The meeting, which was held in Alicante in Spain to coincide with the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, put climate change and the impact of sporting events on the top of the agenda.

Much of the discussions centred on the best way to mitigate the effects of crowd movements to events and the best offset models. A notable division was apparent with Kyoto models which require offset programmes in developing countries, versus non-Kyoto which uses local projects that are less measurable but to some more effective as they have more of a social impact in the location of the event itself.

The FIA found itself to be way ahead of many other sports federations, having conducted its own offset programme for over 10 years. The FIA can also use its involvement in motor sport to act as a catalyst for the development of new eco-technology. This is already evident through the introduction of hybrid energy recovery devices in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

The FIA's participation in the UNEP event underlined the strong commitment that exists in motor sport to continue to stay at the forefront of environmental issues, notably through combining its roles as governing body and representative of the mobile consumer.