This was the first national soccer game that promoted environmental protection
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On December 8, the final soccer game of the Argentine Cup was held between Boca Jrs and Talleres de Córdoba, at the Madre de Ciudades Stadium (Santiago del Estero). The winner was the xeneize team (as Boca Jrs is also called). And within and beyond the stadium, the audience could enjoy from the seats and the TV screens the first national soccer game that was carbon neutral, thanks to the renewable power generation from Genneia’s Rawson Wind Farm.
How was this possible? Our company entered into an agreement with the Argentine Cup organizers, whereby we delivered the Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) equivalent to the carbon footprint generated by the organization and development of the event. The used CERs derive from the generation of clean energy from the Rawson Wind Farm, which enables the reduction of the emissions of 216,000 tons of CO2, per year, into the atmosphere.
The footprint was measured by the consultancy company ProSustentia. The calculation included emissions associated with travelling by air, by land and accommodation of the organizing team and sports delegations, in addition to local transportation within Santiago del Estero of spectators and main suppliers.
“We are proud of supporting the Argentine Cup in the first national soccer game to offset the carbon footprint. As a company committed to environmental protection and clean energies, we understand that this is the right path to follow and this action enables us to continue raising awareness about the importance of implementing environmentally friendly practices to develop events and competitions aiming at carbon neutrality. It is important to leave this message to the private sector and for this new sustainable business model to become a role model, as the global climate crisis calls for immediate and concrete actions,” explained Gustavo Castagnino, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director at Genneia.
This environmental action carried out at the Cup final included the execution of a collaboration and cooperation agreement among the Argentine Red Cross, Argentine Soccer Players Union, the Argentine Soccer Association and Torneos to take actions intended to mitigate the effects of climate change and raise awareness among the soccer community about environmental protection.
“The sports events are social and environmental awareness spaces for community engagement and for such reason, the incorporation of sustainability standards is a great challenge for the Argentine Cup. We are highly enthusiastic about being the first soccer game in the country that measures and offsets its carbon footprint," pointed out Alex Ganly, director of Tournament Events and the integrating competition.