Mercedes F1 Team first in motorsport to sign Climate Pledge

One of the most iconic teams in the world of Formula 1 is shifting up a gear when it comes to sustainability by pledging to, by 2040, bring their carbon emissions down to zero.

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 is joining some of the world’s top companies driving toward reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by this date through the Climate Pledge, 10 years ahead of the target set out in the Paris Agreement.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes F1 Team said: “Signing The Climate Pledge is another demonstration of our intent to perform to the highest standard on sustainability. We want to win through sustainable high performance, and to win within the societal and planetary boundaries which exist.
“The ability to collaborate with many of these leading organisations, striving for the same goal, offers considerable benefits for all signatories.”  

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 and the Climate Pledge

Progressing on its journey to meet its target of ‘Race Team controlled Net Zero’ in 2030, Mercedes has taken a number of steps toward meeting this goal already, and also in preparation to ready itself to sign the Climate Pledge.

“Having assessed our full supply chain emissions last year, we are developing Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) aligned near term and Net Zero targets for those emissions, and our commitment to The Climate Pledge confirms our intent to achieve Net Zero across all scopes by 2040,” Wolff added.

The team has already worked on reducing its emissions by purchasing alternative fuels for both land and air travel. As a result of this, savings of more 2,600tCO2 were achieved through investment into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), reducing its travel emissions by more than a fifth.

And it’s not just in day-to-day operations that Mercedes is using alternative fuels. On the track, HVO100 biofuel has been successfully trialled in race and hospitality trucks, as well as generators, saving 339tCO2. 

By signing The Climate Pledge, Mercedes has agreed to adhere to the following: 

• Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis. 
• Implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business change and innovation; including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies. 
• Neutralise any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent and socially beneficial offsets to achieve Net Zero annual carbon emissions by 2040. 

“Joining The Climate Pledge consolidates our commitment to sustainability and our existing strategy to achieve Race Team controlled Net Zero by 2030 and Net Zero across all scopes by 2040,” Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team added.

“We have already taken important steps towards Net Zero through our biofuel initiatives and our investment in SAF. With sustainability embedded throughout our team, we are on track to meet our targets and help our suppliers to go further and faster in achieving theirs.”

What is the Climate Pledge?

Founded in 2019 by Global Optimism and Amazon, the Climate Pledge actively works to contribute toward the achievement of the Paris Agreement by 2040, a decade ahead of the international target. More than 450 organisations have signed the pledge to date, committing to a more sustainable future.

Signatories, as active participants in the pledge’s strategies and actions, must commit to meeting certain criteria to maintain their involvement. These include being transparent around the implementation of decarbonisation strategies and their actions taken to neutralise any remaining emissions with quantifiable, real, permanent and socially beneficial offsets.

As well as uniting hundreds of companies and organisations with one common, global goal, the consortium facilitates the sharing of ideas, establishing best practice and the taking of joint action in the pursuit of a Net Zero carbon future.  

Sally Fouts, Global Lead for The Climate Pledge at Amazon concluded: “We need every sector to join us in reducing global emissions, so we’re delighted to welcome the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to The Climate Pledge.

“We look forward to collaborating with the team on solutions as it races to be net-zero carbon by 2040.” 

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