Introduction
Hosting a sailing race which runs for six months, with nine global stopovers, hundreds of staff, and millions of visitors to our race villages, obviously comes with its own footprint.
We have a duty to operate sustainably and we strive to be a leader in sports, events and sustainability - testing new ways to produce our Race with the maximum positive impact possible.
Read our Sustainability Action Plan, Sustainability Policy, Values Charter and Supplier Code in the Knowledge Centre at the bottom of the screen.
The greenhouse gas emissions impact of the race is a major focus area, and for the 2023 race we aimed for a reduction in organiser emissions of 50% and were pleased to have achieved a 75% reduction compared to the previous edition. Access the GHG Report. We share our estimates and management approach in the Race to Restore page.
Read the 2023 Sustainability Report online or download it in the Knowledge Centre. Also read about our efforts during the last edition of our Race in our 2017-18 Race Sustainability Report, and our Sustainability Reports for 2019-2020, 2021 and 2022.
The Ocean Race is managed in conformity with International Standard ISO 20121: Event Sustainability Management Systems. We have undergone an external third party audit with Bureau Veritas Italy. View the certificate.
Also read the 2023 Plastic Footprint Report, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report. These can be viewed online in the above links or downloaded in the Knowledge Centre below.
Our Ambitions
We have set ambitious targets for the operational impacts of The Ocean Race 2022-23. These sit in the 'Footprint' pillar of our sustainability framework.
Our other two pillars, 'Impact' and 'Legacy' is the area of the programme we're engaging people in sustainablity and ocean issues and action, advocating for the ocean's rights to be recognised through our Summits and Policy work, our One Blue Voice campaign and through Relay4Nature. We're also recruiting a whole new generation of ocean champions through our Learning Programme, and adding vital data on ocean health through our Science Programme.
Key Sustainable Operations Targets
All our objectives, targets and actions are detailed in the Sustainability Action Plan, available to download at the bottom of the screen in the Knowledge Centre. However some highlights can be clustered into three themes: Climate, Circularity and Sourcing.
Climate
- 50% reduction in race organiser GHG emissions.
- 100% renewable energy in head office and wherever possible in Ocean Live Parks.
- Engaging all Race stakeholders to join us in the race to zero emissions.
- Achive a 'climate positive race', drawing down more GHGs than emitted.
Circularity
- Zero single-use plastic in food and beverage service.
- 100% of recyclable & compostable waste is recovered.
- Traceability on all materials recovery possible.
- Circular solutions for event look and overlay.
Sourcing
- Only 100% verified sustainable seafood served or sold.
- Zero single-use plastic bottled water or beverages.
- Materials traceability in event look and overlay, no PVC event branding.
Water & Environmental Protection
During our race and event activities on water and on land, we understand that we are temporary stewards of the natural environment. We work hard to ensure the physical setting in which our activities take place are protected from negative impacts. This includes boat maintenance, construction and installation of Ocean Live Park assets, and our on-water and on-shore activities. Surrounding waterways are protected from pollutants or impacts from boatyard, event site development and Race activities.
Our onboard, at-sea and race village operations are planned to ensure we meet or exceed any environmental regulations, protocols or best practice. Sailing boats adhere to 'Rule 55 Trash', and we ensure all boatyard operations, any chemical use and cleaning practices are safe.
Every effort is made to responsibly use the most precious of earth’s resources - water. We do not overdraw potable water supplies and optimise the use of recycled water for non-drinking purposes, where it's available.
Innovation Workshops
Our Innovation Workshops provide a forum for tackling sustainability challenges that affect sailing, sport, events and ocean governance. Created as a way of sharing best practice and advancing solutions, the sessions bring together an expert group around a specific topic.
We’ve hosted Innovation Workshops on Fashion and Textiles, Communicating Ocean Science With Impact, Sustainable Look & Overlay, Plastic Footprinting for Events, and Sustainable Boat Building.
Access workshop roadmaps and reports in the Knowledge Centre at the bottom of the screen.
The Innovation Workshops were run with 11th Hour Racing, the Race’s Founding Sustainability Partner and a Premier Partner.
Climate
Producing a high-quality global event means there are currently unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions.
There is the necessity to transport our workforce and equipment internationally, and we use power in our race villages. There are also GHGs embodied in all materials and supplies we use, and in the treatment of our waste and waste water.
About our Impacts
GHGs related to The Ocean Race are either created directly by ourselves as Race Organisers, (year-round, race and event operations), or as a consequence of wider race-related activities, such as those by our race partners, race teams and their partners. GHG emissions are also produced by hospitality guests and race village visitors.
We have categorised our GHGs into the following key sources: Freight, Plant & Vehicles, Boats, Power, Waste, Production Travel, Hotel Nights, Food & Beverage.
Read more about our approach to GHG reductions in our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Strategy available for download in the Knowledge Centre at the bottom of the screen.
Click through for a deeper dive into our approch to greenhouse gas emissions and our 'Race to Restore'.
Energy
Our ambition is to have all Ocean Live Parks powered by 100% renewable energy. This is achieved through grid supply, renewable and zero emissions temporary power provision, and through purchasing renewable energy credits directly where 100% is not available directly from the grid. Equivalent kWh of renewable energy credits are also purchased against any diesel generators (minimally used).
Our head office in Alicante is on 100% renewable energy, provided through the local co-operative Enercoop.
Logistics
To reduce international freight we prioritise sourcing local infrastructure and equipment.
Our global logistics partner GAC Pindar is critical in helping us with the most efficient logistics possible and reporting on freight GHG impacts.
Travel
Producing this global Race is reliant on an incredibly talented group of professional sailing, racing and events people. We’re reducing our air travel impact through fewer people travelling, less stopovers, and a shorter route and race.
Climate Positive
The Ocean Race had a big ambition to make the 2022-23 round-the-world race climate positive. We reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 75% compared with the last race, through reducing our own organiser impacts and through working with our race teams, partners, suppliers, and host cities to reduce the GHGs of their participation in the Race.
Race to Restore is our collaboration to balance our collective unavoidable GHG impacts. We will move to a 'climate positive' state where more GHGs are drawn down, via blue carbon projects, than the Race emits. Read more about our approach.
Sports for Climate Action: The Ocean Race, registered teams and the IMOCA class have joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCC's) Sports For Climate Action.
Officially part of Race to Zero, we're committing to 50% reduction in GHGs by 2030 and aiming for net zero emissions by 2040.
Read the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report for the 2023 Race. It can be downloaded in the Knowledge Centre also.
Circularity
We circumnavigate the planet, so circularity is in our DNA! We work hard to make sure we can recover and cycle residual resources and plan-in circularity wherever it's possible.
We avoided all possible single-use plastics and committed to reusable food and beverage serviceware wherever it is available and logistically possible.
Single-Use Plastic
One of our most important, visibly impactful and challenging goals during the race is to avoid single-use plastics in Ocean Live Park.
Although challenging and in some cases unavoidable, we nonetheless strived to find practical, effective and replicable solutions for each destination.
We know the extra effort needed to avoid single-use plastics highlights this important issue and leave a lasting impression with spectators, guests, sponsors, host cities, contractors and suppliers.
Water bottle refills, alternatives to single-use plastic bottles, disposable food service-ware and other packaging are key target areas. We estimate the number of single-use plastic bottles and other items avoided through our interventions, along with total plastic resources generated and recovered for recycling throughout the Race.
We have avoided hundreds of thousands of single-use plastic water bottles and other single-use items such as plates, cups, cutlery and plastic single-use handouts.
We've created industry resources for the event and sports industry, which can be downloaded at the bottom of the screen in our Knowledge Centre. Included are Turn the Tide on Plastic at Sporting Events, a guide to Resusables at Events, and the first Plastic Stewardship and Footprint Methodology for Events. View the Plastic Footprint for the 2022-23 Race.
First Fully Circular Flag in Sport
In a unique collaboration, The Ocean Race, Helly Hansen and supply chain stakeholders have proven textiles circularity in sports is possible, by recycling event flags into new flags for the first time. Read more and watch a video explaining the process.
Knowledge Centre
We produce many sustainability management documents, guidelines, reports and resources. We're very happy to share these. Please sign up to download these industry resources.
Sustainable Event Management
Included are our Sourcing Code, Sustainability Policy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Strategy, Turn the Tide on Plastics at Sporting Events, Plastic Stewardship and Footprinting Methodology for Events.
Reports
Included in this section are our Sustainability Reports for the previous edition of the Race (2017-18), and our annual reports for 2019 to 2022. Also in this section are report from The Ocean Race Summits.
Innovation Workshop Reports
Our Innovation Workshops provide a forum for tackling sustainability challenges that affect sailing, sport, events and ocean governance. Created as a way of sharing best practice and advancing solutions, the sessions bring together an expert group around a specific topic.
We've hosted Innovation Workshops on a range of topics, including Communicating Ocean Science With Impact, Sustainable Look & Overlay and Sustainable Boat Building.
Take a deep dive into The Ocean Race Innovation Workshops through reports from the previous events, plus re-play some of the workshops: