Sport NL Green has already found reductions of 1,500 tonnes of CO2 and savings of up to €1,400,000
Sport NL Green has been up and running for more than half a year. 350 partners in sport and 40 municipalities representing a total of 3.8 million inhabitants are now using Sport NL Green (Sport NL Groen, in Dutch). With the applications received so far through the online tool, those users will be reducing their CO2 emissions by some 1,500 tonnes annually and saving €1,400,000 in energy costs.
Rising energy prices create more urgency
At this point everyone knows first-hand that gas and energy prices have been rising sharply in recent months. This trend is also creating major challenges for sports clubs and sports entrepreneurs. The need to save on energy costs is high, but fortunately more and more managers and owners of sports facilities are taking the first steps towards sustainability with Sport NL Green.
Energy coaches give extra push
The first step towards increasing sustainability is insight. And 350 sports entrepreneurs and sports clubs are now getting that insight with Sport NL Green. The online tool gives them advice on steps they can take, and also provides a roadmap to all available subsidies and the cheapest loans for sustainability projects. The first insights are followed by a concrete plan, often drawn up by a free energy coach.
Richard Kaper, manager of sports participation at NOC*NSF, says, “There are around 300 sports clubs already using the energy coaches that we make available through Sport NL Green. The energy coaches help sports clubs to draw up a sustainability plan for the coming years, and we see that eventually around 85% of the clubs go on to actually take steps to make their activities more sustainable. And that produces immediate, tangible benefits — not just in terms of reduction of CO2 emissions, but also direct financial gains for the club. Both Sport NL Green and the energy coaches work as a great catalyst in this.”
Reductions of 1,500 tonnes of CO2 and €1,400,000 in cost savings… and counting
Ever since the tool was launched last November, sports associations, clubs and sports entrepreneurs have been discovering it. “At this point, the tool has had more than 30,000 visitors. The potential savings in sports facilities are enormous. If all sports facilities in the Netherlands were to become more sustainable, we would see annual reductions of 1,300 kilotons of CO2 and savings of around 3.5 billion euros. Those are, of course, huge numbers, and figures that really galvanise people into action. It’s time to speed up the process of sustainability, and with the help of Sport NL Groen we are giving the energy transition an enormous boost,” says Bram Adema, who developed Sport NL Green with his company CFP Green Buildings.
Allard Donker of Sport Fryslân, who actively works with sports clubs, municipalities and commercial sports providers, also sees how Sport NL Green helps make sports facilities more sustainable. “We at Sport Fryslân support Sport NL Green because it’s helping the sports sector take the right steps when it comes to sustainability. Some clubs are having real trouble staying afloat with the way that energy prices are rising. We know how important it is for all sports facilities to stay in business, and Sport NL Green has an important role to play in future-proofing the sport sector. To keep people moving, and also meeting each other. We see how important that is for our society in Friesland.”
Municipalities also enthusiastic about Sport NL Green
In addition to sports clubs and sports entrepreneurs, some 20 municipalities are already using Sport NL Green. The tool gives them insight into all sports facilities within their municipality. This allows them to draw up a roadmap for making the sports properties owned by the municipality more sustainable. But Sport NL Green is also motivating the clubs in the municipality to start taking action. Jur Elzinga, programme director Sport and Exercise at the municipality of Hilversum, says, “We recently organised a meeting of the participants of the Sports Investment Fund Foundation Hilversum. The sports clubs present were very excited about what Sport NL Green has to offer. And the first clubs have already made appointments for a consultation.”
Using Sport NL Green to get started with sustainability
Do you want to start reducing your sports facility’s energy bills right away? Then go to Sport NL Green and see what sustainability can do for your locations.
Together towards sustainability
Sport NL Green is an initiative of the Sustainability in Sport Roadmap. Together with NOC*NSF, Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG), Branchevereniging Sport en Cultuurtechniek (BSNC), Platform Ondernemende Sportaanbieders (POS) and the Knowledge Centre for Sport and Physical Activity, we are working on a sustainable and future-proof sport sector.
