IWF22 is Carbon Neutral Racing – What does it mean?

This is a copy of the original Press Release, as published by IAME, IWF22. View original press release here.

Mission: Carbon Neutral can be seen everywhere around the IWF22 event and it sounds bold but it’s the truth! IAME has cooperated with AQ Green TeC company to calculate the environmental impact caused by the event. IAME is committed to compensate for it by participating in renewables, community and nature-based projects around the globe. IAME takes responsibility for its business and tries to increase environmental awareness and be an example. The CEO of AQ Green TeC, David Grundlingh, visited the event and we asked him more about these compensations.

The CEO of AQ Green TeC, David Grundlingh, outside of IAME Motorhome in Le Mans, France at IWF2022.

What is the ‘Mission: Carbon Neutral Racing?

It is the intention of IAME to bring its environmental awareness and objectives to their events, launching at the IWF22 in Le Mans in October 2022. The intention is to try, in so far as possible, to negate the environmental impact of the event.

Is this event offset?

Yes. IAME has already invested in carbon credits to be set aside in order to offset the environmental impact of the IWF22 event. They have committed to do this on behalf of all participants, which is a great demonstration of both leadership and IAME’s environmental commitment.

How do you do this?

IAME has partnered with Carbon Management specialists AQ Green TeC (AQGT) to measure the carbon footprint of the IWF22 finals at Le Mans. This involves taking the travel, accommodation, logistics, track activity and waste (thus far provided by the IAME event organizers) for all the Teams and Drivers and using this data to calculate the environmental impact of the event by means of calculating the carbon footprint. A final check of the calculations will be done post event prior to the offsets being retired on behalf of IAME.

Can the data be more accurate?

Yes! Ideally we can take data directly from the Teams and Drivers using the AQGT tool that is on the IWF22 homepage. This tool enables AQGT to gather data directly from individuals to more accurately calculate the total emissions. You can add more precision to the estimates by providing us with more detailed information about your race activities by filling easy forms here.

But how is “carbon neutrality” achieved?

First, it is vital to reduce and avoid emissions as much as possible. This has already been a core focus of IAME as demonstrated by their investment in solar power for their manufacturing facility in Italy. However, for those emissions that cannot be avoided, the solution is to “compensate” for these emissions by investing in certified carbon credits, a process known as “carbon offsetting”.

What are certified carbon credits?

A certified carbon credit is a tradable unit that represents measurable emission reductions from climate protection projects that have been certified by a global standard, which for the purpose of the IWF22, was a combination of Gold Standard and Verra. One carbon credit or carbon offset equals one tonne of carbon dioxide or the equivalent in other greenhouse gases (CO2e) that has been either avoided or removed from the atmosphere.

Why is this process important?

As a sport, racing with ICE (internal combustion engines), it is vital that we take responsibility for our environmental impact. Furthermore, we have an opportunity to create a positive lifestyle impact on all our stakeholders. We believe in shared responsibility and collective action and by acting positively now, we are hoping our community can take a more positive approach to all of our lives and the environmental impact we all have.

Read more about IAME and carbon neutrality