The Philadelphia Eagles have gone green in more ways than one, and now the team and its stadium have received a landmark environmental award for their efforts.
Lincoln Financial Field has been accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum building for its commitment to sustainability, the team announced on Tuesday, June 18. LEED, designed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most extensively used green building rating system, providing a framework for creating healthy, efficient, and cost-effective structures.
The Linc is just one of two previously constructed stadiums in the NFL to reach Platinum status—the highest of all LEED certifications—and the only one that is more than ten years old to receive the accolade.
Since its inception in 2003, Lincoln Financial Field has achieved three levels of USGBC certification: LEED Silver in 2013, LEED Gold in 2018, and now LEED Platinum in 2024.
“LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to achieve high performance, improve human health, and protect the environment,” USGBC President and CEO Peter Templeton stated. “By prioritizing sustainability, the Philadelphia Eagles are leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
Throughout the years, the Linc has implemented ideas and solutions related to sustainable site construction, water conservation, energy efficiency, material selection, and indoor environmental quality. The Eagles are also the first professional sports club in North America to build a hydrogen refueling station for its passenger vehicles, and the Linc is the first NFL stadium to recycle beverage containers using reverse vending machines. The Linc also has 10,456 solar panels, which provide approximately four megawatts of sustainable energy each year.
The Linc also installed water filtration fountains, which eliminated the use of over one million plastic water bottles, implemented a closed-loop recycling program that collects bottle caps and converts them into new material for use at the stadium, replaced the stadium’s lights with high-powered LED lighting technology, which resulted in a 50% reduction in wattage, diverted 99% of waste from landfills, and runs entirely on clean energy.
“This certification speaks to the collaboration that exists at all levels of the organization where sustainability is prioritized as a key business strategy,” Norman Vossschulte, Vice President of Fan Experience and Sustainability for the Philadelphia Eagles, stated. “It also represents the external support we have received, including valuable insight and consultation from Lindsay Arell of Honeycomb Strategies.” Lindsay has built her career on pioneering sustainability efforts in the live events business, and she was instrumental in Lincoln Financial Field’s LEED Platinum certification.
