Green Sports Alliance (GSA) announced the winners of its 2023 Play to Zero awards, with Austin FC’s home venue Q2 Stadium receiving recognition as both a Waste Leader and an Energy Player. The GSA Play to Zero awards recognize and celebrate organizations making progress towards a resilient future for sport and our communities.
Austin FC and Q2 Stadium were honored at the 2023 GSA Summit at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle from June 26 to 28.
“From the earliest stages of planning and designing Q2 Stadium, sustainability has remained a key area of focus in creating a venue which we want to be a community asset for decades to come,” said Austin FC President Andy Loughnane. “We’re honored to have the GSA recognize our commitment to finding innovative solutions so that our stadium and matchday experience leave a minimal waste and climate footprint.”
Q2 Stadium qualifies for recognition as a Waste Leader thanks to its matchday waste diversion rate of greater than 50 percent. Austin FC and Q2 Stadium work together at each home match with the Club’s Official Waste and Recycling Partner, Texas Disposal Systems, to divert as much waste as possible from landfills. So far in 2023, the organizations are averaging a waste diversion rate of 73.15 percent per Austin FC home match, highlighted by a waste diversion rate of 91.36 percent at Austin’s March 4 game vs. CF Montréal.
Q2 Stadium was also named an Energy Player for achieving a 30 percent energy use reduction from its baseline. The venue features several industry-leading sustainability initiatives, including solar panels on the southern roof, a policy which allows fans to bring re-usable water vessels to games and fill them up at stations, multiple electric vehicle parking spots immediately adjacent to the stadium, and open corners to naturally pull in the breeze to allow for passive cooling.
The groundbreaking for a new Cap Metro rail station at Q2 Stadium also occurred in July 2022, and fans are consistently encouraged to take public transportation to the stadium, reducing emissions on match days via existing rail and bus access as well as a free bike valet.
Q2 Stadium received LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in November 2021. For more information on the GSA and its Play to Zero platform, click here.
