44 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com OPERATION energy on-site via rooftop and car park solar panels. STADIAWORLD: Following on from this, how do you see the latest developments in the field of sustainability? What do you think is already good, where do you see potential for optimization? Booth: Biodiversity: Venues can really help due to the sheer amount of space we cover. Green roofs, beehives, composting food waste – these can all improve the biodiversity of local areas and benefit society at large. Renewables: The relative costs of new solar and wind projects look like good bets versus coal and gas, and this is crucial for the delivery of net-zero plans across our industry. The steady growth of electric and hybrid cars is also positive, but optimization is vital. Charging infrastructure is behind where it needs to be to cope with a fully electric car market, and venues can play their part by installing charging points in car parks. Recycling and reuse systems: The vital Deposit Return Scheme for packaging in the UK will soon come online, resulting in greater public awareness of resource usage. Venues should be expanding this conversation by ensuring waste streams are accurately segregated and look to trial new reuse schemes where possible. STADIAWORLD: What do you currently consider to be best practice cases? Booth: I’m biased of course, but many of our venues are exhibiting best practice. Our German venues have installed cup-washing units enabling them to dispense entirely with disposable cups. This has a huge impact on carbon emissions and waste generation, and encourages a reuse mindset amongst fans. The team at The O2 has employed an Energy Manager to drive down usage across the venue. Carbon calculations have been established for all food menu items, with data displayed on menus so customers can make informed decisions on what to eat. They are implementing a food redistribution scheme for unused edible food, and inedible food is processed in our wormery and Orca bio-digester. Beyond our venues, Forest Green Rovers are a great example. They’ve gone entirely vegan, installed a football pitch which captures rainwater for irrigation, and even the toilet water is cleaned and reused for watering! ‘Best practice’ is constantly changing, and ‘best’ today might only be ‘good’ tomorrow. Tracking new developments and being open to change is crucial to achieving the ultimate goal of sustainability. STADIAWORLD: Let’s talk specifically about your activities: What noteworthy projects, topics and initiatives are you currently working on? Booth: We’re currently working to re-establish our baseline data across the business which we’ll use to set a new generation of global goals. Once complete, I’ll be working with all our business units to set out specific sustainability roadmaps for each of them. We’re also developing a company-wide training program to upskill all our staff on sustainability issues and arm them with the tools to make better choices in their job. Training is crucial to ensure we are pulling in the same direction and living up to our public commitments. And there’s other exciting initiatives in the pipeline for later this year, from ticketing to serveware and a major reuse project. Watch this space! STADIAWORLD: And in the future? What are your long-term goals as a person and as a company? Booth: Personally, I want to make as many industry connections as possible. It’s the best way to learn and be inspired. I want to help as many people as possible at AEG to start their own sustainability journeys. This is the challenge of a lifetime, and we all need to muck in! As a company, we’re ambitious. Beyond all the usual net-zero commitments and waste-reduction drives, we want to invest in new technologies and find cutting edge partners to help us change the world for the better. STADIAWORLD: What does the optimal, sustainable venue operation of the future look like? Which factors do stand out? Booth: In the future, all venues will be built with sustainability at the very core of their design. Green roofs and spaces for nature will be commonplace. Rainwater will be conserved and re-used. Renewable energy generation will be built in and heat drawn from the air by industrial heat pumps. Drinks will be sold in containers which can be reused indefinitely and fans will travel in pollution-free public transport or electric vehicles. The crazy thing about this vision is that it’s all realisable right now. The O 2 in London uses paper cups. Picture: Luke Dyson BEST TODAY MIGHT ONLY BE GOOD TOMORROW
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