From organic pitches and solar operated robotic lawnmowers to stadias powered with renewables and energy efficient lighting, new technology is moving sport towards its sustainability goals but let’s not forget one essential ingredient: fans.
Sport has a huge role to play in making sustainability normal. Few other pursuits have the appeal, excitement and passion that sport creates, or such a powerful impact on the public.
BT’s 100% Sport campaign is a global initiative aiming to inspire climate change action by giving a unifying voice to sports fans, teams, clubs and partners to make using 100% renewable energy the new normal.
“100% Sport is a call to action for fans to switch to 100% renewable energy and to lobby their clubs and fellow fans to do the same, ” said Niall Dunne, chief sustainability officer for BT. “Liverpool Football Club has 600 million fans, we want them, and all fans like them, to engage with sustainability, tell them their actions contribute to something bigger and give them the mechanisms to act.”
So what are some of those mechanisms?
Reframing the narrative
Dunne says partnering with sports champions gets the sustainability message out in a way people understand.
Sailor Ben Ainslie is one such figure. Ainslie set up his own British America’s Cup team, Land Rover BAR, after winning Olympic gold. The team pioneer fuel-efficient boats made from recyclable composites and their base is powered by renewable energy.
“At Land Rover BAR we get stories out in an engaging way across all audiences,” said sustainability manager Susie Tomson. “The ISO20121 sustainability management system identifies different stakeholders from staff, regulators, sailing fans, suppliers and sponsors and we identify the different ways to communicate the sustainability message to them.
“We focus on innovation, hopefully inspiring them to become more sustainable themselves. Our sailors use refillable water bottles, to reduce, particularly, ocean waste. We installed oyster beds, engaging local students in monitoring them. We talk about local, in-season produce and healthy eating – linking it to sailors’ performance.”
Dunne also recommends redressing the narrative around climate change so people can see how taking individual action makes a difference.
“By having a unifying #go100percent hashtag, fans converse with players and clubs at the same time, achieving synergy and real behaviour change. We are working on what incentives inspire change and how they can be used when we talk with our customers,” said Dunne.
If you build it they will come
While businesses are becoming greener, some marketers haven’t figured out a strategy to incentivise fans to do the same. Dave Newport, director of the University of Colorado-Boulder Environmental Center, says sustainability can engage fans and build brand value.
“The value of associating with a team is improved if the stadium isn’t a sea of wasteful products and services,” said Newport. “To the degree that the team models these attributes, it can ask the fans to do the same, to be a good fan. That’s the secret. In the outfield of the AT&T Park, the baseball stadium of the San Francisco Giants, they grow the food served in the stadium and serve local brew. Guess what, it’s a popular place.
“When the Seattle Mariners went to a zero waste position they composted everything. Spectators were given compost and seeds to go home and literally put down roots in the brand, building great fan engagement,” said Newport.
Power to the people
While cutting-edge technology improves sustainability, communicating about it requires simplicity – a phone. “We run text quizzes of sustainability trivia,” said Newport. “Apps have too many moving parts. Texting gets the best fan engagement.”
A sporting sustainability leader closer to home, leads by example to inspire change. Gloucester based Forest Green Rovers use organic pitch management, on-site clean electricity generation, provide charge points for electric vehicles and a vegan menu.
Its club ambassador says they get more fans as a result of their initiatives, but they prefer to lead by example rather than telling fans what to do. “Our pitch and the amenities it offers are a showcase for sustainability that we hope our fans will aspire to in their own lives,” says Helen Taylor.
“People write saying ‘I’ve changed my diet’, or ‘I’ve bought an electric car’, or’ I’m using green energy’. We showcase a solar panel at the club with information on what you can do at home. It inspires without being pushy.”
Sustainability initiatives require teamwork, commitment and passion, the same attributes sports fans expect of the players they support, making sport a real medium to score for sustainability.
Content on this page was produced to a brief agreed with BT, sponsor of thetechnology and innovation hub
