US Open: A Winning Model for Environmental Stewardship in Sport? Michael Pedersen

Sport impacts the environment in many different ways, especially through sport events. At the same time, sport can also be a very powerful vehicle for encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public. While there is a strong business case for environmental stewardship in sport, the sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities comprises high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time.

This 12th contribution of mine for iSportconnect’s expert column on sport governance offers perspectives on the case of US Open with a focus on environmental stewardship in sport. It suggests that US Open exemplifies leadership in at least four ways: 1) minimizing direct environmental impact, 2) off-setting the environmental impact of player travel, 3) encouraging fans to adopt environmentally responsible behavior, and 4) shaping evolving good environmental practices in sport in partnership with others. The contribution also offers some critical questions about environmental stewardship for sport leaders to consider, as they start the process of modernizing their governance standards for the future.

My 13th contribution is going to be published in the middle of April. It will offer perspectives on the case of the recent 2014 South American Games with a focus on fair ticket pricing at sport events.

Environmental stewardship in sport has a strong business case

Exemplifying environmental stewardship by minimizing the environmental impact of sport is not only the right thing to do for sport governing bodies as responsible societal players. It is a way of contributing to ensuring an environment that is conducive of future generations continuing doing sport. It is also a way to reduce future operational costs and to build future trust, performance and revenue and participation growth – not least by nurturing the proudness of being associated with doing or supporting a green sport.

The sustainable sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities

Environmental stewardship can be both environmentally impactful and cost-neutral over time, inasmuch as solutions to minimize environmental impact often generate reduced future operational costs, for example reduced future energy costs stemming from becoming more energy efficient.

Knowing the environmental footprint of sport is a prerequisite for developing the most environmentally impactful solutions. The same goes for the costs of implementing possible high-impact solutions and subsequent future operational cost savings stemming from their implementation. With this knowledge at hand, it is possible to identify the sustainable sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities. The sweet spot comprises the high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time.

A useful starting point for identifying the sweet spot is assessing the environmental impact of sport along the lines of the following four dimensions of sport governance:

> Internal governance: The environmental footprint caused by a large number of people traveling around the world to annual meetings, board meetings and other meetings of national and international sport governing bodies

> Athletic governance: The environmental footprint caused by a) professional athletes traveling around the world to participate in training and sport events and b) the production of professional sports wear and professional sport equipment

> Event governance: The environmental footprint caused by a) construction of new sport venues for the hosting of sport events (or renovation of existing facilities), b) construction of new public infrastructure for the hosting of sport events (or renovation of existing infrastructure) and c) a large number of fans engaging in sport tourism

> ‘Sport in society’ governance: The environmental footprint caused by a large number of people around the world buying, using and disposing sports wear and sport equipment (including the production of sports wear and sport equipment and the washing of sports wear).

Sport can also be a very powerful vehicle for encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public

Beyond reducing the direct environmental impact of sport, the most significant contribution that sport can make is by encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public. The unique power of sport in that regard lies in utilizing the direct attention of a large number of fans in the context of sport events and in utilizing the fact that any message from professional athletes carries a lot of clout and media attention, because they are widely seen as societal role models.