Sports Environment Alliance – Inaugural Summit in Melbourne

by Pierluigi Zacheo | Oct 7, 2016

The Sports Environment Alliance (SEA) will host its inaugural #SEASummit event on the 8th of November at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The event will discuss the importance of environmental sustainability, with a wealth of leaders in the Australasian sporting landscape presenting at the Summit.

Sports Environment Alliance (SEA) is a not-for-profit, membership based organisation focused on equipping the sport industry with the knowledge and networks to be themselves and inspire others (e.g., fans,commercial partners, government, etc.) to be environmental stewards. Sport has the power to influence – and the SEA wants the sport industry to be the megaphone from which environmental health could be tackled from the bottom up (grassroots via education and empowerment) and top down (elite via case study, research and aspiration).

“The mandate for the Sports Environment Alliance (SEA) is about urging sport to take action now to protect our natural environmental assets,” said SEA Chairman, Malcolm Speed. Speed added, “this is a future-oriented business decision that sport cannot afford to delay or neglect. Without water, energy and materials, we cannot deliver the key parts of our business – participation, entertainment and employment. Sports need to move the environment up the agenda. SEA is the platform from which we will provide the knowledge to do better and the networks to support active engagement in this movement.”

The #SEASummit 2016 will attract delegates from various industries including sport, environment, innovation, government and more. This first edition represents a great opportunity to better understand what built environment changes can be made to minimise environmental impact (water, energy, material use) and engender commercial and social outcomes through shared insight. At the same time, the conference’s aim is to foster a nexus of relationships that can engage both individuals and the SEA to lead to real environmental impact for local and global communities.

#SEASummit 2016 delegates will not only have the chance to build a strong network while connecting with a diverse range of key stakeholders who can support their eco-journey, but they will be also equipped with the knowledge to strategise and design eco-action from procurement decisions to materials management through presented national and international case studies.

However, the “cherry on the cake” is represented, in our opinion, by the unique chance to go behind the scenes to tour one of the following, MCG, Yarra Park Water Recycled Treatment Facility or Australia’s first LEED certified, Margaret Court Arena, taking the rare opportunity to see best practice in sustainability first hand.

“Sport has the power to influence, and we want to help the sport industry to tackle environmental health from the grassroots up with education and empowerment, and from the top down with elite sport setting the agenda,”

said SEA Executive Director,
Dr. Sheila Nguyen.

More information is available at: www.sportsenvironmentalliance.org/seasummit2016