited books on travel and the environment, with ?The Geography of Genius? by Eric Weiner and ?The Good Rain? by Timothy Egan among his favorites. He talked about lobbying efforts by fossil-fuel companies and humanity?s dependence on single-use plastic bottles. He provided an hour-by-hour account of a ?glorious? fishing trip with Gonzaga coach Mark Few. He asked if I had taped my mouth to an exhaust pipe. His tone alternated between joyous and grim, between relentless and rhetorical, but the passion never dipped below a 12. Our trip through Waltonville eventually ended where it began: His partnership with the conference on its sustainability efforts.

?I love being alive, and I plan to stay alive, and I want it for our four kids and our nine grandkids,?? he said. ?So when the Pac-12 calls with an incredible opportunity like this ? I?m always searching for possibility of being involved in making progressive change in the world. This is my life and my chance to be involved with something so critically important as sustainability. I couldn?t pass it up when I see what the Pac-12 is doing as conference. It was David Brower who coined the phrase: ?If environmentalism fails, no other good cause can succeed.??

Green efforts were well underway across the conference before Team Green provided the platform and Walton the support. Colorado officially joined the cause in 2008, becoming the first athletic department in the country to feature a sports-sustainability program (Ralphie?s Green Stampede). The Buffaloes are also members of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action initiative, which includes the NBA, FIFA, the New York Yankees and the Golden State Warriors.

Their indoor practice facility, which opened in 2016, is a net-zero-energy building. Athletic director Rick George was a featured speaker, along with Walton, at the Pac-12?s first sustainability conference; CU was the host of the second. ?It?s so much a part of who we are,? George said. ?All our peers (in the Pac-12) are fully engaged, and the conference is promoting what we?re all doing and has been a fantastic partner.?

The post An Inside Look at the Pac-12?s Sustainability Efforts, with an Assist from Bill Walton and Seattle appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Lew Blaustein, GreenSportsBlog

Los Angeles-based AEG is the largest sports and entertainment venue operator in the world, entertaining over 100 million guests annually. On the sports side, AEG is both a venue owner-operator ? marquee properties like LA?s Staples Center, London?s O? Arena and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headline its portfolio ? as well as a team owner, with LA?s Galaxy, Kings and Lakers among its leading lights.

An early driver of the sports greening movement, the company has accelerated the pace of its sustainability efforts over the past three years, committing to science-based targets in 2016 and to the UN?s Sports for Climate Action Framework earlier this year.

GreenSportsBlog first spoke with John Marler, the company?s VP of Energy and Environment and newly announced Green Sports Alliance board member, three years ago. We caught up with him recently to delve into AEG?s recent sustainability advances and to get his take on how hard sports can push on climate going forward.

GreenSportsBlog: Hi John, it?s great to talk again. AEG adopted ?science-based targets? regarding its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reductions goals in 2016. What are science-based targets in general and how has the company progressed in the first three years since making the commitment?

John Marler: GHG reductions targets adopted by companies are considered science-based if they are aligned with the level of decarbonization necessary to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C as compared to preindustrial levels.

While AEG was not the first company to commit to science-based targets, we were an early adopter back in 2016.

GSB: Why did AEG go all in on science-based targets?

John: We realized that, while the planet doesn?t care if we get things right on GHG emissions reductions, humanity and other life forms certainly will care. Progress has been slow but steady. In 2018, we were able to move closer towards our goal by purchasing additional renewable energy. This allowed us to keep up, emissions-reductions-wise, with the growth in emissions from adding new venues to our roster. Many other companies are in the same boat and are taking a similar approach.

John Marler (Photo credit: AEG)

GSB: What specific targets are AEG moving towards?

John: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report says humanity has until 2030 to reduce GHG emissions by 45 percent versus a 2010 baseline. We?re working towards that goal and also towards being carbon neutral by 2050.

GSB: How far along is AEG in terms of emissions reductions and how have you gotten there?

John: We reduced GHG emissions by 18 percent from 2017 to 2018 and are very close to being on pace to get to the 33 percent reduction level by 2020, putting us on track to get to the ?45 percent by 2030? threshold. Our approach for our venues has been to focus on energy efficiency wherever possible and to purchase renewable energy credits(RECs).

We?ve been encouraged by the quality and quantity of the RECs that have become available as more renewable energy generation capacity is being built out. One somewhat paradoxical challenge for us has been our growth. Meaning that the more properties we acquire or build, those added emissions get assigned to our ledger versus our 2010 baseline.

GSB: So that means you?re actually performing better on a per venue basis if total AEG emissions are down vs. 2010 as your portfolio has grown, right? How do on-site renewables fit into this?

John: Solar and wind at sports or entertainment venues are great in that they serve as high profile advertisements for renewable energy. But the amount of emissions reduction we see from on-site renewables at stadiums and arenas is quite small. The truth is, only about 25 percent of venue roofs can even accommodate solar. So on-site renewables alone will not get us close to where we need to get in terms of GHG emissions.

Again, for us, getting to our targets will come from improvements on energy efficiency plus funding new off-site renewable energy by the purchase of RECs. We?re pleased by the technological advancements and thus the price reductions in solar and wind as well as on energy storage. The question is, when we?re talking about climate change globally rather than just in the sports industry, will these advances be fast enough?

Solar panels atop the roof of the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Photo credit: John Marler)

GSB: And will there be the will, from the grassroots and political levels, to make the policy changes necessary to accelerate the adoption of these technologies fast enough? Back to sports for a minute. I think Green-Sports 1.0 ? the greening of the games themselves ? has largely been a success over the past decade or more. LEED certified stadiums and arenas have become the norm. But the sports world cannot rest on those laurels. What do you think the sports greening movement needs to do going forward to maximize GHG reduction impacts?

John: The good thing is that most people in the sports greening movement realize that Green-Sports 1.0 is not nearly enough to get us where we need to be. The real opportunity is for sports venue management ? and that means companies like ours ? as well as teams, leagues and athletes is to inspire fans to care about climate. For this to happen, sports organizations need to be more public about their greening efforts and encouraging fans to do the same in their own lives. Maybe fans get interested via the plastic ocean waste issue, maybe by trying a plant-based diet. The important thing is they get there.

GSB: How is AEG going about communicating its greening initiatives to its fans?

John: MLS? LA Galaxy?s Protect The Pitch initiative engages fans at Dignity Health Sports Park and on its website. All of our California venues committed to the state?s Clean Air Day. Our AEG #GoGreen site has a carbon calculator, powered by Conservation International, which allows the visitor to determine his/her annual carbon footprint. They can also offset their carbon.

Signage promoting LA Galaxy?s decision to phase out plastic straws as part of its Protect the Pitch initiative (Credit: LA Galaxy)

GSB: How does AEG promote #GoGreen to its guests? How is traffic to the site?

John: Sustainability is increasingly informing consumers? purchasing habits and behaviors. Because everyone plays a role in sustainability, we encourage employees and fans through our social channels to visit AEGGoGreen.com, learn how to lessen their environmental impact and ask others to join the movement by sharing a #GOGREEN Pledge via Facebook and Twitter.

Conserving our planet?s resources is a shared endeavor that not only touches all levels of our organization, but all people in all corners of the globe. Only by working together can we improve the health of our planet.

The program underscores AEG?s belief that it has an opportunity to use the power of sports and music to create significant, positive change in the world.

GSB: Finally, AEG?s energy efficiency initiatives, its renewable energy purchases and its communications efforts fit well with the five pillars of the UN?s new Sports For Climate Action framework, something to which the company committed. What is AEG looking for from the framework?

John: One of the underlying principles behind the creation of the Green Sports Alliance is that people care deeply about sports and it?s a great platform to engage with people about a variety of issues. We see the Framework as one of these opportunities ? to use the most popular and iconic sports brands in the world to help address climate change.

GSB: Speaking of the Alliance, congratulations John on being named to its Board. You will bring a deep well of venue management and technical experience to the Alliance. As for the Framework, it?s off to a strong start with high profile commitments, including AEG?s. I look forward to talking with you down the road to see how compliance and awareness of the Framework develops.

Read the full article here.

The post AEG Pushes Its Venues to Reduce Emissions in Line with Paris Climate Agreement appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Lew Blaustein, GreenSportsBlog

Green Sports Alliance Summits past have largely kept climate change in the background.

That changed, hopefully forever, as the climate crisis percolated throughout the two days of the 2019 Summit that ended Thursday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

And, in a Green Sports Alliance Summit main stage first, several speakers went beyond urging the sports world to take on climate change, making the powerful case for leagues, teams and athletes to make the needed connections between social justice and environmental (or climate) justice.

?Climate change is about equity and inclusiveness. The problem affects everyone.?

? Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia

?Everyone is responsible for climate change. It?s really human change.?

? Jason Twill, Founding Green Sports Alliance Director

?We found that kids in certain Philadelphia zip codes weren?t going outside because of fear of violence, fear of asthma. The best tool to predict health disparities is zip code.?

? Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Association

?It?s hard to play basketball, it?s hard to breathe, when the air is polluted. Eighteen percent of Oakland kids have asthma. I?m one of those kids.?

? Nehemiah Vaughn, 19, Youth Ambassador, Green for All

Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia (Photo credit: Philly Voice)

These quotes, and many others like it, were uttered during the first two hours of the ninth Green Sports Alliance Summit. As someone who?s been to six of the last seven summits, I say it?s time for the Green-Sports movement and sports more broadly to take heed of these messages, acknowledge the fear and risks of going bigger and faster on climate as well as environmental-social justice?and go bigger and faster anyway.

IT?S PAST TIME

I get that the sports world would rather go slowly about climate change.

I get that the sports power brokers, from owners to media to sponsors, would, for the most part, avoid anything that smacks of politics.

Thing is, the Green-Sports movement, as well as the rest of humanity, does not have the luxury of time to dance around climate change any longer. The Alliance, at its eight previous summits, often did the climate change-avoidance cha-cha.

Given that humanity only has 12 years or less to decarbonize by 45 percent in order to avoid the most calamitous impacts of climate change, it was past time for the dance to end and the real talk ? and then action ? to commence.

So it was a much needed and unprecedented start to the 2019 Alliance Summit as presenters at Wednesday morning?s opening session spoke clearly and directly about the climate crisis. In addition to the quotes above, summiteers heard these messages before the first coffee break:

• Eagles President Don Smolenski, in his welcome to the summiteers, noted ?We generate more energy from clean sources than any other sports venue in North America. We take managing and reducing our climate impacts seriously.?
• Jason Twill, who followed Smolenski and Mayor Kenney on to the main stage shared, ?At the founding meeting of the Green Sports Alliance back in 2010, someone said ?we are in the first year of the final decade in which we can make a major impact on climate.? Now we?re at the end of that decade. Sustainable, to which many aspire, is not enough. Even restoring the planet is not enough. We need to get to a regenerative economy.?
• More Twill: ?In 2018, we passed ?Earth Overshoot Day? ? the day when humanity?s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year ? on August 1st. The US passed it on March 15, Canada on March 18. We need to from being ego-centric to eco-centric.?

Jason Twill (Photo credit: Jennifer Twill)

MOVING FORWARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE

If the attendees weren?t awake before these talks, surely they were wide eyed afterwards, even without the benefits of caffeine.

And that was a very good thing because ?Beyond The Ballpark: The Role of Sports in Environmental Justice Reform? was unlike anything an Alliance Summit had ever offered. Moderator Kunal Merchant, an Alliance board member and the co-founder of Lotus Advisory, led a panel that thoughtfully explored the underreported-on intersection of social justice and environmental (climate) justice.

Merchant, whose firm is consulting on the proposed new waterfront ballpark for the Oakland A?s, shared how environmental remediation and cleanup is central to the plan: ?The club will work to clean up the water, soil and waste, with the goal of improving the health and lives of the often marginalized people who have been living with the consequences of the environmental degradation of the area.?

Preliminary artist rendering for the proposed Oakland A?s ballpark near Jack London Square in Oakland. The project will be LEED Gold and reflect the A?s strong commitment to sustainable development and environmental justice (Credit: Oaklandballpark.com)

Recently retired former Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin has made building parks and safe spaces to play for kids in at-risk area the focus of his MTWB (Make The World Better) Foundation work ? they?re now on their fourth park in Philadelphia. When asked how to get more athletes involved in the climate and social-environmental justice fights, Barwin?s answer was simple: ?Corporate sponsors need to ask us!?

Ex-Philadelphia Eagles LB Connor Barwin (r) helped install solar panels atop the roof of this couple?s home in Cherry Hill, NJ in 2015. (Photo credit: NRG)

Mustafa Santiago Ali, VP of Environmental Justice at the National Wildlife Federation, talked about growing up in West Virginia, across the river from a coal plant. ?Some days, we would be playing outside, and when the wind blew in a certain direction, ?the fog? would come in,? recalled Santiago Ali. ?We didn?t know we were being impacted, but  some parts of the region have a 50 percent cancer rate?This is environmental INjustice. We need to get to environmental justice for frontline communities: people of color, indigenous people.?

Mustafa Santiago Ali (Photo credit: National Wildlife Federation)

The showstopper of the panel was the aforementioned Nehemiah Vaughn.

Asthma may have cut short his basketball dreams, but that didn?t stop Vaughn. Far from it. The engaging 19-year old pivoted to music, entering and winning a hip-hop contest by starring in this #FuelChange anthem, promoted by Green For All. Check it out:

Can the Green-Sports movement catalyze this energy and vision displayed in Wednesday morning?s session into meaningful, consistent action ofrom leagues, teams, media, athletes and more?

Watch this space.

MINNEAPOLIS TO HOST 2020 SUMMIT

Thursday morning?s session kicked off with the announcement from Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Roger McClendon that the organization?s 10th annual summit would be held at US Bank Stadium, the LEED Gold home of the Minnesota Vikings.

GreenSportsBlog is ecstatic about this news for two reasons:

1. Minneapolis, along with St. Paul, make up the Green-Sports-y-est metro area in the United States. In fact, GSB is in the midst of a four-part series on the Twin Cities? Green-Sports-y-ness. Click hereand here for the first two parts.
2. We urged the Green Sports Alliance to pick Minneapolis just this Tuesday! 

PHILLY SUMMIT NEWS & NOTES

Here are a few more nuggets and thoughts on the summit before closing the book on Philadelphia 2019:

• Another first for a GSA Summit: A conversation about carbon pricing and how it would benefit the sports business. Panelist Steve Hams, representing Citizens? Climate Lobby (CCL), shared the details of the bipartisan Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act(EICDA) of 2019 bill currently making the rounds in the US House of Representatives.
  • It would place a price on carbon ($15/metric ton of carbon in year one and then rising $10/ton/year after that) at the point of extraction (mine, well) or the border. The fees raised would not go to the federal treasury. Rather, they would be paid out as a dividend to households in the form of a monthly direct deposit. It?s progressive: Independent analyses estimate that the lowest 66 percent of American households on the income scale would earn more in dividends than they would pay out in higher prices due to the fees. And it?s revenue neutral in that it doesn?t add to the size of government, which should appeal to conservatives.
  • According to Hams, businesses involved in sports, including the small and medium size companies who sell to venues and teams ? many of whom were exhibitors at the summit ? should love this policy: ?Most fans will have more money in their pockets because of this policy, which means more money to spend on tickets. Plus the policy will accelerate the pace of reducing emissions and cleaning up our environment, which will be good for all sports.?
  • Full disclosure: The discussion on carbon pricing took place during a panel, ?Sports, Carbon, & Climate,? moderated by yours truly. And I am a CCL volunteer.
• Tuesday was Stadium Tour Day. Three venues in four hours. This is only possible in Philadelphia because Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles), Citizens? Bank Park (Phillies) and Wells Fargo Center (76ers and Flyers) are all in the same complex.
  • The Eagles are, by far, the green leader: Massive solar installations on the stadium?s east wall and in the parking lot, LEED Gold, ISO 20121 certified and more.
  • The Phillies are doing a lot right: An LED lighting retrofit that has reduced energy use by 25 percent, an advanced water pump and HVAC monitoring system, and a branded ?Red Goes Green? program to communicate with fans. But they aren?t measuring their overall carbon footprint yet. A big opportunity missed, it says here, because measuring it would uncover more energy and dollar savings.
  • Wells Fargo Center is in the midst of huge renovation ? Transformation 2020 ? with energy efficiency a part of the mix. That said, I did not get the sense that the environment is central part of the arena?s DNA. Comcast, which owns the facility is not looking to go for LEED certification.

Citizens? Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo credit: Visit Philly)

• Substantive discussions on climate ruled the day on Thursday. ?The Role of Sport in Civic Engagement & Public Policy,? was a wonkish discussion of how:
  • Sports can marshal the favorable market forces in the renewable energy, EV and energy storage sectors
  • Brands can engage fans and athletes for a greater purpose, like the climate fight, and,
  • The sports world can encourage fans to vote.
  • The wonkishness was not surprising given the panel lineup of former Obama administration members. Moderator Cyrus Wadia worked in the Obama White House, as did panelists Kyle Lierman, CEO of When We All Vote (perennial NBA All Star Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets is involved) and Charlie Gay, who worked in 44?s Department of Energy. And while Perfecto (that?s his real name) Sanchez did not work in the Obama Administration, he did do two tours of duty with the Army in Iraq and his company, JourneyOne, helps align corporate mission with employee purpose in order move companies achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Cyrus Wadia (Photo credit: Unreasonable Group)

Finally, I came away from the Summit with one big thing from Thursday?s last session, ?Speaking Science: Making Climate Change & Sustainability Relevant to Fans.?

Panelist Eric Fine, Project Manager of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, shared these data from a 2018 survey of Americans that divided us into six groups regarding our attitudes on climate. Almost 60 percent are alarmed or concerned. Another 17 percent are cautious with 5 percent disengaged. Another 9 percent are doubtful and only 9 percent are dismissive.

The alarmed/concerned number was higher than I expected, with the doubtful/dismissive number being significantly lower.

So what was that one big thing?

Public attitudes are moving towards the Green-Sports movement so teams, leagues and more have the space now to be bolder than they?ve ever been. 

There will be some blow back. There will be instances where ?go slow? wins the day. And there will, understandably, be disagreements on what language to use.

But the movement needs push through self-imposed brakes whenever possible and go forward faster and more consistently on climate and environmental-social justice than it has before.

Because 2030 will be here sooner than we think.

But before 2030 comes 2020, so see you in Minneapolis next June.

Read the full article here.

The post Green Sports Alliance Summit ?Goes There? on Climate Change & Environmental Justice; Minneapolis Named 2020 Host appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By AEG Corporate News

AEG’s Vice President of Energy and Environment John Marler Named to Green Sports Alliance Board of Directors

LOS ANGELES (June 19, 2019) ? AEG, the world leading sports and live entertainment company announced today that its vice president of energy and environment, John Marler, will join the board of directors of the Green Sports Alliance (GSA). The Green Sports Alliance is the leader in leveraging the market influence of sports to promote environmentally sustainable practices.

?I am honored to represent AEG, a founding partner of the Green Sports Alliance, as a member of the board to further GSA?s mission of leveraging the power of sports to protect the environment,? said Marler. ?I look forward to working with the other distinguished directors to further the impact of sustainable practices within the sports industry to address global environmental issues.?

Under Marler?s leadership, AEG recently adopted a new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal to achieve zero emissions by 2050, based on the 2018 Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius report from the United Nations? Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The company also recently pledged its support to the United Nation?s Sports for Climate Action Framework through its various sports entities: LA Kings, LA Galaxy, Eisbären Berlin and Ontario Reign, Amgen Tour of California ? California?s premiere bike race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour ? and AEG Rugby.

?John brings a wealth of experience from a large international portfolio of industry leading sports and entertainment venues and we are thrilled to have him as the newest member of our Board,? said Roger McClendon, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. ?From the very beginning, AEG has been a strong supporter of the Green Sports Alliance and industry leader in establishing groundbreaking sustainability initiatives and we look forward to working together to advance our industry and use the cultural and market influence of sports to drive a more prosperous and sustainable future.?

In his current role as vice president of energy and environment, Marler oversees AEG?s industry-leading corporate sustainability program, AEG 1EARTH, as well as AEG Energy Services, AEG?s corporate energy management program. Prior to joining AEG in 2013, Marler focused on renewable and alternative energy contracts and smart grid research and development at Southern California Edison. Prior to joining the Edison team, Marler practiced law for four years as an attorney in New York, where he focused on commercial litigation and business transactions. He currently serves on the board of directors of GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles.

About the Green Sports Alliance

The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The Alliance inspires sports leagues, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Alliance members represent nearly 400 sports teams and venues from 20 sports leagues in 14 countries.

About AEG

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world?s leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 150 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas;   AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world?s largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events;  and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands, AXS.com ticketing platform, AXS cable television channel and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

Read the full article here.

Media Contact

Allegra Batista

AEG

abatista@aegworldwide.com

213-763-7738

The post AEG’s Vice President of Energy and Environment John Marler Named to Green Sports Alliance Board of Directors appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Upcyclers Network

Closing the Material Loop features over 15 case studies contributed by corporate, non-profit, and public sector leaders who understand the economic and environmental imperative to utilizing waste. By shining a spotlight on organizations and partnerships that have created successful programs and business models to recover and reuse materials, the report aims to inspire more communities and businesses to take a proactive role in uncovering the value within their waste.

Featured public sector and non-profit organizations included in the report are Cal Recycle, the City of Austin, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, Kent County, the City of Phoenix, the Southeast Recycling Development Council, Lonely Whale, NextWave, the Resource Solutions Innovation Network, and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Featured private sector organizations included in the report are Aquafil, the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Best Buy, Circular Solutions Advisors, Dell, Ecoculture Manufacturing Corp, Ecologic Brands, ECOR, ERI, HP, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Oxnard Pallet Company, UNIFI, Up Cycle it Now, and The Super Bowl.

Read the full article here.

Download the Report here.

The post Closing the Material Loop – How Innovators from the Public and Private Sector are Creating Value from Waste appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Warriors News

WARRIORS AND CHASE CENTER SIGN UN SPORTS FOR CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVE 

Franchise Becomes the First NBA Team to Commit to the UN?s Climate Change Initiative Aimed at Sports Organizations

SAN FRANCISCO, CA ? The back-to-back NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and Chase Center, the Warriors new 18,064-seat privately financed sports and entertainment arena in San Francisco?s Mission Bay neighborhood, today announced they have become the first NBA team to sign the UN Sports for Climate Action Initiative to show their commitment to combating global climate change. This program aims to support and guide sports organizations in achieving global climate change goals in accordance with the Paris Agreement, whose goal is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The UN Sports for Climate Action Initiative was formed with the objectives of achieving a clear trajectory for the global sports community to combat climate change and using sports as a unifying tool to drive climate awareness and action among global citizens. By signing the UN Sports for Climate Action Initiative, the Warriors and Chase Center are committing to the program?s five principles to:

• Undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility
• Reduce overall climate impact
• Educate for climate action
• Promote sustainable and responsible consumption
• Advocate for climate action through communication

?We know that climate change is a global concern that needs to be addressed immediately and realize the impact that we and the global sports community can have on combating it,? said Chase Center General Manager Kim Stone. ?As we put the finishing touches on Chase Center and get ready for the opening of the arena, sustainability is going to be at the core focus of everything we do, from business operations to how we put on games and events.?

The Warriors and Chase Center join a number of signatories in the global sports community, including the International Olympic Committee, International Federation of Association Football and Rugby World Cup 2021.

For more information on Chase Center please visit chasecenter.com.

About Chase Center

Chase Center, an 18,064-seat sports and entertainment arena set to open in September of 2019, will anchor Thrive City, the multipurpose, privately financed complex in San Francisco?s Mission Bay neighborhood consisting of 3.2 acres of publicly accessible plazas and open space that are part of a larger mixed-use development including two office buildings and dozens of unique restaurant and retail locations. Chase Center will play host to games featuring the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, concerts, cultural events, family shows and more, totaling nearly 200 events per year. Thrive City, the surrounding district of Chase Center, will be a community gathering space providing a slate of year-round health and wellness programming, including Get Fit clinics, yoga sessions, farmer?s markets, ice skating and much more.

CONTACT:

Raymond Ridder (510) 986-5384

Lisa Goodwin (510) 986-2253

Read the full article here.

The post Warriors and Chase Center Sign UN Sports for Climate Action Initiative appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By World Surf League Press Room

WSL PURE Sets New Standard Designed to Protect Environment Amid Climate Crisis

Photo credit: WSL/Ed Sloane

LOS ANGELES, Calif./USA (Tuesday, June 4, 2019) – The World Surf League (WSL) today announced a series of sustainability commitments that set a new standard for global professional sports. These commitments – designed to inspire, educate and empower ocean lovers while addressing critical environmental issues – apply to all WSL Championship Tour and Big Wave Tour events and include:

1. Becoming carbon neutral globally by the end of 2019;
2. Eliminating single-serve plastics by the end of 2019; and
3. Leaving each place better than it was found.

This effort builds on the WSL’s existing ocean conservation efforts, including WSL PURE, its non-profit arm, which stands for Protecting Understanding and Respecting the Environment. As part of its announcement today, the WSL is also launching a global marketing campaign and inviting members of the ocean community to make the PURE pledge to “Stop Trashing Waves” and join a worldwide paddle out on June 15 in honor of International Surfing Day, founded by the Surfrider Foundation.

“The WSL is incredibly proud to break new ground in sports in the urgent battle against climate change and ocean pollution,” said WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “We believe it’s our responsibility to be ?all in’ with our efforts to protect the ocean and beaches amid the devastating climate crisis we all face. We invite everyone who cares about the ocean to join us.”

Some facts that have propelled the WSL to make these commitments:

• Because of increased global temperatures, the ocean has absorbed more than 90 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere, which causes more frequent and intense storms and dangerously rising sea levels.
• Approximately 30 percent of the carbon in the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean, causing acidification that harms coral reefs and other marine life.
• Plastics break down into small microparticles that are ingested by marine life, ultimately entering the food we eat and water we drink.

The specifics of the WSL commitments include:

Becoming carbon neutral globally by the end of 2019, including at WSL Championship Tour and Big Wave Tour events:

• The WSL is offsetting its carbon footprint by investing in and supporting projects such as REDD+ (reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) certified carbon offset projects that have a focus on restoring and protecting natural ecosystems and renewable energy ecosystems and are based in each of the WSL’s regions. For example:
• In Asia Pacific: The Katingan Mentaya project in Borneo is a REDD+ peat swamp forest that fights deforestation from mining and palm oil plantations. VCS and Triple Gold Certified project recognized for its positive social impacts (34 communities; 45k people) and biodiversity (5 Critically Endangered, 8 Endangered, and 31 Vulnerable species).
• In South America: The Santa Vitoria do Palmar and Chui wind farm in Brazil (a United Nations Clean Development Mechanism Certified Emission Reduction project) which powers 400,000 homes, and the ceramic factories of Argibem, São Sebastião, and Vulcão which run on renewable biomass instead of native timber from endangered and unique Brazilian ecosystems, and also has positive social impacts in the community schools.
• In Africa: The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust located in Kenya, which supports the Chyulu Hills REDD+ project to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation, restores biodiversity and creates alternative livelihoods.
• In North America: Almost 24,000 acres of protected Redwood forest protected from traditional logging to store carbon and safeguard endangered wildlife (Coho Salmon and Northern Spotted Owl) in the coastal watersheds of the Garcia River Forests in Mendocino County.
• The WSL will also reduce its carbon footprint by regionalizing its operation, limiting non-essential travel and implementing policies to reduce carbon emissions at its offices.
• The WSL carbon offset program is calculated and curated in partnership with STOKE (Sustainable Tourism & Outdoors Kit for Evaluation), a certification organization with standards built specifically for surf and mountain tourism operators, destinations, and affiliated events.

Eliminating single-serve plastics from WSL Championship Tour and Big Wave Tour events by the end of 2019:

• The WSL is specifically targeting items related to food-service like bottled beverages, cutlery, and cups, as these single-serve items are often not recyclable.
• The WSL already provides clean drinking water stations for fans to refill their bottles and choose compostable materials where possible for food service.

Leaving each WSL Championship Tour and Big Wave Tour stop better than it was found:

• The WSL is reducing its event footprint and developing a financial grant program to commit money to local projects and non-profits that are working to safeguard our coasts and protect these habitats.

“So stoked that the WSL is setting this amazing example, and I hope all other professional sports follow their lead – and soon!” said Dr. Ayana Johnson, marine biologist and founder of Ocean Collectiv and Urban Ocean Lab. “Where governments fail to lead, business can and should step all the way up to address our intertwined climate and biodiversity crises.”

“I think it’s a great stance and an important message to send to people around the world,” said 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater. “The ocean is vital to everyone, for food, for oxygen and especially to us surfers. I think everyone should make it their priority to care about this issue and make changes in their lives to help.”

As part of the commitment, the WSL is launching a multi-faceted digital and print marketing campaign, titled “Stop Trashing Waves.” Creative features pro surfers Conner Coffin, Filipe Toledo, Carissa Moore, Coco Ho, Tatiana Weston Webb, Paige Alms, Greg Long, Kai Lenny, and Bianca Valenti and will appear across social media and other platforms.

“In the sport of surfing and beyond, it’s imperative that we all act immediately,” said Reece Pacheco, WSL SVP Ocean Responsibility and Executive Director, WSL PURE. “Looking ahead, we plan to inspire more and more people to join us in reducing and offsetting their emissions through our upcoming carbon calculator and offset platform.”

More information about the WSL commitments and tips for the general public, as well as details and locations for paddle outs, can be found at WSLPURE.org.

About the #StopTrashingWaves Pledge 
The WSL wants to inspire everyone to take a pledge to Stop Trashing Waves. The WSL is backing up the pledge with new initiatives centered around reducing our carbon footprint, refusing single-serve plastics, and leaving every coastline better than it was found.

To make incredible waves of impact, the WSL is asking everyone to make their own commitment and pledge to #stoptrashingwaves.

No action is too small. Small changes collectively can make big waves to protect our ocean and planet.

Learn more and make the pledge at wslpure.org

About WSL PURE
PURE stands for Protecting, Understanding, and Respecting the Environment, and is the non-profit arm of the WSL. Founded in 2016, WSL PURE is on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower ocean protection, starting with the global surf community. WSL PURE is specifically focused on the climate crisis, plastic pollution, and coastal ruin.

PURE leverages the WSL’s incredible platform to shine a light on the people making a difference — environmentalists, athletes, advocacy organizations, communities, individuals — and collaborates with world-class, non-profit partners including: Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Lonely Whale, Bloomberg Philanthropies, NRDC, North Shore Community Land Trust, Surfrider Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Europe, Take 3 For The Sea, Save The Waves Coalition, Surfers Against Sewage, Sustainable Coastlines HI, Kokua Hawaii Foundation, Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, 5 Gyres Institute and The Center for Climate and Life at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

For more information, please visit wslpure.org

About STOKE
STOKE (Sustainable Tourism & Outdoors Kit for Evaluation), a California Social Purpose Corporation, is the world’s first sustainability certification body with standards built specifically for surf and mountain tourism operators, destinations, and affiliated events. Through its network of independent evaluators, STOKE verifies the legitimacy of sustainability claims and provides transparency for the outdoor community through its certification programs-STOKE Surf, STOKE Snow, and STOKE Events. Since 2013, STOKE has grown to 27 members in 11 countries across all of its certification programs.

Read the full press release here.

The post The World Surf League Leads the Way for Global Professional Sports by Becoming Carbon Neutral and Eliminating Single-Serve Plastics appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

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