New York Road Runners
At a Glance
Industry
Nonprofit
Project Types
Data Analysis, Goals/Targets, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2021
Location
New York, NY
Summary
Kat improved data gathering processes to measure the carbon footprint and develop waste reduction strategies at New York Road Runners.
Goals
New York Road Runners (NYRR), a non-profit whose mission is to “help and inspire through running,” began measuring its carbon footprint in 2019. In 2021, it enlisted Kat Malek-Hood to enhance data gathering and management to measure the organization's carbon footprint. Kat also assessed NYRR’s alignment with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Sports for Climate Action Framework and the Council for Responsible Sports Responsible Sport Standard for Organizations. Lastly, she focused on increasing the diversion rate for the TCS New York City Marathon by improving data collection.
Solutions
Kat worked on two main projects:
1. Data Gathering: After the COVID-19 pandemic put the data gathering process on hold, data had to be backtracked internally and externally. As a result, Kat began by reviewing existing internal spreadsheets to identify missing historical data. Kat then enhanced this data gathering process by designing a dashboard to show overall usage and engaged NYRR team members to manage data input. Once this work was done, Kat recommended utilizing data to set reduction goals and apply emissions factors, continue to engage staff, and expand the measurement boundaries.
2. Waste Diversion: To develop strategies that would improve the waste diversion rate, Kat brainstormed sustainability ideas, participated in pitch calls from waste management vendors, and coordinated internally to confirm volunteers to manage the waste diversion stations. Kat recommended collaborating with waste vendors to manage waste, measure impact, and train sustainability lead volunteers for the TCS New York City Marathon.
Potential Impact
By engaging internal and external stakeholders and enhancing the data gathering process, Kat set up New York Road Runners to consistently measure its carbon footprint and align with the sports climate frameworks. If implemented, Kat’s recommended strategies could set New York Road Runners up to be the leader in sustainable mass participation.