Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center receive new sustainability award

Golden 1 Center, home of California-based basketball team Sacramento Kings, has been recognised as the world’s greenest and most technologically advanced sports and entertainment facility for 2017.

This week, Green Project Management (GPM) - one of the largest sustainability professional development organisations, has announced the recipients of its 2017 sustainability awards.

GPM, which works closely with the United Nations to advocate sustainability in all professions, awarded the prestigious award of “Project of the Year” to the Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center to recognise the team’s efforts on sustainability and climate action.  

Golden 1 Center is not only in the top 3 percent of high-performance buildings in the world, but Sacramento Kings is determined to use their global sports platform to engage fans, partners and the community on sustainable business practices and to help tackle climate change.

The stadium has impressive sustainability elements promoting circular economy and clean energy business models. Through an urban smart grid, the venue meets 100 percent of its power needs through solar energy.  Water is seen as a valuable resource and, therefore, water conservation practices result in 45 percent less water use than what the strict California code requires.

After the construction of the stadium ended, 95 percent of construction waste was diverted and 99 percent of demolition materials were recycled.

Through a sustainable food programme, 90 percent of food and beverage concessions are sourced locally within 150 miles around Golden Center 1, reducing the transport emissions associated with procurement and supporting responsible agricultural practices.

In addition, it manages to recycle 50 percent of the on-site generated waste,- an impressive figure considering the number of visitors that Golden Center 1 accommodates. Food and organic waste is sent for composting, and 3,000 gallons of biodiesel are produced only by recycling cooking oils.

During the past year, Golden Center 1 and Sacramento Kings managed to divert more than 28,650 pounds of food through partnerships with local food banks, which helped  reduceing food waste to a minimum.

Vivek Ranadivé, Kings Owner and Chairman, said: “We are humbled to receive this international honor. We believe businesses have a responsibility to serve as agents of change and we are proud that Golden 1 Center has been recognized as a model of sustainability”.

Golder Center 1 and Sacramento Kings make sure that the message of environmental and social sustainability is also communicated strongly to visitors and fans, raising awareness and triggering behavioural change.

Every season, the Sacramento Kings Foundation holds three “Impact Nights” that focus on health, sustainability and education highlighting local non-profit organisations.

Last month, they hosted the “Spotlight on Sustainability Night”, where they gave an opportunity to Yolo Farm to Fork, a non-profit organisation dedicated to locally-grown food and healthy eating, to take the stage and engage the audience with its message of sustainability.

Earlier this year, Golden 1 Center and the Sacramento Kings also received the “Sport for Climate Action Award” from Beyond Sport- an international organisation celebrating environmental and social sustainability in sport.