Formula 1 to achieve net zero carbon by 2030

According to Formula 1’s Sustainability Update 2025, the organisation is still on track to meet its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

The president and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, said in the report: “We are strongly committed to achieving net zero by 2030. It is a concrete goal, already visible in the significant reduction of our sport’s carbon footprint.” 

He added: “Formula 1 has always been synonymous with innovation and the desire to improve. Once again, this mentality has allowed us to make important progress, not only for those who work in this world, but also for society as a whole.”

At the end of 2024, F1 had already cut its carbon emissions by 26% compared to 2018. Furthermore, during this period, more fans were watching races, increasing from 4 million to 6.5 million. With this, F1 now has over 826 million fans worldwide. 

F1 sustainability updates 

Ellen Jones, in charge of ESG at Formula 1, directs the company’s sustainability efforts.  “What we have tried to do as a sport,” she said, “is ask how we can take climate action now and explore how we can do so much more together, whether that’s through partnerships or through shared solutions… It’s a real balance of individual activity within the organisations that make up our sport, as well as shared activity across the stakeholders who all love the races.”

F1 plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions compared to 2018 levels, with at least a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030.

“Being Formula 1, we want to beat that number… When we do exhaust the reductions phase, we will look at what (credible offsets are) at that time..

“In our sustainability strategy, you have things that are different from normal bricks and mortar because it’s about the relationships that we have across the sport. We also look to make a unique contribution as Formula 1 by developing road-relevant solutions. You see that in our cars with hybrid engines, and you’ll see that in our cars in 2026 with advanced sustainable fuel.

“How those two cross-pollinate is what I find fascinating. How we innovate on track and how that culture, mindset and knowledge of the technical innovation space helps us innovate off track,” Jones stated. 

Current F1 cars run on E10 fuel, which contains 10% eco-friendly ethanol. However, starting in 2026, the cars will switch to using fuel that is 100% sustainable. This new fuel has a carbon-neutral footprint because the amount of carbon released when it’s used is balanced by the amount absorbed to produce it.

Cutting emissions by 26% gets F1 over halfway to its 50% reduction target, but the organisation admits there is still more work to do. 

Regardless of the challenges, Jones said: “Sustainability and performance are better delivered together, and we have those examples within F1 every day showing that when you build sustainability from the front into your strategy, you’re not making compromises on what is delivered.”