Sustainability
SUSTAINABLE BRILLIANCE. community resilience.
Rooted in community and environmental impact, our beautiful home is an inspiring example of how values become actions.
Sustainability at UBS Arena is guided by three focus areas
- Nourishing our neighborhood We sow the seeds of community growth, using shared moments to ignite a passion for positive change
- Protecting Our Planet We prioritize our planet’s future through strategic investments in sustainable operations
- Inspiring Our Industry We pioneer sustainability standards that act as a catalyst for forging impactful partnerships
NOURISHING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
FUTURE FACING GOALS WE'VE SET
- Build Community Resilience – Develop community resilience plan, such as energy storage solutions for emergency situations, with a target completion date by 2030.
- Activate Local Workforce – Fill 30% of the jobs at the venue with local residents.
- Engage Visitors – Engage the community to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through at least one program or campaign annually starting in 2024.
ACTIONS WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN
- UBS Arena hosts community and fan programs which promote sustainable lifestyles like the benefits of low carbon transportation, healthy diets, and physical activity – such as “The Park” which launched in 2024 and provides opportiunities for guests and the general public to get outside.
PROTECTING OUR PLANET
FUTURE FACING GOALS WE'VE SET
- Lead With Sustainable Brilliance – Maintain carbon neutrality of Scope 1 & 2 emissions while measuring and reducing Scope 3 emissions by 25% under the 2022 baseline by 2030. Install 6MW (DC) of on-site renewable energy
- Divert All Waste From Landfill – Achieve zero waste by the end of 2023.
- Invest in Biodiversity – Participate in at least one conservation or restoration initiative on Long Island by 2025.
ACTIONS WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN
- UBS Arena has achieved carbon neutrality for all scope 1 and 2 emissions from operations. By purchasing carbon and renewable energy credits, the arena reached this milestone 2 years ahead of schedule. Read more about our carbon and renewable energy offsets below.
- UBS Arena-Elmont Long Island Rail Road Station provides two-way service (Westbound & Eastbound) for event attendees. The arena’s climate smart transportation strategy has taken over 171,064 carts off the road, with more to come.
POWER & ENERGY
- The arena uses occupancy sensor technology to ensure that lights within the building are off when unused.
- The arena is lit 100% by LED lighting.
- Appliances within the building are Energy Star Certified.
- The arena uses electric Olympia ice resurfacers to maintain the ice floor.
WATER CONSERVATION
- UBS Arena reduces water consumption by 40% as standard to other buildings of its size for typical use by using low flow plumbing, aligned to LEED Standards.
PLASTIC, RECYCLABLES, & WASTE
- UBS Arena composts and recycles at least 90% of waste. As a key part in doing so, all guest-facing locations in the arena only offer two waste streams – recycling & composting.
- We work closely with waste hauling partner Winters Bros to achieve this high rate of waste diversion to composting and recycling.
- Currently, 100% of our “landfill” waste stream is diverted to a resource recovery plant. This plant then converts the trash into fuel that creates electrical energy, which is fed into the local power grid for Long Island residents.
- Our recycling and compost waste streams are sent to American Recycling Management in Jamaica, NY.
- Metals, cardboard, and compostable products are turned into valuable resources with multiple uses.
- Our glass waste is recycled at EWG Glass Recovery in Jamaica, NY, where it is recycled into new bottles.
FOOD WASTE
- To reduce the amount of unused food entering our composting waste stream, UBS Arena partners with the building concessionaire, Delaware North, to distribute unused food from the front and back of the house to local organizations after events, like St. John’s United Methodist Church in Valley Stream.
FOOD & NUTRITION
- As part of our goal to reduce Scope 3 emissions, and to supply sustainable, local, and healthy food to our guests, UBS Arena is progressing on the following food focused goals:
- Source 75% of most food ingredients with a 300-mile radius based on seasonality
- Produce is certified USDA Organic, where applicable
- 100% eggs from cage-free hens
- Seafood meets Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Watch rating
- Antibiotic and hormone-free proteins, where applicable
- Grass-fed beef, where applicable
- Plant-based proteins include vegan and vegetarian offerings
- Heart-healthy oils
- No trans fats or high-fructose corn syrup, where applicable
- Foods with minimized saturated fat added sugar and sodium
INSPIRING OUR INDUSTRY
future fACING GOALS WE'VE SET
- Create an Impact Fund – Donate at least $100,000 to action-oriented organizations focused on career development, health & wellness, the arts & climate justice by 2025.
- Leverage Our Stage – Plan to host 15 Impact focused events and content by the end of 2025.
- Promote Impactful Partnerships – Activate at least $1M of sponsorship dollars from brands with sustainability solutions and community impact by 2024.
ACTIONS WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN
- In March 2024, UBS Arena hosted the Sustainability Forum.
- Dedicated sustainability game days on or near Earth Day and NHL Green Month.
- The venue also hosts other sustainability game days throughout the season focused on carbon reductions, transportation, healthy food,etc.
OUR VALUES IN ACTION
UBS Arena is a LEED v4 Certified venue.
UBS Arena is a founding member of GOAL – Green Operations & Advance Leadership. The Goal Program provides venues with clear guidelines to minimize the negative environmental impact while amplifying social impact.
Our UBS Arena and NY Islanders Sustainability Committee – our passionate staff continues to drive this work forward to see our sustainability vision through.
CARBON REDUCTION FEE
To help us achieve our overall ambitions, a 3.5% Carbon Reduction Fee is applied to all food & beverage purchases at UBS Arena concession stands and individual purchases in premium clubs. This is in effect for all events at UBS Arena, excluding New York Islanders hockey games.
LEED CERTIFICATION
UBS Arena was awarded LEED Certified status to validate the sustainable design qualities of the venue in January 2023, a little over a year after opening to the public. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
We have implemented practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality:
- UBS Arena’s high performance is specifically designed to reduce energy costs. UBS Arena uses heat recovery technology, LED lighting, high-performance glass and other efficient design practices to reduce energy by over 15%. In operations, this will be continuously tracked and validated through GOAL.
- The venue provides dedicated recycling stations to minimize the building’s operation waste stream by diverting glass, metal, paper, cardboard and plastic from landfills.
- The venue is designed to reduce indoor potable water use by over 40% with the installation of low-flow flush and flow fixtures.
- UBS Arena uses all environmentally friendly cleaning products. This puts less stress on the local water system and promotes a healthy ecosystem.
- The building provides air quality exceeding the ASHRAE 62.1-2010 standard to provide comfort and well-being for occupants, including the use of MERV13 air filters.
- UBS Arena’s location and proximity to local transit services for guests and visitors helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
- Native plants and high efficiency irrigation strategies help reduce the arena’s outdoor water consumption by over 50%, saving water and promoting healthy ecosystems with local habitat restoration.
- The shade trees and site landscape provide multiple benefits like combating the urban heat island effect, reducing rainwater run-off, promoting habitats through healthy ecosystems and creating opportunities to connect with nature
ZERO WASTE CERTIFICATION
UBS Arena has been awarded Silver certification under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) rating system. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE helps facilities measure, improve and recognize zero waste performance by encouraging the adoption of sustainable waste management and reduction practices, which contribute to positive environmental, health and economic outcomes.
Collins Building Services is our official zero waste partner.
ABOUT OUR
CARBON CREDITS
UBS Arena has elected to offset all Scope 1 emissions for an initial period of five years with carbon offset products. All carbon offsets were selected following an exhaustive review of choices and based on a number of important criteria. Ultimately, two domestic improved forestry management projects were chosen. Both are certified and validated independently by the American Carbon Registry.
- The Doe Mountain Improved Forest Management Project is located on over 8,500 acres of forestland in the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee. By committing to maintain forest CO2 stocks above the regional common practice, the project will provide significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration.
- The Middlebury Improved Forest Management Project at Middlebury College, one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States, has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality each year. As part of this commitment, the college built a biomass gasification plant and installed solar and wind facilities to reduce reliance on traditional fuel sources and cut carbon emissions. In addition to these efforts, Bluesource and Middlebury launched an Improved Forest Management project on over 2,500 acres of forest in the Green Mountains of central Vermont. Middlebury retains a portion of the credits generated for its neutrality commitment while the balance is offered to voluntary market buyers, like the UBS Arena. The project ensures the long-term conservation and sustainable management of the forest, promotes healthy wildlife habitat and prevents future compromise of the forest carbon stocks.
UBS Arena works closely with world-class sustainability experts McLennan Design and Environ to minimize the environmental impact of the venue.
