The Philadelphia Eagles home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, has been certified as a LEED Platinum building for its commitment to operational sustainability.
Lincoln Financial Field is one of only two previously constructed stadiums in the National Football League to achieve Platinum status – the highest of all LEED certifications – and the only one that is more than 10 years old.
The 67,594-capacity Lincoln Financial Field, also known as simply ‘The Linc’, is an American football stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Since opening in 2003 the venue has earned three levels of accreditation from USGBC, going from LEED Silver in 2013 to LEED Gold in 2018 to now LEED Platinum in 2024.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
Lincoln Financial Field achieved LEED Platinum for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Green buildings allow companies to operate more sustainably and give the people inside them a healthier, more comfortable space to work.
Sustainability efforts that helped the Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field earn LEED Platinum included:
- First professional sports team in North America to install a hydrogen refueling station to power its passenger vehicles.
- First NFL stadium to recycle beverage containers through the utilization of reverse vending machines.
- 10,456 solar panels annually produce around four megawatts of clean energy.
- The installation of water filtration fountains has eliminated the use of more than one million plastic water bottles.
- Implemented a closed-loop recycling program that collects bottle caps and turns them into new material for use at the stadium.
- Achieved a 50% wattage reduction by replacing the stadium’s lights with patented, high-powered LED lighting technology.
- Diverts 99% of waste from landfills and operates on 100% clean energy.
Peter Templeton, President and CEO, USGBC, said, “LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to achieve high performance, improve human health, and protect the environment.
“By prioritizing sustainability, the Philadelphia Eagles are leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
Jason Miller, Senior Vice President of Operations, Philadelphia Eagles, added, “Earning LEED Platinum from the U.S. Green Building Council validates the hard work and dedication we put forth into being an environmentally responsible organization.
“It starts at the top with Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie and President Don Smolenski who continuously drive innovation with their thoughtful and progressive leadership style. We have always operated through the lens of sustainability, so it is rewarding that our efforts are being recognized in such a distinguished way.”
Certification is proof that buildings are going above and beyond to ensure the space is constructed and operated to the highest level of sustainability.
More than 197,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 29 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 186 countries and territories.
Norman Vossschulte, Vice President of Fan Experience and Sustainability, Philadelphia Eagles, said, “This certification speaks to the collaboration that exists at all levels of the organization where sustainability is prioritized as a key business strategy.
“It also represents the support we receive externally, which has included the valuable insight and consultation from Lindsay Arell of Honeycomb Strategies. Lindsay has built her career on pioneering sustainability efforts for the live events industry. Both Lindsey and Jen Mastrangelo, Eagles’ Operations Administration Manager, were integral in the process to Lincoln Financial Field becoming LEED Platinum certified.”
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