Spurs go-above-and-beyond Green initiatives

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The Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur F.C. (UK) has achieved certification by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 20121, a standard for sustainable event management – a key milestone on the club’s journey to Net Zero by 2040.

‘tottenhamhotspur.com’ stated that ISO 20121 is a beacon for sustainable event management guiding the organizations to seamlessly integrate sustainability into every facet of their event planning and execution.

The Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Tottenham or Spurs) is a professional football club based in Tottenham, North London, England (UK). It competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the home of the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in North London (UK) replacing the club’s previous ground, the now-closed 36,284-capacity White Hart Lane in London. With a seating capacity of 62,850, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the third largest football stadium in England and the largest club ground in London.

The 2024 Coliseum Summit EUROPE was held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, from March 26^th-27^th.

London (UK)-based the British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. The BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to the businesses.

Geneva (Switzerland)-based the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-Governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member-countries.
 
‘tottenhamhotspur.com’ further stated that as one of the Premier League’s greenest clubs, the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. are committed to:

• Displaying leadership in event sustainability;
• Minimizing the environmental impacts of the club’s activities;
• Halving the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, Net Zero by 2040;
• Contributing to the local community; and
• Championing inclusivity, diversity and representation.

 
The measures to date include:

• Hundred (100) percent renewable electricity backed by the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) certificates;
• Recognized as a European winner in the annual Sustainability Impact Awards by Schneider Electric (French multinational company that specializes in digital automation and energy management);
• Zero-waste-to-landfill;
• The elimination of single-use plastic water bottles;
• A reusable beer cup scheme;
• Food produce sourced within a 60-mile radius of the stadium, with plant-based options offered throughout;
• Minimizing water consumption;
• Becoming the first ever ‘Fair Change’ venue; and
• The enhancement of the public transport options to the stadium with four upgraded train stations, a matchday shuttle bus, a carbon neutral regional coach service, and cycling provision.

 
In September 2021, the Spurs staged the first-ever Net Zero match at an elite level, in partnership with Sky (one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies), with emissions from a London derby match with their peer team the Chelsea F.C. offset into a reforestation project in East Africa and a local tree planting initiative in Tottenham.

Furthermore, a recent in-depth analysis of the Spurs’ socio-economic impact has found that the club contributes around £900m of gross output to London’s economy, generating an additional £478m of gross value added (GVA – the value that producers add to the goods and services they have bought) in London and 3,700 FTE (full-time equivalent – a unit of measurement that compares the workload of an employee or student to a fulltime work or school day) jobs supported – with further growth estimated for the coming years – as a direct result of its new stadium and activities.

Following a full assessment by the BSI – with a focus on social, economic and environmental impacts – the club achieved certification to the standard which is now embedded within the club operations to further foster a holistic approach to sustainability.

The successful certification brings the club in line with COP28 (the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference), the G7, the London Olympics, the Tokyo Olympics, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other large global events.

Averred Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., “Achieving certification to ISO 20121 standards further demonstrates the club’s commitment to sustainability across everything we do. We pride ourselves on the delivery of world-class events at our stadium that minimize the environmental impacts while creating tangible benefits for the local community and the wider economy. We are committed to maintaining the standard across our operations and fostering our culture of ‘To Care Is To Do’, with a focus on people, climate and nature.”

Concluded Matt Page, Managing Director UK & Ireland, BSI, “Congratulations to Tottenham Hotspur for achieving certification to the sustainable events management standard and proving its dedication to the delivery of sustainable events. As a globally recognized name, Tottenham has a powerful opportunity to set an example of how sporting events can be planned and delivered sustainably, benefiting the people and the planet. The BSI’s rigorous audit demonstrated the club has taken vital action to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Events Management System Standard and consider key environmental, social and economic impacts. Tottenham deserves credit for taking an important step forward that can ultimately help the football industry and the wider society accelerate progress towards a sustainable world. The BSI is proud to provide support in this area and to continue to work alongside the industry and the society to accelerate the adoption of sustainable measures.”

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