Pro Sports Go Green

January 31, 2008

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When the Philadelphia Eagles launched its Go Green campaign in 2003, it was the first pro athletic team to implement a major environmental initiative. Over the next five years, other teams joined the eco-friendly bandwagon. Even the Super Bowl has been bitten by the green bug. And though some argue the trend is here to stay, this Fox Business report questions if it’s real or a fling.

“This is not a fad,” said Mark Andrew, founder and president of GreenMark, a Minneapolis-based environmental consulting and sponsorship marketing company. “It’s smart business; the Eagles figured this out years ago.”

Other teams have noticed. The Nets announced in November an offset plan which they hope will enable them to become the first carbon neutral NBA team. They have also arranged a series of “Green Nights,” at which green organizations set up booths and environmental awareness announcements are read over the loudspeaker. At a recent game, visitors walked away with 5,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The Patriots signed a four-year deal to purchase RECs to offset the electric expenditure of their home games, one of which requires enough electricity to power 2,269 homes for a day.

Ford Field became the first NFL stadium to hold a 100 percent carbon neutral game on the Lions 68th Thanksgiving Day game.

In July, a solar electricity system was unveiled at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.

Additionally, Waste Management recently signed on as the founding sponsor of the St. Louis Rams’ new 4R environmental platform, and Formula One has said it wants to address climate change.

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