Green Sports Day: Advancing Sustainability Through the Sustainable Sport Index

Understanding Green Sports Day and Celebrating Sustainability in Sports

Green Sports Day, launched by the Green Sports Alliance in 2016, unites the global sports community in recognition of its potential to advance climate action and environmental stewardship. With support from teams, athletes, and fans, the initiative raises awareness of how sports organizations can safeguard a healthy planet for future generations by incorporating leadership in sustainability.

Each year, Green Sports Day emphasizes action. Teams and venues commit to sustainable practices such as reducing energy use, eliminating single-use plastics, and investing in renewable energy. Athletes and fans amplify these efforts by participating in awareness campaigns, sustainability pledges, and community service initiatives. This collective movement demonstrates that sports have the power not only to entertain but also to inspire a sustainable future.

APTIM’s Sustainable Sport Index (SSI), a trusted benchmarking tool for sports sustainability, highlights industry leaders and best practices each year—making it possible for organizations to turn awareness into measurable impact. Ready to turn awareness into action? Make Green Sports Day count with support from SSI.

Why it Matters

The sports industry has a significant environmental footprint. Sports venue sustainability is critical, as stadiums and arenas consume vast amounts of energy and water, generate substantial waste, and require extensive transportation logistics. With climate challenges becoming more frequent and severe, integrating climate action into sports reduces risks to operations, supply chains, and community resilience. Green Sports Day emphasizes climate action in sports by showcasing how teams and venues can reduce emissions and inspire fans.

Environmental sustainability in sports is no longer optional, and integrating sustainability into sports operations is not only about reducing negative impacts but also essential for long-term viability. By embracing climate action in sports, organizations can:

Sports are uniquely positioned to model solutions at scale. When a major league team adopts renewable energy or a university athletic program implements zero-waste initiatives, the impact extends far beyond the field.

Advancing Sustainability in Sports

SSI gives sports venues the tools to identify opportunities to become industry leaders in sustainability. SSI is the first-of-its-kind annual survey and benchmarking report analyzing the environmental and social practices of professional, minor league, and collegiate sports venues. Using anonymized, self-reported data, SSI provides an industry-wide snapshot of progress while equipping organizations with insights to strengthen their sustainability strategies.

Now in its fifth year, SSI continues to highlight how venues are embedding sustainability into their operations. Each year, our SSI Benchmarking Report features case studies, highlights industry leaders, and shares best practices to inspire collective progress. Participation is open to all venues, regardless of where they are on their sustainability journey. By participating in SSI, sports organizations gain access to anonymized benchmarking, actionable insights, and a platform that advances sustainability initiatives, community engagement, and more.

While Green Sports Day raises visibility, SSI ensures accountability and continuous improvement.

For example, recent SSI findings have revealed that:

Sustainability Strategies for Sports Organizations

Sports organizations looking to maximize their impact on Green Sports Day and beyond can leverage SSI findings to guide their sustainability strategies.

Recommended actions include:

How APTIM Supports Sustainability in Sports

APTIM is a trusted partner for advancing sustainability in sports. Our expertise in environmental and sustainability solutions, coupled with SSI, equips clients with the insights needed to measure progress, mitigate risks, and lead with purpose.

The question many organizations face is: how can sports teams achieve sustainability goals effectively? The answer lies in data-driven strategies and collaborative partnerships. APTIM supports sports organizations as they navigate the complexities of sustainability, ensuring measurable outcomes that benefit both operations and communities.

Accelerating Sports Sustainability on Green Sports Day 2025

Green Sports Day reminds us to celebrate that sports have the power to unite and inspire change. By combining awareness with action, teams, leagues, and venues can transform their sustainability commitments into lasting impact. SSI offers the measurement and accountability needed to make these commitments meaningful.

Whether reducing emissions, engaging fans, or aligning with climate goals, the opportunity for sports organizations is clear: accelerate climate action in sports, lead with purpose, measure with data, and act for the planet. On Green Sports Day and every day, APTIM stands ready to support the journey toward a sustainable future.

Learn more about SSI and APTIM’s sustainability solutions.

Published October 2025