International stadium and arena operator Oak View Group (OVG) has partnered with Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena and Fenway Sports Group in the US to launch global venue sustainability membership programme GOAL (Green Operations & Advanced Leadership).

OVG said GOAL is a broad set of sustainability standards specifically designed for venues that provides a tactical roadmap for achieving the standards, a customised tracking tool for long-term accountability, a library of resources, and access to like-minded operators, vendors, and sponsors who are committed to operating more sustainably.

The initiatives is to be launched with around 20 founding venue members, and is open to venues around the world.

The GOAL membership portal will be powered by software developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services. Member venues will be able to track their performance against scientifically backed standards in environmental and social categories such as energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, indoor air quality, and health and wellbeing.

OVG said the GOAL standard will also include opportunities to build a customised roadmap toward venue-specific values and locally relevant needs, leading to validated recognition of continuous improvement.

Kristen Fulmer, the founder of front-office sustainability consultancy Recipric is to lead GOAL as OVG360’s new sustainability director.

She said, “By focusing our mission on operational sustainability, GOAL has the unique opportunity to redefine the priorities within our industry, which is up against intersecting climate and social crise. We want to work with leading, like-minded venues to determine the most feasible, yet ambitious sustainability solutions. I am committed to prove that any venue can integrate win-win sustainability solutions that reduce the operating costs of the venue while avoiding negative environmental impacts and increasing positive social impacts.”

OVG was formed in 2015 by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and former chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and artiste manager Irving Azoff. It operates around 200 venues worldwide including London’s Wembley Stadium (cap. 90,000), and is overseeing the arrival of Manchester’s 23,000-capaciyy Co-op Live (pictured). It rebranded its OVG Facilities division OVG360 last year, following its acquisition of hospitality and venue management operation Spectra.

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