The Ocean Race 2023: Sustainability Sets Sail

The Ocean Race 2022 – 23 will see teams of intrepid ocean explorers embark on a 32 000 nautical mile yacht race around the world, visiting nine stunning countries over six months.

ocean race volvo cars sustainability

This year’s Ocean Race starts on 15 January in Alicante, Spain.

It’s not a journey to be taken lightly, which is rather ironic, given that the first ever Ocean Race back in 1973 was born out of a bet in a pub.


In the late 90s, though, it was bought by the Volvo Group (which at the time included Volvo Cars) who hosted the iconic race until 2018, when we stepped down as owners. Despite that change in ownership, Volvo Cars’s commitment to the race remains, and the company is proud to be premier partners of the 2023 edition.


Since its inception, The Ocean Race has focused on ocean sustainability, both from the perspective of organising a sustainable event (no small feat for an event of its size and spread), and in terms of the education spread throughout the race. Moreover, Ocean Summits are organised during the stopovers to discuss how to improve ocean health, and the boats themselves are used for scientific ocean health research. This edition will showcase the One Blue Voice campaign to drive support for a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights. The campaign aims to get public to sign an online petition that will be presented in collaboration with the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2023.


The petition will be presented together with a catalogue of draft principles covering clear pathways and actions on how to improve ocean health. These principles are the culmination of 12 Ocean Race Summits created to drive change and implement policies to around the major issues affecting our oceans.


It’s no secret that Volvo Cars is committed to a sustainable future, with its sights firmly set on being fully electric by 2030 and a carbon neutral company by 2040. So, at each of the nine global race stopovers, Volvo Cars will set up interactive booths to display the latest cars, talk about the company’s electric future and share its sustainability journey with every race attendee.

“Just like The Ocean Race, at Volvo Cars we really want to focus on doing our part towards the health of the planet,” says Karin Bäcklund, our head of Experiential; the team responsible for our activities at the upcoming race.

“The Race is a great tool for building our customer relationships, strengthening the Volvo Cars brand, and presenting our company and our products to a global audience.”


The last race gathered a race village audience of 2.66 million, and the 2022 – 2023 race represents a hugely exciting opportunity to reach more and more people with the Volvo Cars sustainability message.


The all-electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge will be on show in all stopover locations, sharing Volvo Car innovations to an audience who already believe in our values and share our drive for adventure.


“Volvo Cars has a long connection with The Ocean Race, and it’s right that this is continued given we both have a strong focus on sustainability,” says Stuart Templar, director of sustainability at Volvo Cars.


“We look forward to using the unique platform and reach of The Race to highlight our commitment and progress, including in helping reduce the impacts of climate change and plastic pollution on our oceans.”


If you’d like to know more about the race, you can have a look at The Ocean Race homepage or download The Ocean Race app to get to know the teams and follow their journey. It’s a brand new era for both Volvo Cars and The Ocean Race and everyone is invited

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