Seating a little more than 73,000 people, Cleveland Browns Stadium is about the same size as the planned Farmers Field. But the downtown LA sports complex differs from every other NFL stadium in the country, as it will be 100 percent carbon neutral. Photo: Flickr/cliff1066™
After years of being one of the only major U.S. cities without a professional football team, the NFL is coming back to the city of Los Angeles. And this time, they’re going green.
The planned Farmers Field, the future home of the city’s NFL team, will be “the most environmentally sustainable stadium in the world,” according to sports and entertainment giant AEG.
The company plans to partner with the U.S. Green Building Council and the National Resources Defense Council to make Farmers Field the first ever NFL stadium to achieve LEED certification.
AEG – which is a partner in the recently-formed Green Sports Alliance – has already invested $1 billion to build the massive 72,000-seat stadium in downtown Los Angeles, which will also serve as an event center.
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But when it comes to ensuring the proposed stadium is as efficient as possible, the state of California isn’t taking the company’s word for it.
The California State Senate and Assembly passed a bill requiring AEG to make Farmers Field carbon neutral, including emissions generated from fan’s car-trips to and from the stadium.
Although it may seem like a feat to separate LA residents from their cars, AEG said they’re going to give it a try.
The company plans to work with the city to implement a transportation plan that will give Farmers Field the lowest “cars per football game ticket holder” ratio of any NFL stadium.
On-site and regional alternative energy projects will be prioritized over purchasing carbon credits to achieve neutrality, the company said.
But the green initiatives for Farmers Field go beyond offsetting carbon emissions.
The company is currently conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR), as required by the California Environmental Quality Act, which they will use to craft the environmental program for Farmers Field.
The EIR should be completed by June 2012, and until then, the company is still in the “early planning stages” of the stadium’s environmental program. But it has already identified lofty recycling and water conservation goals for the complex.
The stadium is so green, even former President Bill Clinton took notice. AEG and Farmers Field were recognized at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on Tuesday for outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability.
The stadium, which should be up and running by 2015, will be continually monitored for environmental performance and efficiency after it opens its doors.
The project will create an estimated 23,000 jobs in the LA area, including 12,000 full-time jobs over the course of construction and 11,000 permanent jobs once the stadium opens.
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