Inside Mercedes AMG Petronas' Plan to Reach Net Zero by 2030

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team is stepping up its net-zero ambitions with a new carbon dioxide removal (CDR) partnership, targeting 18,900 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) by 2030.

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team car on track, surrounded by solar panels and forest in the distance. AI generated picture.

The Formula One arm of Mercedes-Benz has brought in UK-based CDR portfolio manager Cur8 to expand its carbon removal activities. A sustainability report published in July 2024 showed the team had secured around 11,000 tCO2e at that stage—the Cur8 partnership is designed to bridge the remaining distance to its 2030 target.

'The expanded portfolio will be curated and delivered by Cur8, a leading carbon removal marketplace that rigorously assesses and verifies carbon removal projects to ensure project delivery,' Mercedes said.

Seven new projects across six technologies will be added to the portfolio. These span direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and enhanced rock weathering. Project locations include Brazil, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and India—chosen in part to align with the Formula One race calendar.

The team already has CDR activities in place. A collaboration with US forestry developer Chestnut Carbon targets between 1,000 and 1,500 tCO2e per year from degraded land in the United States, with delivery expected from 2027. A separate soil carbon project at Blaston Farm, a Philipson Estates property in Leicestershire, UK, is covered by a three-year purchase agreement for 2,000 tonnes from 2024. The team also participates in Frontier, a CDR buyer coalition co-founded in 2022 by Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey and Co.

The overarching goal is to reduce 'Race Team Control' (RTC) emissions—covering Scope 1 and 2 and selected Scope 3 value chain emissions—by 75% against 2022 levels by 2030, with CDR credits compensating for the remaining 25%, in line with the Oxford Offsetting Principles. RTC emissions in 2024 stood at 11,309 tCO2e, already 35% below the base year. 'Our ambition is shared by our Team Partners, including Signify, UBS, and Nasdaq, who are similarly committed to advancing high-integrity climate solutions,' Mercedes said.