US Open: A Winning Model for Environmental Stewardship in Sport? Michael Pedersen
March 26, 2014
US Open is exemplifying environmental stewardship in at least four ways
United States Tennis Association (USTA), which is the sport governing body that organizes US Open, initiated its environmental work in the context of the tournament in 2008. Among other things, USTA’s strategic decision to do so reflected increasing fan expectations of green initiatives and burgeoning energy costs.
During the last six years, USTA has further increased and diversified its initiatives to minimize the environmental impact of US Open. Today, the Association is showcasing environmental stewardship in the context of its annual premier tournament 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
4) Shaping evolving good environmental practices in sport in partnership with others
1) Minimizing direct environmental impact
Initiatives to minimize the direct environmental impact of US Open include a) matching the electricity generated during the tournament through Green-e certified wind renewable energy certificates, b) using napkins and other paper material composed of 40-100 percent recycled material, c) diverting waste through recycling and composting and d) collecting tennis balls used during matches and practices to be donated to community and youth organizations.
2) Off-setting the environmental impact of player travel
Player travel to US Open is offset through Green-e Climate certified Sterling Planet carbon offsets. That is the case for both travel by air as well as travel on the ground.
3) Encouraging fans to adopt environmentally responsible behavior
Each year, USTA hosts more than 700,000 fans during the two weeks of US Open at The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, USA.
Initiatives to encourage tennis fans to adopt environmentally responsible behavior include a campaign for them to take public transportation to the tournament venue. Initiatives to encourage fans to adopt environmentally responsible behavior beyond the US Open include a 30-second public service announcement titled “Impact”. Broadcasted regularly during the tournament, the announcement encourages fans to reduce their paper, water and energy use. An important aspect is a message from Billie Jean King, the tennis legend whose name the stadium carries. His message is: “To solve the serious environmental problems facing our planet, we need to shift our culture toward more sustainable practices.” Other similar initiatives include environmental tips for smarter living that are featured in the ‘Daily Draw sheet’ as well as through US Open social media channels.
4) Shaping evolving good environmental practices in sport in partnership with others
Besides of working closely with the ‘Natural Resources Defense Council’ (NRDC), USTA is a member of the so-called ‘Green Sports Alliance’. The Alliance is a non-profit organization with a mission to help sport teams, venues and leagues enhance their environmental performance. Alliance members represent over 220 sports teams and venues from 16 different sports leagues from across the USA. Since February 2010, the Alliance has brought together venue operators, sports team executives and environmental scientists to exchange information about better practices and develop solutions to their environmental challenges that are cost-competitive and innovative.
Critical questions for sport leaders to consider
Inspired by the case of US Open, critical questions about environmental stewardship for sport leaders to consider, as they start modernizing governance standards for the future, include:
> To what extent do you believe that USTA is implementing solutions to minimize the environmental impact of US Open, which reflect the sustainable sweet spot (high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time)?
> What would you do in the shoes of USTA to even further increase the effectiveness of initiatives to encourage environmentally friendly behavior of tennis fans attending US Open? – During the two actual US Open weeks every year as well as during the 50 weeks in between the annual tournaments? – And what about the many fans following the tournament on TV or through other online media?
> What does the environmental impact of your sport look like in the area of internal governance, athletic governance, event governance and ‘sport in society’ governance? – What is your greatest environmental impact and what could you do to substantially reduce it? – What would it cost to implement specific high-impact solutions and what would your future annual cost savings amount to by doing so? – Which solutions comprise your sustainable sweet spot (high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time)?
> What can you learn from the work that your sponsors and media broadcasters are already doing to reduce their environmental impact? – How can your sponsors and media broadcasters become part of the solution to reduce your environmental impact? – Before, during and after your sport events?
> What could you do to encourage the part of the general public that shares a passion for your sport to adopt environmentally friendly behavior? – Before, during and after your sport events? – In particular, what is the opportunity that new media platforms offer?
> What could you do to encourage professional athletes in your sport to become role models of environmentally friendly behavior?
Links to my previous contributions for iSportconnect’s expert column on sport governance:
11) ‘The International Paralympic Committee: A Winning Model for Addressing Gender Equity in Sport?’
7) ‘Football in Germany: A Model Case for Addressing Match-Fixing?’
5) ‘England and Wales Cricket Board: A Winning Model for Transparency and Accountability in Sport?’
4) ‘Badminton World Federation: A Winning Model for Democratizing Sport in the 21st Century?
2) ‘The Business Case for Good Governance in Sport’
1) ‘Sport Governance – What Are We Actually Talking About?’
Michael Pedersen, Founder of M INC., is an internationally recognized expert and leader in good governance, transparency, ethics and integrity.Michael is the former Head of the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, an international good governance partnership with over 175 multinational companies and their CEOs. He holds three MSc degrees; an MSc in Global Leadership; an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice; and an MSc in International Relations.
Michael is passionate about sport. Sport has and continues to play an important role in his life. He is of Danish origin and currently lives in Lima, Peru and in Barcelona, Spain.
He also publishes a leadership series on good governance in sport that is available for free download at:http://minc.ch/sport-practice.html
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