As a signatory of the Sports for Climate Action Framework, the WBSC reaffirms its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by setting itself the target of being carbon neutral by 2030.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is delighted to announce that it has joined the UNFCCC’s Sports for Climate Action initiative as a signatory to the Sports for Climate Action Framework.
The initiative calls on sporting organisations to acknowledge the contribution of the sports sector to climate change and their responsibility to strive towards climate neutrality for a safer planet.
As a signatory of the Framework, the WBSC reaffirms its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by setting itself the target of being carbon neutral by 2030.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “Sports organisations are uniquely placed to communicate the importance of sustainability to their global fanbases. We must therefore seize this opportunity and do all we can to promote a carbon neutral future.
“Over the last year, the WBSC has made changes to its organisational structure to reinforce its commitment to a low-carbon future for our sport. These changes should not only reduce the impact of our events and activities, but they should also inspire the global baseball-softball family and its fans to think carefully about how they can contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable planet.”
As part of the Framework, the WBSC will strive to implement the five core principles enshrined in the Framework which are to:
- promote greater environmental responsibility;
- reduce the overall climate impact from WBSC events;
- use the WBSC platform to educate for climate action;
- promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and
- advocate for climate action through WBSC communications.
The WBSC has already developed some initiatives to help reduce its carbon footprint.
- In July 2020, the WBSC inaugurated its new headquarters in Pully, Switzerland. The headquarters have been fully restructured by the WBSC to boost sustainability. Twenty-four roof top photovoltaic panels help support the building’s electricity needs and the insulation allows temperatures to be maintained for up to 20 hours after the newly fitted heating system has been switched off. All of the lighting is made with LED technology and occupancy sensors to keep energy consumption levels to a minimum;
- The WBSC has also made changes to its events calendar and bidding processes to reduce the carbon footprint of the baseball-softball family. These changes will see teams travelling less with the early phases of the tournament focused on region competition from 2021. The newly released bidding guidelines for WBSC events now prioritise sustainability, which incentivises bid cities from 2022 onwards to reduce their carbon footprint;
- One of the WBSC’s latest discipline – Baseball5 – also has the environment’s best interests at heart. Easy-to-play and inclusive, you only need a ball to play Baseball5, which one can #playeverywhere;
- The merging of national baseball and softball federations help to combine the operations of the two sports into one;
- The WBSC has also created an online academy to expand the reach of its educational programmes and reduce the need for travel as courses can be delivered virtually. The WBSC is also planning to launch courses on sustainability which will educate and encourage WBSC members to reduce their carbon footprint;
- In addition, the WBSC will continue to prioritise the use of video technology and virtual meetings to engage with its stakeholders, even in a post-COVID environment.