AT THIS YEAR'S Olympic Games in Paris, the world’s elite hockey players battled it out on the first-ever cradle-to-gate (from raw material extraction to transportation and manufacturing) carbon-zero hockey turf.
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Made from 80% sugarcane, manufactured using green electricity and maintained with much less water, this is just one of the 16,000 synthetic turf fields, 17,000 running tracks and recreational surfaces that Sport Group has installed across 70 countries.
“The polyethylene comes from the sugarcane as a by-product of sugar production. And we have also renewable energies in our factories. That’s the reason we have the CO2 neutral balance cradle-to-gate,” explains Dr Klaus Hauschulte, Sport Group’s COO.
“The turf is also externally certified. It’s not only a marketing story, but also reality. Our next challenge is the dream of every hockey player: to play on artificial turf that doesn’t need water. For Paris 2024, we have managed to reduce the amount of water required for pitch irrigation per match by approximately 70% compared to the London 2012 Olympics. We are now working on a solution that’s water-free.”
Greening the ground
Sustainalytics has rated Sport Group top 3% in building products and top 7% globally of all rated companies. Combining innovation with ESG has led to this enviable position.
“My purpose is to enable and empower my company with an ESG mindset,” says Daniel Kornreiter, Sport Group’s ESG Manager, “while fostering possibilities for creating a USP to create more profit. Our potential is much greater if ESG is integrated into everything we do.”
Frontline R&D
Research & Development is at the forefront of Sport Group’s growth – fuelling its green product portfolio. Just ten years ago, Sport Group had already invented the first running track made with 80% recycled material. While right now, they’re producing tennis surfaces that are better for the environment (even using recycled tennis balls in the paint) while reducing temperatures on court by 30% – a transformative scenario for hotter climes.
“The hours of playtime are four times higher on the turf system compared to natural grass. And that’s why we are supporting the big megatrends, like urbanisation,” says Dr Klaus Hauschulte. “With our solutions, you can play 24 hours every day, regardless of the weather conditions. And in Europe, we are producing turf systems that all have bio-based or post-consumer recycling content. That’s not greenwashing; it really is green.”
A circular approach
Sport Group’s vertically integrated value chain is also helping it drive the industry – as it’s imbued with a circular ethos from start to finish. It has both turf and granule plants – offering the full system, from eco-friendly ingredients to end products. In Europe, it has a recycling plant where they can recycle 100% of the turf system.
Social currency
Another important narrative for Sport Group is the social aspect of ESG. To ensure employees are leading by example when it comes to ESG, Sport Group adopts a similarly proactive stance – by encouraging social initiatives and promoting circular behaviour.
“We try to inform our thinking in this way: What good can we do for the society? What good can we do for the environment? We call it our handprint,” explains Sport Group’s ESG Manager. “In this way, people experience a different way of thinking. We believe that this philosophy is much more motivating, instead of restrictions and prohibitions. Therefore, we do not only strive to reduce our (carbon) footprint; we strive to rather maximise our handprint and by that, change people’s way of thinking as well.”
Integrating integrity
Going global has been a huge part of Sport Group’s growth journey so far. And since Equistone acquired a majority stake in the business in 2015, it’s had nine successful acquisitions and counting.
“We try to empower all regions to use their data – for example, their energy and water consumption or CO2 footprint,” according to Daniel Kornreiter. “ It’s not just for Germany or for the headquarters. It’s for all the offices and plants around the world. Equistone’s Sophia Nicol (ESG manager) has challenged us on our approach. She’s also supported us in a broad sense and added her expertise to further the development of our ESG strategy.”
And with Sport Group’s so-called ‘blue turf’ thinking, the sky is the limit when it comes to the next generation of sustainable sports and residential surfaces. Watch this (very green) space. ☐
// Funds advised by Equistone completed the sale of its investment in Sport Group to KPS Capital in July 2024.
A full version of this article appeared in PLATFORM 11, Summer 2024