AEG's Lee Zeidman,
World Surf League Among Awardees
LOS
ANGELES, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders and
innovators driving sustainability in the sports and entertainment
industries were recognized during a ceremony hosted by the Green
Sports Alliance (GSA) at Los Angeles' iconic Peacock Theater last
Wednesday. Lee Zeidman, President of
Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE, and
long-time educator, former county commissioner and founder of
award-winning environmental publication "Florida Environment
Magazine" Dave Newport received the highest honors as Environmental
Leader and Environmental Legacy awardees, while an additional 20
individuals and organizations were celebrated for achievements in
waste reduction, behavior or systems change and adoption of new
technologies as Innovation Award and Play to Zero Award
winners.
"As the first person hired specifically for Staples Center in
1998, I've been blessed to have been surrounded and supported by
hundreds of members of our AEG team, with their dedication,
patience, and willingness to listen to my ideas" said Lee Zeidman. "Some good, some crazy, and some
that one can only respond with, 'what were you thinking about?' Our
goal was to inspire our leadership into early adoption of these
practices, and we hoped that in some ways it would have an impact
on improving our planet."
Zeidman shared some of the poignant milestones across the 25+
years he and the AEG team have striven to influence the greening of
the sports and entertainment industry, which included evolving the
Grammy Awards, partnering with the NRDC and the Rolling Stones to
promote climate action, developing food waste reduction programs,
and the launching of a rooftop initiative with a former
Governor:
"I'll remember the day that we were up there with Governor
Schwarzenegger and it was hotter than hell and we were wearing
suits and unveiling solar panels on top of an arena. It was pretty
amazing."
While Zeidman received the Leadership Award, Environmental
Center Director for University of
Colorado-Boulder Dave Newport delivered an emotional speech
while accepting the Environmental Legacy Award, thanking the GSA
and colleagues for a special tribute video for his
recently-announced venture into retirement, and shared a moving
email from the late Bill Walton, a
close friend and colleague of Newport's. Former GSA Board Chair and
Pac-12 Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich
presented the award:
"In my case, I met Dave when he walked into my office in
San Francisco in 2015, and
immediately sold me and our entire Pac-12 staff on creating a
first- and still only-of-its-kind collegiate sports conference
sustainability platform. Despite the disruption to the conference,
the legacy of inspiration the Pac-12 team brought to collegiate
athletes and higher education more broadly lives on. All thanks to
Dave Newport's action and vision."
The four Innovation Award recipients were selected for
demonstrating leadership and excellence in environmental and social
impact in the world of sports. Alena
Olsen, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, WM and World Surf League each
implemented projects that not only reduced environmental impact but
also encouraged fans, athletes, and community stakeholders to do
the same. The Green Sports Alliance Awards Celebration also
recognized 17 sports organizations as Play to Zero awardees for
significant reductions in waste, water, or energy use, highlighting
ongoing improvements in venue sustainability.
The Awards Celebration was hosted by Emmy and Peabody
Award-winning sports journalist Sarah
Spain, and included unique one-on-one conversations
programmed throughout the awards presentations. Those special guest
pairings included artist, activist and Plastic Pollution Coalition
CEO and Co-founder Dianna Cohen
speaking with Sarah Spain on the
evolving legacy of the film and entertainment industry to be an
example of plastic use reduction and representative of
environmentally-responsible characters and storylines. Los Angeles
Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley took to
the stage with millennial environmentalist and founder of Green
Jobs Board Kristy Drutman to discuss the importance of creating
space for the next generation of climate leaders.
Musical artist and United Nations Youth Leader AY Young was
joined by Sean Hill, Trevan McClure, Mimi
Nichole and Raine Sterne to close out the Awards Celebration
with a musical performance featuring a set list focused on the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and
environmental topics like clean energy that aligned with the
performance being powered in partnership with Battery Tour and
Overdrive Energy Solutions.
"We are proud to recognize these exceptional awardees whose
pioneering efforts in sustainability are transforming sports and
entertainment," said Roger
McClendon, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance.
"From welcoming 800 leaders from across the globe to celebrate
Faster, Further, Together to the elevation by AY Young's inspiring
musical performance, emphasizing our alignment with the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the promotion of clean
energy."
2024 Green Sports Alliance Awards
Recipients [CLICK TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE AWARDS
CELEBRATION]
2024 Environmental Leadership Award
The
Environmental Leader Award is a prestigious honor recognizing
extraordinary leadership towards sustainability, environmental
stewardship, and community engagement, and is given to an
individual who embodies the values of the Green Sports
Alliance.
Lee Zeidman |
President, Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and L.A.
LIVE
2024 Environmental Legacy Award
The Environmental
Legacy Award honors individuals who have, over the course of their
career, mentored, guided and directly impacted professionals
throughout the sector.
Dave Newport | Director,
Environmental Center, University of
Colorado-Boulder
2024 Innovation Award Recipients
The Innovation
Awards recognize sports organizations and collaborators who
demonstrate leadership and excellence in environmental and social
impact in the world of sports. Awardees drive
sustainability-related initiatives across their organizations and
operations, implementing projects that are not only intended to
reduce environmental impact but also encourage fans, athletes, and
community stakeholders to do the same.
- Social and Community Impact Innovation Award | World Surf
League / WSL One Ocean
- Environmental Stewardship Innovation Award | WM / WM Phoenix
Open
- Next Generation Leader Innovation Award | Alena Olsen /
Going For Green
- Health and Wellness Innovation Award | Mercedes-Benz Stadium /
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Community Garden
2024 Play to Zero Award Recipients
The Play to Zero
awards recognize sports organizations that show, via Play to Zero
or other tracking platforms, significant reductions or diversions
in waste, water, and/or energy use at their venues. These awards
highlight continuous improvements in building-level sustainability
around waste, water, and energy use management.
Energy Champion for 100% reduction or offsets:
- Allegiant Stadium
- Petco Park and San Diego Padres
Waste Champion for 90%+ diversion from landfill:
- UBS Arena
- The Ohio State University -
Athletics
- Levi's Stadium and San Francisco
49ers
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Energy Leader for 50%+ reduction or offsets:
- Xcel Energy Center and Minnesota Wild
Waste Leader for 50%+ diversion from landfill:
- Q2 Stadium and Austin FC
- Allianz Feld and Minnesota
United FC
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Huntington Bank Stadium and University of
Minnesota
- Xcel Energy Center and Minnesota Wild
- Allegiant Stadium
Energy Player for 30%+ reduction or offsets:
- Levi's Stadium and San Francisco
49ers
- Gillette Stadium
- Lumen Field
Waste Player for 30%+ diversion from landfill:
- St. Louis City FC
- Crypto.com Arena
- Gillette Stadium
- Levi's Stadium and San Francisco
49ers
- Dignity Health Sports Park
Learn more about the Green Sports Alliance Summit at
www.greensportsalliance.org/summit.
About Green Sports Alliance
The Green Sports Alliance
leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote
healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The
Green Sports Alliance convenes professional sports leagues, sports
governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners, and
millions of fans around meaningful change toward a more sustainable
future. Through the Play to Zero® program, it leads the
embrace of renewable energy, waste diversion, water efficiency, and
environmentally preferable practices. Through its marquee event
greening division, The Green Sports Alliance delivers best-in-class
sustainable productions to minimize environmental impacts and
maximize community legacies, driving scalability and replications
across the industry. The Green Sports Alliance is committed to
sharing best practices, visit greensportsalliance.org for more
information.
Media Contact: Shay Strawser |
shay@greensportsalliance.org | 717.557.1986
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SOURCE Green Sports Alliance