The fight against single-use plastic will be high on the agenda in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, thanks to a pro-active partnership with AkzoNobel that will focus on plastic reduction in Race Villages around the globe.
The Race will work with AkzoNobel to focus on sustainability efforts in stopovers throughout the next edition, – with the objective of significantly reducing and eventually eliminating single-use plastics.
© Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race
In parallel, an education and awareness programme will be launched, aimed at inspiring future generations and empowering them to act positively on marine litter.
AkzoNobel, the Dutch-based global paint and coatings company, puts sustainability at the heart of everything it does.
The company, which is also the title sponsor of team AkzoNobel in the 2017-18 race, is committed to making all of its products, services and partnerships as sustainable as possible – and has pledged to be carbon neutral and use 100% renewable energy in its own operations by 2050.
It makes perfect sense for us to support the fantastic Volvo Ocean Race sustainability programme being put together for the next race
André Veneman
“Our involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race and the participation of team AkzoNobel are a perfect fit with our Planet Possible sustainability strategy,” explained André Veneman, AkzoNobel’s Corporate Director of Sustainability.
“There’s a fundamental link between the sustainability goals of the race itself and our own efforts to achieve radical resource efficiency, such as offering sustainable and innovative products to customers that provide a positive social and environmental impact. So it makes perfect sense for us to support the fantastic Volvo Ocean Race sustainability programme being put together for the next race.”
AkzoNobel’s long association with the sea means the company is already playing a key role in helping to protect the world’s oceans. For example, it’s estimated that the Intersleek range supplied through the International brand has helped to save $3 billion of fuel and 32 million tons of CO2 since being introduced 21 years ago.
AkzoNobel also runs a successful Human Cities project, which sees cities around the globe revitalised using products under the AkzoNobel brand.
“We create everyday essentials that make lives more liveable and inspiring. We need help to keep cities ‘liveable’ and to have people come together regardless of ethnicity or religion, so we revitalise them – sometimes favelas, sometimes public spaces, sometimes heritage buildings,” said Annemieke Kievit, Head of Public Affairs and Human Cities at AkzoNobel.
“We just ran the numbers for last year, we improved the lives of 9 million people in one year already with our projects.”
She added: “One of our oldest projects is the Santa Marta favela in Brazil – a project where we train young people to become painters and we paint the houses in the community. The area has actually become a tourist attraction, so there are people now that are not just painters, it has improved their livelihood, they have started little businesses little restaurants, guiding people around.
“We also have a coatings division that has built a ‘bridge of hope’ between two villages in Indonesia that were disconnected because of the rising water; there’s a city leaks project in Germany where we beautify the city with murals with local artists and local citizens, brightening up their city – and many more examples.”
“The Volvo Ocean Race is a brand and sporting event with a very beautiful and adventurous human story which touches the heart of many people – and we really wanted to be a part of that.”
