14 November 2025
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Lassi Paju and Lenni Purokuru, who work at AKK, have been awarded the JSBE Foundation’s Onni Sairanen Outstanding Thesis Grant for their Master’s thesis at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics. The thesis examines how environmental sustainability strategies are implemented in FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) events.
The award is granted annually to particularly distinguished Master’s theses, with emphasis on topicality, societal relevance, and the overall academic quality of the work.
The thesis was carried out in close cooperation with WRC Promoter GmbH, and the recognition highlights the role of both AKK and Secto Rally Finland as forerunners in the sustainability development of the entire championship. It also reinforces the significance of Finnish research and event expertise in international motorsport.
Following the award, Paju has continued to deepen the topic in international settings. He took part as the youngest speaker in the history of the Spark the Future seminar’s sustainability programme with a presentation titled Rallies working to implement Beyond Rally, discussing the research findings with experts from the FIA and WRC Promoter.
“It feels genuinely rewarding that, despite the challenging international research setting, we were able to produce extensive and diverse results that bring real value to both the FIA and WRC Promoter,” Paju notes.
According to Secto Rally Finland’s promoter, Tiina Lehmonen, the research played a notable role during the Spark the Future seminar:
“Paju and Purokuru’s research was highlighted in the Spark the Future seminar as an excellent example of how sustainability can be examined both comprehensively and practically across different WRC events. It was inspiring to hear Paju’s insights as a speaker as well. Finnish research now provides knowledge that can be applied globally in the development of sustainability in motorsport – and that is something we can truly be proud of.”
Purokuru applies the findings of the research in both his international and national work. He contributes to the development of sustainable partnerships in AKK’s national racing series and supports the broader advancement of sustainable practices in Finnish motorsport together with various stakeholders.
“It is a great honour to receive this recognition at the conclusion of my studies. It is highly motivating to apply the insights of our research in both international collaboration and the sustainable development of Finnish motorsport,” Purokuru says.
The topic and significance of the research
Environmental responsibility in sporting events has been widely studied, but the connection between strategy-level objectives and practical implementation often remains unclear. The research by Paju and Purokuru addresses this gap by examining how WRC event organisers formulate, implement, and evaluate their environmental sustainability strategies in practice.
The study uses the FIA’s Three-Star Environmental Accreditation as a unifying framework and analyses strategy implementation across several WRC events. The findings were also discussed with the FIA and WRC Promoter within the Spark the Future programme.
The research sought answers to three key questions:
- What factors influence the formation of an environmental sustainability strategy?
- What factors promote or hinder its implementation?
- How is the strategy’s execution and related environmental action assessed?
Research conclusions
The results indicate that the quality and effectiveness of environmental sustainability strategies improve when they are developed in closer collaboration with key stakeholders of the event. Additionally, the indicators used to evaluate implementation should be clarified and strengthened to ensure alignment between strategic goals and practical actions.
The research provides new insight into how sustainability strategies are translated into everyday operations within WRC events. Its findings can be used to develop both international and national events to be more effective, transparent, and sustainable from an environmental perspective.
AKK congratulates Lassi Paju and Lenni Purokuru on their excellent research, which brings new understanding to the advancement of sustainability in motorsport and supports the development of both Finnish and international motorsport towards more sustainable practices.
Read the thesis
Turning environmental sustainability into action: Case World Rally Championship calendar events
By Lassi Paju & Lenni Purokuru
University of Jyväskylä, JYX Digital Repository
Link to the thesis: https://jyx.jyu.fi/jyx/Record/jyx_123456789_101640/Details?lng=en
