Rio 2016 Olympics Golf Course
Sustainability

Social Responsibility

The IGF was rewarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Worldwide Olympic Partner Dow at the 2019 IF Forum for taking concrete action to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the reward, carbon offsets were offered to the IGF to compensate its unavoidable 2019 emissions.

Group IOC Dow image

Full IOC media article here.

UN Sports for Climate Action Framework


The IGF has joined the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, a UN Climate Change Initiative co-developed by the IOC and launched at the UN climate talks (COP 24). As part of this framework, the IGF is part of several working groups that cover the five principles in the framework:

  • promoting greater environmental responsibility
  • reducing overall climate impact
  • educating for climate action
  • promoting sustainable and responsible consumption
  • advocating for climate action through communication

More information on the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework here.

Clean Seas ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ Campaign


The IGF has joined the Clean Seas campaign, which was launched by UN Environment in February 2017, to join the fight against marine plastic pollution. The campaign addresses the root-cause of marine litter over a five-year period by targeting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic.
More information can be found on the Clean Seas Campaign here.

Milestones


A selection of recent landmarks, milestones and highlights in sustainable golf from across the industry:

DateMilestones / Highlights
30 October 2019IOC and Dow Reward the IGF for Tangible Climate Action
15 October 2019USGA-funded research demonstrates environmental value of golf courses compared to other land uses
19 September 2019Sports Organisations Join Forces Against Climate Change
22 August 2019IGF joins United Nations' Sports for Climate Action Framework
7 November 2018IGF joins the Clean Seas Campaign launched by UN Environment
January 2018The PGA of America issues a comprehensive report The PGA and Its Members: Bringing Energy to the Game
24 November 2017WWF speak at European Golf Associations AGM
18 NovemberGolf’s Value Celebrated at IAGTO Sustainability Awards
17 October 2016Consultation Opened on Sustainability Golf Tournaments Standard
5 October 2016Golf’s Many Benefits Brought to the Fore in Health Study
17 August 2016Sustainable Golf Development Standard Launched
10 August 2016Toro Irrigation Supports Water Conservation on Rio’s Olympic Golf Course
5 August 2016Olympic Golf Course Achieves Recognition from GEO
6 July 2016GreenLinks Leads Sustainability for The Open
22 April 2016All Ten Open Venues Achieve Sustainability Recognition
3 February 2016USGA Recaps Industry Takeaways from Pace & Innovation Symposium

Further news and updates on golf’s sustainability journey can be found on www.golfenvironment.org

The IGF proudly supports and represents the actions of its partners in the area of Social Responsibly.

An example of the actions being taken may be seen in the comprehensive report issued by The PGA of America in January 2018 – “The PGA and Its Members: Bringing Energy to the Game”. This report reviews the long-term positive impact that Social Responsibility offers to the future of golf.

The report highlights success stories of how the PGA of America is achieving its strategic mission to “serve the Member and grow the game.” This is accomplished by reaching out to diverse audiences to expand participation; developing the workforce to reflect the demographics of our country; and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Developed with sustainability consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM), the report was spurred in part through a partnership with Constellation, the PGA’s Official Energy Provider and Sustainability Partner. The study is designed to attract future partnerships and talent that further the PGA and its mission, while showcasing best practices and case studies.

“Social responsibility is intrinsically linked to the success of the PGA of America and the entire golf industry,” said PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua. “Golf has many wide-reaching positive impacts—from the jobs created in local communities to green space and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide to the significant philanthropic contributions our industry delivers to worthy causes. Our future relies on how well we can expand these initiatives to new audiences, while injecting new energy into the services we provide to our PGA Professionals, in order to grow the game worldwide.”

In developing the report, ERM conducted a sustainability assessment with PGA Professionals and nearly 30 key industry stakeholders that defined six key priority areas to develop a long-term vision and strategy for sustainability within the PGA including:

  • Fostering Diversity & Inclusion
  • Engaging the Next Generation
  • Educating the Workforce of Tomorrow
  • Enhancing Lives through Golf
  • Growing the Game around the Globe
  • Improving our Environmental Footprint

As well, the PGA has joined the Green Sports Alliance, which leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The Alliance brings together venue operators, sports team executives and environmental scientists to exchange information about better practices and develop solutions to their environmental challenges that are cost-competitive and innovative. The information gathered is to gain a better understanding of how sporting events can be performed in an environmentally sensitive manner.

“Constellation is proud of the progress we’ve made in partnership with PGA of America in reducing the environmental footprint of the game of golf and raising awareness of responsible energy use among its Members,” said Joe Nigro, CEO of Constellation. “We congratulate them on this groundbreaking new report and look forward to continuing to work together toward a more sustainable future.”

To view “The PGA and Its Members: Bringing Energy to the Game” report, please visit PGAImpact.org.

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