Our planet is changing rapidly and we are in danger of sleepwalking into a future that none of us want. Many quotes have attempted to sum up the situation, but I like Barack Obama’s pithy remark: “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it”.
I like it because it recognises the problem, creates a sense of responsibility and urgency but importantly gives us hope that we can change the outcome. There are many interconnected things that we need to combat. Water usage and management, waste and pollution, biodiversity and conservation, poverty, hunger and food security, and of course climate change to name some of the big-ticket items.
However, in this column I am going to focus on climate change, as whilst all of the above need addressing urgently, it is often climate change that is at the root of many of the issues. Climate change leads to violent storms or droughts and disrupts food production. Climate change often drives the availability of water. Climate change alters habitats and puts even more pressure on biodiversity, exacerbating other man-made actions such as deforestation and over-exploitation of resources.
There are three levels at which action must be taken, namely individual, organisational and governmental.
Individually, we ultimately make the difference. It is our relatively recent fixation with having or consuming ‘stuff’ that is the root cause of so many of our issues. Small individual changes taken at a population level add up to massive effects. Changing how we eat, travel, use energy and water and generally buy or consume is the real key. If everyone reading these words makes one impactful change, this would have been worth the carbon footprint of printing and distributing this magazine. If not, I’ve just added to the problem!
At an organisational level, we can make further huge inroads by ensuring whatever service we provide or goods we make is done ever more efficiently with a lower carbon footprint.
At a governmental or global level, setting the right laws and policies – and acting on them – will further accelerate progress.
So how are we doing as an industry? I would say that we can and must do better. There are some encouraging signs, such as the BHA commissioning a report by White Griffin and following up with a permanent appointment of Katie Carr to co-ordinate efforts. Numerous racecourses have net zero commitments, a hugely positive stride, and here at the TBA, supported by the Racing Foundation and individual breeders, we commissioned ADAS to help us develop and launch a carbon calculator tool for stud farms. This allows us to measure our carbon footprint hotspots and take action accordingly.
However, as an industry that uses huge amounts of energy, water, feed, fuel and fertiliser, our actions overall are at a pace and a level that will not be good enough either to be in the vanguard of fighting climate change or indeed in keeping up with likely legislation or public opinion in this area.
The thoroughbred industry is already well-positioned to excel in this area, being considerable landowners with low chemical input grassland management, including a large volume of woodlands and hedgerows, which store carbon, create habitats for wildlife and offer the space for renewable energy sources. The sector should embrace this opportunity to be leaders and high achievers in this area.
We need to come together to enthusiastically agree a vision and plan with a genuine desire to put racing and breeding of racehorses at the forefront of change for the better. We then need to take collective and individual action in support of this plan. The fact that we do not have this agreed makes us laggards in the world of sport.
In an industry that already faces many challenges, allocating sufficient time can be difficult. However, apart from a moral obligation to act, done well it can be a solution to attract sufficient numbers of young people for our industry to grow and thrive.
Younger people are generally more aware, concerned and discriminating in this area. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children” – words that should guide those of us in privileged positions of leadership or influence to make the right decisions. As the last generation able to act before irreversible damage is done, we simply must do better.
