With its close links to road vehicle manufacturers, the European Truck Racing Association (ETRA) says its latest strategic plan will focus on safety, sustainability and the shortage of professional truck drivers. The series has also committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
2021 will see a major focus on sustainability transition, with the commitment to the Paris Agreement being the first stage in this process. Across its operation, ETRA says it has worked jointly with its shareholder and the FIA to develop and plan strategies and actions to ensure it can meet its commitments and work with stakeholders including teams, event organizers and partners and the global sports community to combat climate change.
“We want to take the championship to the next level and be at the forefront of the industry with our clear objective: we want to become the leading platform for sustainable technologies in the road haulage industry on and off the racetrack,” said ETRA MD Georg Fuchs.
A significant step in ETRA’s sustainability drive is the introduction of biofuel to the championship in the 2021 season, making it the first FIA-regulated competition to switch to a fuel fully originated from renewable sources (HVO biofuel). Further details about the supplier, the HVO biofuel, its characteristics and benefits will be released in due course.
“We have worked on this topic for a long time with our shareholder, the FIA and our partners, and even though we were slightly disrupted by the pandemic last year, we are delighted to now set the wheels in motion with tangible actions in the coming weeks and months,” added Fuchs.
The series will also expand its efforts in promoting some of the key challenges in the truck and road haulage industry – not least the shortage of professional truck drivers across Europe – through its #onetruckfamily initiative.
“We have a great platform and it’s our responsibility to utilize it to drive change,” continued Fuchs. “We will adopt a leading approach to accommodate technical developments in the industry while maintaining our unique and beloved character of racing excitement with a strong attachment to our fans. If we can show that new developments work reliably in the extreme conditions of racing, it will help people understand and accept new technologies.”
