The Ocean Race has won the International Sports Awards 2023 for its efforts to put ocean protection at the heart of the round-the-world sailing competition.
The 11th Hour Racing collaboration, titled Racing with Purpose, set out to influence global ocean policy, measure the race’s environmental impact, and inspire the next generation of ocean advocates. The program reached 225,000 children in more than 80 countries through educational workshops in host cities, and for the first time in a major sporting event, a comprehensive lifecycle analysis calculated the plastic footprint of the entire race.
A series of sustainability initiatives also delivered a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the previous edition of the event, powered entirely by renewable energy, and a new Science program collected over 4 million measurements of water temperature, CO2 and microplastic pollution in remote parts of the ocean where data is lacking.
Richard Brisius, Race Chairman at The Ocean Race, said: “Sport has the potential to unify, educate and inspire in ways that can make a meaningful difference. For The Ocean Race, we’ve used our platform and created new opportunities to reach as many audiences as possible, from fans and children to business leaders and heads of state, in order to accelerate action to protect the planet.
Alessandra Ghezzi, 11th Hour Racing communications director said: “As The Ocean Race claims victory in the Sustainability category at the International Sports Awards 2023, the achievement reflects a shared commitment to environmental excellence, where the racecourse becomes a platform for sustainable innovation, and our ocean stands as the ultimate ambassador of health and vitality.”
The Sustainability Award trophy will be presented at The International Sports Convention 2023, which will be held March 20-21, 2024.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
