{"id":27169,"date":"2022-12-19t17:15:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-19t17:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.planetforward.com\/2022\/12\/19\/uconns-office-of-sustainability-uses-sports-platform-to-propose-a-green-athletics-program\/"},"modified":"2023-02-22t19:41:57","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22t19:41:57","slug":"uconn-green-athletics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/uconn-green-athletics\/","title":{"rendered":"uconn\u2019s office of sustainability uses sports platform to propose a green athletics program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
storrs, conn. \u2013 colleges and universities across the united states are following the united nations sports for climate action initiative to address climate change effects caused by large scale collegiate athletics events and programs. a few institutions have already implemented sustainable athletic programs to prevent any further environmental harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the university of connecticut is next in line to create a new green athletics program, currently developing in the office of sustainability, which partners with uconn athletics for zero-waste and educational initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
green athletics will be a program where institutions leverage their high-profile athletic programs and events to improve campus sustainability and engage their community with sustainability challenges and solutions. this program’s guidelines are provided by the association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education, or aashe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the proposal will be delivered to stakeholders including the uconn student-athlete advisory committee (saac), athletic staff, and different sustainability organizations across campus. intern sydney seldon, a sophomore environmental science major, is leading the development of the proposal to elevate this partnership. a request to present in the near future has been sent to saac, but a date has not been set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cwe would address the progress we\u2019ve already made in some of these areas and also address the progress that still needs to be made,\u201d seldon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the office of sustainability\u2019s creation of a green athletics program will contribute to the university\u2019s 2020 vision for campus sustainability and climate leadership. it is significant that athletics capitalizes on this vision because of its large audience and presence on campus. \u201cthis is important at uconn because it can not only achieve the goals that uconn has already set but also provides the opportunity for the restoration and reform of the many communities that have supported uconn for generations,\u201d seldon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the proposal consists of different criteria provided by aashe. it includes zero-waste athletic events, community engagement, and an athletic team certification program. green game day is an event already implemented that puts uconn on track to create the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
since 2008, uconn athletics and the office of sustainability have held a green game day every season for football, men\u2019s basketball, and women\u2019s basketball. \u201cbetween our areas, we have a group of volunteers who staff a table at these games to engage fans on recycling and sustainable living,\u201d said tysen kendig, vice president of communications for uconn athletics. \u201cwe also do special programming during the game on the video boards to promote recycling, and some trivia and facts provided by the sustainability office that is interspersed during the game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the green game days at gampel pavilion in 2020 qualified as carbon neutral because offsets were purchased to mitigate emissions caused by the games. college athletics generate emissions in many ways such as building operations, travel, waste processing, landscaping, and more. according to the harvard law school climate solutions living lab, an example of an annual emission inventory<\/a> for a university athletics department is 6,800 tonnes co2. building operations and landscaping make up 77% of those emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n