We’re not here to blind you with science. Nor to preach to the already converted. But what we will do is seek to explain how the sporting industry can do its bit to help the environment.

So what is carbon offset (aka carbon trading)? In a very small nutshell it’s a way of putting something back to compensate for what you’ve taken out.

Every sporting activity results somewhere along the line in the burning of fossil fuels and emissions of carbon dioxide (Co2) into the atmosphere, which results in further harm to the climate. Spectators have to travel, competitors have to train and test and arrive at the venue, event officials do likewise. And in the case of motor sport, the emissions don’t stop once the competitive action starts…

Minimising the emissions, and seeking to reduce them in the future, is just a first step. Step two is carbon offset, the most common type of which is reforestation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide - in the jargon they sequester carbon - through photosynthesis and then store it.