Commissioner Selig Honored with First Green Sports Alliance Environmental Leadership Award

SEATTLE – The Green Sports Alliance, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help sports teams, venues, and leagues enhance their environmental performance, will present its first Environmental Leadership Award to Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig this evening at the Green Sports Alliance Summit Evening at the Ballpark Event at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington.

The Green Sports Alliance Environmental Leadership Award is presented to a member of the sports industry who has demonstrated leadership and has provided significant contributions to environmental sustainability. The award is voted on by the Green Sports Alliance Board of Directors, which is comprised of representatives from professional sports organizations.

“Commissioner Selig made environmental sustainability a priority for Major League Baseball when many organizations were still trying to figure out if it was the right thing to do. He recognized that MLB’s leadership in this area could not only help reduce our impact on the environment but could serve as a powerful symbol for our fans,” said Scott Jenkins, Chair of the Board of the Green Sports Alliance, and Vice President of Ballpark Operations for the Seattle Mariners.

“On behalf of the millions of baseball fans who share our objective of protecting our natural resources, Major League Baseball is honored to accept this recognition from the Green Sports Alliance,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “I am very proud that our 30 Clubs have demonstrated a wide-ranging commitment to sustainable practices, and we will continue to strive to set a positive example for all those who love our game.”

Major League Baseball began an alliance with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 2006 to identify and promote better environmental practices. Since 2008, MLB has incorporated environmentally intelligent features in All-Star Week activities including the MLB All-Star Game as well as the World Series. In December 2009, a Greening Committee was created by Major League Baseball and the NRDC, which includes senior ballpark operations executives at select Clubs, members of the NRDC and MLB Central Office staff. The group’s first recommendation was the creation of a new software tool for sustainable ballpark management which was launched in 2010. The software system, the first of its kind by a professional sports league, collects and analyzes stadium operations data to develop and distribute best practice information across the 30 Clubs.

Green Sports Alliance is a non-profit organization with a mission to help sports teams, venues and leagues enhance their environmental performance. Alliance members represent over 100 sports teams and venues from 13 different sports leagues. Visit www.greensportsalliance.org for more information.