The Race to Net Zero: Formula 1™ and the Goal to Reach Carbon Neutrality
Stephen Hillenmeyer & Ryan Carlin
Every day, it seems that more and more massive corporations are making commitments to net carbon neutrality for some point in the future. Companies like Facebook, Netflix, Apple, and Google are among some of the corporate juggernauts who have made such commitments by 2030. [1] Up until recently, no major professional sports leagues had set such a lofty goal, but on November 12th of 2019, F1 International Racing announced their goal to reach net zero carbon by 2030 as well. [2] While this announcement is obviously exciting and commendable, it has been met with a fair amount of skepticism given the size of F1’s current carbon footprint. According to F1’s sustainability strategy, in every race season, approximately 256,000 equivalent tons of CO2 are generated. [3] This lofty goal becomes even more complex when F1 is forced to take into account the various energy regulations in place in any of the several locations in which races have been held in the past, or are scheduled to be held in the future, and the consequences for the sport in these locations if F1’s goal is not reached. Specifically in America, F1 racing has seen an exponential growth in popularity in recent years, but an inability to comply with state and federal environmental laws in the United States could put that growth to a halt come 2030.
For instance, California Governor Gavin Newsom, through a recent executive order, announced a plan to phase out all gas powered internal combustion engine automobiles. [4] Executive Order N-79-20 establishes a a framework that would eliminate the production of these gas cars over the next decade. [5] Currently, 15% of all production cars must be zero-emission. This percentage is to rise to 35% by 2026, 68% by 2030, and reach 100% by 2035. [6] This ban is focused on the automakers rather than the customer. A California citizen is not restricted from continuing to driving a gas powered car, but all in-state automobile sales will be reduced. This will have a proximate cause in lowering the number of gas powered cars on the streets which would also aid in diminishing emissions. Despite this distinction, the singular American F1 team, Haas, actually builds their competitive cars in the United States, meaning that they may be subject to the same regulations as California’s conventional automakers when this legislation goes into effect.
California is leading the United States in their plan to restrict in-state sales of gas powered cars. California has historically been a front-runner in making sweeping environmentally focused legislation. Most recently, California spear headed a multi-state campaign against the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to repeal state’s rights to implements its own “Advanced Clean Car Standard”. [7] While California is currently alone in the United States with such rigorous legislation in place for the transition from gas to electric powered vehicles, they are joined by seventeen other states that have similar “Low-Emission Vehicle” standards. [8] §177 of the Federal Clean Air Act allows states to adopt California’s emission standards in lieu of the less strenuous federal standards. [9] These eighteen states are voluntarily adopting standards that are more restrictive in attempt to improve local air quality as well as combat global climate change. It should be noted that New York is one of the aforementioned states with low vehicle emission standards, as New York is one of the few remaining massive American sports media markets with which F1 has not at least began to become involved.
Nevada is also one of the seventeen states that, under §177 of the Federal Clean Act, is following California to set pollution standards above those that are required at the federal level. [10] NRS 445B.760 establishes Nevada’s ability to regulate, by the creation of emission standards, any vehicle that creates “fuel evaporative emissions”. NRS 445B.760(2)(b) further states “[Emission] standards which were in effect in the year in which the engine of the vehicle was built”. [11] Formula 1 has been advertising a new race to its yearly calendar that would see the cars take to the streets of Las Vegas. 445B.760(2)(b) poses a challenge to these automobiles as they must configure the engine to Nevada’s standards. These standards are essentially the same as California’s emission standards, with only nominal differences. While Formula 1 does not currently hold a race in California, it does not seem that hosting a race weekend would be in the current interests with the environmentally conscious Californian government. With F1 seeing fairly rapid expansion into the United States in both the presence of an American team and multiple American-hosted events throughout the year, the accomplishment of their 2030 carbon neutrality would allow the aforementioned expansion to continue, but failure to reach neutrality would leave F1 in a difficult situation.
In conclusion, the goal of carbon neutrality in one of the few sports where the burning of carbon has been historically vital to the actual competition within the sport is certainly admirable. However, there is reasonable cause for skepticism with regard to the likelihood that such a goal is actually accomplished, and failure to accomplish this goal would have significant impacts on F1’s international expansion efforts.
About the Authors
Stephen Hillenmeyer is a first-year member on Volume 14. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Stephen graduated from Western Kentucky University with a double major in Political Science and English. During undergrad, Stephen worked in Washington D.C. in the U.S. Senate. Since then, he has bi-annually lobbied Congress with Citizen’s Climate Lobby for Carbon Pricing legislation. Although he is still deciding what areas of law he will practice, Stephen currently works at a personal injury firm in downtown Louisville.
Ryan Carlin is a first-year member on Volume 14. Ryan went to Murray State University and graduated with a degree in Chemistry with a minor in Multimedia. He has had experience working with Judge Ann Bailey Smith in the 13th Circuit Court of Jefferson County and is currently working as a clerk at a firm specializing in employment law. After graduation, Ryan plans on going into patent and intellectual property law.
References
[1] Briana Dodson, When Big Companies Are Going Carbon Neutral, from Amazon to Netflix, Brightly.com (Jul. 23, 2021), https://brightly.eco/blog/when-big-companies-are-going-carbon-neutral.
[2] Formula 1 Announces Plan to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030, Formula 1 (Nov. 12, 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-plan-to-be-net-zero-carbon-by-2030.5IaX2AZHyy7jqxl6wra6CZ.html.
[3] Formula 1 Sustainability Strategy, Formula 1, https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf.
[4] Governor Newsom Announces California Will Phase Out Gasoline-Powered Cars & Drastically Reduce Demand for Fossil Fuel in California’s Fight Against Climate Change, Ca.gov (Sep. 23, 2020), https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/.
[5] Executive Order N-79-20, Ca.gov (Sep. 23, 2020), https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/9.23.20-EO-N-79-20-Climate.pdf?emrc=9f8f26.
[6] Soumya Karlamangla, What to Know About California’s Ban on New Gasoline-Powered Cars, NY Times (Aug. 29, 2022), https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/us/california-ban-gasoline-cars.html.
[7] Ca.gov, supra note 4.
[8] Meredith Deliso, States Banning the Sale of New Gas-Powered Vehicles, ABC News (Aug. 26, 2022), https://abcnews.go.com/Business/states-banning-sale-gas-powered-vehicles/story?id=88895372.
[9] US: Section 177 States, TransportPolicy.net, https://www.transportpolicy.net/standard/us-section-177-states/#:~:text=Although.
[10] States that have Adopted California's Vehicle Standards under Section 177 of the Federal Clean Air Act, Ca.gov (May 13, 2022), https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/%C2%A7177_states_05132022_NADA_sales_r2_ac.pdf.
[11] Nev. Admin. Code, ch. 445B.760(2)(b).