OCTOBER 22, 2009

FIA Institute to launch enironmental division

The FIA meetings in Paris have resulted in a significant expansion of the FIA Institute to include not just safety issues but also questions of motor sport sustainability as well.

The FIA meetings in Paris have resulted in a significant expansion of the FIA Institute to include not just safety issues but also questions of motor sport sustainability as well. The Institute will now promote research into sustainability, providing information and guidance on the best environmental practices, procedures and technologies. The aim is for this programme to include aspects of vehicle design and technology, infrastructure management, emissions monitoring and control, environmental education, carbon offsetting programmes, energy optimisation and storage, and the preservation of the natural environment.

"There is no doubt that eco-technology and issues of sustainability have become an essential part of motor sport," says Professor Sid Watkins, the FIA Institute President. "In future, professional championships will embrace a more sustainable means of racing. This decision was unanimously adopted by the FIA Institute's General Assembly at our annual meeting today. It follows the unanimous recommendation made by the FIA Institute Executive in June to change its statutes to bring sustainability into its sphere of activity."

The FIA Institute will support the training of officials, circuit and race personnel in environmental procedures and practices. It will also encourage environmental education and awareness of participants, officials and members of the public at international motor sport events, and monitor motor sport and motoring environmental trends in order to identify research and regulation priorities.

Expanding its remit to investigate issues surrounding the environment is seen to be a natural progression for the FIA Institute. It is funded by an annual grant from the FIA Foundation, which already focuses on both safety and sustainability in mobility. The FIA recently created the Environmentally Sustainable Motor Sport Commission (ESMSC), specifically tasked with developing policy to promote sustainable motor sport.

The Institute has various heads of different research and educational programmes and its staff includes former F1 designer Peter Wright, who acts as a technical advisor.