Author: Payton

Japan is a country that has been known for its high-tech and efficient transportation system. However, this transportation system is not only elite in accessibility and efficiency; it has also set a great example to the world about how to implement sustainability into the field of transportation. In fact, this transportation system heavily influences the fact that Japan’s per-capita greenhouse gas emissions are less than half of the United States’. The country has been able to promote this sustainable transportation through a combination of technology, government support, and citizen participation. The United States and many other countries around the world should seek to model their own transportation systems after this innovative Japanese one, in order to create a healthier and safer environment. In addition, these changes may also bring more efficiency and accessibility to the United States public transportation system.

The Japanese transportation system has greatly succeeded in the field of sustainability, much thanks to the innovation of leading companies in the industry. One key difference between Japanese transportation systems and others around the world is that those in Japan are mostly run my private companies. This has created easier, more accessible public transportation for all, as these companies work closely with the Japanese government to both fund new innovations and integrate separate rail systems. Japanese rail systems have also been built in a way that allows seamless modification to improve areas such as efficiency or sustainability; those in other nations such as the United States have not been built in such a way, leading to frequent issues and delays. One railway company that specifically seeks to improve the sustainability and functionality of Japanese railways is called JR East. JR East research ways to use renewable energy sources and create power storage systems to reduce wasted energy. They have also been striving to create an even faster than the famous Shinkansen train, which runs at almost 300 miles per hour. In addition to the railway system, Japan has also encouraged other sustainable forms of transportation such as biking. Only 10% of all transportation in Japan involves the use of motor vehicles, vastly reducing the CO2 emissions in the country.

One rail business in Japan that has set an example in sustainable practices is Tokyu Railways. In 2019, they became the first Japanese rail business to become a part of RE100, a global initiative bringing together thousands of companies striving become more sustainable. Only three years later, the company achieved its goal of powering all of its train lines with solar, geothermal, and hydropower energy. The average trip on a Tokyu train emits about 180 grams of CO2, 1000 grams less than an equivalent trip in a motorized vehicle. Over the course of an entire year, these reductions add up to saving nearly 800,000 tons of CO2 entering the atmosphere.

Japan has set the pace on sustainable transportation, specifically in the railway industry. However, this is only the beginning of the transition to renewable transportation practices, both in Japan and abroad. Several other rail companies in Japan, such as Tobu Railway and JR East, have followed the example of Tokyu Railways and have begun to reduce CO2 emissions. Further action and innovation is needed by other countries such as the United States in order to create a better future by reducing CO2 emissions by one of the biggest culprits, public transportation.

References:

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2017/what-japan-can-teach-america-about-sustainable-transportation/19861

https://coordinates.ce.gatech.edu/japan-sustainable-development/sustainable-transportation-japan

https://www.railway-technology.com/features/tokyu-railways-goes-full-steam-ahead-on-its-sustainability-journey/

In the last several decades, the potential damaging effects of climate change have been thrusted into light. Our generation has seen what will happen to the earth if no action is taken. More and more damaging effects of the lack of sustainable practices are being revealed as the years go on. Most of our attention is placed on huge industries and corporations that produce tons of waste and carbon dioxide emission, as many conservationists have tasked themselves with turning climate change around. However, one industry that is often overlooked is the sports industry, specifically soccer. Recently, sports have been under major criticism for lack of sustainable practices; soccer, the most popular sport in the world, has headlined this criticism, as the masses that watch and play this sport create a great amount of waste. Soccer stadiums alone consume tons of plastic, water, and electricity, and the fans produce mass amounts of waste. Individual soccer clubs have also contributed to these metrics behind the scenes. However, plans are currently being implemented both organizationally and operationally to combat climate change induced by soccer.

Operationally, huge soccer events around the world have begun to make changes to the game-day experience to create a more sustainable atmosphere; there is also much more work to do in this field. Simple additions to soccer stadiums may include reusable food and drink containers, compost centers for food waste, paper tickets, and solar panels and wind turbines to reduce energy use. Sporting arenas can also lower carbon footprint by implementing electric vehicle charging stations on site. Transportation currently causes 29% of all U.S. air pollution, and this change could influence fans to buy electric vehicles more readily.

Organizationally, soccer clubs around the world have begun to act more sustainably as well. According to a recent statistic, only 11% of soccer clubs around the world have a strategy to address sustainability. A board called the UN Sports for climate action framework has been created to address sustainability at a club level within the sport, and only four major European teams have joined. Several clubs have taken direct action to reduce their climate footprint. For example, Manchester City Football Club has recently created a coffee cup that one may eat. This may eventually go a long way in reducing the 2.5 billion disposable cups thrown away in the UK every year. Johann Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, owned by Ajax Football Club, is a newly created sustainable stadium with features such as 4200 solar panels and wind turbines.

One club in particular that has captured recent headlines is English club Forest Green Rovers, the most sustainable soccer club in the world. All of Forest Green Rovers’ kits and training gear is made out of recycled plastic, coffee grounds, and bamboo. For players and fans, the club has committed to serving all vegan food on match days, as going vegan has been shown to reduce carbon footprint tremendously. The club’s current stadium, The New Lawn, has the world’s first organic soccer pitch and a local habitat for wildlife around the stadium. Forest Green Rovers have also pledged to offset the carbon emissions generated by every single fan that travels to the stadium to watch the match. In the past several years, the club have decreased their carbon footprint by 3%, decreased waste production by 14%, and recycled over 8% of water used.

Soccer, being the most popular sport in the world, has a responsibility to become more sustainable, both operationally (at matches) and organizationally (at the club level). Patrick Gasser, head of Football and Social Responsibility in Europe, said, “It’s important to run a football club or organization as a socially responsible business.” Sustainability campaigns from sports teams also have a very high change of influencing fan behavior. If more teams can adopt sustainable practices likeForest Green Rovers, the effects would ripple throughout the world.

References:

https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-football-clubs-should-market-sustainability-fd499b7bd5c0

https://www.amplifiedsoccerathlete.com/coachguide/how-are-soccer-events-becoming-more-sustainable

https://www.ecowatch.com/soccer-sustainability-2654946993.html

https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/climate-neutral-now/creating-the-greenest-football-club-in-the-world-forest-green-rovers

https://formnutrition.com/us/inform/how-forest-green-rovers-became-the-greenest-football-club-in-the-world/