Elmsbrook, the first community in the UK to achieve net zero emissions
The climate emergency continues to plague the planet. The spiral of consumption and pollution in which we are immersed is having increasingly dire consequences: according to data from the United Nations (UN), cities consume 78% of the world’s energy and produce more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Against this backdrop, the UN’s challenge is clear: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030 and to zero by 2050.
The good news is that many cities have already embarked on this path, and some are already close to achieving this goal. This is the case of Elmsbrook, a residential complex with 393 homes located 18 kilometers northeast of Oxford, where its inhabitants walk every day among a multitude of green spaces with plots, various playgrounds, sports and recreational facilities, meadows, ponds, a country park and dozens of interconnected paths for pedestrians and bicycles, with specific lanes for them.
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Elmsbrook is the first phase of North West Bicester, the UK’s first eco-town, according to A2Dominion, the developer, which expects to complete the project in the next few years with 6,000 homes. Sustainability in this eco-town is in every nook and cranny, not just in transportation and buildings. Residents can pick fruit from trees and grow their own produce in community plots and gardens. Care for biodiversity thus becomes another pillar: there are also bird cages, bee hives and insect hotels.
“I’ve always been interested in environmental issues, and, now, as I get older and have a family of my own, it’s even more important to me. I’m inspired by the projects I see in the UK where people are thinking differently about sustainability.” These are the words of Melissa Noakes, Director of Sponsorships and Events at Santander UK, who says that, precisely, Elmsbrook has inspired some of the financial institution’s sustainability goals. “We have this development next to our offices in Milton Keynes. We see how you can cycle anywhere and all the houses have solar panels on the roofs. They are totally sustainable, something that led me to think that we have to work together both individually and collectively to think about our impact on the planet, and especially the carbon footprint we leave.”
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Elmsbrook, a source of inspiration in F1
This has been the source of inspiration and the starting point for the challenge Santander has set itself in its return to Formula 1 as a Ferrari sponsor: to drive a sustainable model for racing in particular, and for the automotive sector in general. “We have a key objective with F1 and, to achieve it, we need a whole range of new technologies,” says George Bridges, senior advisor to the executive chairman of the Santander Group.
To this end, the bank is going to help the Scuderia in its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, thanks to its accumulated experience of having achieved it two years ago. To this end, it offers the Italian brand a range of solutions focused on the development of technological advances that contribute to the sustainability of the sector and of F1, which has the ambition of reaching net zero emissions by 2030.
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For some time now, racing has been moving in this direction, starting with the cars. Aerodynamics, brake design… The teams’ investment in technological advances has precisely enabled the automotive sector to combat carbon emissions. Since 2014, the fuel efficiency of single-seater racing cars has improved by 50%; and, in 2026, the progress will be even greater, because F1 is set to introduce a new carbon-neutral engine.
“We were the first bank in the world to finance renewable energy and our investment banking business has teams specialized in advising large clients on their green transition (…). In addition, our auto finance business in Europe, the United States and other markets is supporting the development of sustainable mobility solutions,” confirmed the bank. Therefore, with this sponsorship and working closely with Formula One Management (FOM), owner of F1, and Ferrari, “we have the opportunity to drive change, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions”.
