From politics to the economy to still trying to figure out how to get fans to sort their trash, uncertainty hovers over the environmental sustainability industry like a 1980s Los Angeles smog.
As the 56th Earth Day, a global event that aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment, is celebrated next week, consider the events of the past three months:
- In January, President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on the distribution of Inflation Reduction Act grant payments, and has threatened to eliminate the program that, when it was passed in 2022, was called by the U.S. Department of Energy “the single largest investment in climate and clean energy in American history.”
- In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Government Efficiency announced the termination of more than $20 billion in grants already awarded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a program the EPA said was created “to mobilize financing and private capital to address the climate crisis.”
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March notified the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it would immediately “end its defense of the rules requiring disclosure of climate-related risks and greenhouse gas emissions.” The agency adopted the rules last year that would have required public companies to disclose certain climate-related business risks and information in their public filings. The final rule, which was watered down significantly from earlier versions, is being challenged in a consolidated lawsuit by 25 states that are home to more than two dozen major league teams.
- In a similar blow to the green movement’s desire for transparency from corporations, 89% of the 600-member European Parliament earlier this month voted to delay reporting timelines until 2028 on the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which combined would have required extensive public disclosures on a range of environmental, social and governance issues.
- In the first 16 months after the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, more than $108 billion in public and private investment had been earmarked for the manufacturing of batteries and other electric energy-related products. As of last November, no projects have been announced. Reducing fossil fuel dependency has become a common goal among sports and entertainment venue owners and operators, including at environmentally sustainable venues such as the 4-year-old Climate Pledge Arena and NYCFC’s under-construction, all-electric Etihad Park, due to come on line in 2027.
Despite the frequently changing business climate, teams and executives focused on making their venues and organizations more environmentally responsible are quietly going about their business. No projects or initiatives have been canceled, according to the industry veterans who spoke to Sports Business Journal, both on and off the record, over the past few weeks.
While their altruistic goals have not changed, their implementation strategies have. As companies and organizations inside and outside the sports world cut back on diversity initiatives or policies whose benefits are said to be difficult to quantify on a ledger, sustainability executives are inwardly focusing on the green movement’s financial benefits and adjusting how they handle the public proclamations.
“Focus on the good business case for why we should be good stewards of the planet. If we can generate new revenue, reduce our costs, engage our fans more, then we can protect our brands and not become a target like other programs.”
— Scott Jenkins, former chairman, Green Sports Alliance
“Whatever words you want to say, and whatever initiatives you want, you need to make the business case to your stakeholders,” said Scott Jenkins, former Green Sports Alliance chairman who oversaw the development of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the KC Current’s CPKC Stadium. “Focus on the good business case for why we should be good stewards of the planet. If we can generate new revenue, reduce our costs, engage our fans more, then we can protect our brands and not become a target like other programs.”
Changes at work
Visitors to Petco Park, for example, will likely hardly notice that the signs on the ballpark’s 86 waste collection bins (made from recycled milk containers), which explain to fans and employees how to sort their trash, switched during the offseason from “Landfill” to “Compost-Trash” or “Compost-Landfill.”
The tweak puts the San Diego Padres in compliance with California law SB-1383, which requires all California residents, businesses and multifamily complexes to separate food waste and yard waste from their trash and recycle in a separate organic container. However, the change goes well beyond verbiage for a club that has long been viewed as a leader in the green movement.
The Padres worked with their partner, Republic Services, last winter to renovate the ballpark’s 850-square-foot, back-of-house trash-sorting area, converting an existing landfill compactor to a compost compactor (the ballpark’s second), and adding pressure monitors to all five of the venue’s compactors (one each for recycling, front-of-house compost, back-of-house compost, landfill and cardboard). Additionally, the club is working with its concessionaire, Delaware North Sportservice, to convert almost all food service containers and cutlery to recyclable or compostable, which reduces the amount of waste that needs to be hauled away from the venue.
The efforts are working, as a club-record 96% of the ballpark’s 15,540 tons of waste was diverted away from the landfill by recycling, composting, reuse and donations.
A sustainability track record such as that of the Padres and others is paramount to keeping detractors at bay.
“In 2025, many sustainability initiatives are deeply embedded in sports venues’ operations and have largely proven their business case within the larger organization either by increasing efficiency, decreasing costs, or both,” said Erik Distler, AEG’s vice president and global head of sustainability.
Danielle Doza, Cleveland Cavaliers vice president of sustainability and environmental services, said that the team continues to analyze “what’s coming in and going out of Rocket Arena,” which is home to the Cavs, AHL Cleveland Monsters and the G League Cleveland Charge.
In March, the arena replaced all the plastic bags at its merchandise area with retail bags crafted from 100% Forest Stewardship Council-certified bamboo, a renewable resource that is fast-growing (and regrowing) and produces 35% more oxygen while absorbing up to six times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than an equivalent stand of pine trees.
“These bags are not only recyclable and compostable, they provide a complete life cycle that aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship,” Doza said, noting that each bamboo bag is 34 cents cheaper than any other recyclable options available, was the only compostable option and costs the same as the plastic bags they used to use.
Similarly sustainable, the Cavs’ rally-towel giveaways and apparel items from their City Edition collection are made from organic cotton grown in Texas, milled in Pennsylvania and manufactured in Cleveland with a local fashion company, Found Surface.
All items also will be used at the organization’s new Center Court retail store that is scheduled to open April 15 at Pinecrest in Orange, Ohio, about 20 minutes east of downtown Cleveland.
‘Reframing’ the language
Industry veterans feel that efforts such as these will continue, but with less fanfare than they might have had in the past.
Lindsay Arell, ASM Global chief sustainability officer and principal of Honeycomb Strategies, said that none of their clients has pulled back on plans, but stressed that many are “reframing” much of their verbiage.
“Think ‘resiliency’ instead of ‘environmentally friendly,’” she said, adding that teams need to focus on the fact that most sustainability processes and campaigns have proved to be a sellable asset.
The challenging climate has not slowed efforts to be recognized by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council, as six construction projects have applied for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification since mid-October, including St. Louis City SC’s Energizer Park (see related story, Page 26).
“It’s critical to continue to identify the win-win opportunities in sustainability — ‘Good for the planet, good for business’ — to further justify investment in sustainability-related initiatives without making it about the singular issue,” said Kristen Fulmer, Oak View Group’s head of sustainability and director of GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership). “And in this ever-more-polarized world, it will be important to use strategic language to highlight solutions that have environmental impact, even if not referred to as ‘sustainability initiatives.’”
TRUE-CERTIFIED VENUES
Venues that have earned a TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) certification for their efforts to become a zero-waste venue, which requires averaging 90% or greater overall waste diversion over a period of 12 months.
State Farm Arena
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Climate Pledge Arena
UBS Arena
Q2 Stadium
Lumen Field (pre-certified in December)
LEED APPLICATIONS
Applications for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design status from the U.S. Green Building Council filed in the past six months.
Energizer Park (St. Louis)
Certification sought: Operations and maintenance (awarded Gold level this month)
Architect(s)/General contractor: HOK; Snow Kreilich Architects/Mortenson-Alberici-L. Keeley joint venture
Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore)
Certification sought: Operations and maintenance (existing building)
Architect(s)/General contractor: Populous/Gilbane- WarrenBuilds joint venture
Memorial Stadium (Seattle)
Certification sought: Building design and construction (new construction)
Architect(s)/General contractor: Generator Studio; GGLO/Sellen
FBC Mortgage Stadium Roth Tower (Orlando)
Certification sought: Building design and construction (new construction)
Architect(s)/General contractor: AECOM/Barton Malow
VCU Athletics Village Phase 1 (Richmond, Va.)
Certification sought: Building design and construction (new construction)
Architect(s)/General contractor: HKS/Barton Malow
George Mason University Basketball & Academic Center (Fairfax, Va.)
Certification sought: Building design and construction (new construction)
Architect(s)/General contractor: Perkins&Will/Whiting-Turner Contracting
