Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Program Recognized

The groundbreaking work to address the impact plastic is having on our marine environment has been recognized with two awards.

At the prestigious international Beyond Sport Awards, in New York, the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race program won in ‘The Best Corporate Campaign or Initiative in Sport for Good” category.

The judges commended the program for its ‘fantastic use of a global platform to spread an important message around the danger of plastic pollution’. They also commented on how the campaign encouraged young people to become climate activists and used robust scientific research.

Working to promote the UN Clean Seas campaign and through a range of communication channels the message reached millions of people during race stopovers and many more through media and online platforms.

Meanwhile, in Boston, the New England Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected the Volvo Ocean Race’s Newport Stopover Team to receive an Environmental Merit Award in recognition of the race’s exceptional work and commitment to the environment.

Anne-Cecile Turner, Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Program Leader, said: “We set out with the ambition to engender positive behavior change to tackle the plastic crisis affecting our oceans. As a global sporting event we have minimized our own footprint and educated and empowered the millions of people the race touched.

“By working with a range of supportive and inspirational partners we were able to realize our ambitions and leave a lasting legacy for ocean health and are thrilled this has been recognized by Beyond Sport and the EPA.

“We will continue to lead, inspire and engage through an even stronger program, combining sailing and innovation platforms to create real and tangible impacts for ocean preservation.”

The program saw the Volvo Ocean Race work in partnership with Founding Principal Sustainability Partner 11th Hour Racing, Principal Partner the Mirpuri Foundation and the UN Environment’s #CleanSeas campaign.

Todd McGuire, 11th Hour Racing Program Director, commented: “Being shortlisted for the Beyond Sport Awards is an incredible recognition and honor. We wish to congratulate Volvo Ocean Race for their outstanding work and for successfully implementing such a powerful campaign to promote positive change. We believe in the power of sport, and much like brands have used sport to market their products, we see this arena as a unique opportunity to gather large crowds around environmental issues.

“Working with our other main partners, Volvo, AkzoNobel, Bluewater, Stena Recycling and Ocean Family Foundation, the program aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

“The Volvo Ocean Race enabled us to showcase in real-life at each Volvo Ocean Race stopover how Bluewater is already today turning words into action to deliver sustainable drinking water to people and businesses in heartily populated urban environments regardless of the quality of the water source,” said Anders Jacobson, President and chief strategy officer at Bluewater.

To advance science by combining it with sailing, an expert scientific consortium, funded by Volvo Cars, used cutting edge technology to build state of the art equipment that would capture the most relevant ocean data.

Stuart Templar, Vice President, Internal Communications & Sustainability, Volvo Cars, said: “Volvo Cars is delighted that the Volvo Ocean Race Science Program has been recognized by the Beyond Sports Awards. We’re proud to have supported the Program and help promote understanding, awareness and action on the global problem of marine plastic pollution.

“It’s also encouraged us to make strong commitments including removing single use plastic from our restaurants, events and offices, as well as aiming to ensure that from 2025 at least 25% of the plastic in newly launched Volvo will contain recycled material. The Volvo Ocean Race has set the standard for other major sporting events to follow in terms of practicing and promoting sustainability. We look forward to supporting the further development of the Sustainability Program.”

The Turn the Tide on Plastic boat, supported by Sky Ocean Rescue, alongside Team AkzoNobel’s boat, collected seawater samples that were tested by race scientists for microplastics as well as levels of salinity, dissolved CO2 and algae. The findings were uploaded ‘open source’ to benefit scientific understanding of the plastic threat.

Convening a series of Ocean Summits and workshops, at key host cities, the problems linked to our seas were discussed by key influencers, such as politicians, scientists and business leaders, and innovative solutions proposed to shift current thinking and drive action. An education program and race village activations also broadened the sustainability message to a wider audience.

Paulo Mirpuri, President and Founder of the Mirpuri Foundation, said: “We are extremely proud of the great work developed by our team over the last 12 month and its huge impact to tackle the horrific plastic problem that is challenging our oceans. The Beyond Sport Award honors both the Volvo Ocean Race and the Mirpuri Foundation sustainability teams.”

Lisa Emelia Svensson, Director for Ocean, at the UN Environment, added: “This award shows what we can achieve together. Sport is a fantastic way to engage people all over the work across sectors, culture and genders. We will build on this achievement and continue with our innovative partnership to drive action and real change.”

The annual Merit Award, presented in Boston, recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources.

Source: Volvo Ocean Race