Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
Tue 07 October 2008 13:25:03
By Cameron Kelleher
Knut Frostad, the Volvo Ocean Race CEO delivered a keynote address to the Global Forum for Sport and Environment (G-ForSE) at the Alicante Congress Centre this week.
Organised every two years by the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP), the forum provides a platform for reviewing sports’ impact on and contribution to the environment.
Representatives from major global sports organisations and venues including the Olympic Games, FIFA (football’s world governing body) the International Amateur Athletics, FIM (International Motorcycling Federation), Triple Crown Surfing Championship, the Tokyo Dome, were gathered at the congress sponsored by Volvo.
Leif Johansson, President and CEO of Volvo Group also addressed the gathering while a number of delegates visited the Alicante race village and spent time on the water witnessing the Volvo Open 70s in full flight.
During his presentation Frostad highlighted how the Volvo Ocean Race is uniquely placed to make a significant contribution to environmental awareness as the race fleet travels the globe.
“At the Volvo Ocean Race we realize that we need to take our environmental management seriously,” he said.
“The knowledge, respect and understanding of the purest and most environmentally-friendly energy sources we have, are what this race is all about – the waves, current and the wind.
“The respect for the environment is the fundamental basis for a sailing race around the world. Pollution and waste is a major concern for all of us,” he added.
Frostad reiterated that the Volvo Ocean Race will undergo a thorough environmental audit in partnership with risk management specialists DNV (Det Norske Veritas).
DNV Software has created a custom-built Environmental Performance System (EPS). The programme will cover all elements of the race – the event organisation, sponsors, the teams and their boats.
In addition, the onboard media crew members (MCM) are involved in the environmental programme as part of their duties are centred on a water-sampling programme run in conjunction with race partner Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.
The MCMs will take a sea water sample and test it with a ‘Luminometer’. The results are recorded along with air temperature, cloud cover, water temperature and the GPS position of the boat.
The data is transmitted to Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Goteborg laboratory where it will form part of an international study on the discharge of ballast water from ships.
“The media crew member will not only document the race and the human drama on board, but also the sailors’ reflections, opinions an observations of the environment as they race around the planet,” he said.
“We still have work to do to make improvements to our boats, our transport, our events programme and race villages before we can talk about being a sustainable sports event, but that is our aim.”