Fri 17 Jan 2025

New book sheds light on WRC’s industry-leading sustainability approach

A recently published book, The Green Transition in Motorsport: Purpose, Politics and Profit, has highlighted the FIA World Rally Championship as an industry leader in its sustainability-first approach to business.

Authored by Hans Erik Næss and Samuel Tickell, the book provides a critical exploration of motorsport’s contribution to ‘the green transition’, understood as a societal shift towards a fossil-free future, a circular economy, and greater social inclusiveness.

Specifically, the book highlights WRC Promoter as having sustainability at the core of its organisation. While motorsport generally concentrates on the power unit as the outward sign of a sustainable approach, WRC goes further with the inclusion of improvement of environmental conditions in the areas of competition, putting it well ahead of other forms of decentralised sport.

The WRC’s advanced work with non-governmental organisations and UN bodies are clear examples of the WRC’s commitment to protect and improve the environment – an absolute necessity for the sport.

Other places that Næss and Tickell identify as the WRC’s strengths are its commitment to restoring roads following rallies and a commitment to fan behaviour. “Generally, the behaviour of fans and, in general, how clean they leave the spectating areas is well ahead of other sports like marathons, cycling and certainly music festivals. Obviously, some of the cultures need to be improved, but to have that as a stated aim is already ahead,” stressed co-author Tickell. He continued: “If influencing behaviour goes further to more environmentally friendly driving techniques etcetera, it can only serve to enhance that aspect.”

Perhaps the biggest statement so far from the WRC on its Beyond Rally roadmap is being a part of a global solution to the end of fossil fuels, pioneering renewable fuels already in 2022.

“Two billion ICE machines are in use at the moment. Being a part of the solution to not waste them, and not demand low-income countries replace machines with something they are not set up for is important,” opined Tickell. “This is also something for political and B2B persuasion with a lesser public reputation impact, but I see it as an opportunity for the sport.”

To learn more about the book, go here. You can also learn more about WRC Promoter’s Beyond Rally approach here.

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