International WELL Building Institute and the Green Sports Alliance Announce Partnership to Leverage Sport and Sustainability to Advance Health and Well-Being for Everyone, Everywhere

Nov 16, 2020 2:55 PM ET

NEW YORK, November 16, 2020 /3BL Media/ -- The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global leader in transforming our buildings, communities and organizations in ways that help people thrive, and the Green Sports Alliance, an environmentally and socially focused nonprofit organization that convenes stakeholders from around the sporting world, today announced a multi-year partnership focused on supporting teams, leagues, conferences, venues, corporate partners, governmental agencies, athletes, and fans to promote healthy, sustainable communities.

“The Green Sports Alliance has long been a force for good across professional, collegiate and community sports, leveraging the powerful voice of sports to help drive more sustainable practice. We’re excited to work with them to shine the spotlight on the role our facilities and venues play in protecting and advancing our health,” said Rachel Gutter, IWBI President and CEO, noting that IWBI will also continue its Gold level support of the annual Green Sports Alliance Summit.  

The partnership will focus on providing educational resources that will promote new mental models within the sports industry that connect the wellness of the athlete and fan with the performance and sustainability of the venues they occupy; promoting healthier communities and places for people to live, work and play through a variety of events and collateral; and assessing ways in which systems within the built environment can help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and address other infectious diseases.

Included in the partnership is a 25 percent discount for Green Sports Alliance members on the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. Trusted by major professional sports teams such as the New York Yankees, Cleveland Cavaliers & Monsters, and Charlotte Hornets, the rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all facility types. Focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder education, the rating demonstrates leadership and transparency to help instill confidence in athletes, staff and fans in a post-COVID-19 environment.

“The sports industry is in a watershed moment as we face three highly interconnected global crises—COVID-19, climate change, and racial injustice,” said Roger McClendon, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. “We are thrilled to amplify the leadership of the International WELL Building Institute and leverage their expertise in health and wellness to help our members operate safely and protect the resiliency of sport.”

About the International WELL Building Institute 
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is leading the global movement to transform our buildings, communities and organizations in ways that help people thrive. It deploys the WELL ecosystem to help buildings, communities and organizations improve our comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance, not compromise, our health and wellness. IWBI mobilizes the wellness community through management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and wellness everywhere.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Portfolio Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Workforce, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

ABOUT GSA
The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The Alliance inspires professional sports leagues, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Visit greensportsalliance.org for more information.