Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 Tracks Carbon Emissions for First Time Using nZero to Set New Benchmarks for Future Professional Cycling Races

Measuring teams, suppliers, and vendors at this world sporting event, nZero identified nearly one-third of total event emissions were attributable to team travel to and from the event

UCI Pro Team Arkéa-Samsic (FR) was awarded the nZero Hero Team award, totaling the lowest carbon emissions of any participating cycling team at the Škoda Tour LuXembourg

RENO, Nev. and LUXEMBOURG, Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- nZero, the near real time (NRT) carbon data and sustainability platform that tracks and operationalizes energy, financial and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data to help organizations reach climate change goals, announces the results of its emissions report for the Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022. While bikes are thought of as a green mode of transportation, there are many factors involved in the planning and execution of large-scale cycling races that can have unseen – and unrealized – environmental impacts across all three emissions scopes. After tracking emissions across bike teams, suppliers, and vendors, nZero uncovered that the total GHG emissions for the five-day cycling event was 91.1 MT CO2e¹, which is equivalent to driving about 226,000 miles (363,712 km) in a passenger car, or 9 trips around the world.

"By becoming one of the first sporting events on the world stage to track carbon emissions and set transparent benchmarks and goals, Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 is leading the professional cycling industry and other major sporting competitions with a call for not just understanding our collective carbon footprint with more accurate data, but decreasing it and our overall climate impact," said Adam Kramer, CEO of nZero. "We applaud the Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 for using their race as a moment of progress for better, more sustainable large-scale event practices."

When examining the top source of emissions for the event, nearly one-third (32%) of the total event emissions are attributable to teams traveling to and from the event. However, when combining the travel impacts of vendors with the participating teams, and adding in GHG emissions generated during the event from all vehicles across race support, broadcasting, freighting of goods, and more, transportation rises to account for 85% of the total event GHG emissions. This highlights the importance of the type of transportation being used in such sporting events.

Impacts of Transportation
While the train was utilized for 13% of the total cycling team travel, it only accounted for 0.37% of total team travel emissions. This is due to the train's low carbon impact when compared to other, more carbon-intensive modes of transportation. For example, team trucks represented nearly a quarter (24%) of the travel emissions despite only being used for 9% of total travel. If the trucks operated on biodiesel, or were Electric Vehicles, that would provide significant emissions reductions.

To help encourage sustainable racing practices, nZero awarded the nZero Hero Team award to the cycling team that emitted the lowest level of carbon emissions. The inaugural award went to UCI Pro Team Arkéa-Samsic (FR), which conducted 61% of its travel to and from the event by train. This helped them reduce their total emissions by over 75% compared to traveling by air.

When looking at emissions from transportation at the event itself, one of the largest sources comes from the helicopters broadcasting the race, which accounts for 17% of transportation emissions and over 8% of the total event GHG emissions. Sourcing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to blend with traditional jet fuel in a 65-to-35 ratio could decrease helicopter emissions by up to 28% - or up to 2.26% of the total Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 event. Additionally, transitioning to drone technology would not only drive more substantial GHG emissions reductions, but would also considerably reduce the cost of the Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 overall.

"There can be no progress without first measuring the level at which you're currently operating, and that's the step we took with the race this year," said Andy Schleck, race director for the Škoda Tour LuXembourg. "While we had certain rules and avoided emissions initiatives in place, such as cyclists getting fined for discarding used water bottles on the course, we needed data so we can lower our footprint at a larger scale. nZero helped us track carbon emissions and our other eco-minded efforts and optimize race operations so that both the race organization and the cycling teams can work towards a more sustainable future."

Additional Observations

Alongside transportation observations, over 900 plastic bottles were diverted from the landfill through Škoda Tour LuXembourg's proactive waste management practices. Established waste zones along the road of the racetrack allowed racers to dispose of their waste in a dedicated location, with a volunteer team to ensure the proper disposal and recycling of the bottles.

While food emissions were not accounted for in total event emissions, separate analyses were completed that highlight opportunities to reduce them in future events. The Škoda Tour LuXembourg achieved an estimated 85% waste diversion rate for the catering vendor's waste due to the materials used to serve food in the VIP area. The vendor chosen to cater the VIP area proactively managed their climate impact through environmentally conscious decisions such as regionally sourcing menu items and donating any food surpluses. If VIP catering offered 15% more chicken dishes instead of the same percentage of beef dishes, it could have saved 33% of the 19.9 MT CO2e total food-related emissions.

To learn more about nZero, visit https://nzero.com/.

nZero is a near real-time (NRT) carbon data and sustainability platform that gives NGOs, government agencies and organizations the accurate emissions data they need to reach net zero, communicate their story, and make smart decisions that benefit the health of the planet. Unlike carbon management offerings who rely on third-party data and opaque averages, nZero gathers accurate, first-party, contextual data into a comprehensive view, making it simple for organizations to pinpoint opportunities within their operations to implement carbon reduction actions and spend smarter along the way. nZero's awards and recognitions include the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) Existing Industry 2022 "Leader in Sustainability" Award, Business Intelligence Group's 2022 Sustainability Product of the Year Award, a place on TIME Magazine's 2022 Best Inventions List in the Sustainability Category, as well as an honorable mention on Fast Company's 2022 World Changing Ideas List.

¹ This figure includes emissions from the event organization, its vendors and the cycling teams along with the emissions associated with traveling to and from the event. GHG emissions from spectators traveling to the event were not included in nZero calculations.

SOURCE nZero