Mercedes plan to be carbon neutral by end of 2020

While Formula One has targetted becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2030, the Mercedes team plan to do it a decade earlier.

Mercedes’ six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is an avid campaigner of environmental issues and will no doubt play a vital role in helping to reduce Formula 1’s carbon footprint.

But his team plan to achieve it by the end of this season – the Silver Arrows have switched to renewable energy sources in Brackley and plan to do the same at Brixworth.

Speaking to Eurosport, team principal Toto Wolff said: “We have taken the challenge on in trying to be net carbon zero in 2020.

“By this summer, we will be receiving all our energy from renewable sources, which is something that we are very proud of.

“[There are] little deep gains that you can get around not using plastics, and trying to optimise our carbon footprint generally by using different generators, and fuelling them in a different way.

“We will be net carbon zero as a team by the end of 2020. And that is something that we are very proud of, and shows that it’s going in the right direction.”

Hamilton says he is proud to have been able to push for these changes from within Mercedes.

“I think naturally there can be criticism from the outside, but from my part, I feel my strength is that I’m able to help change it from within,” he explained.

“So being very close within the organisation trying to push for these changes, which I’ve been very vocal about for quite some time.

“I think about like the future of my nieces and nephew, and what kind of world they’re going to grow up in. And I’m trying to really use my platform and my voice really just trying to raise awareness and shift the mindset of these industries in a positive direction.

“I’m very fortunate that I get to work very, very closely with Toto and the team. And Mercedes, it’s great to see the communication is constantly improving within our organisation.

“Now Toto is talking about this year being carbon neutral. And being the leaders in our industry, I think that’s really, really key and important.

“Because I think in us making a change and taking action, I think the others will react and do the same thing. So we’re starting that, I’d like to think we’ve kind of been the catalyst in that movement.”

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