Earth Day arrives on April 22, so what better time to celebrate sports venues across the globe that have made a huge effort to promote sustainability.
There are many ways that stadiums and arenas can contribute to the greater good, from the reuse of water and utilizing efficient energy sources to encouraging recycling and providing incentives to use public transit. Even the materials used to build the stadium itself can help.
Many leagues and stadiums make "green" efforts. Here are four that stand out as the world's most sustainable sports venues.
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
The name, Climate Pledge Arena, certainly provides a clue what they are after here, but it is more the actions that matter. This arena, which is currently home to the NHL's Seattle Kraken, the WNBA's Seattle Storm, and the University of Seattle's men's basketball team, was originally built in 1962. It was then known as the Seattle Coliseum, and housed the Seattle SuperSonics from 1967 to 1978, then again from 1985 until they (very sadly and controversially) moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There was a one-year lapse, for the 1994-95 NBA season, when it was renovated and renamed to Key Arena in honor of naming rights owner KeyCorp.
The arena closed again in 2018 for more renovations and the anticipation of the NHL coming to town. It then re-opened in 2021 with Amazon now being the naming rights holder. Instead of dubbing it after the company, Amazon went with Climate Pledge Arena and vowed to create the first zero-carbon arena in the world.
The arena uses all renewable energy, including on-site and off-site solar energy. It has also pioneered a "Rain To Rink" water usage system that collects some of the Northwest's plentiful rainfall on the roof in a 15,000-gallon cistern. That water is then repurposed for the ice of Kraken games. All of the urinals are waterless and the showers are high efficiency as well.
Mercedes-Benz Arena, Atlanta
The home of the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United of MLS, the SEC football championship game, and the Peach Bowl is also "the first professional sports stadium in the United States to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)."
Mercedes Benz Arena makes a huge effort when it comes to water usage via high-efficiency toilets and a rainwater cistern that feeds the stadium's cooling and irrigation systems. All told, that saves 47% of water use. In addition, the stadium's solar power usage accounts for 29% of its electricity.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Opened in 2019, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium replaced the hallowed grounds of White Hall Lane as the home of English soccer powerhouse Tottenham Hotspur. The stadium also hosts a few regular season NFL games each season, that you can bet on via the best sports betting sites in the U.S. It is now rated as the most eco-friendly and "greenest" stadium in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built in an energy responsible manner, with insulation and thermally efficient materials, such that it is considered to be 100% renewable. In addition, it has a rainwater collection system that is used to operate the restrooms, which also offer waterless urinals. All lights utilize LED bulbs.
Even food waste is minimized as leftovers are distributed to local food banks after every contest at the stadium.
Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam
Originally opened as the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996, it was renamed in 2018 to honor Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruijff, who passed away in 2016. Football club AFC Ajax of the Dutch Eredivisie plays its home games there.
More than 4,200 solar panels provide the power for Johan Cruijff ArenA. The energy is stored via a system that reuses retired electric vehicle batteries. The capacity is so large that it can even be used as a backup power source for the surrounding neighborhoods.
As with other water-efficient stadiums, this one captures rainwater on its roof. The water is then repurposed to water the grounds.
Each of these sports venues does its best to rank as the world's most sustainable -- a great thing to highlight on Earth Day 2023.
