Orlando Magic’s Amway Center Included in List Showcasing Best Green Standards

The Amway Center, medicine home to the Orlando Magic, has been highlighted in a recent report by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Green Sports Alliance for emphasizing green standards in a major-league venue that minimizes construction waste during building and consumes less power and water once open and operating. 

The downtown Orlando facility was noted for its 25 percent less energy consumption than a comparable building of conventional design.  Amway Center is one of 20 venues, teams or events included in the NRDC/GSA report highlighting examples of best practices. 

“Amway Center is living up to its expectations,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. “We promised to create an arena that was civic-oriented, pedestrian friendly and added to downtown development.  We promised a sustainable arena and are proud to say that with great teamwork, we have surpassed our goals.”  

According to the NRDC report, in collaboration with the Green Sports Alliance, solar panels and recycling bins are becoming as common as hot dog vendors for professional sports teams and their venues.  The new report reveals the collective impact the uniquely influential professional sports industry is having on advancing environmental protection in North America, documenting innovative and cost-effective steps taken across all professional leagues.

“The motivation for sports to engage in greening is simple; the games we love today were born outdoors, and without clean air to breathe, clean water and a healthy climate, sports would be impossible,” said Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, director of NRDC’s green sports project.  “A cultural shift in environmental awareness is needed in order for us to address the serious ecological problems we face, and the sports industry, through its own innovative actions, has chosen to lead the way. Pro sports are showing that smart energy, water and recycling practices make sense.  They save money and prevent waste.  That’s as mainstream and non-partisan as it comes.”

The report, Game Changer: How the Sports Industry is Saving the Environment, presents 20 case studies of teams, venues and league events that have led the green movement in pro sports by adopting sustainable solutions to their energy, water, and waste needs. The findings document the bottom-line benefits of greening and the role of sports as society’s newest advocate for environmentally-sound practices, sentiments shared by Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, who provided the report’s Preface and jumpstarted pro sports’ greening efforts in 2006.

“In my two decades as Commissioner, I have seen our sport take important strides forward on this essential issue,” wrote Selig, who will be presented the Environmental Leadership Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit Gala at Safeco Field in Seattle on September 6. “As we strive to fulfill our social responsibilities, the national pastime will continue to protect our natural resources for future generations of baseball fans and to set an example of which they can be proud.”