F1 targets zero-carbon footprint

Formula One has set out its first sustainability plan with the aim of achieving a net zero-carbon footprint for the sport by 2030.

The Liberty Media-owned championship, which will have a record 22 grands prix next year with the 10 teams flown around the world, says carbon reduction projects will start immediately.

It also vows all Formula One events will be sustainable by 2025. The ambitious plan comes after 12 months of work with the FIA, sustainability experts, Formula One teams, promoters and partners.

Chase Carey, Formula One chairman and CEO, says the current V6 turbo hybrid power engines, in use since 2014, are the most efficient in the world and deliver more power from less fuel than any other car.

“We believe F1 can continue to be a leader for the auto industry and work with the energy and automotive sector to deliver the world’s first net zero carbon hybrid internal combustion engine that hugely reduces carbon emissions around the world,” he says. “By leveraging the immense talent, passion and drive for innovation held by all members of the F1 community, we hope to make a significant positive impact on the environment and communities in which we operate.”

Carey says biofuel, derived from used cooking oil or crops that aren’t grown for food, will increasingly be used in race cars but he insists the traditional internal combustion engine is here to stay.

“The majority of cars out there – I think one billion – are combustion engine cars,” he says. “We can be a platform that shows what is possible in reducing emissions and creating efficiency through those combustion engines. It’s an important part of the solution.”

Other initiatives under Formula One's sustainability plan include moving to ultra-efficient logistics and 100 per cent renewably powered offices, facilities and factories. McLaren was certified as Formula One's first carbon-neutral team in 2011, but the sport has struggled to shrug off a gas-guzzling reputation.