Commercial, GHG Emissions  -  October 6, 2021

LA Clippers Plan First Climate Positive Basketball Arena

The LA Clippers announced Sept. 27 a new partnership that will support its creation of the first climate positive sports arena.

The NBA team joined a multi-year partnership with Aspiration, which will deploy its software and Sustainable Impact services as a founding partner of the Intuit Dome, the future Clippers arena. The partnership also includes the creation of the Planet Protection Fund, which will offer attendees the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets alongside their ticket.

“There is a responsibility associated with building the best arena in the world,” Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer said in a statement. “Aspiration becoming our first Founding Partner supports the stake we are planting in the ground to make Intuit Dome the most sustainable arena in the world.”

Plans for the Intuit Dome include operating on 100% carbon-free power through batteries and onsite solar power and constructing the facility with 100% embodied carbon concrete. The operators of the arena will perform annual monitoring of its emissions and transportation impacts and provide regular data on potential improvements.

The Clippers plan to construct the facility in a way that will earn it a LEED Platinum certification from the beginning. The organizers of the project hope that it will set a new standard for social responsibility in the sports industry.