Access All AreasAscot Racecourse (cap. 70,000) has released its annual ‘Racing To Zero’ report, which details the achievements to date on its route to halving emissions by 2030 and aiming to achieve net-zero by 2040.
June 2023 saw the racecourse operate the Village Enclosure, situated in the centre of the racecourse, as a net-zero carbon emissions area at Royal Ascot. The Village Enclosure hosts approximately 20,000 racegoers across the three days it opens at the Royal Meeting and has seen year-on-year development having started with a single net-zero restaurant in 2022.
Ascot said it will change operations, collect data, analyse performance and educate in order to reduce carbon emissions at events throughout the year. The venue has also become a signatory of the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework.
All signatories are required to pledge at the head-of-organisation level to reach (net)-zero by 2040. Signatories are requested to proceed with action toward their climate goals, reflecting the urgency of rapid emissions reductions. To maintain signatory status, an annual public report must be published to demonstrate the work being undertaken and map the continued development of targets.
Jonathan Parker, managing director of 1711 by Ascot – Ascot’s catering division, said, “An enormous amount of research and planning has gone into this year’s net zero Village Enclosure at Royal Ascot as we build towards a sustainable future. True sustainability goes much further than recycling so we have adopted a sustainable approach that interrogates every aspect of the way we do business.”
View the 2022 Report in full here. The 2023 findings and results will be published in Q4.