Climate Pledge Arena Opens with High Hopes

Seattle broke ground on its new arena in December 2018, and last year, Amazon purchased naming rights for an estimated $300 million to $400 million. Last month, Climate Pledge Arena hosted the Seattle Kraken’s first-ever NHL home game.

The $1.2 billion arena’s goal is to become “The World’s First Net Zero Carbon Arena.” The facility’s name comes from Amazon’s Climate Pledge initiative, which promises to reach zero net carbon emissions by 2040.

The arena, also the new home of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, has a long road ahead to achieve its goal.

• Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Oak View Group — which owns 51% of the building — says the return on investment is not obvious, and it will take work to see the building meet its targets.
• “I believe our fans and sponsors will respect us and the rewards will come, but you’ve got to lead first and take your chances,” said Leiweke.

The team broke the NHL’s sales record for a new jersey’s first five days, selling nearly $1 million worth of merchandise in its first preseason game.

The venue’s emissions will be counted at the end of each year, and together Amazon and Oak View Group will offset any carbon produced by purchasing credits in environmental restoration programs.