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The 2020 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro may be drawing to a close, but the work being done by OC Sport and our sustainability advisors, Blueshift Solutions, to embed sustainability within OC Sport’s operations continues at a rate of knots.
At final stage of the 2020 race in the Loire-Atlantique, a team of experts has been on site to collect data in order to calculate the first ever Carbon Footprint of an OC Sport event.
In its simplest form, a Carbon Footprint is the environmental impact of an event. This is usually expressed in terms of carbon dioxide - the total greenhouse gas emissions generated. Factors contained within the calculation include electricity and water use, transport to and from the event, the construction of permanent and temporary structures, as well as the consumption of food and drink.
Through measuring the emissions created by La Solitaire du Figaro, OC Sport will have a foundation and benchmark against which future editions of the race can be compared. This will allow actions and initiatives taken by OC Sport to lower emissions to be continuously evaluated and improved in order for the event to reduce its emissions and impact on the environment into the future.
Certain initiatives are already in place, such as the prohibition of single use plastic within the race village and the requirement for partners and exhibitors to sign a charter which obliges them to manage waste and keep plastic use to a minimum.
Some of the exhibitors are also showing a pioneering spirit when it comes to sustainability. Official supplier to La Solitaire du Figaro, 727 Sailbags, offers a variety of products like bags, poufs, and deckchairs, made from old sails. These sails have been used in some of the most well-known and adventurous sailing races on the planet which, as Adeline from 727 Sailbags points out, means “each product has its own unique little story”. Let’s see if anything gets made from the sails being used in this edition of La Solitaire – watch this space!
Although there are already some small initiatives and partnerships in place that reflect OC Sport’s appreciation of sustainability, we know that there is still a long way to go to become pioneers in this space. Stage 4 of La Solitaire du Figaro is just one stop on this journey towards a more sustainable future.
By embracing the winds of change, and re-thinking sport, OC Sport plan to lead the sports industry towards a new normal where sustainability is embedded within corporate strategy and is at the core of each event and competition.
Follow us here or on our LinkedIn page to see where we stop next!
