Sustainability

Our Policy

Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) recognises that the MCG, its associated events and operations and other MCC managed venues, have the potential to impact the environment.

Accordingly, the club is committed to identifying and minimising these impacts through our Environmental Management System (EMS), prepared in accordance with the Australian/International Standard AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004.

In line with this, MCC is committed to:

• Ensure the EMS includes documented information as required for applicable legal and regulatory requiremens, and for the effective operation of the EMS;
• Continual improvement of environmental performance and best practice in environmental management through the implementation of our EMS;
• The prevention of pollution by managing stadium events and activities in an environmentally responsible manner;
• Measurement and minimising of resource consumption; specifically water and energy use associated with stadium processes and operations;
• Waste management practices that identify opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle;
• Climate change mitigation through avoiding or reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses in developments, activities and events at our venues;
• Communicating this policy and the procedures in our EMS to staff, contractors, suppliers and stakeholders, as well as promoting the adoption of environmentally sound practices;
• Conduct periodic reviews to evaluate the performance of this policy and our EMS, reporting to MCC Committee and ELT.

These commitments provide a framework to set environmental objectives and targets that form the basis for our EMS.

We encourage our staff, contractors, suppliers and stakeholders to similarly adopt these good business practices and make the success of this policy part of their goals.

The MCC is a signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework. This commitment ensures the MCC is an advocate for climate action, taking on a greater environmental responsibility in the community as an educator for a sustainable future. As part of our commitment to the United Nations Sports for Climate action Framework, we're pleased to promote the initiatives the MCC has implemented in order to reduce our emissions. Take a look at some of our milestones here:

MCC Sustainability Plan 2022-25

The Melbourne Cricket Club is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and addressing climate change.

As the ground manager of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the MCC is committed to reducing its environmental impact and in doing so contribute to and promote the development of a sustainable environment.

The MCC has created a Sustainability Plan to ensure we exceed community, stakeholder and member expectations while achieving required targets to tackle climate change.

Carbon Neutral Operations

Certification
The MCC has become Australia's first sporting club to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification for its business operations. This achievement recognises the Club’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by minimising emissions and investing in carbon offset projects, ensuring the MCG remains a world-class stadium.

Achieving this certification reflects over a decade of dedicated efforts in enhancing the Club’s sustainability across various operational areas including energy use, waste management and water conservation – reducing emissions where possible and compensating the remainder by investing in carbon offset projects to offset all remaining emissions and ensure our operations remain carbon neutral.

Why Climate Active
Climate Active is an Australian Government program that supports national climate policy and has one of the most rigorous standards for carbon neutrality. It requires independent third-party verification of all claims, making it a reliable measure for businesses to manage, reduce and offset their carbon emissions. Administered by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources, Climate Active certifies organisations that have achieved and maintain carbon neutral status. Find out more here.

Scope of certification
The certification evaluates the MCC’s business operations at the MCG, the Australian Sports Museum and Yarra Park. It covers efforts to reduce carbon footprints, conserve resources and enhance environmental sustainability through energy and water conservation, waste management and carbon offsetting. However, it does not include the physical infrastructure or the activities of partners and tenants using the grounds for an event.

Steps to achieve certification
Some of the key innovative measures the MCC has implemented includes:

• Energy efficiency: Transitioning to 100% renewable electricity, saving significant CO2 emissions annually.
• Waste management: Recycling 80% of waste through comprehensive waste streams and composting organic waste.
• Water conservation: Installing a wastewater treatment plant to halve potable water use.
• Carbon offsetting: Using 100% Australian Carbon Credit Units and supporting projects like the Savanna Burning Project and the Jawoyn Fire Project, which deliver environmental, social and economic benefits.

Future steps
The MCC aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, targeting a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030. This will involve further renewable energy use, electrifying cooking appliances and lowering refrigerant emissions. The Club also plans to minimise Scope 3 emissions by improving waste diversion, reducing water consumption and managing food waste. Continuous engagement with suppliers to reduce supply chain emissions is also another key priority.

The Club’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint is fundamental in maintaining the MCG’s status as a world-class stadium. By reducing our carbon footprint, we are helping to reduce the costs of managing and maintaining this valuable community asset for members and fans to enjoy now and in the future.

For more information, please read our Q&As.

Waste

MCC adheres to five key guiding principles to continually improve its performance in waste management:

• Reduce unrecyclable waste.
• Reuse materials where possible.
• Promote recycling by providing appropriate infrastructure.
• Educate employees, patrons and contractors.
• Use landfill as a last resort.

The MCC co-ordinates its employees, contractors and patrons so as to maintain the maximum effectiveness of the waste management strategy. The club is also an active participant in the Closed Loop recycling program.

Water

Despite its commitments to the upkeep of the MCG turf and stadium for the hosting of major events, MCC has operated under a water conservation plan for some time.

The sand profile on the ground has helped reduce water usage by more than one million litres annually without reducing turf quality.

The MCC is conscious of its social and community responsibility towards the use of water. There are a number of measures either in place or being examined to ensure the MCC remains a responsible user of this precious resource.

One of the most significant water saving projects in the club’s history involved the installation of a water recycling plant in Yarra Park that has reduced consumption of potable water by up to 50 per cent.

Other water-saving measures being used include the harvesting of rainwater from the northern stand roof (via a 1.5 million-litre storage tank) to clean the seating bowl and concourse, re-engineering the end of hose pipes to increase pressure, implementing toilet flush reduction techniques and the installation of water-saving shower heads and timer controlled taps.

Energy

Working in tandem with Siemens, MCC has undertaken an energy efficiency upgrade that has converted the MCG into one of the most environmentally sustainable stadia in the world – and saved enough electricity to power the light towers for nearly six years.

The program of works have resulted in the MCG generating enough energy savings annually to power 835 houses.

Examples of the work involved include:

• Replacing the existing lighting systems with low-energy lighting technologies.
• Installing a new building management system.
• Implementing changes to heating and ventilation systems.
• Installing new chilled water systems and modernised room control systems.

In November 2017, the MCG and Siemens work was judged Best Commercial Energy Efficiency Project at the National Energy Efficiency Awards.