Greetings Everyone!

After a long, four month delay, Formula 1 finally got under way at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on the 5th of July; and for those of us who watched it, what a season opener it was! With all the hype about F1 during that week, I felt it would be nice to share a little bit more about how this sport is tied pollution in a series of blogs.

In November 2019, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, Chase Carey, announced that the sport would become carbon neutral by 2030. This doesn’t mean that the cars are all going to become electric by that time, but its a far greater initiative beyond the cars, which many of us may be unaware of. In 2018, the cars themselves contributed just a mere 0.7% of F1’s total carbon emissions, 256,551 tonnes, with 45% of them coming from the logistics of shifting freight around the world by road, air and sea.

This is a great video just how complex the logistics in Formula 1 are, which make the carbon footprint of the sport so high.

In addition to the plans to eliminate the carbon footprint of the F1 car and the on-track activities, initiatives will include action to ensure F1 moves to ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories.

By 2025 F1 will also ensure all events are sustainable. This will mean the use of sustainable materials at all events with single-use plastics being eliminated and all waste reused, recycled or composted. Additionally, F1 will provide incentives and tools to offer every fan a greener way to reach the race.

Personally, I think this is quite a feat for a sport that is based entirely on carbon emitting entities, cars. Its very easy to just sit back and say that “its simply the nature of the sport and emissions are part of it”, but the organisation and stakeholders involved, along with notable climate change activists within the sport such as six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, have made a conscious effort to promote sustainably within a sport many people wouldn’t associate sustainability with.

However, F1 has a far greater significance and influence on air pollution, which will be explained in the next blog. I know we’re all sick of seeing Mercedes winning for the past 6 years in a row but I mean environmentally, these are exciting times for this otherwise exciting sport!

Till the next blog!

Nandha

 

References:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-plan-to-be-net-zero-carbon-by-2030.5IaX2AZHyy7jqxl6wra6CZ.html

https://www.espn.com.sg/f1/story/_/id/28395224/the-environment-pose-f1-biggest-challenge-2020s