NASCAR Embraces Sustainable Development: Partners with EPA

For many, NASCAR is emblematic of American patriotism.

And it has long been recognized as a champion of technological innovation. 

So while it might come as a bit of a surprise that the stock car auto racing world would officially commit itself to promoting sustainable business practices, this might be described as simply the next positive and logical step in the sport’s evolution.

NASCAR events are truly a wildly entertaining community event, and it is through their incredibly loyal fan base and supply chains that NASCAR hopes to motivate green behaviors.

The following press release was issued on May 21, 2012 that announced NASCAR’s new partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to advance green, sustainable development within and outside of auto racing:

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) signed an agreement to raise awareness of environmentally friendly products and solutions to address America’s environmental challenges. Today’s memorandum of understanding provides NASCAR with EPA technical assistance and environmental expertise, using EPA programs like Design for the Environment and the Economy, Energy and Environment (E3) framework, to help protect Americans’ health and the environment.

“Because NASCAR is followed by millions of passionate fans and many businesses, it can be a powerful platform to raise environmental awareness, drive the adoption of safer products by more Americans, and support the growing green economy,” said Jim Jones, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). “The EPA and NASCAR partnership attests to the progress NASCAR has already made on environmental stewardship through greener fuel choices and multiple recycling initiatives for waste and automotive fluids, and highlights opportunities to further these efforts.” (Read more…)

Tina Casey wrote a very exciting article today for TriplePundit.com, describing the new initiative:

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to encourage its fans and its supply chain to support innovative green products and sustainable business strategies. NASCAR officials signed on to a memorandum of understanding with EPA earlier this week, committing the organization to promote public awareness of “environmentally friendly products and solutions to address America’s environmental challenges.”

The new partnership supports the President Obama’s recently announced National Bioeconomy Blueprint, which is designed to uncouple economic growth from dependency on fossil fuels, petrochemicals and other hazardous substances. In return, EPA will lend its technical assistance to help NASCAR implement and promote the agency’s business-friendly Design for the Environment and Economy, Energy, Environment programs.

NASCAR and the green transition

The new partnership may seem like the quintessential Odd Couple pairing but it will not come as a surprise to many NASCAR fans. Embracing new green products and practices is a natural progression for the sport, which has been a technology innovator since its inception.

While the sport may continue to burn petroleum products at a furious rate for the foreseeable future, that could be more than offset both by the sustainability-related actions of NASCAR venues and their supply chains, by drivers and their sponsors, and by  fans who are motivated to make green choices by the changes they encounter at the racetrack.

NASCAR and green technology

NASCAR held a “Green Summit” last year in Miami, Florida on November 17th. Additionally, last month, NASCAR highlighted Ford’s new Focus EV by using it to set the pace at the Sprint Cup 400 series at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia.

Aside from adding interest for fans, the transition to green technologies and sustainable business practices enables NASCAR venues to boost their bottom line. Raceways on the NASCAR circuit are already beginning to adopt LEED energy efficiency standards to cut utility bills and some are installing their own solar arrays as owners seek to squeeze more revenue from vast stretches of shade-free parking lots. (Read more…)

 

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