Best Practices: Tennis
As sustainability becomes an issue of growing importance globally, tennis tournaments have increased their sustainability efforts.
French Open/Roland-Garros
The French open signed the Sports for Climate Action Framework and was the first French sporting event to receive ISO 20121 certification in 2014.
Since then, Roland Garros has been abiding by 15 environmental commitments outlined by the French Sports Ministry and WWF France for all major events since 2018. These commitments include using a minimum of 50 per cent sustainable food, making sure a minimum of 80 per cent of the journeys made to the event are via active mobility, public transport or car sharing, and purchasing a minimum of 80 per cent of products using CSR criteria.
Roland Garros has made good progress with the latter, working with suppliers and partners to find sustainable solutions. After partnering with the GoodPlanet Foundation to develop a sustainable food plan, Roland Garros worked with Lavazza to make sure all of the coffee offered on site is Rainforest Alliance Certified. Engie, Roland Garros’ utilities provider, is also powering the event with 100 per cent renewable energy and has inserted solar panels on all of the venue’s food outlets.
US Open
The US Open has had its ‘Green Initiatives’ in place since 2008. In the 12 years since, the tournament’s greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 100,000 metric tonnes, while 4,500 tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill, with 700 tonnes of food waste converted to compost and 100 tonnes of untouched food donated to local communities.
The US Open’s flagship sustainability project in 2019 was its investment in cookstoves for people in Malawi, which makes cooking safe while reducing carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. Through the initiative, three tonnes of firewood were saved and six tonnes of carbon emissions were avoided.
In partnership with Wilson, plastic bags will no longer be used to wrap the over 5,300 recquets strung during the 3 week event. Additionally, all used racquet strings, the equivalent of over 35 miles, will be recycled during the event.
The Open will also promote Evian's Flip It For Good program and will utilize Ralph Lauren's recycled ballperson's uniforms. The organization signed the Sports for Climate Action Framework.
Wimbledon
The All Endland Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is a signatory of the Sports for Climate Action Framework. Their goal is to have a positive environmental impact by reducing emissions to net zero by 2030, being a resource-efficient organization by 2030, contributing to a net gain in biodiversity by 2030, and using their influence to inspire wider action.
As of 2019, none of their day-to-day business or Championships waste went to landfill, food waste is anaerobically digested, coffee cups were recycled, and construction waste diversion rates exceeded 95%. In 2020 and 2021, single use plastic waste will be reduced by introducing a returnable cup, the amount of catering consumables that can be recycled will increase, mroe water refill points will be installed, and water harvesting projects will be implemented.
To address biodiversity concerns, AELTC is utilizing ‘living’ walls and roofs to encourage pollinators, harvesting acorns from veteran oak trees on the estate, and will conduct a baseline survey of their site ecology.
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