Dick Johnson Racing has become the first carbon neutral Supercars team and attained the FIA’s highest level of Three Star Environmental Accreditation, cementing its place as an industry leader on and off the track.

The team has made this exciting step as part of its broader goal of utilising the incredible platform of the Repco Supercars Championship to make a positive contribution to society.

DJR is an Australian success story spanning more than 40 years and co-owners Dick Johnson AM and Dr Ryan Story are committed to ensuring the team’s operations leave a positive environmental legacy.

To become carbon neutral, DJR engaged Colin Trinder, a Certified Environmental Practitioner with extensive experience in environmental management in motorsport, natural resource management and defence sectors.

He has previously guided Motorsport Australia to attaining Three Star FIA Environmental Accreditation as well as leading the environment program for the World Rally Championship event, Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, to deliver a carbon neutral event. 

Trinder calculated DJR’s greenhouse gas emissions for their 2020 base year and worked with the Team to establish their Environmental Management Plan and Quality Management System.

In July 2021 DJR’s Environmental Policy was finalised, which identified the following key priorities for the Team:

1.    Increasing recycling and reducing waste going to landfill from DJR’s operations;
2.    Shifting to 100% renewable energy.
3.    Funding new renewable energy projects which help offset DJR’s greenhouse gas emissions.
4.    Reducing total energy use in its business operations and freight logistics.

These four initiatives combine to substantially reduce and completely offset any carbon emissions from DJR’s entire operations, creating net zero emissions.

While these initiatives make DJR carbon neutral, the team has also been working to improve habitats and enhance the recovery of biodiversity by restoring sustainable native forests and bushland by planting thousands of trees, which also capture carbon. 

The team’s staff are a key part of DJR’s commitment to its sustainability and the environmental program. For each team member, DJR is planting the number of trees needed to completely offset their annual per capita average greenhouse gas emissions, from the most current authoritative source, 15.5 tonnes CO2-E per annum (source: World Bank 2018). In total, over 17,000 trees have been planted – 5,100 in Australia with Trees For 

Life and to date 12,220 trees planted in Nepal, India, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar with Tree-Nation. DJR will plant 1,700 trees per annum in an ongoing commitment to Trees for Life. Further, from 2022, with each merchandise purchase, a tree will be planted with Tree-Nation through their Net Zero Product service.

One of the team’s engineers, Brad Eyes, has been appointed as DJR’s first Environment and Sustainability Manager to oversee the ongoing implementation of its Environmental Program

DJR is carbon neutral for 2020 and 2021 and will continue to work to reduce its emissions and maintain its carbon neutral status as part of the Team’s commitment to its FIA Environmental Accreditation. 

The team is also a member of the Australian Sports Environmental Alliance.

DJR’s work aligns with recent efforts by several Formula 1 teams to achieve FIA Environmental Accreditation but represents a first for an Australian racing operation.

“Innovation, professionalism, efficiency and technology are at the heart of what we do and drive success for Dick Johnson Racing on the racetrack,” said Story.

“With an incredible 1.25 million supporters of DJR in Australia, I’ve long maintained that we have a social, moral and ethical responsibility to use this platform wisely including for the benefit of future generations of motorsport supporters”.

“Becoming Australia’s first carbon neutral motor racing team and the first touring car team to achieve the FIA Three Star Environmental Accreditation is an exciting moment for our whole organisation and a great milestone in the more than 40-year history of DJR.

“We believe in it for our Team and business and if we lead by example others might choose to follow suit but in their own way.”

Johnson also hailed the announcement as a landmark day for his proud team, which has won a record 10 Australian Touring Car/Supercars drivers’ championships and four Bathurst 1000s.

“This is one of the most exciting announcements we’ve made in the team’s history,” he said.

“I may be an old bugger now but I’m still very passionate about our team, the positive impact it can have on society and the generations to come.

“As a bloke with two grandkids, I couldn’t be prouder of the work Ryan and the team have done to make DJR Australia’s first carbon neutral race team.”

Jean Todt, President, FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), congratulated DJR and its co-owners Dick Johnson and Ryan Story on their achievement.

“Having spent some time with the Dick Johnson Team in Melbourne in 2019, I am very pleased to see them become the first motorsport team outside of Europe, to achieve the FIA’s Three Star Environmental Accreditation rating.” Todt said.

“A key element of the FIA Action for the Environment initiative is our Accreditation programme and it is very encouraging to see Dick Johnson Racing setting an example to other Touring Car teams to lead the way in demonstrating the FIA’s responsible and pro-active approach to the environment and sustainability. My congratulations go to Ryan Story, Dick Johnson and the team, for their achievement and example.”

The FIA Institute Deputy President responsible for Environmental Sustainability, Garry Connelly AM, added: “It’s an incredibly proud moment to see DJR, Australia’s oldest professional motorsport team, become carbon neutral.

“The FIA Action on Environment is an important part of our sport and its future. I congratulate DJR achieving Three Star FIA Environmental Accreditation, becoming carbon neutral is quite a feat indeed.”

Additional information can be found at: https://environment.djr.com.au