Stanford Brings Insights to Inaugural Collegiate Sports Sustainability Conference

This summer, Stanford representatives presented their work at the inaugural Collegiate Sports Sustainability Conference held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Sponsored by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Sports Sustainability Team, the conference highlights efforts by leading collegiate sports teams and leagues to address sustainability issues in the athletics world and to exchange strategies for making sports operations more sustainable. 

Stanford’s delegation included Haley Chu, a rising sophomore student at Stanford, student athlete on the artistic swimming team,  and upcoming zero waste intern with Sustainable Stanford’s living lab program.  Annabelle Bardenheier, a Scope 3 Emissions Analyst within Stanford’s Business Affairs department, also joined the conference. Together, they showcased Stanford’s innovative approaches to embedding sustainability into athletics and operations. 
“Attending the Collegiate Sports Sustainability Conference was an incredible opportunity to share Stanford’s work in this space and learn from leaders across the country. Hearing from speakers with diverse experiences — from administration and operations to academics — deepened my understanding of how sustainability can be advanced in athletics,” said Haley Chu, who presented on her work on the teaching team for the student-led “Sustainability in Athletics” course at Stanford.

Annabelle Bardenheier presented her work in calculating greenhouse gas emissions for Stanford’s athletics department, which is especially relevant following Stanford’s transition to the ACC, and a critical step in identifying opportunities for reductions. Following this two day conference, Bardenheier shared that the experience left her feeling fulfilled. “It was interesting to hear about innovations and challenges unique to each university, but also to spark conversations about opportunities for collective action that could apply to all of us,” she reflected.

By contributing expertise, learning from peer institutions, and exploring opportunities for cross-campus collaboration, Stanford is helping to shape a more sustainable future for collegiate athletics, both on and off the field.