What happens when champions go green, not with envy, but for the environment? Indian Premier League (IPL) has joined hands with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to make IPL a green event. In this unique initiative IPl will try to reduce wastage of water and energy while hosting such events. If we see the massive statistics involved in hosting the sports events, we can imagine the consequences.
"The Earth is our home, and together we must conserve our precious wildlife, forests and oceans. I am proud to pledge that I will play my part in caring for our natural heritage,"
With this pledge, the players signed a giant globe constructed of recycled materials at the opening ceremony at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on 12th March this year. 2010 is declared as the International Year of Biodiversity and Sachin Tendulkar has been appointed the green ambassador by UNEP.
Engagement in sports has a deep impact on environment by using massive amounts of energy and generating waste. IPL will calculate the 'carbon footprint' which simply means checking on the greenhouse gas emissions and reducing these. This will help to achieve ‘climate neutral’ cricket matches.
Green tips keep flashing on giant screens on the stadiums throughout the tournament. The aim is to make IPL a green event by finding measures to reduce the negative effects. Using public transport, keeping the city clean, disconnecting electrical equipment when not in use and harvesting rain water are few well known steps that are been advertised to spread awareness. Sport fans are encouraged to participate actively by recycling and carpooling. There also is a 'tip of the day' by Sachin.
Spreading awareness through such events can have a deep impact on masses. Considering the popularity of cricket in India this will be successful.
Article inputs by Nupur Roopa
