The so-called Conde de Godó Trophy, which this year celebrates its 70th edition, bets one more year on being a benchmark sporting event in the field of sustainability. And for this, it promotes, in collaboration with Aigües de Barcelona, a plan to promote sustainability during the tournament by reducing its environmental impact.
The entities have the objective of reducing the carbon and water footprint of the edition. They also intend to establish an action plan that includes axes such as citizen awareness, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency or circular waste management, among others. Aigües de Barcelona will be in charge of helping to calculate these parameters and will present the results next June.
During the tournament, held between April 15 and 23, the entities have planned awareness actions and awareness actions have been planned during the tournament. An example is the creation of a round table on climate action on April 18, with the presence of different speakers who will explain initiatives that are already working, such as the energy recovery of used tennis balls through the company GreenBall. , the pressurization of balls to reuse them through the Pascal Box or the use of used racket strings to manufacture sportswear through Infinite Athletic.
In addition, during the conference the project for the reuse of gray water and rainwater will be explained, as well as the construction of underground tanks that the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899 will carry out this month of July, together with the engineering companies ACO and CENPAS, and that will allow the club and the tournament to be 100% sustainable in the irrigation of courts and gardens.
In recent years, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell has implemented measures that have positioned it as a leading sporting event in sustainable management. The tournament was the first on the outdoor ATP circuit to push for smoke-free space. Likewise, I also promote other measures related to recycling and waste classification, sustainable mobility and the commitment to local and seasonal products.
Thanks to all the measures to guarantee a lower environmental impact of the tournament, in 2018 it received the ISO 20121 certificate for sustainable event management, as well as the Barcelona Biosphere distinction for its commitment to the city's tourism sustainability.
The collaboration of Aigües de Barcelona in this sporting event of great importance for the city is part of the company's desire to become the engine of social, ecological and digital transformation.
In November 2021, the Board of Directors of Aigües de Barcelona approved its Climate Action Policy with the challenge of actively leading climate action, cooperating with relationship groups and with the territory in which it is present. The Policy has three main lines of action: climate neutrality, adaptation to climate change, and training and climate involvement.
The effort of Aigües de Barcelona in its strategy and actions towards the climate emergency in the axes of adaptation, mitigation and climate leadership has earned it recognition from the International Water Association (IWA) as a 'Climate Smart Utility' last year. This is the first recognition that a comprehensive water cycle management company has received in Catalonia. In addition to endorsing and promoting the company's climate action, the badge makes it possible to create a network of good environmental practices with other agents in the sector.
