25 Mar Alicante Port of Departure’s best practices avoided the emission of 3,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere

This initiative to reduce the carbon footprint is aligned with the commitment to sustainability of the Generalitat Valenciana and The Ocean Race

The volume of emissions is equivalent to the impact generated by a car filling its fuel tank 21,000 times.

Alicante, Saturday, March 25, 2023.- The technology company Creast, specializing in environmental consultancy in the entertainment sector, estimates that the implementation of good environmental practices by the global event Alacant Port of Departure of The Ocean Race Round the World Yacht Race, held last January, avoided the emission of almost 3,000 tons (Tn) of CO2eq into the atmosphere. This volume is equivalent to the emissions generated by a car filling up its fuel tank more than 21,000 times.

This report on the environmental impact of the event is the result of a collaboration agreement between Creast and the Generalitat Valenciana, organizer of the event through the Department of Innovation and the Society of Projects for Digital Transformation (SPTD). It is worth remembering the commitment to sustainability of the Generalitat and the organization of The Ocean Race itself, which is particularly sensitive to the health of the oceans.

Creast measured the impact of the installation and development of all the sporting venues and various activities, such as concerts, workshops and shows during the global event at Piers 10, 12 and 14 of the Port of Alicante, on the occasion of the start of the legendary regatta.

For this purpose, the technology company made a calculation of its scopes 1, 2 and 3, and took into account all the preparation, assembly, event and disassembly activities. It also followed the GHG protocol that uses the official factors of MITECO and UNFCCC.

One of the most relevant measures was the contracting of local suppliers, which made it possible to reduce emissions in mobility and strengthen the local economy, resulting in a reduction of 24 T CO2eq. The effort to offer vegetarian options in almost a quarter of the menus offered was another great achievement that resulted in a reduction of 8 T CO2eq.

In addition, the use of LED lighting in the concerts, reusable polypropylene cups, the replacement of pyrotechnics with a drone show and the use of materials with sustainability certificates for the children’s workshops were also noteworthy.

Finally, taking into account that a large part of the emissions in an event of these characteristics come from the attendees, the accessibility of the city of Alicante, which has a high-speed train, airport and easy connection by highways, made it possible to avoid the emission of 2,800 Tn CO2eq that would have been emitted if the city did not have these possibilities.

The Councilor for Innovation, Josefina Bueno, has highlighted “the good conditions established by the organization of Alicante Port of Departure in terms of infrastructure, which have allowed a reduction of the carbon footprint by 30%”.

In this sense, she also referred to the fact that “Alicante is very well positioned in transport and mobility services and infrastructures to host large events and to the commitment to “local talent”, with a majority of suppliers coming from the Alicante area, which is the 1st standard in sustainability”.

Likewise, Josefina Bueno has highlighted the “role of new technologies, which have had a prominent presence in this edition, and have led to a reduction of the footprint of 49% in energy aspects”.

The report concludes that it is thanks to Alicante’s infrastructure and climate, the city’s suppliers and professionals and, of course, the organization of STPD that Alicante Port of Departure for The Ocean Race Round the World Yacht Race is positioned as a leading event in terms of sustainability in the sporting sector.

“We are very grateful for the interest and commitment to make an event of these dimensions, a more sustainable human activity than is traditionally customary in these cases. There are still challenges that will motivate us to do even better in future editions, but we have already started a path on which we hope to continue advancing. The work developed by the organization is inspiring,” says Eduardo Viéitez, CEO of Creast.