The United Nations Environment Programme reports, “Building and managing a sport facility and operating an event uses energy and can contribute to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation, as well as to ozone-layer depletion, habitat and biodiversity loss, soil erosion and water pollution.”

In 2016, FIFA confirmed its pledge to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) during COP26 to produce net zero emissions by 2040. In line with this, FIFA promoted the Qatar World Cup as the first climate-neutral tournament in 2022. However, a year later, Reuters cited reports from the Swiss Fairness Commission, which claimed FIFA’s carbon neutrality claims during the 2022 World Cup were misleading. Carbon Market Watch estimated that the total carbon footprint of permanent stadiums constructed in Qatar could have amounted to 1.6 MtCO2e, eight times more than initially reported.

Among professional sports arenas, per Forbes, the Climate Pledge Arena became the first arena in the world to earn net zero carbon certification in 2023. Certified by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), the home of the Seattle Krakens required a massive overhaul in its design to achieve this, such as ripping out natural gas piping and reinventing its cooling and heating processes.

By proving that fully electric stadiums are possible, NYCFC could potentially provide a framework for how to successfully build communities around sustainable sports arenas from scratch.