Driving Environmental Practices
Our Sustainable Objectives
We truly believe that sustainability should be at the heart of what we do. We only get one world to live in – so we should look after it!
This year we have confirmed our pledge to be Net Zero by 2030. This is a significant but required target to ensure that we are able to continue to play cricket and operate in the future. To develop this target we looked at our base year of 2019 and have used that year as our comparison. Our forecasted reductions are shown to the left:
To help us achieve our goal we have set targets for this coming year:
- Reduce our electricity usage against our base year of 2019.
- Reduce our carbon emission by 25% against our base year of 2019.
- Increase recycling rates to 50% across 2023.
- Instigate positive behaviourial change within all business stakeholders.
We understand the challenges faced by event organisers, guests and staff in the pursuit of sustainability and have put in place initiatives and practices to help everyone make sustainable choices.
Below are just some of the initiatives we are undertaking:
- Using an Orca – Our Food waste is fed into the ORCA machine, which slowly ‘digests’ it, allowing it to be disposed of in liquid form through existing drainage. For one month, this allowed us to divert 1.2tns of food, saving 1.14tns of greenhouse gases, 0.84kg of methane and 1,275 litres of diesel
- Making food onsite that would otherwise come in non-recyclable packaging;
- Removing disposable plastic from our retail, hospitality and C&E areas
- Reducing the quantity of printing we are doing by moving our internal meetings to tablets and ensuring all paper is recycled where possible or FSC certified
- Introducing our own refillable still and sparking water bottles to reduce both glass and water wastage
- Having a green energy tariff and supplementing this with our onsite Solar Panels
- Ensuring there is no palm oil in our food
- At least 40% of our menus are plant-forward, with a focus on only seasonal fruit and vegetables.
- At least 80% of ingredients are to be British grown
- Reducing the quantity of red meat used in our food
- Offering soya and almond milk as a more sustainable alternative to cow’s milk
- Moving towards being completely single use plastic free across the entire ground
- Putting 3 stream recycling points in all rooms to help delegates make positive sustainable choices
- Increasing the default setting on our Aircon units to ensure we are not using unnecessary electricity
- Working closely with Friends of the Earth to ensure we are being as sustainable as possible.
Our Future Plans
As well as our current KPIs and the initiatives we are currently undertaking, below are just a few of the initiatives we are exploring:
- Aiming for less than 5% general waste
- Converting all our used cooking oil and coffee granules into Bio Diesel
- The installation of solar panels on the Roof of the JM Finn stand
- Work towards zero direct pollutants to water
- Partner with charities to ensure excess food is redistributed
- Exploring ways to reach net zero GHG emissions
- Look to partner with other companies to work towards being completely single use plastic free
Net Zero Carbon Pledge
We have recently signed the Net Zero Carbon Pledge for the Events Industry.
Learn more at the Net Zero Carbon Events website
Green Tourism and Green Meetings
We are proud holders of a Gold Green Tourism award and a Gold Green Meetings award. The awarding company, Green Tourism, says award winners demonstrate commitment towards:
- People: Investing and improving the local community
- Places: Serving the local economy through genuine experiences and commitment to sourcing produce sustainably and ethically
- Planet: Committing to a low carbon future and finding new ways to reducing their carbon footprint
ECOSmart
An industry standard accreditation, awarded to hotels and meeting venues that can demonstrate an eco-friendly service approach in five key areas:
- Energy and Water Conservation
- Waste Management & Recycling
- Rooms and Facilities
- Food and Beverage
- Corporate and Social Responsibility
What it means by hosting an event with us
Due to our structure as a Mutual Society, Surrey CCC reinvest all profits back into improving our Club and ground – as well as creating lasting and meaningful partnerships to benefit residents and organisations within our local community.
On top of constantly investing in improvements at The Kia Oval – such as the new Galadari Stand – and continuing to invest in our world class Academy system that has produced players like England vice-captain Ollie Pope and superstar all-rounders Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Sam Curran, it means the Club is able to fund projects such as The Ben Hollioake Learning Centre (BHLC).
The BHLC is named in tribute to Ben Hollioake, the iconic Surrey and England player who passed away aged 24 in 2002. Now in its seventeenth year of consecutive operation, it gives local primary school children the chance to take their education to the ground – and start to learn how to play cricket. The centre runs ten school time sessions and three after school clubs every week, teaching topics such as coding, video and audio editing and touch typing as well as cricket coaching at every lesson. Over the course of their school career, every Key Stage 2 pupil in Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall will attend the centre – which is offered free of charge to local schools and it is estimated that well over 15,000 pupils have so far benefitted from its work, including some who have now started a career at the Club.
BOOKING ENQUIRY
Please contact us by using the from below. Alternatively please contact our events team on 0207 820 5670.
