Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team set to quadruple aviation-emissions reduction following investment in SAF certificates

Photo: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team

As the 2024 Formula One season gears up for the next series of overseas “flyaway” races, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team confirmed that it is on track to quadruple its aviation-emissions reduction by the end of 2025 through investment in sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc). 

Building on the announcement that the team more than doubled aviation-emissions reduction through SAFc in 2023, achieving a reduction of 6,695 tons of CO2 equivalent for business-travel emissions, the investment in SAFc underscores the team’s commitment to become one of the world’s most sustainable global professional sports teams.

In 2022, the team became the first global sports team to invest in SAF through book and claim and direct refinery capacity.

The increased implementation of book and claim announced Sept. 12 means the team is set to quadruple annual aviation carbon-emission reductions through SAFc use in 2025 compared to 2022.

In concrete terms, this means the team is expecting to reduce its aviation emissions through SAFc purchase by a total of 18,500 tCO2e across 2024 and 2025, with 8,000 tCO2e saved in 2024 and 10,500 tCO2e saved in 2025. 

“A net reduction in our emissions sits at the heart of our operations and the ambitious sustainability targets we have set ourselves,” said Toto Wolff, team principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. “We continue to invest in innovative solutions and technology that will enhance our performance, helping us go further faster.”

From 2022 to 2025, the team is targeting emissions reductions of over 27,500 tons of carbon through its investment in SAFc, quadrupling annual aviation-emissions reduction since its original SAF investment.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team said this reflects its commitment to understanding and addressing its environmental impact, while also supporting the growth and credibility of the SAF certificate market.

It aims to showcase the potential and impact of SAF, encouraging others to adopt SAFc and drive further investment in this growing market. 

“Our investment in sustainable aviation fuel is more than a strategy—we believe it can create a greener future,” said Alice Ashpitel, the head of sustainability for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. “We see SAFc as a game-changer, a way for sports and businesses to make a lasting impact. We hope that our support for this sector can help trigger others to do the same and drive further investment in SAF production. We have been hugely grateful for the support of our suppliers SkyNRG and British Airways who have helped us realize our ambition to mitigate one of the most significant sources of our emissions and look forward to engaging the wider industry sector in the future.” 

Sustainable fuels will change the face of Formula One in 2026, but they are already one of the cornerstones of its sustainability strategy. 

“During the 2023 European Season, we saved 339 tCO2e through a switch to HVO biofuels for land freight and on-site at the European race venues,” the team stated. “This year we have targeted 100 percent biofueled logistics for all nine races in the 2024 European season, with the results due to be reported in the coming weeks. Our team has ambitious targets for 2030 including a 75 percent reduction in race team control emissions and 100 percent reduction of scope 1 and 2 emissions.”