Sustainability Cohort meets in Stockholm: shaping shared standards for stadiums and arenas

Over the past two days, ESSMA brought together members of its Sustainability Cohort group in Stockholm for an intensive meeting dedicated to sustainability in stadium and arena operations. The purpose was defining collective KPI’s on how clubs will create an industry standard to benchmark and learn in various fields of sustainability topics.

ESSMA Editorial

01 Oct 2025 · 2 min read

Benchmarking and collaboration at Strawberry Arena

The cohort met at the Strawberry Arena, part of Stockholm Live’s portfolio of iconic venues. This setting provided both inspiration and a practical example of how multi-purpose venues can balance operations, sustainability, and commercial activity.

Discussions focused on identifying key sustainability indicators for benchmarking, including:

Energy efficiency and renewable energy integration
Water usage and recycling
Waste reduction and circularity
Sustainable mobility and transport flows
Use of materials and modular infrastructure
Social aspect and community drivers
Fan travel and mobility to our venues
Resource use and circular economy

By aligning on these topics, the group is building the foundations for a common framework that will allow venues across Europe to compare performance and accelerate progress.

First results of the KPI template will be expected by our upcoming ESSMA Summit in Tottenham Hotspur.

Stadium and arena visits

The programme included guided tours of several of Stockholm’s leading venues:

Avicii Arena – an iconic landmark and central to Stockholm Live’s sustainability strategy.
3Arena – a large-scale arena showcasing the challenges of modularity, acoustics, and visitor flows for major events.
Strawberry Arena – a truly multifunctional arena hosting conferences, exhibitions, dinners, and galas with maximum flexibility.

Participants also had the chance to experience Swedish football culture first-hand during the Djurgården – Sirius match at 3Arena, which ended in a remarkable 8–2 result.

Next steps towards Tottenham Hotspur

The Stockholm meeting was not an end in itself but a milestone in a longer process. A debrief on the progress of the cohort will be presented at the upcoming ESSMA Summit in Tottenham, where members will review the indicators, share key lessons from the visits, and shape the roadmap for the coming year.

Key ambitions of the Sustainability Cohort

Develop shared standards so that clubs and venues can benchmark and speak a common language on sustainability.

Foster peer-to-peer learning through case studies, site visits, and practical examples.

Create a roadmap towards concrete outputs such as charters, guides, or tools for operational use.

ESSMA thanks all participants for their valuable input and collaborative spirit during these two days. Together, we are working to make the European stadium industry more sustainable and resilient.