Meet the UAE racing driver who is planting trees to turn his sport into a sustainability platform
A hugely talented driver who is driving for Porsche's title-winning W&S team in the ADAC GT4 Germany Championship, Robinson is now a passionate advocate of green initiatives.
With his #DrivenToZero project, launched in association with Evertreen, a leading eco-friendly platform which encourages companies to reduce their carbon footprint, Robinson plants one tree for every 75 kilometres that he races.
'I launched DrivenToZero to help offset my footprint from all the travel, all the racing, because motorsport isn't a very sustainable career path. But I'm trying to make it as sustainable as possible,' Robinson told the Khaleej Times.
As part of the initiative, Robinson will plant a tree each time he completes a trip from the local airport to the track and as many as six trees for every return flight from the UAE to Germany.
'We've already planted 1,000 trees in Madagascar and Indonesia, and that, I think, roughly equates to about 21,000 kilos of CO₂,' he said.
'So, the plan is to plant 70 more trees this season, on top of the 1000 that have already been planted, just to try and make a difference. I hope that other people can see it and try to contribute as well.'
A five-time UAE Karting champion who grew up watching Formula One and Australian V8 Supercars Championships, Robinson wants to carve a niche of his own as a racing driver on the track.
Off it, he hopes to become the driving force behind motorsport's sustainability projects.
'I draw a lot of inspiration from the UAE where I began my journey as a racing driver. It's not just the great sporting culture, but the UAE's initiatives for a sustainable world have really inspired me,' said who recently secured his first ADAC GT4 podium finish at Norisring.
'It's a country which has hosted events like the COP28 and launched so many other pioneering green projects.
'All those great initiatives from the UAE have inspired me to use my platform of motorsport responsibly and try to make a difference. Now with every tree we plant, I hope it will encourage more and more people to act responsibly towards the world that we call home.'
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