Sustainability study: Formula E wins for the 5th time in a row, Extreme E/H remains behind MotoGP

Formula E has not only defended its leading role in the Sustainable Championship Index (SChI), it has significantly extended it. After two years of stagnation, the electric world championship improved to 97 out of 100 points and remains the most sustainable motorsport series in the world for the fifth time in a row. Extreme E or Extreme H, on the other hand, remains outside the top 3: The series continues to lag behind Formula 1 and MotoGP. The Motorcycle World Championship extended its lead to four points.

The British company Enovation Consulting has published the results of a new study in which the sustainability of racing series was assessed on the basis of 25 criteria. These are based on guidelines and models from the UN, EU and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The criteria are divided into six classes: Certifications, accreditations and awards, environmental performance, social performance, commitment and partnerships and sustainability approach. The database consists exclusively of data collected from race series publications in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025.

For the fifth time in a row, Formula E took the top spot, achieving 97 out of 100 points - a significant increase compared to the two previous years, in which it achieved 85 points each. 29 other series also increased their results in 2025.

Besides Formula E, only Formula 1 achieved the highest honours - but with 77 points, the gap to Formula E has grown considerably despite an increase of four points. MotoGP is still behind, ahead of Extreme E and Extreme H, which once again occupies fourth place. The number of series that landed in the lowest category fell from 54 to 38. In the first edition of the study, there were as many as 72 championships that landed in the lowest category.

Certifications and accessibility making progress

Some progress has been made in the area of certifications in particular: SChI 2025 counted a total of 18 certifications, up from twelve in the previous year. ISO 20121 (sustainable event planning) is particularly widespread: The number of publicly reported certifications to this standard rose from twelve to 14. Formula E in particular stands out here, as it was re-certified to ISO 20121 and ISO 9001 (quality management). ISO 14064 for greenhouse gas accounting and the Net Zero Pathway of the British Standards Institution (BSI) were newly added. 15 racing series also calculate their CO2 footprint.

In the area of environmental performance, the results were in line with the previous year. As in the previous year, more than half of the racing series scored highly in the criteria of use of natural resources (53), transport and mobility (52) and waste management (52). In the area of social performance, the number of race series increased slightly for the main criterion of accessibility: 33 instead of 32 series.

Partnerships in the area of sustainability were entered into by 23 race series (+3). At 53, more than half of the motorsport series analysed have a code of ethics, guidelines or are subject to obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Formula E: Perfect result within reach

Formula E no longer has much room for improvement: only in the areas of social criteria (8 out of 10) and certifications (9 out of 10) did it fall short of a perfect score. The racing series announced a 55 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions compared to the baseline in season 5. The introduction of the Gen3 Evo race car for Season 11, which set new standards in terms of efficiency, also had a positive impact: parts of the vehicle are made from recycled carbon fibre and 35 per cent recycled material was used in the production of the revised Hankook tyres.

"Across the year, Formula E strengthened its environmental credentials by implementing new operational practices to reduce emissions, expanding the scope of community impact programmes, advancing sustainable race technologies, and continuing to use its platform to promote climate and social action globally," the report said.

And further: "Better logistics - including biofuel sea freight, a new strategically located operations hub in Valencia, and increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) - helped reduce transport-related emissions. Races were also grouped geographically to cut freight mileage and carbon output."

"Social impact projects reached over 32,000 people across host cities. The 'FIA Girls on Track' programme was also expanded to all 11 race markets and doubled participation to 2,000. The Driving Force STEM education programme - covering air pollution, circular economy and renewable energy - grew significantly."

SChI as a benchmark for sustainable motorsport

The SChI was developed by the British company Enovation Consulting together with Paolo Taticchi, Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at University College London. According to the company, it is the only global rating system that compares the publicly communicated sustainability practices of motorsport series based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the ESG framework.