Mercedes F1 Team achieved FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation

The Seven time World Champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has achieved the coveted Three-Star Environmental Accreditation by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body of world motor sport.

The 2020 Champions joins the FIA Formula One World Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship and a small number of other motor sport teams and events in achieving the criteria required for the highest level of certification in the FIA’s flagship Environmental Accreditation Programme, which aims to help motor sport stakeholders to measure and enhance their environmental performance.

The team’s application was evaluated remotely by the FIA’s auditors in October with a thorough examination of environmental management practices at the team’s headquarters in Brackley.

The Brackley team set the target of achieving net-zero carbon footprint by the end of 2020 and cutting CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2022 (compared to the 2018 baseline). Despite the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team is on course to achieve the projected reduction for 2020 through the transition to renewably sourced energy and gold-standard carbon offsetting.

Team says, Robust plans are in place for 2021 and beyond, including significant reductions in air freight, water gallon dispensers and reusable bottles trackside, low-impact hotel stays and use of hybrid vehicles for travelling staff, improved commuting footprints and the complete removal of single-use plastics in catering both at the factory and trackside – something they had to postpone in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes F1 Team, said:

“I am delighted that our team has achieved Three-Star Environmental Accreditation with the FIA. This milestone is the result of many months of hard work and commitment to develop and implement a best-practice programme to deliver our contribution to the environmental sustainability commitments of both Mercedes and Formula One.

“To achieve this, we have concentrated on embedding sustainable practice into our normal business operations, using innovative solutions drawn from our technical expertise to actively reduce our impact on the environment.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult but ultimately successful year for our team and I am so proud of the commitment that every single member has shown to not only achieving success on track but to ensuring we are making a difference to the world around us.

“We will continue our work in 2021 and onward until we reach our goal of an absolute unavoidable minimum of CO2 emissions.

“Our parent company is leading the way for sustainable mobility in the automotive industry, and with the FIA and Formula One both committed to positive change within motorsport, we all stand together in our commitment to a more sustainable future.”

President of the FIA Environment and Sustainability Commission, Felipe Calderón, said: 

“We are delighted to see that the Mercedes team’s impressive results on the track in recent years – having added a seventh consecutive FIA Formula One World Constructors Championship to its accolades in 2020 – have gone hand-in-hand with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, and are recognising this with the highest level Three-Star FIA Environmental Accreditation.

Formula 1 teams are at the cutting edge of technological development, with great potential to accelerate the innovations that will revolutionise the automotive world in the coming years. Competing at the pinnacle of motor sport also brings a significant influence over the way it is perceived by millions of fans, and to have the World Champion team, linked also with its parent global automobile manufacturer, showing this commitment to best practices and making tangible changes to its operations in order to protect the environment sends a crucial message. As part of the #PurposeDriven movement, we are confident that this accreditation will act as a catalyst for more changes throughout Formula 1 and motor sport as a whole.”