Motorsport as an engine in sustainability

Racing and motoring need each other. That message was clear when the Swedish Royal Automobile Club (KAK) and Swedish Automobile Sports Federation arranged a joint seminar in the Swedish Parliament on sustainability.

At a well-attended seminar with members of parliament from several parties, representatives from KAK and the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation presented their cooperation regarding environmental and sustainability issues.

The two parties both encourage and need each other; For example, motoring and the automotive industry benefit greatly from the technological development in sport. Car racing, for its part, is dependent on what happens in motoring and needs the knowledge that exists within clubs such as KAK and others who have a great interest in the car.

At the seminar, KAK presented the club's environmental policy and the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation exemplified with concrete sustainability measures that the sport contributes with.

-Since its foundation in 1903, KAK has promoted the "healthy development of motoring". We, KAK and the sport, have in common that we like cars, which of course forms the very basis of what we do. We also agree that we welcome more sustainable technology development, safer vehicles and the elimination of emissions – an area where we are active and try to be at the forefront. KAK has long pointed to the importance of motor sport for technology development as the arena where new technology is in demand, tested and exposed to fierce competition. In our environmental policy we elaborate how we intend to intensify our efforts on showing the positive effects this transformation is bound to have on both individual mobility and the environment. This is one of several reasons why our cooperation is important, said Anders Ydstedt, chairman of KAK's Expert Council.

The fact that car racing is an important part of Swedish sport is no secret, but that it also is at the forefront of Swedish sport's environmental and sustainability work, too few people know.

-Unfortunately, we are fighting against prejudices that car racing is noisy and bad for the environment, when in fact we are driving green development forward. This applies both here in Sweden and internationally. Without, for example, Formula 1, a billion-dollar industry, we would not have had electric cars or fossil-free fuels. Our Swedish racetracks are also excellent examples of how the sport and careful maintenance of the nature goes hand in hand. Then, of course, the sport is also dependent on good roads and a functioning private car, so here we benefit from the cooperation with KAK, which has been pushing these issues for a long time, said Anna Nordkvist, Secretary General of the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation and FIA Vice President Sport Europe.

The presentation prompted several questions from the MPs present and the discussion showed that they gained both increased knowledge and an increased interest in the contribution of motoring and car sport to sustainability work, as well as their role as societal actors.

Both the Swedish Royal Automobile Club (KAK) and the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation are members of the FIA, which is the international umbrella organization for car and motorsport clubs. The FIA rests on two legs, sport and mobility, with KAK belonging to the latter. Since FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem took office just over a year ago, he has encouraged the member clubs to strengthen the cooperation between sport and mobility. The collaboration between KAK and the Swedish Car Sports Federation is an example of how such cooperation provides good synergies.

For more information, please contact:

Anders Ydstedt, Chairman of KAK's Expert Council, anders.ydstedt@kak.se

Anna Nordkvist, Secretary General of the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation and FIA Vice President Sport Europe, anna.nordkvist@sbf.se