In a move that will interpreted as an example of either effective green management or shameless greenwash, Formula 1 racing team Sauber has today announced that it has obtained “carbon neutral” status.

The Swiss team said that it has signed a deal with UK offset company Carbon Neutral Investments (CNI), which supports a range of emission reduction projects around the world, including wind farms in India, waste heat recovery projects in China, and hydro-electric stations in Brazil.

Sauber will purchase credits from these initiatives to cover not only emissions from all its facilities, but also emissions from transportation of freight to race venues and staff travel. It added that it would then also purchase an excess of 30 per cent more carbon offset credits to ensure any emissions that may remain unaccounted for are covered.

The move builds on the team’s achievement in gaining ISO 14001 certification for the company’s environmental management system in April.

“The certification of our environmental management system less than a month ago signified an important step towards our ecological goals and is now followed by a further step with our carbon offset commitment,” said Sauber chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn.

“The next milestone will be when our solar park goes on stream at the company headquarters in Hinwil this summer.”

As well as offsetting, Sauber has put in place a carbon cutting policy to keep emissions as low as possible. The team’s main building in Hinwil has been supplied by district heating for 20 years, while half of its electricity needs are met by renewable energy sources.