As the ATP Tour’s solar and hydrogen partner and sponsor, LONGi is honored to celebrate the seventh edition of the Laver Cup in Berlin taking place from September 20-22, 2024.
This year's Wimbledon and French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will compete alongside Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev and Germany's Alexander Zverev in Team Europe captained by Bjorn Borg as they look to reclaim the trophy on home soil. Team World is made up of captain John McEnroe and his team of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and others to defend the Laver Cup title.
The Laver Cup is a tennis tournament like no other. Born out of Roger Federer's desire to honor Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the Laver Cup pits six of the world's best men's tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world in three days of intense team competition.
The Laver Cup has been an official part of the ATP Tour since 2019. It will be shown live on free-to-air TV on Eurosport. The broadcaster has secured the rights to the Cup until 2030 and will show every match in full on all three days. As part of LONGi’s sponsoring activities of the ATP, it will again use the opportunity to promote sustainability measures in sports events as part of its Plan G-E-T initiative.
ATP Tour's commitment to sustainability matches LONGi's contribution to a greener sporting world
Since LONGi has joined the ATP as its solar and hydrogen partner in 2023, the tournament has made great leaps in sustainability. In July 2024, it published its inaugural Sustainability Report providing an in-depth look at the ATP’s ongoing commitment to sustainability through the ATP Serves program. In the report, ATP addresses its climate impact, provides an overview of key initiatives implemented to date and a look ahead at future actions to address its climate impact. Highlights include insights into the development of the ATP Carbon Tracker app, the ATP’s emission targets for 2030 and 2024 under the UN Sports for Climate Action, and fan-focused initiatives to increase the awareness and participation in sustainability efforts among others.
Commenting on LONGi's sponsorship of the ATP, Ali Salman, ESG Manager at LONGi Solar DG in Europe, said: "Decarbonizing sporting events is a key challenge and responsibility as they account for around one percent of global emissions. While the primary sources of emissions are travel and transportation, energy consumption, construction, and waste management, it is also notable that most emissions are found in scope 3 emissions. These include all indirect emissions from sources that a company does not own or control. In sports events, they often account for almost 90% of the total carbon footprint. As LONGi and the ATP are aligned in their mission to make sporting events more sustainable, we applaud the ATP's introduction of a sustainability report and related measures. They represent a significant stride towards a greener sporting future in tennis.”
As part of its sponsorship of the ATP, LONGi is further focusing on the "Plan G-E-T" initiative, which is a “Green Energy Tours” program designed to promote the importance of sustainability and carbon neutrality in sports. PLAN GET is focused on creating a greener, low-carbon sport lifestyle by integrating clean energy solutions into tennis tournaments and encouraging fans and participants to contribute to environmental protection.
Tennis already hit hard by climate crisis
The impact of climate change on tennis is already being felt. Rising global temperatures, increasingly frequent heat waves, and unpredictable weather patterns are making it harder to maintain consistent play conditions. The Australian Open, for example, has experienced several instances of extreme heat, with players collapsing due to high temperatures. In recent years, temperatures soared to over 40°C (104°F), pushing the limits of player endurance and raising concerns about player safety.
In response to the growing climate crisis, it is imperative for tennis to not only adapt but to lead in reducing its environmental impact. Tournaments need to adopt a comprehensive approach to sustainability, from reducing energy consumption and waste to rethinking how fans, athletes, and officials travel to events.
LONGi's commitment to sustainability recognized by several international organizations
LONGi detailed its sustainable development strategy and commitments in its latest 2023 Climate Action White Paper. The company has not only joined climate initiatives such as RE100, EP100, EV100, and SBTi but also proposed the "Solar for Solar" sustainable concept, aiming to produce solar products with solar energy, achieving self-sufficiency and carbon neutrality in the production process. In addition, LONGi actively promotes the construction of "Zero Carbon Factories", significantly reducing carbon emissions in the production process by using renewable energy, energy-saving measures, and tail gas recovery.
LONGi has been awarded the title "Sustainable Disclosure Standards Pioneer Partner" by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), a silver rating for corporate social responsibility performance by EcoVadis, and received a "B" rating for climate change and water security from Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in 2023. LONGi has also been ranked first in the industry for three consecutive years in the Corporate Action Transparency Index (CATI) by the Institute of Public and Environmental (IPE), reaching an industry-leading standard.
These achievements are not only a recognition of LONGi's actions in the field of sustainable development. They are also an encouragement for continuous efforts to promote green energy technology innovation and contribute to global carbon neutrality goals.
Media Contact
Nadine Bütow
Head of European Communications (DG)
Timo Helmke
PR Manager Europe (DG)