IFHA Puts Climate Change Center Stage with Historic First Global Sustainability Summit

The historic meeting held in Porto marked the beginning of a shared agenda to address the environmental challenges facing the industry, focusing on equine welfare, racecourse infrastructure, and the long-term sustainability of the sport

PORTO, Portugal (Special to Turf Diario).— Signaling the horse racing industry's growing commitment to environmental challenges, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) hosted the inaugural Climate Change and Sustainability Summit in Porto. This unprecedented two-day event gathered nearly 50 representatives from the world's leading racing jurisdictions alongside international sustainable development specialists.

The meeting marked a watershed moment for global turf, serving as the first forum dedicated exclusively to discussing the impact of climate change on racing and designing collaborative strategies to address it.

During the opening remarks, IFHA Vice-Chair Henri Pouret highlighted the significance of the initiative: "The challenges are real, they are urgent, and they require collective action. Sustainability is not an isolated project; it is a long-term commitment that demands leadership, innovation, investment, and, above all, collaboration. There will be difficult decisions ahead, but there will also be new opportunities to make our sport more efficient, resilient, and robust."

The first day opened with an industry leaders' panel addressing topics such as the social license to operate, rising animal welfare standards, and the importance of strengthening alliances among different organizations. Participants included Brant Dunshea, Chief Regulatory Officer of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), alongside representatives from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and UEFA, who shared insights from other major sports.

Four thematic workshops followed. The first focused on the impact of extreme weather events on racing and other international sporting events, analyzing mitigation strategies adopted by the Olympic Games, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), and various racetracks.

The second session centered on the intersection of equine welfare and sustainability. Key topics included the environmental management of breeding farms, the spread of infectious diseases driven by climate change, the critical need to bolster biosecurity surveillance systems, vaccine development, and the direct correlation between track conditions and injury rates.

The third workshop examined resource management strategies implemented at premier venues like Belmont Park and Ascot Racecourse to optimize energy, water, biodiversity, and natural resources, demonstrating how racetracks can double as environmental conservation sanctuaries.

The fourth session turned its attention to communication, exploring ways to engage fans, owners, professionals, and the general public in the transition to a greener industry, with a strong emphasis on transparency and credibility in messaging.

The summit's second day featured a collaborative workshop organized in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, where attendees worked through practical scenarios and potential joint initiatives to accelerate the deployment of environmental policies across global jurisdictions.

In his closing address, Dunshea captured the essence of the gathering: "While each nation faces distinct hurdles, we all share the same goal: securing the future of our sport. None of us has all the answers, but we all possess pieces of the solution. If every organization leaves Porto determined to take action and share their findings, this summit will have achieved its purpose. Climate change respects no borders, and our responses must be equally boundaryless."

Reaffirming its message with concrete action, the IFHA announced it had fully offset the carbon footprint generated by the event by retiring 197 verified carbon credits associated with a sustainable forestry management project in Mexico, establishing a firm foundation for permanent international cooperation in turf sustainability.