The Internationaux de Strasbourg takes place from 20 to 27 May this year, following the tradition of starting one week before the French Open.
Since 2010, the ENGIE Group has been proud to be a Major Partner of the Internationaux de Strasbourg, the second largest women’s tennis tournament in France after the French Open and a major event for the prestige of the Grand-Est region.
Strong commitment to environmental responsibility
ENGIE is supporting the tournament in its transition to carbon neutrality by funding a wide range of environmentally friendly measures.
For more than 10 years, environmental responsibility has been a major driver for the Internationaux de Strasbourg, with one clear goal: reducing the tournament’s carbon footprint. Having obtained certification at various levels, recognised by the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee) and ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition), the IS has become exemplary in terms of the environment and inclusiveness.
Five carbon audits have been carried out by the IS and meticulous work at all levels of the organisation has produced encouraging results:
- Establishing the impetus for behavioural change among suppliers, partners, spectators, players, and all tournament participants.
- Reducing carbon emissions by 80% since 2010 (taking account of the more than 400% growth in spectator numbers from 6,000 in 2009 to 23,000).
The Internationaux de Strasbourg has initiated a reforestation project in the heart of the Mollkirch forest to achieve carbon neutrality. All of the residual trace of carbon has been offset through this reforestation project. This project received the Label Bas Carbone® from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition in November 2021. This was made possible in part through support from the ENGIE Foundation, which shares the same values of sustainable development as the IS. In addition, ENGIE installed photovoltaic panels on the Patrice Dominguez Centre Court in 2021. Hence, the Group’s contributions and this new Label Bas Carbone® enable the IS to consolidate its position as the leading environmentally responsible sporting fixture in France and a European pioneer in the organisation of environmentally friendly events.
Through its wide-ranging commitments to environmental responsibility since 2010, the Internationaux de Strasbourg has now been certified by Éco-Manifestation d'Alsace (EMA, which has become the regional branch of ADEME) obtaining level 3 (the highest level) of the Charter of commitment for environmentally friendly events. This certification is awarded when at least 75 environmentally responsible actions are undertaken during an event. The IS has undertaken approximately 80 (recycling, transport, choice of service providers, going paperless, environmentally friendly measures, etc.).
ENGIE Group is proud to be supporting a tournament that aspires to be part of the transition to carbon neutrality, in line with its purpose statement and the Group’s new sponsorship partnership policy. We are determined to work together to ensure the societal success of major events such as the Internationaux de Strasbourg, which in ten years has reduced its carbon footprint by 30% (despite a 400% increase in spectator numbers). ENGIE continues to support women’s tennis tournaments by investing in environmentally responsible and meaningful projects in line with the Group purpose statement.
ENGIE has been supporting Women’s Tennis and its development in France for 31 years. Each year, the Group partners with around fifteen tournaments throughout France.