Extreme E and EY publish Season 3 Sustainability Report, recording 8.2 per cent carbon footprint reduction as female-male performance gap continues to narrow

• Season 3 Sustainability Report reveals 8.2 per cent fall in overall carbon footprint
• Average female-male performance gap closed by 51 per cent since Season 1: now just 1.5 seconds
• EY continues as Official Sustainability Partner for second consecutive season

Continuing to race the series’ ODYSSEY 21 off-road electric vehicles and leveraging solar and green hydrogen energy, the report reveals that the racing series maintained its carbon-neutral status and reduced its overall carbon footprint by 8.2 per cent. 

EY teams calculated that 8,301 tCO2-e was emitted during Season 3 – down from 9,045 tCO2-e across Season 2 – despite travelling further afield and holding double-header races at each X Prix.

This achievement is supported by Extreme E’s motorsport industry-leading race site infrastructure, which is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, including the use of green hydrogen in remote locations produced by ENOWA’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell System. The series also employed innovative waste management procedures, engaged regional suppliers, and sourced food and drink locally for each X Prix race event.

The report also reveals that the Season 3 female-male performance gap has closed by an average of 51 per cent since Season 1, with the average gap now just 1.5 seconds, proving that the rate of progression for female drivers is advanced by gaining equal access to track time and performance development. 

Accelerating gender equality remains a key objective for Extreme E, with each racing team represented by one female and one male driver and nearly 50 per cent female representation across the entire workforce. This is further reflected in the series’ audience make-up, with the split between male and female viewers at 66 per cent to 34 per cent, compared with 71 per cent to 29 per cent last season.

Dr. Matthew Bell, EY Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, said: “Extreme E remains a powerful example of how a business can be successfully reimagined as a more sustainable model. Reflecting on the Season 3 report, I am thrilled that EY will continue as Extreme E’s Official Sustainability Partner. EY teams’ knowledge, capabilities and insight around climate change and sustainability, linked with Extreme E’s passion to constantly create lasting impact, means that this collaboration is underpinned by a strong sense of shared purpose.

“Ultimately, the report shows that the racing series is going from strength to strength, with its carbon footprint falling. This serves the broader ambition of promoting awareness around the planet’s climate crisis and leaving a more sustainable future for tomorrow’s generation.”

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “It is incredible that we have now completed three seasons of Extreme E. The pace of the journey we have been on since launching has been extraordinary and we are creating an exciting motorsport championship which will leave a long-lasting legacy, not just on track but off it, too. Our latest Sustainability Report with EY represents those efforts, with strong progress once more in our sustainability and legacy initiatives to deliver a global racing championship with minimal environmental impact. 

“We were a first in motorsport when we launched our gender-equal sporting format. EY teams’ calculations detailed in this latest report illustrate the importance of providing a greater platform for women to demonstrate their talents behind the wheel. The 51 per cent reduction in the average male-female performance gap in just three seasons marks great progress and proves our format is a success, but there is still more we can do. 

“We are thrilled to have EY as our Official Sustainability Partner once again for 2024. Their continued commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission to create a better planet through sport.”

Cristina Gutiérrez, NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team driver, added: “I dreamt of being a driver in Extreme E because I understood the importance of the championship and I knew there were many other aspects including equality. As a woman in motorsport, Extreme E has given us confidence and it has provided so many opportunities since I started competing in the series. I think I have definitely grown a lot as a driver since the beginning, so I think Extreme E is giving us a great platform.

“I think the Sustainability Report is really important for Extreme E. It’s very nice that we can share many things like the competition and the adrenaline on track, but also focus on sustainability off it, through taking care of nature and trying to understand the problems around the world. 

“At each event we learn more about the environmental problems. I think it’s a big opportunity for us to discover these issues and try to educate people about them through social media, our communities, and explain to people the problems that we have found affecting our planet.”

Reinforcing its commitment to help minimise the environmental impact at each remote race location, Extreme E announced in February that EY will continue as the racing series’ Official Sustainability Partner. During Season 4, EY will again run both prior and post-racing impact assessments, calculating emissions and supporting shared ambitions around creating a positive legacy while championing diversity, equality, and inclusiveness.

Throughout Season 3, EY has collaborated with Extreme E to develop an Outcome Measurement Framework (OMF) for the racing series’ Legacy Programme partners. Through this initiative, organisations have been supported to articulate their impact through the development of reporting procedures that are relevant to programme objectives, as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Devised in Season 3, the OMF will continue to help Extreme E make informed decisions that facilitate sustainable and long-term impact across all racing locations. 

Extreme E Season 4 continues in July as the racing series heads to Europe. Find out more about how EY and Extreme E are working together, and access the full Season 3 Sustainability Report here.