The Hungarian round of the European Rally Championship, Rally Hungary, has received a prestigious accolade from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for its achievements in sustainability and environmental protection.
According to the organizers’ announcement on Tuesday, environmental protection, eco-conscious thinking, and sustainability are gaining increasing emphasis in both automobile and motorsports. This trend is also reflected in the FIA’s environmental accreditation programme, established in 2011. Starting from 2023, Rally Hungary set a goal to improve the event’s environmental performance, which was so successful that it received the FIA’s two-star rating (three stars being the maximum) in 2024, making it the first event in Hungary to achieve this recognition.
Rally Hungary has committed to tasks such as selective waste collection, promoting the use of public transport, striving for energy conservation, protecting rivers, lakes, and endangered areas, excluding discrimination, and ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements.
The organizers highlighted that Rally Hungary aims to achieve a three-star rating.
By measuring environmental impacts, including water, soil, air, and noise pollution, as well as the organization’s carbon emissions and waste production, Rally Hungary has set 3–5 year goals to reduce environmental pollution and emissions.
President of the National Automobilsport Federation of Hungary (MNASZ) Zoltán Szujó emphasized the importance of motorsports contributing to the fight for sustainability. ‘The FIA not only evaluates events but also its member organizations. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that MNASZ has also started making changes to obtain environmental certification from the international federation,’ he explained.
Balázs Weingartner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HUMDA Hungarian Mobility Development Agency Ltd, part of the Széchenyi University Group, opined that their work in the green mobility field excellently complements their efforts for domestic rallying. ‘The FIA’s two-star environmental rating is an encouraging confirmation of the complex work we are doing. It is also an excellent proof that we are on the right path, and perhaps we can attract new fans with this achievement,’ he added.
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