Over the past few years, motorsport has been challenged as a sport around our sustainability credentials. This has been most prominent in the Rally community, specifically around forest rallying. Motorsport UK have spend considerable time working with the forestry bodies across the UK to showcase our efforts in this space and prove a genuine and authentic effort to meet Net Zero goals. 

Motorsport UK are pleased that we have recently achieved an extension to our Master Agreement with Natural Resources Wales and Forestry England to allow ongoing access to forestry land, while conversations continue with Forestry Land Scotland. This extension was thanks, in no small part, to the Sustainability Appendix complied by our Sustainability Team. The Sustainability Appendix lays out how our sport is going to embrace sustainability going forward. It also details how every Club that organises Rally events in the UK must adopt these practices by signing the Sustainable Rally Charter, a document that clearly sets out the expectations for Rally events over the next few years. 

In 2024, we will initially work with clubs who run events in the forest and those that run closed road rallies. 

Motorsport UK hosted a webinar on the 11th April to take Clubs through the Charter in greater details, including the interim targets to be achieved by the end of 2024. You can watch a recording of this webinar below. 

You can find a copy of the slides used in the webinar here.

It is important to recognise that many Clubs are already making great progress with their own sustainability activities – and for that we thank you – however Forestry Stakeholders for Rallying require us to demonstrate how the sport as a whole is going to play its part in moving towards a more sustainable existence.  The key take away is clear – without progressing this Sustainable Rally Charter, the access we have enjoyed over many, many years is at risk.  

We are certain that by using the Charter as a basis we can safeguard the sport we love and create a bright, and vibrant, future for the next generation. 

In order to sign up to the Sustainable Rally Charter, please contact rally@motorsportuk.org through the chair or secretary of the club to confirm your club agrees and sign the Sustainable Rally Charter. 

For those of you enquiring about how motorsport rules and regulations can lend themselves to be more sustainable please do know that sustainability is a standing item on every rally committee agenda. If you think of something you think should be discussed please email rally@motorsportuk.org so it can be raised during the committee.

For those of you asking for more sustainable materials and ideas around the sustainable infrastructure point. We will be putting together a directory over the coming months. If anyone has any particular areas they need support on or have recommendations please email sustainability@motorsportuk.org.