Innovation and speed are key points to winning a Formula 1 (F1) race. McLaren Racing has hosted both since its inception in 1963. The race organization has won twenty F1 championships, 183 grand prix and 3 Indy 500 events. It also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its first attempt. McLaren is now combining its speed and innovation with that of UNDO carbon removal companies, such as the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Mombak, as a component of its new Climate Contribution Program (CCP), which aims to “accelerate the elimination of excess carbon dioxide” and large-scale climate solutions.
The CCP was announced on the last day of November, coinciding with the first day of the United Nations 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) in Dubai. COP 28 has been the focus of intense criticism due to its location and chair; the United Arab Emirates and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. McLaren’s announcement of a new climate program brings a sliver of hope to a frustrated public, and once again shows that (motor)sports can help lead the way in the fight to reduce emissions and preserve a livable planet.
The new climate programme is part of McLaren’s wider sustainability strategy which chief executive Zak Brown says is “a sensible commercial priority for McLaren”. The racing company has been at the forefront of gaming and sustainability since 2021, when it published its four-pillar sustainability manifesto. Subsequently, McLaren was a signatory to the UNFCCC Sport Climate Action Framework, the United Nations race to 0 and aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative, all with the aim of achieving Net Zero by 2040 and introducing a circular technique for source chains and operations.
According to Brown, in 2022 alone, McLaren reduced emissions by 22% and waste by 19%. But the racing corporation knows that’s not enough. In a bid to rejuvenate degraded ecosystems and sequester carbon naturally, McLaren is partnering with the Great Barrier Reef. Foundation and Mombak. The former repairs and supplements coral reefs and other ocean habitats. The second is helping to rebuild the Amazon rainforest by reforesting degraded pastures. Both projects are vital as they aim to repair two of Earth’s most biodiverse carbon sink ecosystems, which have been destroyed by humans and affected by climate change. Research shows that since 2016, nearly a portion of the Great Barrier Reef has died due to climate-induced coral bleaching. In addition, in the last 50 years, only about 300,000 kilometers of Brazilian corals in the Amazon rainforest have been lost.
The third organization McLaren partners with is UNDO, a carbon removal company that uses enhanced rock weathering (ERG) to remove existing CO2 from the environment. The nature-based solution is an accelerated version of the natural geological process in which rain combines with carbon dioxide in the environment to form an acid that is poured onto the ground. As the rock decomposes, it releases magnesium, calcium and other minerals into the soil and sequesters carbon in the soil, waterways and eventually the oceans. The procedure is effective at sequestering CO2, but can take many years or even thousands of years.
UNDO CEO Jim Mann says his company has “significantly accelerated the response,” making it a viable and scalable carbon removal solution. As part of its partnership with McLaren, UNDO will spread 24,000 tonnes of crushed basalt rock, one of the most abundant volcanic rocks. It is spreading over 1,200 hectares (2,965 acres) of UK farmland and is expected to remove 6,165 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Not only will the procedure remove carbon, but it will also add more minerals to the soil, naturally fertilizing it and increasing crop yields. Jim points out that generation is scalable because it is tied to existing industries, infrastructure, and waste. much less expensive than direct air capture (Jim says lately credits can be as reasonable as $200 per ton) and is a nature-based solution that doesn’t require large investments in infrastructure or construction.
This type of rock is incredibly common around the world, and when finely ground, it can help sequester carbon and increase crop yields.
By 2025, UNDO hopes to spread enough rock to permanently remove one million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The company sees a huge opportunity in a sports sector moving towards sustainability, and hopes that this agreement with McLaren will motivate other major sports. explosive remnants of war as a component of their net-zero emissions strategies.
According to Formula 1’s sustainability strategy, the sport is responsible for more than 250,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each season, the bulk of which comes from logistics and travel. McLaren’s climate contribution programme is by no means the best solution and will only help reduce a small percentage of the game’s total emissions. In addition, any form of carbon removal will need to be accompanied by steady emission reductions and the cessation of fossil fuel production in order to actually help counter climate change. Nonetheless, McLaren’s push to announce new and scalable climate responses shows that with committed investment, leadership and action games, we can have a huge influence on how we tackle climate. McLaren’s PCC deserves to serve as an inspiration for competition in motor games and other games that seek to use their influence to ensure a livable world.