The three top teams of Season 3’s Impact League have heralded this season’s evolution of the sustainability championship.
Key changes that will supercharge the Impact League this season include a refreshed scoring criteria and the introduction of an all-star cast of judges. A number of scoring criteria surrounding waste, fuel consumption and travel, are now being considered ‘business as usual’.
Instead, teams will be challenged further by four new scoring areas judged by the expert panel and overseen by an independent adjudicator. These cover topics such as inclusion, climate action, zero waste and driving gender equity.
Emirates GBR strategist Hannah Mills said the changes would result in ‘bigger, widespread impact’.
“The big change is there’s now four much bigger project areas for the teams to focus on. We are trying to go for bigger projects that have more impact rather than focusing so much on the smaller details because all teams are fulfilling those as normal practice now,” she said.
Strategist of Season 3 Impact League champions ROCKWOOL Denmark, Katja Salskov-Iversen agreed, arguing the changes will take the Impact League ‘to new levels’ in Season 4.
“Last season had more of a focus on small behavioral changes – and I don't think that the shift in focus means that those things aren't important anymore, but instead that all teams have reached a level where they are hitting those targets consistently, so we can start to look at bigger opportunities,” she said.
New Zealand athlete Josh Junior added that SailGP would drive ‘more impact across larger, more strategic focus areas’ in Season 4.
Looking ahead to the Season 4 championship, Mills said the team would be creating ‘working groups’ to focus on each area, while pursuing greater collaboration with partners.
She pointed to Emirates GBR’s partnership with Low Carbon, which will result in the installation of a ‘full solar HQ’ to the team base in Season 4. This, she added, will consist of 32 solar panels on the roof top the base, with the aim of ‘taking our race operations off-grid’.
Both New Zealand and ROCKWOOL Denmark said they would also be placing a great focus on collaboration to give them the edge in the Season 4 Impact League.
“As a team, we’re here to win - and the revamped Impact League allows us to explore new ways to drive real action alongside our charity partner, Live Ocean.”
Salskov-Iversen meanwhile said the team is already working through ideas with both ROCKWOOL and One Ocean Foundation. “It comes back to collaboration,” she said. “We each have different interests, skills and passions, so we are working with other teams, the organization, and also third parties to see how we can combine those to make the perfect formula!”
