News article
Sustainability round-up: Motorsport UK, Volleyball Foundation….
Also in the news: British Eventing, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Mastercard and more…
The Volleyball Foundation recently teamed up with the Thailand Volleyball Association to host a mass participation event, with hundreds of children enjoying volleyball sessions, while also learning about sustainability. The event was held during the Volleyball Nations League Finals in Bangkok.
Sutton United Football Club, a National League side in England, has formed a community partnership with Ganddee, an app that helps people to live sustainably. The partnership will feature a number of community initiatives to connect fans and local residents in South London.
British Eventing Chief Executive Rosie Williams has called on the equestrian community to focus on the environment, while the organisation has also appointed Dr Claire Huck as a volunteer Climate and Sustainability Advisor. In a statement, Williams said: “Following the challenging start to the 2024 eventing season due to extremely wet conditions, it has never been clearer that there is a pressing need for climate awareness within our sport. Climate change is a multi-dimensional challenge that affects every aspect of eventing, from operational sustainability, to horse and rider welfare, to financial viability. British Eventing is committed to addressing these challenges head-on.”
Motorsport UK, the governing body for motorsport in the UK, has provided a grant for entrants to use Coryton sustainable fuels in ICE powertrains within the Formula Student series. Motorsport UK has taken on the role of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ sustainability partner, and together with Coryton Fuels, will provide the fuels to all competitors at this summer’s competition, which is held at Silverstone Circuit.
Ahead of last weekend’s Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the venue reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability. Prior to this year’s event, the circuit established the largest public self-consumption photovoltaic installation in Catalunya. Additionally, a total of 1,239 solar panels were installed on the Main Grandstand, which generates 33% of the energy the circuit consumes.
English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has achieved certification by BSI to ISO 20121, a standard for sustainable event management. Spurs has committed to displaying leadership in event sustainability; minimising the environmental impacts of the club’s activities; halving green house gas emissions by 2030, and achieving net zero by 2040; contributing to the local community; and championing inclusivity, diversity and representation.
At the recent Mastercard ‘Please Mind the Say/Do Gap’ event during London’s Climate Action Week, a number of panellists discussed topics such as the circular economy, and knowing how to have a positive impact. Katie Cross, founder of Pledgeball, discussed how as many as 88% of people were concerned about the environment, but only half were taking action, while UEFA’s Head of Social and Environmental Impact Filippo Veglio, talked about fan travel. Additionally, Zoe Rowswell, co-founder of TernEco, explained that the company has created a way to help businesses run circular programmes for consumers. Rowswell explained: “At Tern, we have built circular retail software, and what that means is that it allows brands and retailers to run circular programmes such as trade-in, resale and repairs directly within their business. The retail landscape is really challenging at the moment, supply chains are disrupted, the cost-of-living crisis, margins are shrinking, and then on top of that, you have awareness of the climate crisis, and the economic uncertainty that is now impacting customer behaviour.”
Image: George Sultan on Unsplash