{"id":125846,"date":"2022-08-08T09:52:28","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T08:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/?p=125846"},"modified":"2022-08-08T14:07:16","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T13:07:16","slug":"is-going-green-esports-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future","title":{"rendered":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"632\" src=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min-large.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min-large.png 1024w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min-medium.png 300w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min-medium_large.png 768w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min-1536x948.png 1536w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png 1882w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>(ESI Illustration) Image credit: FlyQuest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb21a8\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>In late 2019, US-based esports organisation FlyQuest began planning a landmark shift in the team\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb2a10\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Lacking the cash reserves generally required to consistently compete for the top spot in Riot Games<strong>\u2019 <\/strong>League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), the organisation would have to radically differentiate its mission to attract the attention of media and fans.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb31f0\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>FlyQuest\u2019s solution: the Go Green Initiative. It was the first significant instance of an organisation acknowledging that the esports industry, while not even close to the emissions of physical sports, could do more to help the planet.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"keep-reading \"  id=\"kr-67d9bd3fb4aea\">\n  <div class=\"heading\">Keep Reading<\/div>\n  <ul class=\"d-flex flex-column\">\n          <li id=\"post-125682\" style=\"order: 1;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/explaining-the-backlash-behind-brazils-geek-fyre-festival\" target=\"_blank\">Opinion: Explaining the backlash behind Brazil\u2019s supposed \u2018Geek Fyre Festival&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n          <li id=\"post-125430\" style=\"order: 2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/07\/players-paramount-brand-deal\" target=\"_blank\">Players on Paramount+: The most valuable esports brand exposure deal you\u2019ve never heard of<\/a><\/li>\n          <li id=\"post-125250\" style=\"order: 3;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/07\/inside-project-stryker-dublin\" target=\"_blank\">Inside Project Stryker: Riot\u2019s shot at production brilliance<\/a><\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb589c\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>The grand vision was to pitch FlyQuest as a sustainability champion, explained <strong>Michael Choi<\/strong>, <strong>CEO <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/06\/flyquest-appoints-michael-choi-as-ceo-tricia-departs-the-organisation\/#:~:text=Choi%20held%20the%20position%20of,prior%20to%20being%20appointed%20CEO.&amp;text=Prior%20to%20joining%20FlyQuest%20in,and%20the%20Professional%20Esports%20Association.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>(who was at the time the organisation\u2019s COO<\/strong><\/a>). The initiative began<a href=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/flyquest-has-planted-over-5000-trees-through-the-teams-lcs-regular-season-treequest-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;with TreeQuest<\/a>, planting trees every time certain events happened in the team\u2019s LCS games.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb60f1\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cWe were actually going to physically go plant these trees somewhere. Bring fans, do events, make it fun\u2026 Bring esports communities, teams, all these people together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb68e4\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic would eventually halt FlyQuest\u2019s plans, but the Go Green initiative has continued with Bee Quest and SeaQuest, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2021\/05\/flyquest-unveils-rebranding-ahead-of-lcs-summer-split\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visual re-brand in May 2021.<\/a><\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-heading-67d9bd3fb7124\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n  \n<h2><span id=\"how_green_is_esports\">How green is esports?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb78e3\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Esports is considered relatively sustainable when stacked against more polluting traditional sports. Formula 1 <a href=\"https:\/\/corp.formula1.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimates it releases 256,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.<\/a> Meanwhile, FIFA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/57443375\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claims that the 2022 Qatar world cup will produce 3.6m tonnes<\/a> \u2014 more than some countries \u2014 in just one tournament.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb8096\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>But esports isn\u2019t perfect. Estimates by the BBC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">place the overall impact of our digital world, including devices, servers, and infrastructure, at 3.7% of global emissions.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb8843\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Esports Insider roughly calculated using publicly available data that a single team&nbsp; \u2014 CS:GO Antwerp Major champions FaZe Clan \u2014<strong> <\/strong>racked up 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions this year alone between flights, facility maintenance and other travel. Over each team, each game, it all adds up.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb8e93\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>There are further issues. Merchandise sales comprise an essential revenue stream for teams, but polyester \u2014 the preferred material for most team jerseys \u2014 is non-biodegradable and responsible for millions of tonnes of microplastic pollution each year.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fb9415\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p><br>Finally, there are the industry backers. Entities with less-than-green records are increasingly turning to esports to improve their image. Take <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/06\/saudi-esports-federation-15m-esports-event-festival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s hosting of esports festival Gamers8<\/a>, or CS:GO team forZe, which has been sponsored by Russian oil giant Lukoil for four years.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI-large.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI-large.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI-medium.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI-medium_large.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI-1536x702.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FSePLBLWUAAzXCI.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Image credit: Betclic Apogee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-heading-67d9bd3fb9f21\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n  \n<h2><span id=\"an_innovative_way_to_balance_emissions\">An innovative way to balance emissions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fba6d6\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>The first team to fully address its carbon footprint head-on was Portuguese organisation <strong>Betclic Apogee<\/strong>. Its <strong>CEO, Gon\u00e7alo Brandeiro<\/strong>, told Esports Insider that his team has become the first carbon-neutral esports team in the world.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbae82\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cWe have a dream, that one-day esports will be carbon neutral,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to help and inspire change towards this goal. We want to help other teams and every other component of the esports industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbb60f\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Brandiero achieved his goal with the help of the organisation\u2019s title sponsor, Betclic.<br>Apogee players use proprietary software on their machines to track carbon emissions. Travel is added to the total, then Betclic Apogee offsets its emissions through ZEROCertified, a company that sells carbon credits.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbbdda\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cFor us, it\u2019s not about being the trailblazers,\u201d explained Brandeiro. \u201cThere\u2019s an actual problem here, and let\u2019s do something about it. \u2026 The real cost of carbon credits is setting up the process. We\u2019ve already gone through it, so let\u2019s make it easier for others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbc5ac\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Nonetheless, carbon credits are a controversial tool in the quest for carbon neutrality because they do not actually reduce a company\u2019s emissions. They finance other projects that aim to retain carbon in the earth or trees, or reduce emissions elsewhere. Greenpeace has called their widespread use by large businesses and sports teams alike a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/50689\/carbon-offsets-net-zero-greenwashing-scam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cscam\u201d and a \u201cdistraction\u201d<\/a> from other climate solutions.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbcd77\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>But as Brandiero explains, the options for esports organisations are limited. Players must attend international events, and to do it, they have to fly internationally. \u201cDoing something is better than doing nothing, right? So at least we\u2019re trying. There\u2019s no perfect way of doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.39.50-large.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.39.50-large.png 1024w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.39.50-medium.png 300w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.39.50-medium_large.png 768w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.39.50.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Esports Insider is hosting a meeting of industry professionals to discuss improvements to environmental sustainability at our upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/events\/esi-london-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ESI London event<\/a>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-heading-67d9bd3fbd8e8\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n  \n<h2><span id=\"what_else_needs_changing\">What else needs changing?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbe0f0\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Choi admitted to Esports Insider that he had \u201cnever really looked into the whole carbon credit system,\u201d arguing his team tried to focus its efforts on ideas that would also engage fans in sustainability.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbe8b7\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cAs a smaller esports team, I do think that the emissions we put out aren\u2019t as massive. Ultimately, we are a fan-facing company so we try to do things that make sense for everybody involved in the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbf05b\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>It\u2019s worth pointing out that <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/06\/guild-esports-records-4-96m-loss-significantly-reduces-staff-numbers\/#:~:text=British%20esports%20organisation%20Guild%20Esports,as%20a%20non%2Dexecutive%20director\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">many esports teams are largely loss-making businesses<\/a>. The decision to offset all carbon emissions would be relatively costly for organisations that have teams that frequently fly internationally. There is a compelling argument to focus on making other elements of team operations \u2018green\u2019 first.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbf7d8\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>For its part, FlyQuest has focused on fixing other sustainability issues within the team. \u201cAt FlyQuest we try to reduce as much waste as we can. We\u2019ve been transitioning from plastic and paper utensils to silverware. We\u2019ve been trying to cut down energy use as much as we can, especially during the pandemic when everyone was working at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fbff76\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2021\/11\/flyquest-commits-to-sustainable-merchandise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Even FlyQuest\u2019s merchandising partner is sustainable<\/a>. It has committed to using more than 25% recycled materials in all future merchandise materials, and it also has a \u2018sustainable basics\u2019 line that allows fans to shop for no-frills gear without harming the planet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc0701\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Betclic Apogee\u2019s merchandise is similarly sustainable, and its lofty goal, says Brandiero, is to \u201cchange an entire industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc0eaf\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re posting instructional articles on social media. We want to make sure that others can have a much faster, easier process towards becoming more sustainable as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc163b\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Betclic Apogee is crafting its efforts in line with the UN\u2019s 2030 sustainability goals, a titanic task that requires reshaping how esports teams typically compete and support their players.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min-large.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min-large.png 1024w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min-medium.png 300w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min-medium_large.png 768w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min-1536x949.png 1536w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screenshot-2022-08-05-at-14.53.01-min.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Image credit: Betclic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc20ff\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>There is also a challenging conversation to be had about how organisations work with sponsors to ensure that they share environmental sustainability goals. Betclic was a key element in getting Apogee\u2019s sustainability dream off the ground.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc28aa\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Over at FlyQuest, the organisation has partnered with a few different \u2018green\u2019 companies, from plant-based energy drink <strong>Riot Energy <\/strong>to <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/01\/flyquests-mastercard-financial-partner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">financial services corporation Mastercard<\/a>, which already has a tree-planting scheme similar to TreeQuest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc304f\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Choi is enthusiastic about the collaboration. \u201c[Mastercard] were already doing these things to help the planet. We thought \u2018this is the perfect partnership for us!\u2019 We\u2019re aligned on that, and for any future partners, their alignment with our goals is equally important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-heading-67d9bd3fc381b\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n  \n<h2><span id=\"a_fan-driven_green_revolution\">A fan-driven green revolution<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc3fe2\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Choi says the future of fan-led sustainability in esports is unclear. \u201cThe few fans that I\u2019ve seen who have converted over to FlyQuest due to our environmental initiatives, they\u2019ve stuck around, and they\u2019ve been really diehard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc47aa\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>\u201cObviously, the ideal world is where we inspired everybody in esports to become environmentally conscious and socially aware and inclusive but in the real world, it&#8217;s not going to happen like that, at least not within the short period of time that we&#8217;ve been doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc4f87\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Other esports organisations have released environmental sustainability-focused initiatives, like <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/02\/ninjas-in-pyjamas-recycled-water-bottle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Ninjas in Pyjamas<\/strong>\u2019 partnership with <strong>A Good Company<\/strong><\/a>, but most have stopped short of sweeping reforms, for now.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"NIP\" class=\"wp-image-78447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-696x392.jpg 696w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080-747x420.jpg 747w, https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Image credit: NIP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc584e\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>As consumer-facing companies, esports brands will likely wait until fan demand for green policy increases before making serious changes themselves. Top-down change is certainly not an option for now. Sports like F1 benefit from a single, powerful governing body that can implement commitments to carbon neutrality. Comparatively, esports is fragmented and has no equivalent body or plan.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc604f\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Physical events are likely to remain the key field of competition. They level the competitive playing field, boost viewing figures, engage more fans and sell more sponsorships.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc67e8\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>It will be challenging to find a green solution for travel just as the industry welcomes back LANs, as competitions like the Overwatch League plan for a return to international homestand games this year.<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-67d9bd3fc6fd3\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n    \n<p>Betclic Apogee and FlyQuest, for now, are in an uneasy business-led first wave of green esports reformation. The most important question: how long before fans start demanding more?<\/p>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(ESI Illustration) Image credit: FlyQuest In late 2019, US-based esports organisation FlyQuest began planning a landmark shift in the team\u2019s identity. Lacking the cash reserves generally required to consistently compete for the top spot in Riot Games\u2019 League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), the organisation would have to radically differentiate its mission to attract the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":125827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","esi_template":"default","excluded":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,8999,239,50,15024,8717,54,106,58,237,8702,240,8713],"tags":[14328,2875],"class_list":["post-125846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial","category-editors-picks","category-europe","category-features","category-financial","category-insights","category-interviews","category-latest-news","category-lol","category-news-by-region","category-moba","category-north-america","category-partnerships-sponsorships","tag-betclic-apogee","tag-flyquest"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esports Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1882\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1161\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick Walker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatrickHWalker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@esportsinsider\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Patrick Walker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Patrick Walker\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e2f8e8832bafe715496df1497148d979\"},\"headline\":\"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\"},\"wordCount\":1400,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Betclic Apogee\",\"FlyQuest\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Commercial\",\"Editors Picks\",\"Europe\",\"Features\",\"Financial\",\"Insights\",\"Interviews\",\"Latest News\",\"League of Legends\",\"Markets\",\"MOBA\",\"North America\",\"Partnerships &amp; Sponsorships\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\",\"name\":\"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png\",\"width\":1882,\"height\":1161,\"caption\":\"(ESI Illustration) Image credit: FlyQuest\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/\",\"name\":\"Esports Insider\",\"description\":\"Definitive source for everything esports business\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Esports Insider\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/esi_logo_white.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/esi_logo_white.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Esports Insider\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/esportsinsider\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e2f8e8832bafe715496df1497148d979\",\"name\":\"Patrick Walker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3716dbf3640ef0066f1937dcc1f3be19?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3716dbf3640ef0066f1937dcc1f3be19?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Patrick Walker\"},\"description\":\"Patrick is a freelance journalist for ESI based in London, reporting on esports marketing and partnerships trends.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/patrick-walker-0570311b8\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatrickHWalker\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/author\/patrick-walker\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?","description":"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?","og_description":"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.","og_url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future","og_site_name":"Esports Insider","article_published_time":"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1882,"height":1161,"url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Patrick Walker","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatrickHWalker","twitter_site":"@esportsinsider","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Patrick Walker","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future"},"author":{"name":"Patrick Walker","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e2f8e8832bafe715496df1497148d979"},"headline":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?","datePublished":"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future"},"wordCount":1400,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png","keywords":["Betclic Apogee","FlyQuest"],"articleSection":["Commercial","Editors Picks","Europe","Features","Financial","Insights","Interviews","Latest News","League of Legends","Markets","MOBA","North America","Partnerships &amp; Sponsorships"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future","url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future","name":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png","datePublished":"2022-08-08T08:52:28+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-08T13:07:16+00:00","description":"As esports continues to develop, is the scene getting any greener? ESI tackles environmental sustainability with FlyQuest and Betclic Apogee.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/FlyQuest-min.png","width":1882,"height":1161,"caption":"(ESI Illustration) Image credit: FlyQuest"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2022\/08\/is-going-green-esports-future#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Is \u2018going green\u2019 the future of esports?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/","name":"Esports Insider","description":"Definitive source for everything esports business","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#organization","name":"Esports Insider","url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/esi_logo_white.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/esi_logo_white.jpg","width":900,"height":900,"caption":"Esports Insider"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/esportsinsider"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e2f8e8832bafe715496df1497148d979","name":"Patrick Walker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3716dbf3640ef0066f1937dcc1f3be19?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3716dbf3640ef0066f1937dcc1f3be19?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Patrick Walker"},"description":"Patrick is a freelance journalist for ESI based in London, reporting on esports marketing and partnerships trends.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/patrick-walker-0570311b8\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatrickHWalker"],"url":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/author\/patrick-walker"}]}},"modified_by":"Tom Daniels","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125846"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125875,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125846\/revisions\/125875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}