Doing our bit for the planet

The Sauber Group has known its entire CO2 footprint and fully compensated for it since 2011. Since 2014, the company supported forest and reforestation projects in South America. Trees and forests play a special role in climate protection and, alongside oceans, are one of the largest natural CO2 sinks. Trees clean the air we breathe, regulate precipitation and the water cycle, cool the earth and are cheap and relatively easy to multiply CO2 reservoirs. Forests provide the habitat for more than 80% of the Earth’s biological diversity.

The Sauber Group is certified ISO 14001

ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS) and provides a framework that an organization can follow.

This milestone is a key part in our sustainability strategy, which is aligned with the FIA, and includes:

  • Improving resource efficiency
  • Driving down costs, reducing waste
  • Measuring environmental impact
  • Gaining competitive advantages in supply chain design
  • Increasing new business opportunities
  • Managing environmental obligations with consistency.

 

Since 2014, Sauber Group has jointly supported climate protection projects, such as the REDD Project in Brazil (rainforest conservation) and the Guanaré Afforestation Project (forest plantation and reforestation of degraded pastures) in Uruguay.

The current projects supported by the Sauber Group are:

Kariba Forest Protection, Zimbabwe

Since its launch in 2011, the Kariba project has prevented more than 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from emission into the atmosphere each year by preventing deforestation and land degradation of nearly 785,000 hectares of forest. This is achieved through promoting regional sustainable development, and the independence and wellbeing of local communities.

Safe Community Water Supply, Rwanda

Lack of safe water, along with poor sanitation and hygiene, is among the greatest causes of poverty in Africa. Without access to clean drinking water, breaking the poverty cycle is incredibly difficult. The Rwanda Safe Water Project both provides local communities with clean water and reduces CO2 emissions.

Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve, Indonesia

Located on Borneo’s southern coast in Indonesia, the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve project protects carbon-rich tropical peat swamp forest from deforestation for palm oil production. The project also protects ecosystem biodiversity and conserves habitat for endangered species, such as the orangutan, while fostering sustainable development amongst local communities.

Sipansihaporas Hydropower project, Indonesia

The Sipansihaporas hydropower project, located in Northern Sumatra generates renewable electricity by harnessing the power of flowing water. This run-of-river system is connected to the Sumatra national grid, helping the country reach its 23% renewable energy target by 2025. On a local level, the project creates job opportunities as well as providing training for workers to learn new skills, the local economy benefits as a result of this.

CO2 footprint, facts and figures

Over 80% of our company’s CO2 emissions are caused by logistics. Overnight stays away from home amount to 3%. Fuel for tests and races accounts for almost 1% of the total CO2 emissions of the racing team. Electricity and energy consumption account for 4.5% of the team’s CO2 emissions.

The Sauber Group has implemented various measures to actively reduce its CO2 footprint and make its own energy consumption more efficient. Among others, the car park at the company headquarters in Hinwil is roofed with a 2200 square meter solar system that could supply 44 households with clean electricity. According to external calculations by a third-party, solar energy with a CO2 footprint of only 30 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour is around one fifth lower than the average CO2 footprint of the Swiss electricity mix, which is up to 150 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour produced.

In 2020, Sauber Engineering unveiled a partnership with ABB to leverage e-mobility and carbon neutral development projects, underscoring the commitment to sustainability of the Sauber Group, of which Sauber Engineering is part. As part of the deal, ABB have installed a state-of-the-art EV Charging Station at Sauber Group’s headquarters in Hinwil, providing the latest in fast-charging battery technology to the growing number of electric vehicle users in the company. The charging station, which is also available to the public and therefore benefits the whole community, is powered by the photovoltaic field installed as early as 2012 over the Sauber headquarters’ parking lot – at the time, one of the largest in Switzerland.

The use of district heating from the nearby refuse-processing plant in Hinwil reduces CO2 emissions for heating the company buildings. Compared to the use of fossil fuels, the use of district heating causes about half of the CO2 emissions.