Wimbledon prioritises sustainability

July 12, 2019

Wimbledon, The Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, has its men’s and women’s finals this weekend. Often regarded as the most prestigious Grand Slam a professional tennis player can reach, Wimbledon is also making large strides in sustainability.

As a Major Sporting Event, the tournament has stated a commitment to taking a viable approach to protect the environment whenever possible in the running of The Championships, the Club and the Wimbledon Foundation.

In June, Wimbledon signed up to the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework, in recognition of the critical need for sport to play its part in helping to implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the change needed to achieve climate neutrality. The AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club) has pledged to implement the principles enshrined in the Framework and is committed to working collaboratively to develop, implement and enhance the climate action agenda within the sports industry.

Richard Lewis, Chief Executive of the AELTC stated, “We will play our part not just through our actions on our Grounds, both year-round and during The Championships, but in the way we collaborate with our partners, and the way we can use the reach of Wimbledon to help support this important cause.”

Following a 2018 comprehensive review of their business practices, the organisers sought strategic advice by employing an industry expert in the field and focused their efforts on four themes: waste, food and drink, energy and transport.

Highlights for The Championships 2019 Wimbledon’s four theme areas include:

Waste
In 2018, no waste from The Championships went to landfill. The ambition this year is to increase the proportion of The Championships’ waste entering their recycling bins. Non-recyclable waste undergoes an energy recovery process to produce electricity for the National Grid. Used tennis balls are collected and resold for £1, with proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation. Remaining balls are graded and then donated to schools and a range of other organisations.

Food & Drink
The Championships is the largest single annual sporting catering operation in Europe. Their Food Charter sets out how Wimbledon ensures the highest quality, seasonal, sustainable, responsibly-sourced ingredients, showcasing the best of British produce. Through the Wimbledon Foundation, the official charity of the AELTC and The Championships, they have partnered with WaterAid to help fund projects focused on clean water and sanitation in Nepal, Malawi and Ethiopia.

Energy
To help reduce the carbon emissions associated with electricity, they have switched to 100% renewable energy, supplied by EON. For example, the lawn mowers that are used to cut their grass courts are electric, and are fully powered by renewable energy.

Transport
80% of Wimbledon’s visitors access The Championships via public transport. They provide bike parking for spectators and many of their guests also arrive on foot. They have a ‘no idling’ policy for all their courtesy cars and they ask taxis to turn their engines off while they wait to pick up passengers. Jaguar, the Official Car of The Championships, has 10 electric vehicles in the courtesy car fleet.

And looking forward, the launch of the Sustainability at Wimbledon space - “Wimbledon 2030” - in the Southern Village aims to inspire visitors with a positive vision of a sustainable future and showcase the ongoing work of the AELTC and their Official Suppliers in this important area.

Wimbledon was a Champion Partner of last month's Beyond Sport UK Forum held in partnership with Sport England.