Honda Force-fits Green Image onto Energy-hogging Formula One Racing

You wouldn’t think anyone would attempt to equate Formula One racing with the environment, but Honda is giving it a shot. 

This year, the Honda car on the Formula One circuit abandons the tacky corporate sponsorship decals in favour of an image of the earth from space.

Check out their myearthdream.com (Flash site), and you’ll find a fund-raising site to raise money for environmental causes.

Honda team CEO Nick Fry spins the environmental impact of Formula One racing.  He doesn’t excuse the vast amount of energy expended on a race, but points to the public awareness potential and the massive effort put into squeezing any extra horsepower, handling, or aerodynamics out of a Formula One car:

"Climate change is probably the single biggest issue facing our planet and F1 is not immune from it. On the contrary we believe that F1 with its huge global profile and cutting edge technology can play an important role in not only highlighting the issues but also playing our part in developing solutions. In addition, the FIA recognises the opportunity for F1 to play an important role in developing technologies for the benefit of society long term. For example, by 2009, devices for energy recovery will be in place on the cars."

He’s quoted elsewhere, dismissing anyone who criticizes the earth-friendly car as a small percentage of skeptics.

I don’t have a problem with Honda promoting environmentalism.  Their Environmentology site shows that they take the issue seriously.

But their choice of symbols is questionable.  The environmental footprint of a race car is pretty big.  The right symbols are usually ones that strike a chord on many levels.  On a very basic level, a Formula One car stands for excess.

Pretending it’s a good symbol for the environment takes us back to the days when a company could pat itself on the back as long as it used recycled paper for its annual report.

Honda is attempting to have its excess, and be green, too.

Many companies are gearing up to prove that they are more environmentally friendly than their competitors. Discussion is shifting to the environmental footprint of a company, or of a product.

Fry is probably right about the small percentage of people who take companies like his to task over the disconnect between their corporate activity and their environmental stance.  Skeptical yes, but that doesn’t mean they’re not right.

See also:

• Companies that Commit to Green Policies Will Attract Consumers: Survey (news release PDF)
• AutoblogGreen

Other skeptics:

• Virgin critiqued as an energy-hogging airline
• Canadian PM’s green moves are ‘cynical ploys 

Tags: environment, green, business, companies, honda, formula1, formulaone, marketing