The University of Edinburgh has announced, their installation of the world’s first Carbon Zero ISCC-certified hockey pitch is officially ready for play.
The First Climate-Neutral Synthetic Turf for Hockey
Peffermill’s new Poligras Paris GT zero surface will offer Scotland a state-of-the-art training facility, with the turf initially designed for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This pitch is the world’s first carbon-zero hockey surface and has achieved FIH Innovation certification for dry play.
Polytan’s Poligras Paris GT zero turf saves 73 tonnes of CO₂ versus traditional turfs. Composed of 80% sugarcane, it includes a CO₂-optimized backing and is produced in Germany using green electricity, resulting in a carbon-neutral product.
FIH Global certification means that elite hockey competitions, such as the Olympics, can continue to play on the surface when wet, but it also meets FIH Innovation standards for dry use. This versatile ‘play wet / play dry’ design benefits hockey clubs globally by providing the choice of a carbon-neutral, Olympic-quality turf that performs better than sand-dressed turf when dry—a unique feature of the Poligras Paris GT zero system.
Chris McIntosh, Operations Manager – Sports Infrastructure & Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh said, “We are delighted with the installation of the new Polytan surface at Peffermill. We pride ourselves on high performance at the University and we now have a world leading surface for our players to play on. We are continually looking at ways to develop our facilities to help our students develop and I look forward to following the progress in the months and years ahead.”
Ashley Appleby, Sales Manager at Polytan said, “Our “FIH Innovation Category Dry Turf Hockey Field” is a milestone in sustainable hockey, as previously, large amounts of water were needed to play professional hockey. With our sustainable system and Polytan’s Turf Glide Technology, the field ensures unbeatably fast ball-rolling behaviour, increased player safety and significantly reduced water consumption.”
University Alumni, Sarah Robertson, who was part of Team GB in Paris at the 2024 Olympics said, “”It is great to see the work that has gone in over the summer at Peffermill on the new hockey surface. I had the pleasure of playing on the same Polytan surface when playing for Team GB in Paris and it was first class. It’s fantastic to see Hockey doing it’s bit for sustainable sport whilst maintaining top class surfaces.”
