FOR THE RING. FOR THE REGION. FOR THE FUTURE.
As the operating company of the Nürburgring, we implement various measures to reduce and monitor our environmental impact. These include, amongst other things, measures relating to energy, water, waste, noise protection and land management.
As a world-renowned race track and event venue, a private company and a regional economic driver, we take both economic and environmental requirements into account. The efficient use of energy, water, land and other resources forms an integral part of our long-term operational planning.
Environmental and sustainability issues are taken into account across various areas of the business and are incorporated into the planning and implementation of relevant measures. The Nürburgring has been implementing measures in various environmental areas for many years and is continuously developing these further. Observance of and compliance with the relevant environmental laws and regulations form an essential basis for our actions.
The environmental policy of Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG is based on the following guiding principles:
• We take responsibility for the environment in our region.
• Our aim is to reconcile environmental and economic requirements.
• We implement measures for preventive environmental protection.
• We take measures to prevent accidents that could harm the environment and to limit any potential environmental impact should an incident occur.
• We inform event organisers, visitors, contractual partners and users of the Nürburgring about ways to treat the environment and resources responsibly.
An excerpt from our measures:
• Renewable energy and our own solar power: 100% of the electricity we purchase comes from renewable energy sources. The source is verified by corresponding certificates of origin. In addition, we generate our own solar power on the rooftops of the ring°werk, the BMW M Power Grandstand and at the T13 section of the circuit. The rooftops used for this purpose cover a total area of around 20,000 m². The three photovoltaic systems generate around 1.4 million kWh of solar power annually, all of which is used at the Nürburgring itself.
• Electric mobility: Around 30 charging points for electric vehicles are available at the Nürburgring. The permanently installed charging infrastructure is used by our own vehicle fleet as well as by visitors and businesses. During events, the infrastructure can be supplemented as required with temporary charging facilities. The ring°kartbahn has been using exclusively electric karts since 2014; the fleet is regularly modernised.
• Water management: Rainwater is used, amongst other things, to flush sanitary facilities. Furthermore, the Nürburgring has its own sewage treatment plant, which is designed to cope with the seasonally varying volumes of wastewater generated by event operations.
• Waste management and reusable systems: In collaboration with REMONDIS, we return waste to the economic cycle – wherever possible – through recycling, reuse or energy recovery. In addition, we use reusable cups at events to prevent waste and conserve resources.
• Noise monitoring: The Nürburgring has a comprehensive noise abatement plan comprising various measures and continuous noise monitoring. The data collected is forwarded to an independent institute for the monitoring of emissions. Furthermore, during track operations, the Nürburgring voluntarily applies a noise limit below the authorised noise level.
• Forest and land management: Around the Nürburgring, 154 hectares of woodland are managed in accordance with the criteria for climate-adapted forest management. Compliance with these criteria is reviewed annually as part of the PEFC certification scheme. Eight hectares of the woodland are set aside for natural forest development. In addition, ecologically valuable wetlands and meadows form part of the managed areas around the Nürburgring.
• Dialogue with the region: We maintain a dialogue with the region and the surrounding local authorities regarding land use and environmental issues. This includes the municipality of Nürburg, which is situated directly adjacent to the race track; as a state-recognised climatic health resort, it has specific requirements for the protection of its environment.
Structures for continuous improvement
Our energy management system is certified to ISO 50001:2018. Furthermore, the Nürburgring holds a 2-star accreditation under the FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme. Both systems help us to systematically record and evaluate our energy and environmental performance, and to further develop appropriate measures.
We regularly review our measures and work on further improvements across the various areas of action. In doing so, we regard environmental and resource issues as an ongoing task. Our aim is to further reduce the environmental impact of operations at the Nürburgring wherever possible and where we can exert influence, whilst at the same time safeguarding the long-term development of the site.