The International Automobile Federation (FIA) awarded the WRC Croatia Rally three stars as part of the Environmental Accreditation Program. The three awarded stars represent the highest possible rating in the Program mentioned above and prove that the organizers of the competition in Croatia have taken all the steps leading to a high level of sustainability of the competition itself and that they respect the highest international criteria related to the reduction of undesirable impacts on the environment.
This recognition comes after the organizers of WRC Croatia initiated cooperation with the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP) from Zagreb to determine the calculation of the carbon footprint and define goals and measures for its reduction.
"We are extremely proud that the umbrella world motoring organization FIA recognized and awarded us this great recognition. We are aware of our responsibility, and for this very reason, year after year, we make great efforts to reduce our environmental impact while respecting the highest global standards. This rating is a confirmation that our efforts have paid off, and we will continue to make efforts to justify the trust we have received", said the president of the organizing committee of the WRC Croatia Rally Daniel Šaškin.
EIHP conducted its research using data from the WRC Croatia Rally event from 2022, and the study was made following the GHG protocol and the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard.
"The results of the study are in line with the expected values. The largest share in emissions, with 4906 tons of equivalent carbon dioxide, which makes up to 82.5% of the total estimated value, was the arrival of the audience, who mostly came to the event in private cars. If we take into account the fact that the vehicle fleet in Croatia is somewhat older, it is not surprising that the activity of visitors increases the value of the carbon footprint. The study contributed to the trend of calculating the carbon footprint of events, which is still rare in Croatia. This approach of the organizers is precious to raise awareness about climate change, and a carbon footprint is a valuable tool with which the organizers can find out how to optimally reduce emissions and eventually become climate neutral", pointed out Šimun Lončarević, a researcher from EIHP.
The long-term goal of the WRC Croatia Rally is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and the study conducted by EIHP also provides concrete steps that can be taken to achieve that goal. In addition to cooperating with local communities to ensure proper waste collection and identify potential environmental impact risks, WRC Croatia Rally will take several measures to promote safety and ecological driving in traffic and protect the environment and climate.
"In addition to cooperation with EIHP, this year we also decided to work intensively on reducing the carbon footprint through activities at the local level. The study results showed that audience arrivals make the biggest contribution to the carbon footprint. This year, we will also publicly invite and encourage visitors to carpool, i.e., share transportation, in the run-up to and during the event to reduce the number of cars arriving for speed tests. We are very aware that a better public transport infrastructure is also needed for complete carbon neutrality, for example, a modern railway," Saškin added.
The WRC Croatia Rally will be held from April 20 to 23 in five Croatian counties, and Croatia remains one of the thirteen competitions in the season that started in Monte Carlo. This year, the competition is dominated by macadam races, while the Croatia Rally is one of only three competitions on asphalt.
As a reminder, the WRC Croatia Rally recently presented an economic impact study in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb. A study by the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb showed that the Croatia Rally positively affects the Croatian economy due to its significant contribution to the tourist offer. Last year, the event brought 105 million euros to Croatian tourism, with more than 310,000 viewers.
