2019 Annual CSR and Sustainability Report from TCF Center

Each year the TCF Center publishes its annual Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report to showcase strides in its green efforts throughout the year. 2019 proved to be a pivotal year for the program as it achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold Certification and was awarded the Detroit Green Task Force's 2019 Earth Day Business Award and the USGBC Detroit Region Outstanding Sustainable Design Award.

The TCF Center's Green Committee also refocused the program to support the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and expanded the program to align with fourteen of the seventeen goals outlined by the UN in 2017. The new focus included a redesigned marketing program, green event guidelines that shifts focus from waste diversion to material life cycles, and a new Human Trafficking Policy that trains all stakeholders and outlines reporting procedures.

"In my twenty years in the event business, I have never been a part of a stronger or more talented team," said Claude Molinari, general manager TCF Center/ASM Global.  "Working together in cooperation with our regional partners, we are committed to providing outstanding experiences for our guests and sustainable operations for our citizenry."

Each year, members of the TCF Center Green Committee offer a variety of educational opportunities to the local community and event industry designed to include everyone in the sustainable operations of the venue and support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Several times a year, members of the Green Committee conduct Green Tours of the venue with stops to hear all about the operations in the engineering department, at the docks, in the kitchens, the exhibit halls, and the Living Green Roof. Touring groups range from 25-75 people.

• Fifteen times a year, TCF Center hosts free health and fitness sessions such as yoga, Zumba and full-body workouts. These can be integrated into events in the facility at no charge. Local non-profits are on site to give information to visitors.

• Several times a year, members of the Green Committee meet with other local facility managers such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Ford Motor Company, and the City of Detroit to exchange best practices in sustainability.

• Green Committee members give sustainability presentations at industry events such as IAVM Connect, CESSE, MSAE, USGBC Greenbuild, and others.

On October 9, 2019 the TCF Center became the largest LEED certified building in Michigan.  The certification plaque was presented to Molinari in a ceremony at TCF Center by Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC.

“By prioritizing sustainability, TCF Center is leading the way in its industry," said Ramanujam. "It is moving beyond construction and efficiency and finding ways to help us improve our quality of life by creating spaces that prioritize health and well-being.”

In addition to energy conservation and environmental sustainability with features like a living green roof, TCF Center operations diverted 280 tons from the waste stream in 2019. The new food efficiency program implemented by Centerplate realized 112 tons in compost and 10 tons in donated food. The post-event donation program recycled or upcycled 60 tons of materials left in the venue by events.

The entire 2019 report can be read HERE