The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is delighted to announce our commitment to invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, becoming the first global sports team to do so, as part of our drive to further reduce our CO2emissions and our ambition to become SBTi-verified Net Zero by 2030.
Sustainability is at the heart of our operations. As a Formula One team racing on multiple continents, we have worked tirelessly to understand the environmental impact that we have and the role that we can play in driving change. As Formula One operates at the forefront of automotive technology, we have a responsibility to ensure we are at the cutting-edge of innovation in sustainable technologies.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) isrenewable or waste-derived aviation fuel, an emerging technology recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to play a major role in reducing future international aviation emissions1. With aviation accounting for over a quarter of our entire projected carbon footprint, our multi-million-dollar investment in SAF will significantly improve our overall environmental impact, with the industry-leading technology further assisting our journey towards Net Zero.
SAF will become a significant component of our team’s sustainability strategy, reflecting our desire to drive the change within Formula One for more sustainable racing. Our purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel will be used for our indirect Scope 3 aviation emissions, which are excluded from the Formula One cost cap, such as flights to Grand Prix locations and other business air travel.
By purchasing SAF claims, we will be able to achieve close to 50% reduction in our race team personnel air travel footprint and will continue to offset our remaining aviation carbon emissions with Gold Standard offsets whilst we work with the industry to scale SAF availability.
While current SAF production and availability are limited, the opportunity is immense. We hope that using our powerful global platform to support the development and growth of the SAF market will showcase SAF’s potential and prove to other industries how great an impact it can have. Through our commitment, we hope to encourage others to do the same, drivingfurther investment in SAF production.