mEFhuc6W1n5SlKLH
Climate Action

Building on the legacy of the ‘green’ Super Bowl

In Houston, the NFL is offsetting the energy consumed at the game by helping to plant trees

  • 05 January 2017
  • Websolutions

In Houston, the NFL is offsetting the energy consumed at the game by helping to plant trees.

Last February, The Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee made good on its promise to deliver “the greenest Super Bowl ever” by reducing emissions and waste, inspiring fans to pursue more sustainable lives and leaving a lasting legacy for the benefit of the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Through its focus on temporary power and transportation the Committee reduced the event’s impact on the environment.

91 per cent of temporary power in Super Bowl City was supplied by Finnish oil and refining company Neste’s renewable diesel generators, which reduced emissions and improved air quality.

The Committee worked alongside regional transportation agencies to ensure that there was ample public transit during the Super Bowl week, including:

  • The Golden Gate Ferry which, during the event, saw its ridership grow by 81 per cent, in comparison to 2015.
  • The Committee’s partnership with the San Francisco Bike Coalition facilitated the operation of a bike valet service to be run throughout the event.
  • The Fan Express bus service removed nearly 2,000 cars from the road on Super Bowl Sunday.

The moderate and responsible use of materials and resources, such as food and water, helped to limit waste:

  • Free water stations delivered 1,925 gallons of water, diverting 14,580 single use plastic bottles from landfill.
  • 860 pounds of unused food to local food banks, with the help of Food Runners.

In 2017, the Houston Super Bowl LI Host Committee has continued to work closely with the NFL Environmental team as part of the league’s 15+ year Super Bowl greening program. 

In Houston, the NFL is offsetting the energy consumed at the game by helping to plant trees.

Houston has a strong sustainability heritage to build upon as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked Houston as the number one user of Green Power in the country in 2015 and Texas is the largest producer of wind power in the U.S.

Related Content