The Giro d’Italia is gearing up for climate action
A race impacted by extreme weather events
Four days before the start of the 2023 Giro, Italy was battling torrential rain. With 6 months’ worth of rain falling over 36 hours, the north of Italy was facing its worst flooding in 100 years.
Emilia-Romagna was one of the most impacted regions, with 15 people losing their lives and tens of thousands being evacuated from their homes.
The peloton passed through Emilia-Romagna for the individual time trial of Stage 9 and left for Stage 10 only 48 hours before the area was impacted by the deadly floods.
Formula 1 cancelled their 2023 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, and questions were starting to be raised about suspending the 2023 Giro.
With almost every stage impacted by severe rain and wind, the riders' safety could not be guaranteed due to dangerous conditions on the roads and rising illness amongst the peloton.
Mads Pederson, who had won stage 6, abandoned the race after falling ill, and Tao Geoghegan, one of the favourites, was forced to abandon the Giro after crashing on a wet road.
These extreme weather events raised questions about how races such as the Giro d’Italia can adapt to the physical effects of climate change and drive mitigation efforts.
The Giro’s waste management efforts
Since 2016, the Giro has implemented Ride Green, a sustainability project that aims to reduce the race's environmental impact through efficient waste management.
Waste generated throughout the race is collected at strategic points with the help of volunteers and local companies before being sent for recycling.
In the 2023 edition, 83% of the waste produced throughout the different stages was sorted and sent for recycling.
Through this initiative, the organizers intend to divert waste from landfills and raise spectators' awareness of the environmental impact of waste generation.
Building a legacy of sustainability
Following the 2023 edition, the Giro d’Italia released its first Legacy Report, disclosing its environmental impact and ambitions to drive positive social and environmental change.
“What is the fundamental reason and purpose why the Giro d'Italia exists? And above all, what remains of a great cycling event after the last stage has been run, and the last pink jersey has been awarded? In short, what is the legacy that the Giro d'Italia wants to leave over time?”
As part of this report, the Giro calculated the emissions related to travel throughout the race. With over 800 vehicles, helicopters, and planes involved, 1,184,325 kg of CO2e were released in 2023.
7.5% of those emissions were attributable to 3 helicopters used for filming, and 36.7% were linked to the transportation of the 22 racing teams.
For this year’s edition of the Corsa Rosa, organisers have committed to:
Sharing sustainability guidelines with sponsors and suppliers to select lower-carbon materials, packaging and merchandise
Undertaking preliminary analysis of sites passed throughout the weeks of racing to mitigate negative impacts on ecosystems
Contributing to the circular economy and increasing the Giro’s resilience to climate change will require involving suppliers, teams, and fans in creating waves of climate action.
