Sports and the environment are closely linked. Most sports around the world aren’t played in indoor, climate-controlled arenas. They are played outdoors, on fields and in parks, on beaches and in the ocean. This would not be possible without clean air, clean water, and a chemically stable atmosphere, and professional sports should work to promote the healthy environments that sustain it. Most professional athletes started playing as children in parks, playgrounds, parking lots, and in their own driveways and backyards. By improving the environmental performance of your team’s stadium and practice facilities, you help to ensure that future generations can benefit from the same experience.

Improving your team’s environmental performance is also good for business. Greening your team’s operations makes them more efficient. By producing less waste, using less paper and energy, and using resources more efficiently, your team can cut costs while enhancing the sustainability of its operations.

If your team decides to begin an initiative to enhance its environmental performance, the process will not be completed overnight. Successful commitments to sustainability are long-term commitments. The steps set forth in this guide are suggestions to get you started and headed in the right direction and, hopefully, to help you see results in the not too distant future.