Although Seattle doesn’t have the name of their hockey team, they at least know where they will be rooting for them. Former “Key Arena” had the naming rights purchased by Amazon, who has proudly renamed it Climate Pledge Arena.
The name follows in the footsteps of Amazon’s initiative to be a net-zero carbon emissions company by 2040. Upon the stadium’s grand opening in 2021, this will be a step toward the climate initiative as the arena aims to be completely zero carbon.
While the name doesn’t necessarily roll off the tongue, most Seattleites are just happy that the new arena isn’t “Amazon Arena” or the “Bezos Dome.” Despite having a less-than-appealing moniker, the arena does offer some outstanding features that residents are happy about.
The arena will be fully electric-operated and completely powered through renewable energy. It will also be “zero-waste,” as all operational materials will be recyclable instead of being sent to landfills. The arena even promises to remove single-use plastics by 2024.
Moreover, the arena promises to have the “greenest ice” in the NHL by reusing rainfall to generate the ice. Tickets to any event at the arena also act as fare for any of the city’s public transportation options, which not only reduces pollution but dramatically helps cut down traffic in an otherwise crowded part of Seattle.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive attributes of Climate Pledge Arena, many are still skeptical of Bezos and Amazon as a whole. The same day Amazon announced a $2 billion dollar initiative for development of low-carbon technologies, it simultaneously released its 2019 sustainability report showing a fifteen percent increase in carbon emissions. A few days later, the arena rename was announced while the sour taste still lingered from the blatant bait and switch.
Overall, the idea of this arena is stupendous, if not all that surprising. Despite not having a clean track record, Amazon is definitely taking a step in the right direction and wants everyone to know. Let’s just hope that when Bezos inevitably purchases the rest of Seattle that he continues to push for things the city needs. I could imagine the Seahawks’ first-ever opening kickoff at “Rent Control Field” would inspire a record amount of beer sales.
