Sustainability at HC Davos
The ‘Davos 2030’ climate project
HC Davos reduces its CO₂ footprint
The HCD is taking part in the "Davos 2030" initiative. The hockey club is not only reducing its own carbon footprint. It is also supporting the destination's overarching goal of achieving net zero by 2030. The first measures have already been implemented: fans and spectators have the opportunity to invest in climate protection projects when purchasing tickets. The record champions have big plans for the coming months and years.
In the climate protection project "Davos 2030", companies and clubs are working together towards net zero. By participating in the Davos Climate Fund and the «Cause We Care» campaign, HC Davos has also made a clear commitment to climate protection. The record champions are the first professional club to take part in the Switzerland-wide program of the "myclimate" foundation. The Davos Climate Fund also enables the HCD to generate additional funds to implement its own climate protection projects.
The HCD has set itself these goals
Fans and spectators have the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to climate protection when buying tickets. HC Davos is committed in two ways by doubling the fans' contributions. But that's not all: Together with the municipality of Davos, it wants to run the stadium 100 percent with self-produced electricity. To achieve this, the club is aiming to expand its photovoltaic systems. From the 24/25 season, sponsorship contracts are to include a voluntary sustainability component. HC Davos plans to ban plastic packaging from its fan shop this year.
HC Davos wants to reduce CO2 emissions during fan travel
Two projects are financed from the fund's resources: The hockey club is implementing a new waste concept, wants to use reusable cups at the Spengler Cup and is improving fan mobility. The travel of fans causes the largest share of an event's CO2 emissions, up to 70 percent. According to the survey, half of the spectators travel to the games by car and just 6.8 percent by train. In cooperation with the Rhaetian Railway, a special train is now running that ensures public transport home even after the season has been extended. An additional train from Landquart waits for the last train journey from Davos to take the fans to the greater Zurich and St. Gallen regions. The fund provides one-off start-up funding for the HCD project, which reduces the CO2 footprint of the entire destination.
'We are aware that we will never be a perfectly sustainable club'
With the "Davos 2030" project, the destination wants to achieve net zero by 2030. HC Davos is taking part in the initiative. What does that mean for the hockey club and record champions? We asked Nico Decurtins, HCD's sustainability officer.
Why is HC Davos taking part in the "Davos 2030" project?
Nico Decurtins: We see ourselves as an important part of the municipality of Davos and have a responsibility towards society - be it as an economic factor for the region or as an employer. Our actions entail an ecological responsibility. We want to take this more seriously and therefore we see "Davos 2030" as a useful project to achieve a certain level of professionalism in climate protection.
How high are the emissions at the moment and where does the HCD stand today?
The emissions from HCD game operations in 2021 totaled 1,485 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents. This corresponds to the amount that 110 Swiss people cause per year. This is higher than most of our competitors, but understandable. Because the main source of our emissions is by far the mobility of our spectators. And they travel from further away than the fans of city teams.
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“The main source of our emissions is by far the mobility of our spectators.”
According to our own statements, it is not possible to become completely climate neutral, or what is the biggest challenge in this regard?
The challenge is that we produce a lot of emissions that fall into the Scope 3 category (note: the HCD bases its targets on the generic scope model of the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol", see graphic). This is mainly due to the events we organize and the games themselves - be it through the fans' travel or their consumption behavior. We have to be realistic on this point: It will not be possible to be completely climate neutral at a game, as we mobilize thousands of people. To claim otherwise would be misleading and simply not true. Nevertheless, our primary goal is to create targeted incentives so that fans reduce their footprint and behave in the most climate-friendly way possible. Because what is Scope 3 for us is Scope 1 for them.
What incentives do you mean specifically, or what measures are planned?
During the playoffs, there was a special train that left 30 minutes after the end of the game, and there was a connecting train from Landquart to Chur. We will expand these train connections, especially the connecting trains to Chur, Zurich, and St. Gallen. We want to put together more attractive packages that include game tickets and train tickets. We will expand the charging infrastructure for electric cars. In addition, we want to expand the existing photovoltaic systems in collaboration with the municipality of Davos in order to increase our own electricity supply with renewable energies.
What role does the climate fund play in these projects?
The climate fund helps us with financing. The topic of special trains has already been touched upon. We also want to work with reusable cups at the Spengler Cup, for example, and also adapt our waste concept. Over 100,000 people visit us there. We would also be expanding and continuing a pilot project: in 2022 we used reusable cups for the first time in the fan tent at the Spengler Cup.
How do you approach a project like this or what were the first steps for the Hockey Club Davos to improve its balance sheet?
A first step was to analyze where HC Davos stands with its carbon footprint. We have therefore drawn up a balance sheet for game operations, the Spengler Cup and the office. Based on this assessment, we want to reduce emissions as quickly as possible. We are focusing on three target areas: For Scope 1 and Scope 2 (see graphic), we want to be climate-neutral by 2030. This means that we are striving for improvements in the areas of mobility and energy management. For example, we are converting the vehicle fleet to electric cars and expanding the photovoltaic systems. We can only achieve the goal of climate neutrality in Scope 3 if we invest in climate protection projects.
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“For example, we are converting the vehicle fleet to electric cars and expanding the photovoltaic systems.”
3 more examples of sustainability at HC Davos
Even before participating in “Davos 2030”, the HCD had set itself various sustainability goals.
PV system for electricity production
In 2018, a photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of the training center together with the municipality. It produces around 300,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The entire operation of the HC Davos stadium, office and training hall is ensured by 100 percent renewable, local electricity from hydropower and solar energy.
Spengler Cup Sustainability Strategy
A working group formulated a sustainability strategy for the first time in 2016, and it was revised in 2021. Various goals were set in the categories of environment, society and economy. As the organizer, the HCD will in future record the tournament's ecological footprint and analyze the greatest potential for reduction.
First sustainability games
In February 2023, the HCD organized the first sustainability game in history against the SC Langnau Tigers. The special measures on this day included free travel on the RhB, a Skoda electric car exhibition and playing in special jerseys made of PET fabric. Further sustainability games against EV Zug followed in October 2023 and January 2024.
