Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recognized By White House Office Of Science and Technology Policy

Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium was recognized today by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for its commitment to reduce carbon emissions, increase climate resilience and engage fans through sports and events. The complete fact sheet with all organizations recognized by the OSTP may be found here.

In the East Wing of the White House, President Obama declared October 6, Green Sports Day, a proclamation submitted by the Green Sport Alliance calling on the entirety of the sports industry, athletes, fans, communities to mitigate the effect of climate change.  Additionally, the proclamation urges partners to adopt sustainable practices and leverage the cultural and market influence of sport to change attitudes and behaviors.

Photos and videos from the event may be found here.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the future home of the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, is leading the charge in its sustainability efforts.  Set to achieve LEED Platinum certification once construction is complete in the summer of 2017, the stadium will be the first sports facility to achieve all water credits available for LEED. The project is also committing to further restore natural water systems wetlands and damaged watersheds, through the pursuit of a new LEED Pilot Credit strategy titled Water Restoration Certificates (WRC).

Through this effort, the stadium will purchase WRCs locally from the Flint River in Georgia’s water supply, providing for a 100 percent regional impact and monetary benefits for the local watershed. Other sustainable design features for the stadium include multiple public rail-line stations within a mile, solar-powered electric-vehicle charging stations to cut down on emissions from transportation to the stadium, a retractable roof, and 4,000 solar panels, estimated to produce 1.6 million kilowatt-hours per year – enough to power 160 Atlanta homes.

“From inception, Arthur Blank challenged us to make Mercedes-Benz Stadium one of the most sustainable buildings in sports,” says Scott Jenkins, general manager, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  “We’re proud to say that we are achieving our goal by implementing innovative solutions that will allow us to be the first professional sports stadium to achieve LEED Platinum status.”

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, founded in 1996, has had a deep commitment to environmental protection, conservation and sustainability.  It has invested millions of dollars in Atlanta to expand parks and greenspace, support bike infrastructure and advocate for green transportation solutions.  As part of a $15 million commitment to revitalize the historic Westside neighborhoods adjacent to the stadium, the Foundation has invested more than $2.5 million to help solve decades-long flooding issues in the Proctor Creek watershed.

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