ELMONT, N.Y. — Celebrating its second anniversary since its doors opened to New York Islanders fans, UBS Arena simply isn’t resting on its laurels as one of the premier sporting and concert venues in the country.
On Tuesday, the venue announced a new sustainability agenda that will advance its environmental impact and influence on the surrounding community within the Nassau County and Queens border.
Headlined by “three core pillars” to unlock “sustainable brilliance,” UBS Arena’s new plan is focused on giving back to the Queens and Long Island area and ensuring even cleaner environmental operations.
Among those goals is a community resilience plan, featuring energy storage solutions for emergency situations, which will have a targeted completion date of 2030. There will also be added stress on maintaining a local workforce, hoping to fill 30% of the venue’s jobs with neighborhood residents.
An impact fund is also on the horizon where at least $100,000 will be donated by 2025 to action-oriented organizations focused on career development, health and wellness, the arts, and climate justice. At least another $1 million in sponsorship dollars are expected to be activated from brands with sustainability solutions and community impact by 2024, as well.
“Our organization’s commitments are deeply rooted in making a difference,” Kim Stone, president of UBS Arena, said. “This bold sustainability framework gives us an even greater opportunity to make further strides in those promises. It’s important that we don’t just talk about these values, but how we are committed to actions.”
From an environmental standpoint, UBS Arena had already achieved carbon neutrality for all Scope 1 and 2 emissions from operations before its first anniversary — two years ahead of schedule.
The hope is to maintain that neutrality while reducing Scope 3 emissions by 25% under its 2022 baseline by 2030. Scope 3 emissions, according to NationalGrid.com, “are not produced by the company itself and are not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them, but by those that it’s indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain. An example is when we buy, use, and dispose of products from suppliers.”
One considerable step that the venue is looking to make to address those Scope 3 emissions is diverting all waste from landfills and achieving what they describe as “zero waste,” by the end of 2023.
“UBS Arena’s sustainability plan reflects a pragmatic approach to balancing economic development with environmental stewardship,” New York State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick told amNewYork. “By implementing energy-efficient technologies, waste reduction measures, and other eco-friendly initiatives, the arena not only demonstrates corporate responsibility but also shows their commitment to the community and sets an example for other businesses.
“The private sector plays a vital role in advancing environmental responsibility, and it’s encouraging to see businesses taking proactive steps to address our shared environmental challenges. I want to thank UBS Arena for strengthening environmental responsibility efforts and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these efforts on our local community.”
