Club Companies Assess Long-Term Environmental Sustainability

by Jennifer H McInerney (CBI Author)

Club companies worldwide assess their long-term environmental sustainability.

UK - Setting a Carbon Standard
First First, based in Dorset, England, has taken significant steps to minimise its carbon footprint; in fact, it's already reduced the carbon emissions at its 160 UK clubs by 7% over the last three years. The company's progress has been so impressive that, this spring, it became the first company of its kind to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard, the premier award in the UK for organisations that have achieved measurable progress towards environmental sustainability.

"It's a great achievement being the first fitness operator to attain this standard, and it's a credit to all of our staff in obtaining it," notes Glyn Allen, the head of contracts for Fitness First. He also credits Suzanne Moyle and her team at Faros Engineering Ltd in Lancashire, England who helped the chain achieve such significant energy savings.

One of the most sweeping changes Fitness First made was to install energy meters to measure consumption at all of its sites. "We were able to obtain the reduction because of those meters," Allen explains. "We knew exactly what we were using and which areas of the clubs we needed to work on. "To that end, Fitness First installed all new, energy efficient equipment in its clubs - from air conditioning systems to variable-speed drive motors on its fitness equipment. More than 30 now have new energy-management systems, which control the facilities' mechanical systems.

With so many clubs to address, "going green" for Fitness First is still a work in progress. At the clubs that were upgraded during the initial effort in 2008, the company is already enjoying energy savings of 18%per site. It plans to continue adding energy-management systems throughout its network; to continue replacing outdated air conditioning units; to explore new lamp technologies as they become available; and to install gas meters at all of its sites to monitor and address usage chain-wide. The UK based division is also sharing what it's learning with Fitness First's other divisions, which represent nearly 400 more clubs worldwide.

"It's imperative that every company monitor and reduce its carbon footprint," insists Allen. "Not only is it a must for environmental reason, but it has a very positive impact on the business as a whole."