January 27th, 2010 FitPlanet partners with Council for Responsible Sport
Posted by
Bruce in
News We’ve got some exciting news to share…
FitPlanet has been a strong supporter of the Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) since the industry standards body launched in late 2007. Now we have established a formal partnership with CRS with the mission of providing sporting events a clear roadmap for earning recognition as a sustainable event.
FitPlanet has aligned our Pledge of Sustainability with the CRS standard so event organizers can use the Pledge as a starting point on their journey toward CRS certification.
FitPlanet’s Pledge of Sustainability provides event organizers the opportunity to formally and publicly commit to produce sustainable events by implementing a minimum of 9 out of a possible 26 eco-practices. FitPlanet’s Pledge criteria are now aligned with the 41 credits that comprise the CRS certification standard.
An event pays $100 to take the Pledge, which gives it the right to display the Pledge of Sustainability logo and list their event in the FitPlanet Green Events Directory.
The event organizer has access to the password-protected FitPlanet Resource Center that includes a ‘how-to’ guide, a business directory of green product and service providers, and a 60-minute FitPlanet webcast for greening events produced by Active Network, a FitPlanet partner on the Pledge of Sustainability. In February, FitPlanet is introducing a monthly webinar series for race directors who have taken the Pledge and/or are working toward CRS certification.
“Fit Planet has had a great deal of success in supporting event organizers in their pursuit of attaining CRS Certification,” said Marisa McGilliard, Executive Director of CRS. “Most recently, the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) earned CRS Silver Certification. This included achieving over a thirty-two percent reduction in waste to landfill in just one years’ time under Fit Planet’s direction. To put this percentage into context, the standard decrease in waste to landfill year over year for most events is ten percent.”
From running to snowboarding, cycling to lacrosse, the Council believes that athletes, spectators, and event directors have the opportunity to encourage sports to adopt standards of environmental and social responsibility. The CRS certification standard is the recognized de facto standard for mass participation sporting events in North America. Modeled on the US Green Building Council’s LEED green building certification system, CRS certification is a rigorous process requiring events to earn a minimum of 22 out of a possible 41 credits. To date, 19 events have earned the right to display the prestigious CRS emblem including the Austin Marathon, Baltimore Running Festival, Los Angeles Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon and the Birmingham Half Marathon in England.
ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR RESPONSIBLE SPORT
The Council for Responsible Sport (“CRS”) is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, with a mission to establish a new standard in sport. One program of CRS is administering a sustainability certification for mass participation sporting events. The CRS Certification defines a set of credits that empower directors and organizers with a comprehensive framework to incorporate standards of environmental and social responsibility into their event while informing athletes and participants which sports adhere to those standards. Additionally, CRS works in collaboration with a number of partner organizations in creating sustainability plans for individual teams, sports associations, and entire leagues.
FitPlanet Contact: Bruce Rayner at 508-429-0976
CRS Contact: Marisa McGilliard: 503-863-6892
