Honda takes environmental pole position

The Honda Racing F1 Team today announced that it has achieved ISO14001 certification for its UK headquarters at Brackley, Northamptonshire. It is the first time that the ISO14001 accreditation has been granted specifically to a Formula One team and as an integral part of its earthdreams programme, it demonstrates the team’s commitment to taking specific action on environmental issues.

ISO14001 is the international specification for an environmental management system (EMS). Accreditation to ISO14001 proves the Honda Racing F1 Team’s systems conform to the internationally comparable audit standard, and that the team has effectively implemented its environmental management system.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team said of the accreditation: “Obtaining ISO14001 certification is not an easy thing for a Formula One team to achieve. However our earthdreams initiative is at the core of our team culture and it is important that we, like our project partners, strive to do our best to minimise our impact on the environment in the course of our business. This is a step along the way and there are many areas where we can continue to improve but it’s very pleasing that our efforts have been rewarded by the respected ISO standard and that we met its tough criteria at our first attempt. We are showing that running a business that is as highly pressured as Formula One and doing the right thing are entirely complementary.”

Work towards ISO14001 began in 2005 with management training initiatives on environmental issues. The team is now working on specific targets to reduce its CO2 emissions and will report progress on its website HondaRacingF1.com. Nick Fry continued:

“Contrary to popular belief, the fuel that we use to race and test our cars forms around only 1% of our CO2 emissions footprint. The vast majority is from power use at our factory and air transportation of people and equipment around the world. This gives us some formidable challenges to reduce our consumption but we intend to see the same technology and ingenuity that we deploy on our F1 car to make a worthwhile contribution to reducing our CO2 emissions.”

The team’s commitment to environmental issues is now embodied in earthdreams, a global network of projects that are committed to generating a positive impact. earthdreams currently supports eight environmental projects addressing mobility, technology, sustainability and learning. The number of projects will continue to rise as the team’s environmental council thoroughly evaluates the many worthy applicants that wish to be associated with the earthdreams initiative.

Parent company Honda has a strong track record of leading the way in reducing global CO2 emissions. The 1972 Honda Civic was the first car to pass California’s Clean Air Act and the 2008 Honda FCX Clarity is the world’s first mass-produced zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell car. Today, 85% of every Honda car is recyclable.

The inspection and accreditation process was carried out by the SGS Group and was a success first time round. Pauline Earl, Managing Director, SGS United Kingdom Ltd said: “The Honda Racing F1 Team has shown clearly how certification to ISO14001 can form an important part of its business and marketing strategy. In order to gain this prestigious certification the team has made great strides to improve its environmental impact, demonstrating their commitment to develop a sustainable business practice.”