Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team & Carbon Credits | Sustainability

Formula 1 and the Pursuit of Sustainability

It may seem surprising to many motorsport enthusiasts, but Formula 1 racing is actively working towards a significant sustainability goal. Despite being a sport traditionally linked to internal combustion engines, the league is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2030.

Beyond the Race Car: Understanding the Carbon Footprint

Achieving this target for F1 teams is more complex than simply utilizing sustainable fuels within their vehicles. Surprisingly, the race cars themselves contribute to less than 1% of a team’s overall carbon footprint.

The majority of emissions stem from areas such as logistical operations related to races, employee travel, the maintenance of office facilities, and the energy consumption of computing equipment.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas and Carbon Credit Investments

To address these broader emission sources, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team has invested in 5,500 metric tons of carbon credits. These credits are being purchased from Chestnut Carbon.

Chestnut Carbon focuses on reforestation projects, specifically planting forests on previously degraded agricultural land located in the southeastern United States.

Delivery Timeline and Emission Reduction Targets

The purchased carbon credits are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030. They will offset approximately 10% of the team’s total emissions as recorded in 2023.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas has set ambitious targets, aiming for a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030, and ultimately achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Strategic Partnerships for a Sustainable Future

In addition to the Chestnut Carbon agreement, Mercedes-AMG Petronas has established a partnership with Frontier. Frontier is an advanced market commitment organization supported by major technology companies including Stripe, Google, Meta, and Shopify.

Chestnut Carbon's Growth and Impact

Chestnut Carbon has demonstrated significant growth, recently finalizing a substantial deal with Microsoft for 7 million metric tons of carbon credits.

Furthermore, the company successfully raised $160 million in a Series B funding round. This investment will be used to expand their reforestation operations and aims to deliver 100 million carbon credits by 2030.