LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREEN FUTURE: FIA ANNOUNCES ENTRIES TO 2023 FIA PRESIDENT’S CLIMATE ACTION AWARDS

The FIA is proud to announce the submissions for the 2023 FIA President’s Climate Action Awards.

The Climate Action Awards specifically champion initiatives which promote sustainability and decarbonisation across motor sport and mobility.

This year, the FIA have received nine submissions, covering everything from biodiversity at race tracks, to green databases, and ride sharing. Today, we are pleased to announce that the entrants are:

• Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.
• Automobile Club d’Italia
• Canadian Automobile Association
• German Motor Sports Federation
• MotorSport New Zealand
• Motorsport UK
• Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia
• Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation
• Sveriges Bussföretag

The winner will be announced at the FIA General Assemblies meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. A summary of the entries can be found below:

Promoting Ride Sharing with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V. (ADAC)

Driving alone doesn’t just create traffic – it also produces a huge amount of unnecessary greenhouse gases and other pollutants. ADAC’s new digital carpooling service “ADAC Pendlernetz powered by twogo” aims to tackle the issue. It works by connecting drivers and passengers who are taking the same route to save the planet, our roads, and customers’ wallets. The service was developed in collaboration with Schwarz Mobility Solutions, and is available on the twogo app and web app. The Club has already planned to use the event to reduce traffic around races, including the DTM race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and at the FIA WRC Central European Rally in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Planting a Forest with the Automobile Club d’Italia

The Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) swapped printed magazines for a thousand-tree forest this year, with the launch of a new sustainable initiative. Team members first came up with the idea after they decided to reduce the number of printed copies of their magazine L’Automobile, and realised that there would be resources left over which could be used to fund the Club’s environmental projects. ACI planted the forest in partnership with a leading Italian B-Corp company, and is set to continue the project over the next ten years.

Collecting EV User Opinions with the Canadian Automobile Association

We know what the general public think about EVs – but what do EV owners think? The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) realised that there was limited information about users’ experiences of owning and driving EVs – so they carried out a groundbreaking survey of 16,000 EV drivers. They found that numerous owners would buy EVs again – but that some were concerned about the charging network, particularly outside of major cities. Others also felt advertising about maximum range was inaccurate. The survey, which was carried out in collaboration with PlugShare, garnered significant attention, opening up conversation with government and garnering over 40 million impressions on social media.

This project was supported by the FIA Sustainable Mobility Programme, funded by the FIA Foundation.

Building a Database of Sustainable Initiatives with the German Motor Sports Federation

The German Motor Sports Federation (DMSB) has developed a database, collating sustainable programmes, initiatives, projects, events and campaigns. Associations and sports facilities can use the database to find ideas for programmes to get involved with, or develop and scale on their own. DMSB hope that the database will inspire further action, and show people how much sustainability work is already going on within the motor sport ecosystem.

Balancing Emissions with MotorSport New Zealand

How do you ensure that motor sport races are environmentally friendly?  MotorSport New Zealand has come up with an innovative new solution: an Environment Sustainability Fund. The fund works by raising money from event organisers to pay for projects countering CO₂ emissions. Organisers currently pay as little as $5 for ClubSport, $15 for Races, or $30 for Rallies, all of which is used to support these kinds of sustainable initiatives. In future, Motor Sports New Zealand hopes to allow individuals to participate too, promising an even greater environmental impact.

Measuring Motor Sport’ Environmental Impact with Motorsport UK

We all know that we need to reduce our carbon footprint – but it starts with knowing where we are at. Motorsport UK’s carbon calculator is a new, freely available tool to help its clubs measure the environmental impact of their motor sport events. The tool allows them to input data across five key categories, then calculates emissions and provides reductions suggestions. The calculator also includes some preset data so that clubs can get a rough estimate even if they don’t have all the information they need.

The project was supported by the FIA Sport Grant Programme, funded by the FIA Foundation.

Checking Air Quality with the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia

The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RACWA) wants a safe, sustainable and connected future for Western Australians. As part of this, the Club intends to contribute to reducing harmful vehicle emissions so current and future generations can enjoy healthier and cleaner air. The RAC Air Health Monitor (AHM) is an extensive air quality sensor network which collects accurate air quality data and presents it to members and the community in a near-real time heatmap. The Club hopes that seeing real-time emissions will discourage users from choosing to use their car, over other more sustainable options. The Air Health Monitor was developed in partnership with Clarity Movement Co (Clarity), a world leading air sensing technology organisation, and global engineering firm Ramboll Shair.

Embodying Vision 30 with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently working towards Vision 30 – a strategy which aims to transform or improve every aspect of life within the kingdom. Environmental initiatives are a key pillar of the vision. With this in mind, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) decided to embrace green innovation. In its operations, SAMF has increased its renewable energy provision and invested in a fleet of electric vehicles for staff and guest transportation during events. The Federation has also pursued environmental best practice initiatives involving energy and waste management at international events. 

Biodiversity at Svenska Bilsportforbundet’s (SBF) tracks

We know motor sport tracks are rich breeding grounds for competition, but did you know they’re also rich breeding grounds for plants, bugs and animals? That’s why Sweden’s SBF inventoried three major tracks for pollinator species-rich habitats back in 2022. Working closely with scientists, the team looked at the biodiversity at Annebergsbanan in Halland, Höljes race car track in Värmland and Sundsvall Raceway in Sättna in Medelpad, and sought out solutions which will allow these ecosystems to benefit and withstand our changing environment.

The project was supported by the FIA Sport Grant Programme, funded by the FIA Foundation.