The Desert Vipers have launched their landmark sustainability report, the Season 3 People & Planet Report, which measures their impact on the community and environment.
Two key highlights emerging from this report show that the team has lowered its carbon footprint by 20 percent compared with Season 1 and has recorded a 156 percent increase in the number of Schools Programme participants.
The report also shows that the Desert Vipers have played a positive role in the community through their flagship Schools Programme by educating 10,250 students on cricket and sustainability. This was done by providing 366 hours of free coaching across 55 schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and India.
Following this success, the Desert Vipers launched The Desert Vipers Talent Pathway, Powered by Balqis Capital, to unearth local talent and prepare them for international competitions. With a focus on high-performance, this programme offers expert coaching and mentorship to boys and girls with the goal of offering them opportunities in the Desert Vipers main team set-up.
In addition, the Desert Vipers hosted numerous other community events, including Heroes of Hope sessions for People of Determination, a BioBlitz at their Team Hotel, bringing together people and nature, and two ‘Wake and Shake’ mass participation fitness sessions.
On the environmental side, Desert Vipers lowered their carbon footprint by 5.2 percent versus Season 2, and 19.5 percent versus Season 1, despite doing more than ever in the local community and reaching the final of DP World ILT20, playing more matches than in previous seasons.
A key driver of the footprint reduction was switching to recycled materials in performance, team, and replica kit, in partnership with PALMFIT, setting the standard for more sustainable sportswear.
Another key contributor to the reduced footprint was a series of energy management steps taken at Desert Vipers’ Team Hotel, JA The Resort.
Ben Hardy-Jones, Business Sustainability Lead for the Desert Vipers said: “I am delighted to share our revised annual sustainability report – the new People & Planet Report. We have continued to make enormous strides when it comes to reducing our environmental impact – the flagship initiative of Season 3 being our work on sportswear.
“This has shown strong results, as we have reduced our carbon footprint by 19.5 percent versus Season 1. But in addition, we are now doing more than ever in our community, through our Schools Programme, Talent Pathway, BioBlitz, and more.”
Gary Adlen, CEO, Carbon Happy World, added: “Over the past three seasons we have seen how the Desert Vipers have made immense progress to reduce their impact on the planet and increase community engagement, and we are proud to have supported them on this journey.
“The passion, determination, and innovation Desert Vipers has shown is a clear statement of their intentions to be a thought leader in sports and sustainability.
“Bringing together communities — using cricket as an enabler — they have educated thousands of young people on the role they can play in tackling environmental issues.
“We know they will not stop there, and we are pleased to have worked together to rise to the challenge. Hopefully you enjoy reading all about their work in the report.”
The results of this report are just the beginning. In Season 4 of DP World ILT20, Desert Vipers have more initiatives planned to benefit both people and the planet, starting with their switch to a green, snakeskin-patterned recycled performance kit, which they will wear during their first match on 2nd December.
