Tennis Australia: Advancing Sustainability and Reducing Emissions
Tennis Australia reduces emissions with forward-thinking strategies and innovative partnerships
Situation
Tennis Australia, aligned with the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, sought to measure its carbon footprint and address environmental impacts across its tournaments and operations.
Impact
Tennis Australia now has a comphrehensive understanding of its footprint and through innovative initiatives like reducing plastic waste, sustainable merchandise, and food impact analysis, Tennis Australia reduced emissions while driving sustainability and fostering progressive environmental partnerships.
Solution
- Anthesis supported Tennis Australia to develop a detailed GHG inventory, defining emissions boundaries, analysing Scope 1, 2, and 3 data, improving reporting processes, and modelling ambitious emissions reduction scenarios for future action.
Situation
Tennis Australia, as the governing body for tennis in Australia, is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of its tournaments. Recognising transport, energy, and resource use as key contributors, and aligned with the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA), Tennis Australia sought expert assistance to measure and understand its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This included analysing its organisational carbon footprint and that of marquee events like the Australian Open.
Solution
Anthesis supported Tennis Australia to develop a comprehensive GHG inventory, including:
- Defining the full Australian Open emissions boundary, including pre- and post-event activities.
- Measuring and analysing emissions data, broken down by source (Scopes 1, 2, and 3).
- Identifying resource consumption patterns and emissions trends across consecutive years.
- Improving the robustness of data collection and reporting aligned with S4CA goals.
- Modelling scenarios, from business-as-usual to ambitious reduction trajectories, with targeted actions.
This work informed the “Maximum Play, Minimum Footprint” strategy, focusing on three pillars: Reducing Emissions, Consuming Responsibly, and Future-Proofing Tennis.
Impact
With the support of Anthesis, Tennis Australia has made significant progress in understanding and reducing its environmental footprint year on year. At the Australian Open 2022, they partnered with Samsara to address plastic waste, ensuring better waste management practices. For the Australian Open 2023, they collaborated with cleantech startup Calyx to measure and reduce the environmental impact of food items served at the event. Additionally, they launched the “Towards Love” apparel line, which prioritises sustainable design and production practices, minimising the impact of merchandise.
These initiatives reflect Tennis Australia’s commitment to reducing emissions, improving sustainability practices, and fostering partnerships that create lasting positive environmental impact.
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