Last week the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf hosted a special event which coincided with the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
The purpose of the event was to highlight the roles that golf can play in climate action and exploring the pathways to net-zero emissions.
Sky Sports presenter David Garrido hosted a panel which included Sustainable Golf Champion and Solheim Cup legend Suzann Pettersen among other industry professionals.
While LET CEO Alexandra Armas and LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan both shared experience of what each Tour has been doing to promote sustainability.
Armas spoke about the LET’s sustainability initiative – Celebrating the Green, presented by Dow – which aims to champion environment, climate and community action across women’s golf.
“The purpose of the sustainability programme was to raise awareness and understanding about environmental issues such as carbon emissions, climate action, reducing plastics in the ocean and promoting the importance of nature and wildlife,” said Armas.
“We use our website and social channels to promote activities that have been undertaken by our players, promoters and venues. We engage with our stakeholders and share information and guidance so that when they are running tournaments, they can be more environmentally friendly.
“We work alongside the GEO Foundation to provide tools for these events so that they can introduce these changes which is definitely a move in the right direction. We educate our players and hosted a webinar earlier this year to promote the work of the GEO Foundation and what we are doing as a Tour.”
Speaking about how she implements environmental and sustainable practices in her own life, Pettersen explained how her athlete mindset has helped.
“As an athlete we have a very specific mindset and, in every problem or issue in day-to-day life, we find solutions and I think it’s the same mindset that you want to look at in sustainability. You find solutions instead of problems and want to take the opportunity to do something better,” said the two-time Major champion.
“In my daily life we have biothermal heating in our house, we have electric cars in the family, and we have a waste management system and also recycle. There is a lot in our everyday life that we do. It’s easy to tell people to do this but you have to own it.
“It is a common goal for all of us to get together and do a collective effort, but it starts with each and every one of us taking small steps every day. You have to take small steps every day to become someone better for tomorrow.”
Watch the full stream of the summit here.
