Formula 1 says it’s more than halfway to hitting Net Zero by 2030 after confirming a 26% cut in carbon emissions by the end of 2024. That’s compared to its 2018 baseline and comes despite the sport getting significantly bigger over the same period. More races, more fans, more travel.
Let’s break that down.
In 2018, F1 ran 21 races. It now runs 24. Race attendance has jumped from 4 million to 6.5 million. The fanbase? Over 826 million globally. On paper, that should have pushed emissions up. F1’s own estimate suggests that if they’d done nothing differently, the carbon footprint would have increased by around 10 percent. Instead, emissions have dropped. From 228,793 tonnes of CO2 equivalent down to 168,720.
The reduction reflects actual operational change, not just tweaks to how emissions are counted. In fact, the 2018 baseline was re-calculated to reflect better supplier data. That had the opposite effect, making the original footprint smaller, not larger. So the 26 percent drop is real progress, not an accounting trick.
So where are the cuts coming from?
This isn’t about a single fix. It’s the result of sustained pressure across every layer of the sport.
Factories and facilities
Down 59 percent. That’s over 34,000 tonnes of CO2 cut, thanks to F1 and its teams switching to renewable energy to power their HQs and tech centres.
Travel
Down 25 percent. Nearly 20,000 tonnes saved. That’s come from the rollout of remote broadcasting, so fewer staff fly to every race, and from teams investing in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for flights.
Freight and logistics
Down 9 percent. F1 has invested in lighter, more efficient freight containers, switched to SAF on long-haul routes, and expanded the use of biofueled trucks in Europe.
Event operations
Emissions per race are down 12 percent. That’s thanks to most promoters now using green energy and suppliers rethinking how they run power and technical systems. Overall event emissions are up slightly, but that’s only because the calendar grew from 21 to 24 races.
And there’s more to come.
Where F1 goes next
This isn’t just about offsetting emissions with tree planting or carbon credits. F1 says it has a clear pathway to Net Zero by 2030, and much of it focuses on core operations, not greenwashing.
They’re doubling down on alternative fuels, looking to expand the use of SAF across team travel and freight, and shifting more logistics towards sea freight. From 2026, the Canadian GP will move earlier in the year to cut out an extra transatlantic trip. That change alone will save tonnes of emissions.
There are also plans to use regional hubs for storing race equipment so it doesn’t need to travel around the world between each race.
Stefano Domenicali, F1 CEO, called the reductions visible proof that the strategy is working.
“While continuing to grow globally, we’ve shown that sustainable development is possible,” he said. “In 2026 we’ll introduce advanced sustainable fuels in all cars, which could have major benefits beyond motorsport too.”
Ellen Jones, who leads F1’s ESG work, said the cuts came through a genuine group effort.
“Every area has been tasked with finding reductions. It’s a sport-wide delivery, and we’re now in a position to show how growth can actually support sustainability, not just fight against it.”
Behind the scenes. What’s changed since 2018?
- F1 and its teams invested heavily in SAF, cutting over 8,000 tonnes of emissions from air freight alone in 2024.
- The Media & Technology Centre in the UK now handles remote broadcast for every race weekend, with 140 people working from home base rather than flying out.
- New freight containers have allowed use of more efficient Boeing 777 aircraft, reducing around 9,000 tonnes of emissions.
- 80 percent of promoters now power their events with clean energy like solar or biofuel, with more set to follow in the coming seasons.
- Aggreko’s low-carbon energy system powered multiple Grands Prix in 2024 and is being expanded to cover all European races in 2025. It uses HVO biofuel, solar panels and batteries to cut over 90 percent of energy emissions in key areas like the paddock and pit lane.
- Biofuel trucks now move equipment across Europe for both F1 and its teams, saving up to 83 percent in transport emissions.
- Race calendar tweaks have already helped. In 2024, Japan moved to April to line up with other Asia-Pacific races. Qatar and Abu Dhabi now run back-to-back. Azerbaijan was moved to better align with Singapore. These are logistical changes with real emissions impact.
- Formula 2 and Formula 3 ran on a 55 percent sustainable fuel blend in 2024. In 2025, they’re now fully powered by sustainable fuel. That’s the final step before F1 makes the switch in 2026 alongside the new hybrid engine rules.
- All 2024 tyres were FSC-certified. That means the natural rubber used meets strict sustainability standards. Pirelli’s tyres are now also fully recyclable and designed using virtual tools to reduce waste and development time.
Final thought
F1 is no stranger to engineering challenges, but the scale of its emissions target is enormous. And yet, five years out from the deadline, the sport says it’s not just on track. It’s leading.
This is about more than headlines. There’s real, quantifiable progress here. If it continues, F1 won’t just reach Net Zero. It might just prove that high-performance global sport can evolve without leaving the planet behind.