Formula 1 announced on Tuesday that it remains on track to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030 after reporting a 35% reduction in its total carbon footprint compared to its 2018 baseline, with the most recent figures showing a 12% drop in emissions compared to 2024 alone.
The sport has removed nearly 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from its operations since its sustainability program began, a figure the organization translated into more accessible terms by comparing it to removing over half a million long-haul transatlantic flights from the skies. The results arrive against a backdrop of continued commercial growth, with Formula 1 expanding its race calendar from 21 events in 2018 to a record 24 races across 19 countries in 2025.
Where the biggest gains have come from
The most dramatic improvements have been recorded in factory and facility operations, where emissions have fallen 64% compared to the 2018 baseline. Logistics emissions are down 29% and travel emissions have been reduced by 27% over the same period. Even event operations, which encompass the considerable infrastructure required to stage a grand prix weekend, have seen a 6% reduction despite the larger calendar demanding more of everything.
The gains reflect a multi-pronged approach rather than any single solution. Investment in sustainable aviation fuel has been a significant contributor, with Formula 1 doubling its spending on that fuel type compared to 2024 and reporting an approximately 40% reduction in emissions from air charter operations as a result. The 2025 season also marked the first time the sport invested in sustainable maritime fuel, extending its low-carbon ambitions across all three major freight modes simultaneously.
A logistics operation unlike almost any other in sport
Understanding the scale of the challenge requires understanding what Formula 1 actually moves around the world each year. Beyond the 11 competing teams, the championship transports a full broadcast operation, race-event infrastructure, and thousands of tonnes of equipment to locations spread across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. The sport’s carbon footprint is defined less by the cars on track, which represent a fraction of total emissions, than by the logistics required to stage the event in the first place.
For the first time this year, lower-carbon solutions are being applied across all three freight methods, covering land, air, and sea transport. That comprehensive approach represents a meaningful shift from the early stages of the program, when progress was more concentrated in specific operational areas.
The road to 2030
Formula 1 outlined its intentions for reducing emissions further in the years ahead, with a particular focus on shifting freight currently transported by air onto sea and regional land routes instead. The organization said that more than half of its broadcast and related freight currently moved by air will be transferred away from air transport entirely by 2030, a structural change that should produce sustained reductions rather than one-time efficiency gains.
The sport’s chief executive framed the progress as evidence that growth and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive, pointing to Formula 1’s expanding global reach alongside its declining carbon output as proof that both objectives can be pursued simultaneously.
Whether Formula 1 reaches net zero by 2030 will depend on sustaining this pace of reduction while continuing to grow commercially. The 2025 data suggests the trajectory is moving in the right direction, but the final stretch between a 35% reduction and net zero will require the same level of commitment the sport has shown since the program began.
