SUSTAINABILITY
contests and nearly two million miles of team air travel per season. The total footprint is approximately 530,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, with the league referencing the 23 million metric tons emitted annually from the single largest coal power plant in the US by way of comparison. The motive behind putting a figure on
total carbon spend is best explained by Allen Hershkowitz, the head of sports programmes at the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Hershkowitz describes the work achieved by the NHL as remarkable and adds that having such a concrete figure will help future green initiatives, as it can be used as a tool to inspire fans and partners to commit to environmental stewardship. “The 2014 NHL Sustainability Report is
arguably the most important statement about the environment ever issued by a professional sports league,” Hershkowitz says. “The report's focus on controlling fossil-fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions is a mainstream wake-up call that climate disruption poses an existential threat to everything we hold dear, including sports and recreation.”
COMMUNITY MATTERS While initiatives by large-scale venues and sports organisations can make significant differences to the environment, it’s also important to highlight what can be achieved at community level. At a time when public funding is scarce and energy costs are rising, amateur clubs and grassroots operators are increasingly
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Above: The NHL will use the report to inspire ice hockey fans to commit to the league’s sustainable stewardship Below: The wind turbine at Poppleton Tigers saves the club £1,300 a year
looking to reduce outlays to a minimum. Poppleton Tigers, a community club in York, UK, undertook a study to appraise the most practical renewable energy solutions for its clubhouse in terms of energy savings and environmental benefits. Wind turbines, solar panels and biomass heating were all assessed and following the study the club decided to invest in the creation of wind-powered energy. The chosen product, an Evance R9000 5kW turbine, now generates
10,000kWh per year – saving the club £1,300. As an added plus, the wind turbine acts as a marketing tool – a visual demonstration of the club’s commitment to sustainable energy. Val Duggan, secretary of Poppleton Tigers, says the turbine has made a big difference. “We wanted a renewable energy source to both save CO2 emissions and help with the ever increasing energy bills,” Duggan says. “The turbine was installed with financial support from the Community Sustainable Energy Programme and the FA. We all get a buzz seeing it turning, knowing we’re producing green energy and saving more than four tonnes of carbon emissions annually. We’ve got 25 active teams, so have around 750 visitors a week of all ages. The turbine provides a fantastic sustainable energy learning resource for all of them.” For Seymour, this is a great example of what can be achieved at grassroots level if clubs can create conviction and a desire to do the right thing among members. “If you have individuals who are passionate about the environment and sustainability, they’ll often create and drive the efforts through the first stages,” he says. “There also has to be a business case behind any measures – if something isn’t viable then it’s obvious it won’t get done. Ultimately though, to make an environmental pledge or action work and for it to achieve its targets, there also has to be a philosophy behind it. “If people within an organisation buy
into the idea they’re doing the right thing, rather than something they ‘have to do’, it’s much more likely to get results.” l
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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