Organizers of the UCI Road World Championships in Flanders in 2021 released a detailed sustainability report (opens in new tab) on Tuesday.

This is equivalent to "the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 265 Belgian citizens, or 1,380 round-trip flights from Brussels to New York." The report notes that travel accounts for more than half of the emissions, but the study does not include spectator travel.

Race organizers have implemented a number of measures to reduce the environmental impact of the event in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including banning disposable containers for drinks, using electric and hybrid vehicles, and using biodiesel to fuel generators.

"Sustainability has been one of the absolute core values of the World Championships since our candidacy in 2018," said Christophe Impens of Flanders 2021. 'After all, a sporting event of this magnitude also plays an important social role. Together with many partners, we made a very strong commitment to footprint reduction, eco-friendly mobility, and an inclusive event"

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"We are, of course, very pleased that these efforts are having an effect and have been so comprehensively researched and established for the first time"

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According to the report, Flanders 2021 "replaced 34 motor-fueled vehicles using conventional heat sources with four electric and 30 hybrid vehicles. This contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions from the racing convoy, but the vehicles accounted for only a small percentage of the overall carbon footprint. [According to Clean Energy Wire, they may account for more than 85% of a sporting event's greenhouse gas emissions (open in new tab).

While there has been criticism of the environmental impact of pro cycling, the numbers pale in comparison to other sports that draw larger crowds and require fixed infrastructure.

Flanders 2021 rents most of its fixtures and its "stadiums" are open road; according to the BBC, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year is expected to generate 3.6 million tons of CO2 (open in new tab).

UCI President David Lapartient applauded the race organizers for creating an important benchmark for future improvements and Deloitte Belgium for helping to compile the data.

"As the world governing body of cycling, the UCI is committed to working with stakeholders to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and achieve significant change within the sport," Lapartiento said.

"We therefore congratulate and thank Flanders 2021 and its partners for realizing a strategy that covers many aspects of the organization of the UCI Road World Championships and recognizes the absolute importance of sustainability. [This report will serve as a catalyst for change, providing future event organizers with valuable feedback, data and benchmarks to reduce their environmental impact and at the same time strengthen their social impact.