Six-time MotoGP Champion Becomes Newest Environmental Ambassador

June 17, 2013

Valentino Rossi, the six-time Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme MotoGP world champion, was named the newest member of the FIM Environmental Ambassadors’ Team last week. Organized in June 2012 as part of the world motorcycle racing governing body’s platform for World Environment Day, the Environmental Ambassador program utilizes the recognition of high-profile motorcycle racers to increase fan engagement with environmental policy.

Rossi becomes the sixth racer invited into the program. He becomes the first new initiate beyond the original invitees — former 125cc and Moto2 world champion Marc Márquez, 11-time women’s time trial world champion Laia Sanz, men’s time trial champion Takahisha Fujinami, motocross star Ken Roczen and fellow MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet.

After the announcement, he said of the honor, “As a rider I want to commit to helping our world to make one step forward in terms of sustainability. I will play my role and I will help motorcycle racing to adapt itself to the needs of our environment.”

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OVERVIEW: Recent Eco-Sponsorships around Sports

June 10, 2013

Corporations have long recognized the value of sports sponsorship to introduce their businesses to the public. As the green movement continues to grow among sports leagues and teams, corporations with a vested interest in sustainability have increasingly recognized that their sponsorship can have a symbiotic economic and ecological benefit in their relations with franchises. Here is a sampling of recent eco-sponsorships that stand to provide benefits for the corporations and teams that have formed alliances:

  • Irish waste-management company Oxigen Environmental has partnered with the Curragh Racecourse, home of the Irish Derby and other key European horse races, as a sponsor for the June 30 Pretty Polly Stakes. “We are delighted to partner the Curragh Racecourse as their waste management partner and will actively work together on a range of environmentally sustainable green initiatives,” Sean Doyle, the chairman of Oxigen Environmental, said after the May 29 announcement. Added Curragh Racecourse general manager Paul Hensey, “We will endeavor to ensure that this initiative makes a positive impact on our economy, our society and our environment.”
  • Sausalito-based bottled water company Fred Water, created in 2005 with a mission to support reuse and upcycling of their uniquely-shaped bottles, has started to sponsor skateboarding companies and venues and defending America’s Cup champion Oracle TeamUSA. “Not only is Fred Water keeping us hydrated, but the concept of refillable bottles makes the relationship even more meaningful,” Oracle Team USA CEO Russell Coutts said about the partnership. “We love that Fred Water has its eye on the environment and is putting its efforts where the passion is.”
  • Eco-Absorb, a purveyor of environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies, extended its partnership as a sponsor of the Jim Dunn Racing team’s Dodge Funny Car for the National Hot Rod Association’s summer series. “The team has shown incredible support of our company and our products,” Eco-Absorb founder and CEO Michael Shannon said after the announcement. “NHRA racing has moved us forward by giving us recognition in the automotive industry as well as exposing us to the general public. We believe our partnership with Jim Dunn Racing has brought a greater environmental awareness to the team as well as the fans.”
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Green Sports Alliance Experiences Continued Growth in Second Year

June 4, 2013

GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED GROWTH IN SECOND YEAR
Leading sports greening nonprofit adds 40 new members and 
plans 3rd annual Summit to be hosted on the east coast

June 4, 2013 (Portland, OR) – The Green Sports Alliance, an unprecedented collaboration among professional and collegiate teams, venues and leagues dedicated to the greening of the sports industry, experienced strong continued growth in its second year since launching nationally. The Alliance added 40 new teams and venues as members as well as three new board members. With two successful Green Sports Alliance Summits under its belt, the Alliance proudly announced it was venturing out of the Pacific Northwest to host its third annual Summit in New York City.

“The Green Sports Alliance has seen extraordinary membership and organizational growth over the past year,” said Scott Jenkins, Chairman of the Green Sports Alliance and Vice President of Ballpark Operations at the Seattle Mariners. “We’re proud to see the great strides made by many teams and venues to integrate sustainable practices into their operations and events. As a catalyst for the sports greening movement, we look forward to continuing to grow as an organization to provide valuable member resources and industry support.”

The Alliance continues to attract interest from a wide range of sports organizations. With the past year’s growth, the Alliance’s membership now includes nearly two thirds of MLB, half of NHL, and one third of NFL teams and venues, in addition to dozens of other members from the NBA, NCAA and several minor leagues. Alliance members come from 15 different leagues in total. New members from the past year include Major League Soccer (MLS), Madison Square Garden, the Philadelphia Eagles, MetLife Stadium, The Ohio St. University, and the Minnesota Wild, among many others. Last year, 20 different Alliance members were featured in the NRDC Report Game Changer: How the Sports Industry is Saving the Environment.  Additionally, many Alliance founders and members were recognized for their significant accomplishments in the NRDC Game Changers for Environmental Stewardship video.

The Alliance has also expanded its Board of Directors in the past year, welcoming three new board members to bring the lineup to 14 thought leaders in sports and sustainability. Bringing a great depth of experience and success in the technical aspects of environmental initiatives at sports venues, as well as an industry-level viewpoint on emerging trends, the newest board members will enable the Alliance to expand both its expertise and its reach across the sports industry. The new Alliance board members are:

  • Joe Abernathy, Vice President, Stadium Operations, St. Louis Cardinals
  • Stephen Ashkin, Executive Director, Green Cleaning Network
  • Jennifer Regan, Global Sustainability Director, AEG

See the full Green Sports Alliance Board of Directors at www.greensportsalliance.org/about/

To showcase the growth of the organization and the environmental leadership of teams, venues and events across North America, the Alliance has brought its third annual Summit to the heart of the sports industry, New York City. The 2013 Green Sports Alliance Summit will be held Aug. 26-28, 2013 at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. The innovative and dynamic 2013 Summit Program of panels, workshops, roundtables and tours features opportunities for industry stakeholders to learn from over 80 leaders at the forefront of the sports greening movement, including representatives from over 40 professional and collegiate sports organizations. For the complete program and speaker list, visit www.greensportssummit.org.

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