Blue and very green: Canucks win Environmental Innovator of the Year Award

Canucks Sports and Entertainment, along with Rogers Arena, have been awarded with the Environmental Innovator of the Year in the NHL category as part of the 2016 Green Sports Alliance Game Changer Awards.

The Vancouver Canucks – along with the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Sounders, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Storm, and the Natural Resources Defense Council – were founding members of the Green Sports Alliance in 2010, an organization that now has 374 members, including 175 teams.

The awards program recognizes leading teams, venues, events, and universities for their excellence in advancing the green sports movement.

“The Environmental Innovators of the Year Awards holds a special place in my heart,” said Green Sports Alliance Board Chair, Scott Jenkins through a media release. “I have been involved with the Environmental Leadership Award since its inception and it is amazing to see that we have come so far now that we are able to honour more than just one person, but Green Sports Alliance member leagues, teams, venues and more. I am honoured to represent the Green Sports Alliance today to recognize the work these winners have done to champion sustainability.”

The Canucks were among seven winners this year:

San Francisco 49ers/Levi’s Stadium (NFL)
Miami Heat/American Airlines Arena (NBA)
Seattle Mariners/Safeco Field (MLB)
Vancouver Canucks/Rogers Arena (NHL)
Houston Dynamo & Dash/BBVA Compass Stadium (MLS)
University of Colorado Boulder (Collegiate)
US Open Tennis Championships (Other Events/Leagues)

Stadiums, as you can imagine, have numerous environmental challenges including energy use and waste.

Canucks Sports and Entertainment’s listed the following ‘greening initiatives’:

Introduction of an automated energy optimization system
Focus on local products
Ownership of sustainable farming of salmon and sable fish
Goal of shooting for zero waste

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