(Reuters) – The all-electric Extreme E series has always looked to raise awareness about climate change and one way it is generating a buzz around the sport is by creating a forest to support bees in Sardinia after it was devastated by wildfires.
Extreme E said they will replant a half-hectare area with nectar-rich plants, shrubs and trees to create a first of its kind forest for bees on the Mediterranean island ahead of next month’s Island X Prix.
“During the devastating wildfires in the region, there was a significant loss of bees which contribute greatly to the health of our planet – particularly in pollinating food and plants as well as supporting other benefits such as textiles, supplements and medicines,” Extreme E CEO Alejandro Agag said.
“As a result of this, and from working with MEDSEA (Foundation) and our dedicated Scientific Committee, we are keen to recognise the important role of pollinators such as bees on the island.
“They have been threatened with extinction as a result of the extreme weather on the island, and so when we return for the Island X Prix next month we will create the first ‘forest for bees’,” added in a statement on Thursday.
Rounds five and six of the 2023 Extreme E Championship will be held in Sardinia from July 8-9.
Extreme E, with identical SUVs and male and female drivers in every lineup, launched in 2021 as an off-road zero-emission rally series.
Last month, a former opencast coalmine in southern Scotland was used as a racetrack to highlight the change from fossil fuels to clean energy.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
