SEATTLE – April 23, 2024 — Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena has achieved the highest waste diversion rate of any sports venue globally at the time of certification, in just its third year according to The Green Business Certification Inc. (GCBI).

The home to the Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm, and the best in music and live entertainment was awarded TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum certification for its efforts in operating as a functionally zero waste arena. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE helps facilities measure, improve and recognize zero waste performance by encouraging the adoption of sustainable waste management and reduction practices, which contribute to positive environmental, health and economic outcomes. The $1.15 billion dollar privately funded arena is the first venue on the West Coast to receive the highest-level certification by maintaining a waste diversion rate of 93%.

“At Climate Pledge Arena, our commitment to zero waste operations isn’t merely a goal; it’s ingrained in our core values,” said Brianna Treat, the Arena’s director of sustainability. “We prioritize not only delivering exceptional events but also pioneering sustainability within the sports and entertainment industry. By proactively reducing waste, we exemplify our dedication to environmental stewardship while maintaining our position as leaders in providing world-class experiences.”

The arena achieved TRUE Platinum certification with a 91.3% diversion over a 12-month period. Since that time, the arena has been able to increase its diversion to 93%. Key steps to reaching this goal included:

• Elimination of all single-use, fan-facing plastic in the building. Any product bought within the building is either recyclable or compostable.
• Implementation of onsite sorting, meaning that each individual bag of waste collected from the concourse is sorted by the Arena’s housekeeping staff.
• Increased education throughout the building with informational videos and signage.
• Partnership with artists, including Billie Eilish and Depeche Mode, to host events promoted as zero waste to improve fan education.

The success of the Arena’s waste operations would not have been possible without the help of its partners, Pritchard Sports and Entertainment, WM, and Delaware North, the arena’s food and beverage partner. Pritchard Sports and Entertainment acts as an extension of the Arena’s housekeeping team and is responsible for the top-notch cleaning of the building and onsite sorting.

“Our whole organization extends a huge congratulations to the Climate Pledge Arena team on reaching TRUE Platinum certification,” said Jason Brock, president of Pritchard Sports and Entertainment Group.  “As one of only three venues and the first in the West to reach this status, we are proud to be part of a team that is dedicated to sustainability and continually looks to go above and beyond each day to create a significant impact both within the industry and within their community. This is truly a team achievement led by the Sustainability Team at Climate Pledge Arena along with the Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm, and Fans.”

WM functions as the Arena’s official recycling partner and assists the Arena in the collection and review of all arena-related waste and recycling data. The waste and recycling data plays a huge role in assessing sustainability in the building, as it reflects both the success and areas of improvement for materials management. 

“Climate Pledge Arena hosts millions of visitors each year, and managing and diverting waste is integral to its identity as a premier sustainable venue and leader in the industry,” said Lee Spivak, WM’s director of advisory services. “We’re proud to collaborate with this team to help achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to setting a new standard for materials management operations in venues. We look forward to continuing to make progress together!”

The Climate Pledge, announced in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism, calls on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040—a decade ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement. In securing the naming rights of the historic arena in June 2020, Amazon named it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the importance of acting to fight climate change.

In October 2023, the building became the first arena in the world to receive International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon certification. More information on Climate Pledge Arena can be found at www.ClimatePledgeArena.com.

About Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, is the complete redevelopment of an historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.  The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events. The arena is named after The Climate Pledge, an initiative founded by Amazon and Global Optimism asking global corporations to become net zero carbon by 2040.  Climate Pledge Arena has one of the most progressive sustainability programs of any building its size, including being the world’s first Zero Carbon Certified arena. Climate Pledge Arena opened October 19, 2021. For more information, visit climatepledgearena.com.

About Oak View Group (OVG) 
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG’s mission is to be a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries.  OVG is world-renowned as the leading full service live entertainment and hospitality group, with 11 major new arenas either open or under development including: Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center; UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY; Moody Center in Austin, TX; Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, CA; and CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; as well as arena development projects for Anhembi Arena in São Paulo, Brazil;  FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales; and Vienna, Austria. Co-op Live, the most sustainable arena in the UK will open in March 2024 in Manchester, UK.  OVG360 is a full-service venue management, hospitality solutions and venue services company servicing more than 400 arenas, stadiums, performing arts centers, culture institutions and convention centers world-wide. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. 

About Pritchard Sports and Entertainment Group
Pritchard Sports and Entertainment Group, founded in 1997, stands as the premier national cleaning company uniquely tailored to meet the specialized needs of the sports and entertainment industry. With an unparalleled depth of experience, our team brings forth a wealth of institutional knowledge gleaned from servicing professional sports arenas and stadiums, convention centers, racetracks, museums, theatres, and performing arts venues across the nation.

About Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
About Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) GBCI is the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, independently recognizing excellence in performance and practice globally while promoting adoption of building and business practices that continually and measurably improve health, equity, resilience and environmental wellbeing for all. GBCI administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates including, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), TRUE certification for zero waste and Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits.