FIH wins coveted IOC Climate Action Award
Photo: World Sport Pics
Turf innovation recognized as a key player in hockey’s sustainability win
In hockey’s journey towards a more sustainable future, 24.09.24 marks a significant milestone. In a ceremony held in New York, the FIH was announced as the winning International Federation at the IOC Climate Action Awards. The win recognizes the significant strides hockey has taken to reduce its environmental footprint.
Photo: World Sport Pics
FIH and Polytan collaboration reduces water consumption across the sport
Green hockey turf innovation was a key player in the win. Since the London 2012 Games, the FIH has worked closely with representatives from Sport Group’s Polytan in Europe and Asia Pacific, and AstroTurf in the USA. Together this group has pioneered new Poligras hockey turf technologies that dramatically slash water usage.
Paul Kamphuis, Sport Group’s Head of Hockey described the partnership as a meeting of values;
“Supporting the FIH’s sustainability goals aligns with our business investment focus on reduced carbon, second life and renewable and recycled products.
Having achieved a 60% reduction in water use from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020, we raised the bar again for Paris on both water consumption and carbon saving. The water savings were again significant for Paris and delivering the world’s first carbon zero turf is something we were very proud to achieve.”
The world’s first carbon-zero hockey turf
The hockey turf for the Paris 2024 Games was Poligras Paris GT zero, which uses less water for elite play due to new Turf Glide technology, and it also incorporates sustainable materials that minimize carbon emissions. Made from 80% sugarcane and produced using green energy, it saves 73 tons of CO₂ per pitch compared to conventional turfs.
As an upcoming hockey nation, France alone has adopted five of the carbon-saving Olympic turfs in the two years ahead of the Games. Polytan France’s Jean-Pierre Bailly, explains;
“The science of the turf is amazing and it plays beautifully so it has been a natural choice for progressive French clubs such as Lille and Racing Club de France looking to attract some of the national teams coming to France ahead of the Games and build a sustainable legacy beyond them.”
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Paris turfs around the world save the equivalent energy used by 476 homes in one year
Globally, 50 Poligras Paris GT zero turfs have been installed, saving 3,650 metric tons of CO2. That is enough to charge almost 240 million smartphones, power 476 homes for a year and saves the carbon equivalent of 869 cars on the road for a year.
As Melissa Vassalotti Twist, a former Division 1 college hockey player and coach and Director of Field Hockey for AstroTurf USA explains:
“The Poligras Paris GT zero turf is certified climate-neutral and increasingly, universities and colleges are rightly looking for both advanced playing and environmental performance and we are able to deliver both.
As a coach, I love the way the turf plays and as the head of our hockey business in the U.S. I am extremely proud to be offering such a proven environmental innovation to hockey communities across the country and beyond.”
A chance for forward-thinking clubs to grow the sport sustainably
As field hockey continues to evolve, the sport’s increasing focus on sustainability is likely to have far-reaching effects. The innovations targeted by the FIH, are setting a new standard for how sport can address environmental challenges. Hockey is a progressive sport, so for hockey club directors, this represents an opportunity to not just to be part of a growing movement, but to lead it.
“As a coach, I love the way the turf plays and as the head of our hockey business in the U.S. I am extremely proud to be offering such a proven environmental innovation to hockey communities across the country and beyond.”
The first carbon zero turfs in the Netherlands
Eindhoven Hockey Club is the first in the Netherlands to choose carbon zero turf. The club has installed two Poligras Paris GT zero turfs.
One of the turfs is ‘dry’ and the other has an irrigation system. With Turf Glide technology, the irrigated turf requires minimal water for elite play, while the second turf performs better than a sand turf when dry and will upgrade to Olympic quality with atmospheric moisture.
Fred van Wijk for Polytan Europe explains what a milestone this is in one of hockey’s established heartlands:
“The carbon-zero turfs in Eindhoven are part of a long-term commitment to hockey which started with the first Olympic synthetic turf in Montreal in 1976. Hockey has evolved since then into the fast-paced, dynamic, 3D game we know and love today. It has been our role to evolve and innovate with it and this latest turf being adopted by progressive clubs like Eindhoven is an important step in sustaining the sport for the future.”
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A game-changing climate impact
By adopting sustainable turf technology such as Poligras Paris GT zero, clubs can reduce their environmental impact while also ensuring the highest level of play and securing the future of the sport. Eindhoven alone has saved the equivalent annual carbon emissions of 35 cars. If the rest of the global hockey community followed suit, the climate impact would be game-changing.