Sustainability round-up: February 9
Rally Sweden continues its sustainability efforts while women's sport has seen a boost in viewers in 2022. This week's round-up also includes a teenage long-distance runner's battle against climate change, environmental arenas and creating a sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games...
The FIA World Rally Championship is set to return to Sweden this week, with last year’s event earning Rally Sweden three-star environmental accreditation. This is the highest accreditation possible under the FIA’s current framework. Motorsport’s governing body is taking action to become more sustainable through the use of 100% fossil-free fuel in Rally1 hybrid cars, as well as a reduction in tyre quantity in the new 2023 rallying regulations.
A record 37.6 million people watched women’s domestic sport in the UK in 2022, according to a new report from the Women’s Sport Trust. The figure beats the previous record of 32.9 million set in 2021. The main driver behind this boost was the Women’s Super League, which attracted 16 million unique viewers during 2022.
Teenage long-distance runner Inness FitzGerald has turned down the opportunity to compete in the World Cross Country Championships as part of her sustainability efforts. The 16-year-old told the BBC that she could not justify flying to Australia, where the championships were held, from her home in Devon. FitzGerald wrote to British Athletics to say that travelling fills her “with deep concern”.
The BMW IBU World Championships Biathlon 2023 are being staged at the Arena am Rennsteig this week, which has been transformed over recent years with sustainability at the core of its development. The venue has been modernised to minimise energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with heating of the buildings coming completely from waste heat generated on site. Food is provided by local suppliers and efficient and resource-saving snow management is being implemented.
The CMA CGM Group, a provider of sea, land, air and logistics solutions, has struck a partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games with the goal of delivering a more sustainable multi-sport spectacle. The group is committed to a sustainable approach, targeting net-zero carbon by 2050, and will provide the Paris Games with low-carbon, energy-efficient logistics.
Image: IBU/Manzoni