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The businesses that run Formula One motor racing teams have published their collective greenhouse emissions and scheduled how they will be reduced over the next two years.
The Formula One Teams Association (Fota), to which all Formula One teams belong, hired the consultancy Trucost to analyse the sport’s environmental performance by gathering data from three teams – Force India, McLaren and Renault. The sport is claiming to be the first to conduct such an exercise.
The results, extrapolated to produce a figure for all teams, revealed collective greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 were 215,588 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, roughly equal to the annual emissions of the African republic of Burundi.
The measurements showed most greenhouse gas emissions arose from the production and supply of raw materials and parts. Only 0.3 per cent came from fuel consumed in races and during the testing of cars.
The second largest cause of emissions was electricity, mainly produced by wind tunnel testing and ‘high performance computing’.
The 2009 figure will be the baseline for improvements. Trucost forecasts the teams will reduce emissions by 12.4 per cent, or 26,803 tonnes, by 2012. The main cuts will be in electricity consumption (17 per cent), fuel use (18) and the use of parts and raw materials (20).
The reductions may be dictated as much by tough economic circumstances as any wish to minimise environmental impacts. Fota members have agreed to cost-cutting measures following the decision of the Japanese manufacturer Honda to quit Formula One in 2008.
However, Simon Thomas, chief executive of Trucost, said the teams were also genuinely seeking improvements. ‘They have collectively made a firm commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a significant way. This is consistent with Formula One’s position as a leader in technological innovation and illustrates what can be achieved by organizations not traditionally associated with the environmental agenda,’ he said.
Formula One teams have been slow to adopt CSR measures, but the UK-based Williams team has a responsibility programme.
The Formula One Teams Association (Fota), to which all Formula One teams belong, hired the consultancy Trucost to analyse the sport’s environmental performance by gathering data from three teams – Force India, McLaren and Renault. The sport is claiming to be the first to conduct such an exercise.
The results, extrapolated to produce a figure for all teams, revealed collective greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 were 215,588 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, roughly equal to the annual emissions of the African republic of Burundi.
The measurements showed most greenhouse gas emissions arose from the production and supply of raw materials and parts. Only 0.3 per cent came from fuel consumed in races and during the testing of cars.
The second largest cause of emissions was electricity, mainly produced by wind tunnel testing and ‘high performance computing’.
The 2009 figure will be the baseline for improvements. Trucost forecasts the teams will reduce emissions by 12.4 per cent, or 26,803 tonnes, by 2012. The main cuts will be in electricity consumption (17 per cent), fuel use (18) and the use of parts and raw materials (20).
The reductions may be dictated as much by tough economic circumstances as any wish to minimise environmental impacts. Fota members have agreed to cost-cutting measures following the decision of the Japanese manufacturer Honda to quit Formula One in 2008.
However, Simon Thomas, chief executive of Trucost, said the teams were also genuinely seeking improvements. ‘They have collectively made a firm commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a significant way. This is consistent with Formula One’s position as a leader in technological innovation and illustrates what can be achieved by organizations not traditionally associated with the environmental agenda,’ he said.
Formula One teams have been slow to adopt CSR measures, but the UK-based Williams team has a responsibility programme.
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