Engagement Days: Roland-Garros’ CSR initiatives

Our climate commitments

Mobility

• Some 72.2% of spectators travelled to the venue using modes of transport emitting little or no greenhouse gases: 60.6% of them on public transport and 11.6% through active mobility (walking or cycling, for example).
• The organisers had organised four all-electric shuttle buses for use by the general public.

Waste

• In 2019, 45 tonnes of organic waste (food leftovers and kitchen waste) was used to make compost. Following collection, the waste is turned into compost thanks to an ingenious natural process called vermicomposting, which involves earthworms breaking the organic matter down and transforming it into compost. The compost is then used to fertilise soil. Healthy soil that is rich in nutrients absorbs more carbon, thus playing its part in the fight against global warming.
• A “zero-goodies” tournament: Competition prizes are now experience-based, such as tickets to future Roland-Garros tournaments.
• Thanks to the use of eco cups and reusable and returnable glasses for the last ten years at RG, we have avoided generating 8.4 tonnes of plastic waste every year. These cups and glasses are used to serve coffee, cold drinks, wine and champagne to spectators.
• We release an environmental awareness video every year. Novak Djokovic and Stéphane Houdet appeared in the 2019 video, telling spectators how they can do their bit by sorting their waste at Roland-Garros.

Energy

• The entire venue is now supplied with renewable energy thanks to our partner ENGIE.
• ENGIE has installed solar panels in two areas of the venue. The aim is to roll out more for future tournaments.

Biodiversity

• Twenty-one beehives have been installed in and around Roland-Garros, at FFT sites. As well as helping to maintain local bee populations, this initiative also allows more plants to reproduce thanks to the role bees play as pollinators.

Food

• A sustainable food charter has been in place since 2017. The aim is to offer everyone who comes to the tournament produce and practices that are increasingly environmentally responsible and necessary in responding to climate issues.
• On Climate Day, we serve only sustainably produced food in our hospitality areas.
• In a bid to combat food waste, the charity Le Chaînon Manquant collects unsold food every day and distributes it to Paris-based organisations supporting people in need. In 2019, more than 7,000 meals were redistributed in this way.

Awareness

• At last year’s Roland-Garros, three players – Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Kirstina Mladenovic – called for action against climate change in a video promoted by the United Nations and Roland-Garros as part of the Sports for Climate Action initiative.

• Our Green Teams toured Roland-Garros during the course of the tournament to raise public awareness about the need to behave and act responsibly at the venue.

Initiatives with a strong social and charity focus

• The Roland-Garros Children’s Day: Created in 1977, this long-standing initiative is the tournament’s charity day. Part of the proceeds are used to fund solidarity-based activities at FFT-member clubs and initiatives in support of disadvantaged youngsters, adapted tennis, tennis health and disability tennis.
• Everyone in Wheelchairs Day, sponsored by The Adecco Group and Wilson, puts the spotlight on wheelchair tennis and gives everyone – both disabled and able-bodied alike – the chance to try their hand at the sport.
• Each day, the One Day, One Charity initiative recognises the efforts of a charity supporting a medical, social or solidarity-based cause, the aim being to increase its visibility. One Day, One Charity provides the FFT with yet another opportunity to fulfil its duties in the general interest.
• Charities representing people with disabilities are invited to the tournament to ensure that facilities are suitably adapted and usable. We also ask them put forward new ideas and proposals so that we can continue to improve our facilities. Much appreciated by our partners, this dialogue on accessibility underlines the efforts made by the FFT to keep developing Roland-Garros and safeguard its status as a leader in disability access.

Partnerships that contribute to success

Some of our committed partners

• ENGIE: The tournament’s sustainable development partner, ENGIE is committed to the environment and seeks, through videos, to raise public awareness of environmental issues.  
• BNP Paribas: A long-standing tournament partner, BNP Paribas is also firmly committed to solidarity ventures. The annual Ace of Hearts initiative raises funds for the Robert-Debré AP-HP University Hospital, with BNP Paribas donating 100 euros to it for every ace served on the Court Central.

Institutional partners

• Ministry of Sport and WWF: The FFT is a signatory of the French Ministry of Sport and WWF charter of 15 environmentally responsible commitments and is also a member of the charter’s working group.
• The United Nations: Along with the three other Grand Slam tournaments, Roland-Garros is one of the founders of the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework, with all four signing up to it on the tournament’s 2019 Environment Day.
• City of Paris: In 2019, the FFT signed the Paris Climate Action Charter, joining forces with the City of Paris in its bid to became a carbon-neutral region by 2050.