This week in sustainable sport (9 June)

This week in sustainable sport (9 June)

England Golf shares three sustainability priorities, The Ocean Race supports events with plastic footprinting guide, Chris Smalling launches eco-investment platform and Magda Pozzo outlines Udinese’s commitment to sustainable partnerships

In this week’s sustainability and sport news round-up, England Golf lays out its 2022-25 Sustainability Plan, The Ocean Race shares its Plastic Footprinting Methodology, Chris Smalling unveils his sustainability-focused venture and Udinese Calcio’s Magda Pozzo talks at Milan’s Green&Blue Festival.

England Golf lays out its three sustainability priorities

Engage, Educate and Empower have been presented as the three priorities of England Golf as part of its 2022-25 Sustainability Plan. The national governing body wants to “embed sustainability” in clubs through “conversation, communication and events” (Engage), provide resources, gather evidence, data and best practice (Educate) and encourage golf stakeholders to overcome challenges (Empower).

England Golf has aligned with the 12 Principles of Sustainability devised by the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS): energy and emissions, waste management, water resources, materials and chemicals, transport and travel, food and drink, biodiversity and habitats, accessibility and equality, healthy options, engagement and education, procurement and employment, and economy and community.

Emma Huggins, sustainability manager at England Golf, said the organisation would “lead by example” to “ensure that resources, best practice and recommended action items are available and encouraged”.

“We look forward to working with the English golf community to ensure that we are making golf a leader in terms of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic resilience.”

Plastic footprinting guide created by The Ocean Race

A guide to help sports event organisers reduce their reliance on single-use plastic has been produced by The Ocean Race.

‘The Ocean Race Plastic Stewardship Guidance for Events’ document details a ‘plastic stewardship hierarchy’ for events, which includes:

– Redesign to avoid single-use plastic

– Replace single-use plastic

– Reduce single-use plastic

– Increase recycled content

– Avoid missed circularity

– Optimise recovery

– Balance unavoidable plastic through plastic credits

The guide also showcases how to do plastic footprint reporting, including what needs to be measured and what the footprinting journey should look like.

Chris Smalling unveils purpose-driven investor platform

AS Roma player Chris Smalling has established ‘For Good’, an investment firm aiming to back “ambitious founders and high-growth planet-friendly businesses”.

The England international defender, who won the UEFA Conference League with his club at the end of the season, has teamed up with fellow co-founders Rebecca Wheeler and Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, and positioned the company as “experts in the sustainability and investment world”.

Magda Pozzo outlines Udinese Calcio’s sustainability credentials at Green&Blue Festival

Udinese Calcio marketing strategic coordinator, Magda Pozzo, used this week’s Green&Blue Festival in Milan as a platform to showcase the club’s approach to environmental sustainability. She highlighted:

– The club’s renewable energy partnership with Bluenergy

– Udinese’s kit, produced from recycled plastic by Macron

– A partnership with Yatay, which provides “eco-sustainable sneakers” to the first team players

“Eco sustainability is a key value of our club to which we strongly wanted to sensitise all our partners,” Pozzo said. “Our relationships go far beyond simple commercial or sponsorship relationships; they want to be concrete sharing of values.”

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