News article
Sustainability round-up: London FA, World Taekwondo and Kai Tak Sports Park…
Also in the news: World Surf League, the International Floorball Federation and World Rugby…
The London Football Association joined with resource management company Veolia to donate recycled bibs and drawstring bags to local youth football clubs. The items were made from the 2022 FA Cup Final recycled pitch cover, which itself had been made from 47,600 plastic bottles that had been collected and sorted from previous events at Wembley Stadium. This was then recycled into PET plastic yarn and spun into the 2022 FA Cup Final’s 105-metre-long and 68-metre-wide matchday pitch cover with the two finalists’ team logos.
Learn more about the process, here.
World Taekwondo has achieved carbon neutrality for its internal operations in 2022. According to the organisation, the process involved careful assessment of its carbon footprint, encompassing all activities under Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. For the period from January 1st, 2022, to December 31st, 2022, World Taekwondo’s total carbon footprint from measured activities amounted to 732.11 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. World Taekwondo offset its 2022 emissions by purchasing carbon credits.
Ahead of the recent Western Australia Margaret River Pro, some of the world’s top surfers supported local young people in protecting the area’s incredible beaches. A group of local coastal ambassadors aged 15-18 joined surfers from the men’s and women’s World Surf League (WSL) World Championship Tour to help restore coastal dunes and protect vegetation.
Kai Tak Sports Park, a new multi-use venue in Hong Kong that is set to open next year, has incorporated sustainable building practices and ecological designs into its very core. The precinct has already received a number of green building certificates, including Platinum rating under the BEAM Plus Neighbourhood of the Hong Kong Green Building Council and the China 3-Star Design Label from the China Green Building (Hong Kong) Council. The Main Stadium, Indoor Sports Centre and Public Sports Ground have also achieved Provisional Platinum rating under the BEAM Plus New Buildings and Gold Pre-certification under LEED for Building Design and Construction. Some of the features include a 30% green ration with more than 1,000 trees, buildings with advanced ventilation and charging facilities for electric vehicles.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has highlighted two tennis clubs that have placed sustainability at the heart of their venues. Bramhall Queensgate Tennis Club, in Greater Manchester in the UK, has made the switch to LED floodlights across its six courts; installed solar panels on the clubhouse; and introduced club gear made from recycled plastic bottles. Barnt Green Sports Club on the outskirts of UK city Birmingham has installed plentiful recycling bins and water fountains, refurbished the club’s clay courts rather than replacing them and encouraged members to bring their own reusable water bottles.
The International Floorball Federation (IFF) has hailed its move to capture the interest of floorball fans worldwide, after holding the IFF Women’s World Floorball Championships (WFC) 2023 in Singapore – only the second time to hold a pinnacle event outside of Europe. A report has found that the event drew in a cumulative TV audience of 5.4 million; 3.3 million live views of match streams; and 6.2 million social media impressions. The WFC 2023 also recorded higher audience ratings in most of its key territories.
World Rugby has launched its ‘Rugby for Nature’ initiative and toolkit to highlight the importance of nature to the game, and safeguard biodiversity. The initiative has called on rugby communities to protect nature amid increased species decline and habitat loss, with guidelines designed for rugby clubs to follow. You can read more about ‘Rugby for Nature’ in this week’s Global Sustainable Sport feature, here.
Entertainment giant ASM Global, which boasts a portfolio of more than 400 global arenas, stadiums, venues and more, has appointed its first sustainability chief. Lindsay Arell has been appointed Chief Sustainability Officer, to ramp up ASM Global’s sustainability efforts across its venue portfolio. Arell has worked in sustainability for more than two decades across live events for professional sports teams, venues and events.
A new purpose-led sports consultancy has been launched by sustainability expert Dan Reading and sports leader Scott Over. Sporting Giants is a new venture committed to steering the sporting industry towards a more sustainable future, focusing on environmental, social and commercial perspectives. Sporting Giants has already supported international sporting organisations such as the International Basketball Association (FIBA) and UK Sport.