Mercedes F1 team partners with Chestnut Carbon on its race to Net Zero
Mercedes is pushing for decarbonisation in Formula 1
The 2025 Formula 1 season is off to an exhilarating start, with drama already unfolding at the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix. Last year’s Constructors’ Championship winners McLaren are dominating, closely followed by Mercedes.
Coincidentally, these two teams are also leading the charge on decarbonisation efforts in Formula 1. McLaren Racing became the first motorsport team to have validated science-based net-zero targets, and Mercedes has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040.
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team has also set intermediary targets on its journey to Net Zero, including:
Reducing Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 100% and compensating residual emissions with carbon removals by 2026.
Reducing Race Team Control Scope 3 emissions (waste generation, business travel, employee commuting, etc.) by 50% by 2026.
Reducing Race Team Control Scope 3 emissions by 75% and removing 25% of these emissions by 2030.
To reach these reduction targets, the team is sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, increasing biofuel consumption to reduce logistics emissions, and ramping up investments in Sustainable Aviation Fuel to tackle business travel emissions.
Supporting Chestnut Carbon’s carbon removal projects
As carbon removals are a part of the Mercedes F1 Team’s Net Zero strategy, they have partnered with Chestnut Carbon, a developer of nature-based and high-quality carbon removal projects in the Southeastern United States.
The projects developed by Chestnut Carbon focus on restoring degraded agricultural lands that were previously used for monocultures or cattle rearing. To date, they’ve planted over 10 million trees and aim to remove over a million tonnes of carbon by 2040.
Their first initiative with Mercedes will involve planting more than 260,000 native trees across 200 hectares. In addition to the environmental benefits, Chestnut Carbon collaborates with local stakeholders and community organisations to ensure they can benefit from the projects.
"Working with Chestnut Carbon is another step in our mission to drive sustainability and environmental responsibility within the motorsport industry. Our collaboration allows us to support projects that not only sequester carbon but also enhance biodiversity, improve air and water quality, and provide economic benefits to local communities.”
Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
The role of carbon credits in a Net Zero strategy
While the Mercedes F1 Team focuses on emission reductions to reach Net Zero, there will inevitably be unavoidable emissions, especially within hard-to-abate sectors in their supply chain. That’s where carbon credits step in to remove these emissions from the atmosphere.
By investing in Chestnut Carbon’s project, they are purchasing carbon credits equating to 5,500 tonnes of CO2. These carbon credits will be delivered between 2027 and 2030 and account for roughly 8.5% of the team’s 2023 emissions.
We're excited about the growth of our sport in the United States and committed to supporting projects there as we work towards our goals. This collaboration is an important step in our strategy to address residual emissions in our carbon footprint. It underscores our commitment to become one of the most sustainable global sports teams."
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
By investing in carbon removal initiatives, the Mercedes F1 Team can contribute to the sector's development, tackle unavoidable emissions in their value chain and inspire other sports organisations to take climate action.
