British racing’s leaders have commissioned an initial assessment of the sport’s progress on environmental sustainability

A new environmental sustainability project aims to build a clearer overall picture of current environmental activities and expertise across racing and breeding to help support and inform the industry’s long-term planning. It is important to find out what is already being done and where there is room to go further and how the industry would undertake such work. The project will also identify sustainability issues, risks and opportunities for racing in relation to climate change and help the industry plan for evidence-based solutions. 

The project has been initiated and funded by The Racing Foundation and will be delivered by White Griffin. The company will work closely with industry representatives from the BHA, Horsemen’s Group and RCA. The project will start immediately with the team completing an initial scoping exercise and then, in January 2022 will move into a wider industry engagement phase. 

The key project objectives are:

• To review British racing’s current progress on environmental sustainability, building an understanding of current and planned activities
• Identify the main sustainability issues, risks, and opportunities for British racing, including potential scenarios and timeframes
• Present an initial assessment of where issues might remain the responsibility of individual organisations/businesses, or where collective action may be necessary
• Make a series of recommendations about what steps racing could take to start embedding environmental sustainability in its overarching industry and individual business strategies.

Brant Dunshea, BHA Chief Regulatory Officer and Project Executive Sponsor, said: “Climate change and sustainability are major challenges for our sport, given how dependent we are on the environment, transportation, and the use of essential resources.

“There is a real opportunity here for British racing to lead progress in this area, taking positive action to find effective solutions to the challenges we face – and crucially grasp some of the opportunities.

“This foundation research will help us do this by measuring where we are now, plus where there’s scope to go further, either as individual organisations and businesses, or collectively through an industry-wide strategy.”

Ruth Dancer, Director of White Griffin, added: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the racing industry on this project. Racing is unique as a sport in terms of its relationship with the environment, so this is a really exciting area, with huge potential.

“Working closely with individuals and businesses from across the industry, we will explore the existing expertise and enthusiasm within racing, gather information about ongoing activities, and make recommendations on where there’s potential for further action.”