Consumers are buying 30 per cent more products and services from businesses that care for the environment
act in this regard, committing to targets of delivering 15 per cent of our energy in 2020 through renewable technologies. This is a seven-fold increase over to- day’s levels and a much more significant increase than many European coun- terparts. The second phase of the FiT scheme is the Renewable Heat Incentive, a similar measure for heat which is due to be introduced in April 2011. For the sport industry, the renew-
able opportunities are large – due to the infrastructure in place and the space available to implement it. The Gelre- Dome Stadium in the Netherlands has quickly become a net exporter of elec- tricity, generating a 30,000kWh surplus from the photovoltaic cells on its roof. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme was
Above and top right: An enhanced trans- port plan to and from Twickenham has increased the number of spectators travel- ling to the stadium via public transport
The FiT scheme, whereby organisa-
tions can generate electricity of their own and ‘feed’ what they do not use back into the grid, has made renew- able technologies more affordable and accessible. This incentive can make an organisation a net generator of energy rather than a consumer and can sig- nificantly reduce the payback period of renewable technology investment. FiT’s were introduced in the UK in
April 2010 by the government to help increase the level of renewable energy in the UK towards its legally-binding target from less than 2 per cent in 2009. The UK government has recognised the need to
Issue 4 2010 © cybertrek 2010
also launched on 1st April this year, but participants in the scheme had until a 30 September deadline to ensure they were registered. Participation was manda- tory for around 5,000 organisations in this ground-breaking initiative to tackle carbon emissions. It is a legally binding, energy efficiency climate change mitiga- tion scheme, affecting the public and private sectors – some of the country’s biggest brand names are involved, in- cluding football clubs and rugby clubs. If the CRC works well, the govern-
ment may be tempted to reduce the energy consumption threshold in future and bring in many more organisations. Although currently fixed at 6,000 MWh, the threshold was originally going to have an upper limit of 3,000 MWh.
Responsible consumers As well as the financial business case, we should not forget the reputational advantages that involvement in carbon
savings can bring to employees, specta- tors and broader stakeholders alike. There has been a significant growth
demand side from consumers who want to associate themselves with organisa- tions that are seen to be ‘low carbon’. This has become more mainstream in our so- ciety where it is a lifestyle choice to seek brands that match their personality to a low carbon mantra. Supporting this, a recent consumer study of 2,000 UK adults by AEA found that consumers are buying 30 per cent more products and services from businesses that have a good reputa- tion for caring for the environment.
Sustainable future Given the need to adapt and mitigate the impact of climate change, carbon regulation is here to stay. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and FiTs represent a step change in policy to reduce organi- sations’ carbon impact and the sport industry should take advantage of these initiatives to ensure they are exploiting the financial opportunities of sustainability. The key for any organisation now
and in the future is to see beyond a perceived challenge and to use carbon management to their advantage in or- der to reduce cost and earn an improved perception in the minds of their support- ers and wider stakeholders. This will pay dividends far beyond the initial outlay by delivering a sustainable brand as well as a sustainable organisation in a low carbon economy. ●
Mark Johnson is knowledge leader for emissions trading at AEA, an energy and climate change consultancy and princi- pal technical advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
Read Sports Management online
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