An initial assessment of British racing's progress on environmental sustainability, initiated and funded by the Racing Foundation, has been commissioned by British racing's leaders. The aim is to build a clearer overall picture of current environmental activities and expertise across racing and breeding-establishing what's already being done, where there's potential to go further, and how this could be achieved. It will also identify the key sustainability issues, risks, and opportunities for racing. The scoping assessment is likely to cover several areas of environmental sustainability, including CO2 emissions, decarbonisation and renewable energy, management of key resources such as water and plastics, and potential for positive contributions through biodiversity.
Lasting three months, the project will begin immediately and will be delivered by sustainability consultancy White Griffin. Working closely with industry representatives from the BHA, Horsemen's Group and RCA, White Griffin will actively engage with racing's businesses, employers, and participants, particularly those with interest or specialist expertise in environmental sustainability.
Brant Dunshea, BHA Chief Regulatory Officer and Project Executive Sponsor, said, “Climate change and sustainability are major challenges for our sport, given how dependent we are on the environment, transportation, and the use of essential resources.
“There is a real opportunity here for British racing to lead progress in this area, taking positive action to find effective solutions to the challenges we face–and crucially grasp some of the opportunities.
“This foundation research will help us do this by measuring where we are now, plus where there's scope to go further, either as individual organisations and businesses, or collectively through an industry-wide strategy.”
Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said, “We believe that environmental sustainability is crucial to British racing's long-term future and prosperity, which is why it is key pillar of the Racing Foundation's strategy.
“We are pleased to fund this initial package of work, which it is hoped will inform the next steps in terms of determining the need for an industry-wide approach to sustainability.
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