Sport really hasn't ever had to consider the environment, except for the impact of new facilities on the local environment. The most watched motorsport in the world, Formula One, will be starting to use some biofuel from 2008.

FIA, the governing body of motor sports, has drawn up new regulations that will make it obligatory from 2008 for all teams on the grid to run the 200mph cars on petrol that comprises at least 5.75 per cent biological materials. The decree is in keeping with the EU Biofuels Directive for member states.

The use of bio-fuels is not new in professional motor racing but their introduction to Formula One is significant in a sport in which the permitted constituents of fuel are closely monitored and tested to exclude power-boosting chemical compounds.

In the United States, Formula Indy single-seat race cars have used methanol, a natural-made gas, on the circuit since the early 1970s.

Other forms of motorsport have used bio fuel before: a car ran in the British Touring Car Championship in July 2005, and Peugeot have created the RC Cup car to promote awareness of Diester, a blend of diesel and ester. Even the world famous Indianapolis 500 will be switching to corn based ethanol in 2006.

After the announcement from Audi a few months ago that it would be entering a diesel-powered race car at Le Mans, a French team which has entered cars in the junior prototype class at the Le Mans 24 Hour race since 1992 has announced plans to compete with a bio-diesel powered car in the event in 2008. The team will actually receive support from a French association which supports the development of agricultural fuels. For these endurance races, diesel powered cars actually make a lot of sense, since fuel economy is crucial when having to go around a track for 24 hours straight. 

You'd have thought that given Formula 1 has been used in the past to prototype and test the type of technology that usually ends up in our road cars, more than just acknowledging the EU regulations would have been a bigger step for the car and fuel manufacturers.