NHL’s newest club setting bar for eco-friendly arenas

SEATTLE (660 NEWS) — Although the Calgary Flames new home is still a few years away, the National Hockey League’s latest addition is hoping to set a high bar when it comes to eco-friendly arenas.

The Seattle Kraken’s Climate Pledge Arena aims to be the first in the world targeting net-zero carbon certification.

“It’s supported by a number of sustainability features at the arena,” Chris Roe, head of Sustainable Operations at Amazon and leader of the Climate Pledge Arena project, explained.

“It will be an all-electric arena, one of the first in the world, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. We have a whole host of initiatives to allow attendees to get to the arena, for example, using event tickets as public transportation passes.

“We’re really excited about all the progress and the ways we believe the Climate Pledge Arena will set a new sustainability bar for the sports and entertainment industry.”


AUDIO: Chris Roe, head of Sustainable Operations at Amazon and leader of the Climate Pledge Arena project, talks to 660’s Sandra Prusina


The original 44-million-pound roof from the previous arena is being reused in construction to reduce the building’s embodied carbon significantly.

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Climate Pledge is also planning on having zero waste at all events, banning single-use plastics — a first in the industry.

“We will be diverting 95 per cent of all arena waste from landfill, and we’ll make all of that data public, so folks can see from a dashboard perspective how the arena is trending overtime against these commitments,” Roe said.

“The [recyling/compost] containers will be very clear and visible throughout the arena to allow attendees to reduce the impact from the experience.”

Could we see these eco-friendly initiatives come to fruition in Calgary’s new event centre?

“We certainly hope so,” Roe offered. “We hope that some of this work that we’ve been able to achieve will be an inspiration and provide the impetus for other teams and arenas to follow suit and to provide, hopefully, something for us to learn from as well, as we go forward.

“There are a lot of lessons learned we’d love to share but eager to hear what the innovation work others are doing to reduce carbon as part of their own commitments to the climate.”

The Kraken are set to join the NHL in the 2021-22 season.

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