“The land we live on is not inherited from our parents, but borrowed from our children.” This is the closest translation into Spanish of an old and well-known proverb of the Masai tribe, inhabitants since time immemorial in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania who have always shown great respect for their natural environment and for the safeguarding of our planet.
The wisdom that this message contains, apparently and at the same time very deep, has served as inspiration for a research project called Masai, developed by the University of Granada and led by Professor Fernando Moreno, whose objective is the creation of new forms of “green asphalt”. Through the use of recycled materials, such as car tires that are usually discarded once they are no longer useful, this group has managed to create a more durable asphalt for roads, which, in addition to providing greater grip than traditional ones, is much more more sustainable.
The same commitments, objectives and values ??that have guided the work of Moreno and his collaborators also inspire the team made up of Banco Santander, Ferrari and FOM (Formula One Management). All of them, together, have been working intensively, for some time, to find ways to reduce CO2 emissions, both in Formula 1 and in the automotive sector as a whole, with a very clear goal: to achieve a sustainable model with ambition. NetZero (a term used to refer to the state in which an economic activity no longer generates a net emissions impact for the planet).
Traditionally, Formula 1 has been associated with carbon dioxide emissions. However, in recent times, this sport is showing that it can also be capable of facing the challenge of sustainability, without giving up one iota of its spectacle capacity. In fact, the director of the Masai project is convinced that “F1 could be a perfect scenario in which to test these materials, reintroduce recycled tires and evaluate them under the highest demanding standards.”
As any good motor fan already knows, Formula 1 has always been an effective arena for innovation and development in the automotive industry, in aspects ranging from vehicle aerodynamics to safer and more precise brake design. Now, in close collaboration with FOM, the owner of F1, and Ferrari, Banco Santander reinforces its firm commitment to the fight against climate change, and this new project of what its managers call “green asphalt” serves as inspiration and example of how to promote change towards a more ecological model.
As Moreno explains, the inspiration for the development of these new materials comes from the observation of other similar elements from nature itself, which not only offer “high-quality mechanical properties and performance, but are also characterized by having a greatly reduced in the environment in which they are used”.
For each kilometer of conventional road, thousands of tons of materials from natural resources that are exhaustible are usually necessary. On the other hand, in the composition of the so-called “Masai materials”, “around 50% are raw materials of sustainable origin”, affirms this prestigious engineer of Roads, Canals and Ports. As Ross Brawn, F1 Managing Director, explains, a large number of tires are often used during a race weekend. Now, after use, they are returned to the factory, where they are recycled, using a “zero emissions” procedure. There, everything possible is extracted from them to help improve the sustainability of the entire activity.
For Moreno, the findings of his group’s research show that “the move from a linear economy to a circular economy model that advocates recycling, reusing waste and reducing the planet’s environmental pressure is something possible”. In this sense, Juan Manuel Cendoya, Vice President of Santander Spain and General Director of Communication, Corporate Marketing and Studies, points out that the entity is one of the largest financiers in the world of automobiles, “that is why it is essential that we find solutions so that cars collaborate in the fight against climate change and we reach zero emissions in 2050”.
Since this bank opted to return to Formula 1, in December 2021, as a sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari, it has been in charge of offering a wide range of solutions to achieve the desired carbon neutrality in the automotive field. At the same time, it has become the first bank in the world in financing renewable energies and its investment banking business has, for years, had specialized teams to advise large clients in their transition towards a fully green economy.
After becoming one of the 280 companies in the world that are part of List A of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Santander continues to make progress in the fight against climate change, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, to reach to zero emissions in 2050. In addition, it has set intermediate objectives, for 2030, such as a 29% reduction in absolute emissions financed from the energy sector, and has reaffirmed its commitment to allocate 220,000 million euros, between 2019 and 2030, so that all this is possible.
