News article
Sustainability round-up: Davis Cup, FedExCup Playoffs
Also in the news: Hungaroring, Dynamo Dresden, British Rowing and more…
Valencia’s Municipal Sports Foundation handed out thousands of free tickets for this week’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage in the Spanish city to tennis fans who met the challenge of recycling three glass containers on Saturday. Four dedicated recycling points were set up for the initiative across the city, which recycled 17,000 tonnes of glass last year.
World Athletics hosted a workshop last week for over 400 road race organisers entitled ‘Towards a More Sustainable Industry: Labels, Clean Air and Case Studies’. The event was moderated by Chris Robb, CEO of Mass Participation World with various representatives from World Athletics discussing the progress of several World Athletics Running for Clean Air projects worldwide, including case studies from Warsaw, Poland and the recently launched Clean Air project in Lagos, Nigeria. The workshop also featured a presentation from Global Sustainable Sport on how race organisers can develop a broader sustainability programme that can deliver new commercial opportunities based around GSS’s 7 Sustainable Pillars of Sport.
Eight tennis players, including world No.1 doubles player Erin Routcliffe, have pledged a percentage of future tournament prize money to ‘The Humane League’ – a charity dedicated to ending animal suffering in factory farms. The ‘Spread the Love’ campaign by the players – all of whom are members of the ‘High Impact Athletes’ movement that mobilises professional athletes to support charitable causes – by influencing corporate policies and passing legislation.
The Big Green Clash, an inaugural event hosted by Earth-friendly rugby team the Green Gazelles, took place at Richmond Athletic Ground in the UK on Sunday. The event aimed to spark an important debate around the environment and sport, and prominent environmental, sporting and health enthusiasts assembled for a Sports Climate Summit prior to kick off. Brendon Bale, Founder and Director of the Green Gazelles, gave an opening presentation followed by discussions and presentations from Pledgeball CEO Katie Cross, VBites Group Owner Heather Mills, Plant Based News Founder and CEO Klaus Mitchell, former triathlete and athlete environmental activist Kate Strong, The Vegan Society’s Head of Campaigns Claire Ogley, and ProverbSkin Founder Luke Sherriff. The summit was followed by a match between the Green Gazelles and Richmond Rugby Club.
New trees were planted in all three US host cities of Memphis, Denver and Atlanta for the recently concluded FedExCup Playoffs through a partnership between the golf series’ sponsor, logistics provider FedEx, and non-profit organisation One Tree Planted. April Britt, Director of Global Citizenship at FedEx, said: “The FedExCup Playoffs in all three cities provided us an opportunity to deliver trees where needed most, helping to bring relief from the heat and building healthier communities.”
The Hungaroring circuit in Mogyoród, Hungary, which hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix in July, has received a two-star sustainability rating from the FIA, motorsport’s global governing body – the second-highest possible rating. “It is important for our track to keep up with all other venues in the world in all respects, including sustainability, and we are constantly making efforts to do so,” said Hungaroring Sport CEO Zsolt Gyulay.
More than 1,000 newly installed solar panels were switched on for the first time at the Utilita Bowl in Hampshire, UK, ahead of England’s T20 cricket clash with Australia. The panels will provide roughly a quarter of the total electricity used by the stadium, including enough to cover entire match days, reducing carbon emissions by 80 tonnes annually.
Historic German football club Dynamo Dresden has announced a new sustainability partnership with the city’s local authority and Veolia, a provider of water and waste management, and energy services. Veolia, which has provided waste management services at Dynamo’s Rudolf Harbig Stadium for several years, will now also advise the club on decarbonisation.
British Rowing, a member of the Clean Water Sports Alliance, has welcomed the announcement of the new Water (Special Measures) Bill by the UK’s Secretary of State for Defra, Steve Reed MP. The new legislation, which will apply in England and Wales will give regulators greater power to tackle companies who pollute.
Image: FDF Valencia