Sustainable futures: McLaren
The first carbon-neutral Formula 1 team, McLaren’s approach to sustainability is all- encompassing. It impacts the organisation’s corporate strategy, and ensures that it will continue to thrive in a fuel-scarce future. Amy Sandys takes to the track with McLaren
The first races recognised as Grand Prix took place in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1946, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), dedicated to introducing standardisation to the sport, was born. Almost two decades later, in 1963, the late Bruce McLaren created what would go on to be one of the most successful Formula 1 (F1) teams to ever exist, including some of the world’s best drivers. Yet, while the cars became ever faster and more sophisticated, emissions also became a major concern. The FIA took measures to minimise F1’s environmental impact – and the McLaren brand, while focused on winning races, began developing a clean technology programme which would eventually set the benchmark for racing teams across the world.
For many technology companies, commitment to less resource use and emphasising attempts to minimise environmental impact belongs only to rhetoric. In practice, sustainability is often far below profit on the list of priorities. For McLaren, however, CSR is not merely another box to tick, and an ongoing commitment to high environmental standards has seen the company become a trailblazer for other motor racing organisations. John Allert, group brand director for McLaren Technology Group, says, “The FIA implemented a sustainability accreditation programme to encourage all motorsport organisations to manage and reduce their impact on the environment. We are proud to say that McLaren was the first F1 organisation to achieve the FIA Gold Standard in 2012 – and we are still the only F1 team to be accredited.”
In November 2011, McLaren became the first ever F1 team to be declared carbon neutral. It is also one of several teams involved in the pioneering Formula E racing circuit, the first racing series to use cars run purely on electricity. Innovation is key to success in this field – traditional manufacturing methods give way to a fresh, greener approach and battery-based technology to help curb any emissions. Allert says, “Our approach of constant, incremental innovation which sees our race team able to bring an upgrade to our car on average once every 15-17 minutes is something we apply across the McLaren Technology Group and influences our approach to sustainability.” Aside from winning races, sustainability is the sport’s main focus. Transport emissions are reportedly responsible for 25% of global CO2 discharges, thus a founding principle of Formula E is to highlight the positive difference electric cars can make.
And Formula E is gaining in popularity. Tech giants Panasonic and Sony have both pitched to be chosen as the next designer and producer of Formula E electric car batteries – a big claim for a sport which, still in its infancy, competes with the high-octane world of F1. Allert says, “We developed the P1 hybrid hypercar Formula E powertrain technology, a world first, and even worked with the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS), which can help reduce emissions over London’s skies.” And Allert says, McLaren racing is not only a pioneer in its approach to creating sustainable cars for the racetrack. The company works to provide a blueprint in sustainability for other areas, and its pace of change is leading to positive developments in other more traditional sectors. “McLaren is now more than an F1 team or a car company,” says Allert. “McLaren Technology Group also comprises McLaren Applied Technologies, which takes insights from racing to create high performance products and processes in a range of fields.”
“Our approach of constant, incremental innovation which sees our race team able to bring an upgrade to our car on average once every 15-17 minutes is something that influences our approach to sustainability"
McLaren also ensures its sustainability principles are adhered to throughout its global supply chain. In early 2016, there was a change of truck and haulage supplier to Volvo Trucks. Chief operating officer for McLaren Technology Group, Jonathon Neale, says, “As well as looking for on-track efficiencies, as part of McLaren’s sustainability commitments we also look for improvements off it too. That’s why we’re very proud to partner with such a prestigious brand as Volvo Trucks, who are renowned for their innovative and high- performance heavy goods transport solutions.”
And while partnerships like the one between McLaren and Volvo is nothing new in F1, the principles behind the collaboration shows vigour in a shift to a sustainable policy which covers all McLaren’s brand touchpoints. Allert says, “Although a decade ago it was seen as unusual for a brand such as ours, that was then predominantly F1 focused, to be considering sustainability as part of its normal operations, we want to manage our resources as efficiently as possible.” These resources now stretch across every link of the McLaren supply chain, and help the company maintain as clean an energy record as possible.
While money, champagne and rapidity are still the words most likely associated with the powerful world of motor racing, companies such as McLaren continue to work to ensure that ‘sustainability’ becomes a part of the F1 lexicon. “I believe that science, engineering and technology have the capacity to change the world for the better,” says chairman and chief executive of McLaren Technology Group and chairman of McLaren Automotive, Ron Dennis, in the introduction to McLaren’s 2014-’15 corporate sustainability report.
“Through understanding and innovation we can intelligently manage the impact that we all have upon the environment. We can revolutionise the way we deliver healthcare, generate and use energy and conserve scarce resources,” he adds. Given McLaren’s current rate of progress, it seems this revolution will happen sooner, rather than later.
