NETS BECOME FIRST NBA TEAM
TO GO CarbonNeutral ®
Wednesday, Mar. 19 2008
Only major pro sports team to earn industry’s most rigorous CarbonNeutral® Accreditation

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – With their ongoing commitment to “greening” the franchise through a company-wide environmental strategy, the Nets have become the first major professional sports team to be accredited as CarbonNeutral®.

To achieve this position, the Nets plan to lower their carbon footprint by focusing on improving energy efficiency, recycling rates, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and establishing green procurement policies for the materials the Nets use on a regular basis. To get to net zero CO2 as these changes begin, the Nets are purchasing guaranteed and verified carbon credits that support renewable energy projects around the world.

In January, the Nets launched ‘Netsgogreen.com’ as an educational resource for Nets fans to learn about energy conservation, global warming, sustainability, recycling, air quality, forestation, renewable energy, greener cleaning products, policy and legislation, key green terms, and water conservation.

“Being carbon neutral is an important step as we change our own behaviors and lead the way in environmental and sustainable initiatives in the sports industry,” said Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “We have a social responsibility to do our part to combat climate change, but it also makes business sense as well. Achieving CarbonNeutral accreditation is a milestone in our environmental strategy and we will continue to set an example in sustainable development when we move to our new home in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center.”

Mark Armitage, President US, The CarbonNeutral Company said: “We are delighted that the Nets have made this crucial step in committing to becoming greener. The CarbonNeutral Company is fully supporting them through the CarbonNeutral program by offering them expert advice on how to reduce their carbon footprint through internal changes and through carbon offsetting, and supporting them on how to effectively communicate this good work to their staff, suppliers, players and fan base.”

NOTES TO EDITORS/REPORTERS/PRODUCERS

Calculations:
CO2 is traded internationally in metric tonnes – all figures provided are in metric tonnes.

The Nets have chosen to support the following projects for their carbon offset program:

Kotmar Waste Heat Recovery in India
This project captures waste heat at a steel plant and uses it to produce electricity which is subsequently fed into the local grid. The project has generated emission reductions of 74,263 t CO2 equivalent between 2004 and 2007, verified and certified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

Sichuan Province Hydro Power in China
This project bundles four small run-of-river hydro power stations in Sichuan Province, western China. The project displaces electricity generated by fossil-fuel power plants and will generate emission reductions of an estimated 360,000 t CO2 equivalent between 2006 and 2012, verified and certified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

Rhine-Ruhr Waste Gas Power in Germany
This project captures methane from three abandoned coal mines in Germany. Methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The project will generate emission reductions of 385,500 t CO2 equivalent in 2006 and 2007.

Solar Water Heating Systems, Southern India
This project promotes the installation of solar water heating systems in the Indian state of Karnataka. SELCO, the organisation behind the project, is a two-time winner at the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. The systems will generate emission reductions of an estimated 78,000 t CO2 equivalent between 2007 and 2013.

The CarbonNeutral Company is the world’s leading carbon offset and climate consulting business, working with over 300 businesses and 50,000+ consumer clients.

CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company (TCNC) and is the leading brand mark and quality standard for action on climate change. Permission to display the CarbonNeutral mark is only given to clients of TCNC when CO2 emissions have been measured and reduced to net zero through a program implemented in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. This Protocol assures quality of offset projects, carbon footprint assessments and communication and is regularly reviewed by an Independent Advisory Group. The ‘audit trail’ includes an annual independent verification of CarbonNeutral programs – from contracts with carbon offset partners through to contracts with clients and everything in between.

The CarbonNeutral® accreditation awarded to the Nets signifies that the emissions associated with the Nets commuting, business travel, premises and company vehicles have been calculated in accordance with the WRI/WBCSD GHG protocol and an equal number of carbon credits have been purchased on behalf of the Nets to neturalize these emissions.

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Sports Teams Go Green: Real Thing or Just a Fling?
Wednesday, Jan. 30 2008
FOX Business

NEW YORK -- Is today's green-sports love affair the real thing or just a fling?

When the Philadelphia Eagles launched its "Go Green" campaign in 2003, it was the first and only professional athletic team to take a stand on a major environmental initiative. Over the next five years, the sports sphere would develop into a springboard for green endeavors, with the New England Patriots and New Jersey Nets some of the latest teams to join the eco-friendly bandwagon. Even the Super Bowl has been bitten by the green bug. And some argue that the young trend is here to stay, predicting large-scale environmental programs will play an important role in the future of athletics.

"This is not a fad. The ones who are pursuing sustainable practices are in the minority right now, but they will be the norm in five years,"
said Mark Andrew, founder and president of GreenMark, a Minneapolis-based environmental consulting and sponsorship marketing company. "It's smart business; the Eagles figured this out years ago."

The Philadelphia Eagles' green campaign is no small enterprise. The team has made tremendous investments in clean and renewable energy purchases, tree planting programs, and recycling efforts - even looking to reuse the cooking fat from its concession areas to convert into bio-diesel fuel. The team estimates that, since 2003, its efforts have succeeded in eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions of almost 1,800 automobiles, combating the trash stream of over 550 Americans, and saving 2,300 trees.

"We started out in a very quiet way," said Shawn Casey, the team's media relations spokeswoman. "We never intended to be the leader, just wanted to do our part."

But other teams have noticed. And, because a sports team's day-to-day activities (powering a venue, traveling, maintaining field grounds) often require heavy amounts of energy consumption, green practices make a visible impact.

"Any organization that is operating in the real world is going to leave a carbon footprint - especially a professional sports team," said Pamela Lippe, president of green building advisement company e4 inc.

Lippe's firm is currently partnering with the Nets on a green campaign, a plan which she said would hopefully aid the Nets in becoming the first NBA team to achieve "carbon neutral" status by offsetting energy consumption with renewable energy certificate [REC] purchases.

The Nets' environmental strategy was announced back in November, around the same time that the Patriots signed a four-year deal to purchase RECs to offset the electric expenditure of their home games. A game at Gillette Stadium requires enough electricity to power 2,269 homes for a day, but REC investments - money that goes toward development of eco-friendly power sources - are said to make up for that release in clean energy bids.

"Every kilowatt you can put into the grid and avoid taking from coal sources is a genuine savings in carbon saving and impact," said Brendan Sexton of the Sexton Company, an environmental consulting firm that has worked with the Eagles on their green program since its inception. "The Eagles have done some really exciting things in this area."

The Eagles made history back in April when the team announced that any employee who signs up for wind energy will be reimbursed for the cost difference over conventional energy. The team is also working to build the Eagles Forest, which is expected to hold an estimated 3,900 trees and remove 25 tons of greenhouse gas over the next 20 years.

In addition to their position as big energy consumers with big opportunities for change, sports teams have another advantage: committed fans.

"One of things working to our advantage is our ability to reach an audience," said Rich Jureller, manager of community development for the Buffalo Sabres, a team that is in the early stages of developing a green campaign. "Our fans pay a lot of attention to our awareness efforts. By us getting involved, it may encourage them to get involved, too."

The Nets have arranged a series of "Green Nights," at which green organizations set up booths in the concourse and environmental awareness announcements are read over the loudspeaker. At a recent game, visitors walked away with 5,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs.

"I believe [the Nets] are the first team that has made a real effort to educate the fan," said Lippe of e4, inc.

This year's Super Bowl will be indirectly offset by renewable energy certificates for the second year in a row. More interesting is that Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment - a sports representation firm that has thrown a high-profile Super Bowl party for the past 21 years - has partnered with GreenMark to produce a 100% environmentally sustainable event this year. The green celebration will be a "zero net waste event," meaning that everything from the cups to the tablecloths - even human waste - will be processed and reused in some way.

"If we do it right, this event should not cost any more money than it normally would," GreenMark's founder & president Mark Andrew said. "We can leverage commercial investments into green events the same way we're doing elsewhere in sports because there's a payback in the companies that want to align with us," he said, referring to the companies that help sponsor these events.

But green projects are still major investments, whether sponsors pitch in or not.

"There's no question that on the balance sheet, the team is spending money," said Sexton, citing the capital and operational expenses associated with the Eagles' green project. "The Eagles see this as just another part of their investment in the community."

Green energy still has an overall cost disadvantage, but as market demand increases, the cost of producing green products will drop, Andrew said.

"Green building materials will become less expensive to produce and last longer," he said.

So while many believe the green trend will continue to bloom for sports teams across the nation, Sexton sees only one major setback: getting the players out of their SUVs.

"Maybe we'll get them into some hybrid SUVs. That would be a step in the right direction," he said.

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NJ Nets Shoot To Be Green
01/09/2008
SustainableBusiness.com News

The New Jersey Nets have little chance of outshooting the Boston Celtics, who have what seems to be an insurmountable lead in the Atlantic division of the NBA this season. But the Nets are well on their way to out-greening the clover-loving Celtics, as well as every other team in the league.

This season the Nets committed to a comprehensive "greening" program for the franchise and have tipped-off a broad environmental assessment of their operations with the goal of adopting sustainable practices in their operations. The Nets are aiming to become the first carbon neutral NBA team.

According to team officials, initiatives include improving energy efficiency, recycling rates, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and establishing green procurement policies the Nets use on a regular basis, such as paper and cleaning supplies.

The center-piece of the Nets public campaign are a series of six home games being called Green Nights. Each Green Night focuses on the various Nets initiatives and what fans can do in their daily lives in regards to their personal commitment to the environment.

The first Green Night was held Friday, Nov. 16 when the Nets hosted the Orlando Magic. Throughout the game the Nets made announcements regarding environment tips on waste reduction, which was the theme for the night, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Recycling and Planning were at the game to provide information to fans.

At the second Green Night on Dec. 28, fans received a free energy efficient lightbulb as they left the Izod Center.

The Nets say they will be evaluating and establishing goals for the green effort throughout the season, announcing details as they are formalized. In addition they say next season they will expand the Green Nights public-awareness campagin.
("We are committed to leading the way in environmental and sustainable initiatives in the sports and entertainment industry," said Nets principal owner Bruce Ratner. "Our goal is to go carbon neutral and to further incorporate environmentally friendly strategies in our daily routine. We are making ourselves accountable and taking a positive approach to the issue of climate change."

("What makes the Nets initiative unique is their comprehensive approach and their commitment to engaging their fans and season ticket holders," said Pamela Lippe, president of e4, inc, a sustainability consulting firm working with the organization. "The most significant impact that greening a sports team can have is reaching and influencing their fan base."

NETS LAUNCH NETSGOGREEN.COM

Educational Component of Team’s Comprehensive ‘Greening’ Program
--Presenting Greenest Fan of the Year Contest--

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Jan 1, 2008– As part of their comprehensive “greening” program for the franchise, the Nets have launched Netsgogreen.com as an educational resource for Nets fans to learn about energy conservation, global warming, sustainability, recycling, air quality, forestation, renewable energy, green cleaning, policy and legislation, key green terms, and water conservation.

Other features of Netsgogreen.com include: information on what the Nets front office and team are doing to be greener; highlights of upcoming green-themed nights during Nets games at the IZOD CENTER; Nets player and Nets Dancer video public service announcements; interactive carbon calculators for fans to learn their CO2 output; flight calculator; household calculator; transport calculator; energy calculator; and zero footprint kids calculator. The site also includes green diet tips for the New Year and ideas for green New Year’s resolutions.
In addition, Netsgogreen.com will offer a green ticket plan, in which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a green non profit to prevent climate change.
Netsgogreen.com has also launched the “Greenest Fan of the Year Contest” in which Nets fans are asked to submit their greatest green stories and pictures via e-mail. The deadline to submit entries is April 1, 2008. The Greenest Fan will be contacted on Earth Day 2008, Tuesday, April 22 and will win the opportunity to participate in the official Nets tree planting ceremony at the Nets practice facility with a Nets player and/or coach; a pair of 2008-09 Nets season tickets; and one authentic team jersey autographed by Jason Kidd.

In November 2007, the Nets announced that they have tipped-off a broad environmental assessment of their operations with the goal of adopting sustainable practices in the operations they control. The Nets are targeting to become the first NBA team to become carbon neutral. Initiatives will include improving energy efficiency, recycling rates, indoor environmental quality, and establishing green procurement policies the Nets use on a regular basis, such as paper and cleaning supplies.
“Netsgogreen.com is an important communications tool to share ‘greening’ information with Nets fans and to offer environmentally friendly strategies for their daily routines,” said Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “We are committed to changing our own behaviors and educating our fans to change theirs. It is our goal to lead the way in environmental and sustainable initiatives in the sports and entertainment industry.”
Upcoming Nets Green Nights include:
Monday, January 14, Nets vs. Trailblazers; “Going Carbon Neutral Night” in which Zebra Pen will give away its new recyclable pens. There will be interactive green activities on the concourse.

Sustainable Life Media
Nov. 19, 2007

The New Jersey Nets have tipped off a new sustainability program with the goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral team in the NBA.

The CarbonNeutral Company is currently completing CO2 emissions assessment for the Nets front office as well as team flights for all away game, according to Nets management.

“What makes the Nets initiative unique is their comprehensive approach and their commitment to engaging their fans and season ticket holders,” says Pamela Lippe, president of e4, inc. “The most significant impact that greening a sports team can have is reaching and influencing their fan base.”

http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/content/story/climate/nets_to_go_carbon_neutral

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November 16, 2007

The team plans the first of six "Green Nights" Friday against Orlando.
The nights will focus on what fans can do in their daily lives to help
the environment.

"Our goal is to go carbon neutral and to further incorporate
environmentally friendly strategies in our daily routine," said Nets
principal owner Bruce Ratner. "We are making ourselves accountable and
taking a positive approach to the issue of climate change."

The Nets will make in-game announcements regarding environment tips on
waste reduction. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Recycling and Planning will have a presence on the concourse
to provide information.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Nets are committing to a comprehensive “greening” program for the franchise and have tipped-off a broad environmental assessment of their operations with the goal of adopting sustainable practices in the operations they control. The Nets are targeting to become the first NBA team to become carbon neutral.

Initiatives will include improving energy efficiency, recycling rates, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and establishing green procurement policies the Nets use on a regular basis, such as paper and cleaning supplies.

The Nets have retained two firms, e4, inc. and The CarbonNeutral Company to assist in evaluating and executing their greening goals.

• e4, inc. is managing the broad sustainability evaluation and the implementation strategy for the Nets

• The CarbonNeutral Company is completing the overall CO2 emissions assessment for the Nets front office and Nets team flights for all away games

The Nets are actively engaged in a process of evaluating and establishing appropriate goals for the effort. Specific goals will be announced as they are formalized in conjunction with six “Green Nights” at the IZOD CENTER throughout the 2007-08 season and will be expanded up for next season. Each “Green Night” will focus on the various Nets initiatives and what fans can do in their daily lives in regards to their personal commitment to the environment. The first “Green Night” will be Friday, Nov. 16 when the Nets host the Orlando Magic. At the game, the Nets will make in-game announcements regarding environment tips on waste reduction, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Recycling and Planning will have a presence on the concourse to provide information, as well.
“We are committed to leading the way in environmental and sustainable initiatives in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Nets principal owner Bruce Ratner. “Our goal is to go carbon neutral and to further incorporate environmentally friendly strategies in our daily routine. We are making ourselves accountable and taking a positive approach to the issue of climate change.”
“What makes the Nets initiative unique is their comprehensive approach and their commitment to engaging their fans and season ticket holders,” said Pamela Lippe, president of e4, inc. “The most significant impact that greening a sports team can have is reaching and influencing their fan base.”
“It is great to see a professional sports franchise taking this issue seriously and working hard to achieve CarbonNeutral status,” said Mark Armitage, president, U.S., The CarbonNeutral Company. “We hope the Nets stance will encourage other teams to follow suit and take responsibility for their carbon emissions and environmental impact.”

e4, inc.
e4, inc. is an innovative sustainability consulting firm specializing in strategic advice to clients with a strong focus on the built environment and the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems. Services include sustainability opportunity analysis, green owner’s representative services, options research and project management for LEED or other greening initiatives. Clients include The Durst Organization’s The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park and Simon Property Group. www.e4inc.com.

The CarbonNeutral Company
The CarbonNeutral Company is the world’s leading carbon offset and climate
consulting business. CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company (TCNC). It is the leading brand mark and quality standard for action on climate change. Permission to display the CarbonNeutral mark is only given to clients of TCNC when global warming emissions have been measured, reductions recommended, and the remaining emissions ‘offset’ in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Protocol. This Protocol assures quality of offset projects, and carbon footprint assessments. It is regularly reviewed by an Independent Advisory Group.