Mugello receives an award for its environmental concern
The Italian Mugello circuit has been voted the most sustainable circuit in the world according to a report by Enovation Consulting and Right Hub. Paul Ricard and Barcelona are also among the top performers.
This Thursday, Enovation Consulting and Right Hub published a white paper entitled Sustainable Circuit Index, which assesses the level of sustainability of permanent circuits based on nearly 21 criteria.
This study, conducted on 96 tracks around the world, shows that only 31 of them have an ecological awareness. The Mugello circuit, which was used during the Tuscan GP last year and has been hosting the Moto GP for many years, received the highest score (48/100). The site uses 100% renewable energies and produces 25% of its consumption thanks to solar panels. Rainwater recovery systems are also installed and water fountains are made available to fans and staff to reduce the consumption of plastic bottles.
In this ranking, only 2 other circuits on the F1 calendar received a good rating. The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, with 38/100, and the Paul Ricard, with 33/100. Along with Mugello, they achieve a final score of 3/4. These are the only three tracks that F1 uses to receive such results, all other permanent circuits obtained a score of 0 or 1.
Cristina Pace, member of the FIA Environment and Development Commission, believes that this report would enable some circuits to speed up their sustainability process.
Too often, motorsport has been accused of green-washing, of nice words and vague promises, asserts Cristina Pace.
« The Sustainable Circuits Index offers a solid assessment, based on reported data and a well-structured framework, of the sustainability performance of circuits to allow sites to compare themselves and accelerate actions and changes. Because the time of uncertainty is over.
On his side, the president of the GPDA, Alexander Wurz, welcomes this initiative, but insists that the efforts already made must be continued.
« I have been involved in track safety and sustainability for many years, as a driver, president of the GPDA, and track designer. And while I can affirm that significant improvements have been made on safety, I also know that there is still a long way to go for tracks to become more environmentally friendly. Although they have started to change their ways, more guidance is needed on what sustainability means and how a track can be sustainable. »
If some circuits have already taken sustainability measures, others are developing to become more environmentally friendly. This is notably the case of the Circuit de Charade, which aims to become 100% electric by 2025.
