Climate Pledge Arena lights up in Seattle

Two years after Climate Pledge Arena’s ground breaking, an all-electric, energy-efficient LED Climate Pledge Arena sign sits atop its historic roof and becomes a part of the Seattle skyline—a reminder of the importance of climate action.

Amazon announced in June 2020 that it secured the naming rights to the arena, home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and WNBA's Seattle Storm, and decided to call it Climate Pledge Arena. The name refers to The Climate Pledge, co-founded in 2019 with Amazon and Global Optimism. The pledge calls on signatories to be net-zero carbon by 2040—a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement. To date, 18 organizations have joined the pledge.

Climate Pledge Arena aims to set a new sustainability bar for the sports and events industry. The Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken, led by David Bonderman, are developing the arena, with a goal of becoming the world’s first net-zero carbon arena.

“We are proud to be partners with Amazon on the world’s first net-zero carbon certified arena,” said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. “Seattle is one of the planet’s most beautiful cities, and now we must heal our planet. Today marks a construction milestone as we race towards opening in 2021 and this name sets a new tone for us all, it is our Earth to save.”

In November 2020, the arena submitted its net-zero carbon registration to the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainable building practices. ILFI has begun reviewing documentation provided by the arena, and will review 12 consecutive months of performance data once the building opens in 2021, to ensure it meets the net-zero carbon standard.

"Climate Pledge Arena will serve as a lasting symbol for the Seattle community, and people everywhere, of the great responsibility we have to build a better planet for future generations. Today marks an important moment in that journey,” said Kara Hurst, vice president of worldwide sustainability at Amazon.

To reach net-zero carbon, the arena will implement several sustainability components, including all-electric operations powered with 100% renewable electricity, from both on-site solar panels and off-site renewable energy. Events at the arena will be made fully net-zero carbon through investments in forestry projects with organizations—such as The Nature Conservancy—that will sequester any remaining carbon emissions from arena operations through nature-based solutions. And of course, reusing the original 44-million-pound roof significantly reduces the building’s carbon impact.

Construction on the arena is on track to hit major milestones by the end of 2020 in reaching its goals to be net-zero carbon certified, including:

Completing design and preparing for installation of solar panels on-site at the arena
Installation of all-electric dehumidifiers—the first in the NHL—keeping the moisture in the rink low for optimum ice conditions
Installation of all-electric boilers to serve the full arena

The 18,100-seat multipurpose venue located at Seattle Center is expected to host 200 events each year, including the Seattle Kraken NHL team, three-time world champion WNBA Seattle Storm, and live music and entertainment from around the world. Learn more about Climate Pledge Arena and The Climate Pledge.