European Golf Design sets out commitment to a Net Zero future
European Golf Design (EGD), the golf course design company of the European Tour, aims to become a carbon neutral design company in a move that underlines the company’s strengthened commitment to sustainability and climate action.
The announcement comes ahead of the UN Climate Summit COP26 in Glasgow and underlines EGD’s strategic goals and ambition for net zero emissions.
The move towards net zero is also aligned with the European Tour’s Green Drive initiative, launched earlier this year on World Environment Day, when the Tour set out a vision to become a leader in social and environmental responsibility, delivering net positive impacts around the world.
With support from the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating sustainability in and through golf around the world – EGD will track and measure its carbon footprint across all areas of business operations, reduce emissions where possible and mitigate where necessary by credibly offsetting all unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions.
All carbon calculations are in line with the UN Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, and offsetting will be carried out using GEO’s Sustainable Golf Climate Initiative – ensuring offsets are accredited by The Gold Standard and deliver additional contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Jeremy Slessor, Managing Director of EGD, said: “For many years sustainability has been part of the way in which we conceptualise, design and construct courses. Now, our updated and strengthened strategy aims to deliver even more positive and measurable environmental and social impacts through course development and renovation, alongside new goals and actions across various other aspects of the business.”
Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, said: “Congratulations to European Golf Design for proactively stepping forward with this new commitment and action. We all need to do what we can to minimise climate change, so a comprehensive approach to emissions reduction is essential, as is a credible approach to offsetting what are currently unavoidable emissions. We look forward to supporting EGD in accurately measuring, actively reducing and credibly mitigating their emissions so that they make a meaningful contribution to addressing what is rapidly emerging as the defining issue of current and future generations.
“We hope others will follow this lead, become a committed part of the sustainable golf community and utilise the platform and solutions provided with and for the sport of golf.”
European Golf Design designed the first new development in the world to be recognised with the GEO Certified Development status and has projects throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Asia.
About EGD
European Golf Design was established in 1992 and is the Golf Course Design Company of the European Tour.
The company has earned a reputation for producing successful resort, members and tournament golf courses, on schedule and within budget. They are recognised for the ability to exceed their clients’ expectations and for the economic added value of their designs.
Three of EGD’s courses have been voted best new course in Europe and two are named in the top 100 courses in the World. With views of the famous skyline of downtown Dubai, our course at Dubai Hill was named ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ at the 2019 World Golf Awards.
The company has won design commissions throughout Europe and beyond to Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Asia, working for private landowners, worldwide hotel groups, resort and real estate developers either independently or within a team of master planners, architects and engineers.
About GEO Foundation
GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf is the international not-for-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability and climate action in and through golf. The foundation works collaboratively to help the sport proactively embrace key environmental and social issues, to foster nature, conserve resources, take climate action and strengthen communities. In addition to its strategic support through partnerships with associations, GEO Foundation manages and assures the OnCourse® programmes for grassroots golf facilities, new developments and tournaments, each of which can lead to the internationally accredited and widely endorsed GEO Certified® label.
Find out more at www.sustainable.golf
About European Tour Green Drive
The European Tour Green Drive underlines an intensified approach towards priority issues such as climate change; biodiversity loss; air and ocean pollution; and sustainable and ethical procurement. It also sees the Green Drive take a formal position within Golf for Good, the European Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
The Green Drive is aimed at contributing to internationally recognised environmental and social priorities, including many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The approach to climate action is directly aligned to The Paris Agreement and the UN Sport for Climate Framework.