Oval cricket ground hits sustainability for six

An international cricket ground has taken major steps towards making the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable future.

The Oval, a historic sporting venue in south London, and home to Surrey County Cricket Club, has announced plans to eliminate single-use plastics and run entirely on renewable energy.

Starting with the new 2018 season, the club will work to ban all plastic straws, introduce compostable coffee cups and gradually phase-out the use of plastic bags. It is targeting 2020 to become entirely plastic free across its entire business.

At the same time, it has signed a deal with Fidelity Energy and French multinational ENGIE to supply the ground with 100 percent renewable power. The partnership, which has been in place since last year, will run until at least 2022 and save an estimated 6,252 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Surrey CCC Chief Executive, Richard Gould, said: “The club has always been very conscious of reducing its impact on the environment wherever possible and, after a great deal of thought, has decided to make this ambitious commitment.”

Since 2015, the ground has only served beer in recyclable glasses, and is working on extending this to soft drinks. It also has an ongoing partnership with Sky to promote reusable plastic, which has led to the construction of 20 permanent water fountains.

To achieve its new plastic-free goal, the club “will need to work with our Members, fans, partners and staff to analyse all areas of the business and work out where we need to introduce alternative products and ways of working,” concluded Gould.

Paul Havell, co-founder of Fidelity Energy, added: “We are delighted to have secured a 100 percent renewable green electricity contract for the Kia Oval and are thrilled to be able to help the club achieve their goal of reducing their carbon footprint. This move demonstrates their commitment to renewables and sustainability.”

 

Climate Action is hosting the 3rd Sustainable Innovation in Sport Forum on 2-3 May at the Amsterdam ArenA in the Netherlands. To find out more, visit the Sustainable Innovation in Sport website.