Extreme E continuing to reduce carbon footprint, pace gap between genders – report
Extreme E’s third sustainability report showed that the series maintained its status as a carbon neutral series throughout the 2023 season.
The report, released on Tuesday, and produced in collaboration with EY, also showed that the championship reduced its overall carbon footprint by 8.2 percent over the course of the 2023 season. The report calculated that 8,301 tCO2-e was emitted during Season 3 – down from 9,045 tCO2-e across Season 2 – despite each event becoming a double-header for 10 championship rounds overall.
The progress was aided by events being powered by 100 percent renewable energy, including from green hydrogen produced on-site. Innovative waste management procedures were also implemented, while catering at each event comprised of locally-sourced food and drink.
“It is incredible that we have now completed three seasons of Extreme E. The pace of the journey we have been on since launching has been extraordinary and we are creating an exciting motorsport championship which will leave a long-lasting legacy, not just on track but off it, too,” said Extreme E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag. “Our latest Sustainability Report with EY represents those efforts, with strong progress once more in our sustainability and legacy initiatives to deliver a global racing championship with minimal environmental impact.
Aside from Extreme E’s green credentials, the annual report also detailed the continued shrinking gap between the male and female drivers in the series. Since the championships maiden season in 2021, the performance gap between the genders has closed by 51 percent, with the average gap now being just 1.5 second.
“We were a first in motorsport when we launched our gender-equal sporting format. EY teams’ calculations detailed in this latest report illustrate the importance of providing a greater platform for women to demonstrate their talents behind the wheel,” said Agag. “The 51 per cent reduction in the average male-female performance gap in just three seasons marks great progress and proves our format is a success, but there is still more we can do.”
NEOM McLaren driver Cristina Gutierrez, added: “I dreamt of being a driver in Extreme E because I understood the importance of the championship and I knew there were many other aspects including equality.
“As a woman in motorsport, Extreme E has given us confidence and it has provided so many opportunities since I started competing in the series. I think I have definitely grown a lot as a driver since the beginning, so I think Extreme E is giving us a great platform.”
The fourth season of Extreme E began in Saudi Arabia in mid-February with Rosberg X Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, and Acciona Sainz’s Fraser McConnell and Laia Sanz sharing the round victories. The season is set to continue on July 13-14 at a location to be confirmed in Europe.
