Formula E at COP28: Elite Sport Must “Give It Everything” to Become More Sustainable

LONDON, UK. Mon, 20 Nov. 2023 – Formula E, the world’s first net zero carbon sport since inception, will mark the beginning of its milestone tenth season by attending the United Nations’ COP28 summit and calling on elite sport leaders to “give it everything” in their sustainability efforts.

JAKARTA STREET CIRCUIT, INDONESIA – JUNE 04: Maximilian Gunther, Maserati MSG Racing, Maserati Tipo Folgore leads Jake Dennis, Avalanche Andretti Formula E, Porsche 99 X Electric Gen3 and Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6 during the Jakarta ePrix II at Jakarta Street Circuit on Sunday June 04, 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by LAT Images)

A delegation representing the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, its teams, and partners, will be at COP28 to showcase how high-performance sport and sustainability can exist together without compromise.

Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said:

“Elite sport reaches a global audience of billions every week. Athletes are among the most-followed and influential people on the planet. Collectively, we have the potential to make positive changes for a more sustainable future and encourage fans to do the same. To use popular football manager parlance, we need to ‘give it everything’.”

Formula E was conceived in 2011 by businessman Alejandro Agag (now Formula E Founder & Chairman) and the FIA as the first all-electric single-seater motor racing championship, with the explicit mission of showcasing sustainable mobility in the heart of iconic world cities.

The first race was held on the streets of Beijing in September 2014. Today, nine seasons and 116 races later, Formula E is the first FIA-sanctioned electric world championship and established as the world’s most sustainable sport.

Last season, Formula E and the FIA developed and introduced the GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful, efficient and sustainable electric race car ever built – capable of 200mph / 322km/h and regenerating 600kW of energy.

When the GEN3 races in Shanghai for the first time next season, it will be 75 per cent more powerful and 95 km/h faster than the first-generation car that took to the streets of Beijing. One of the most significant technological developments is 50% of the energy used by a GEN3 in a race comes from regenerative braking.

Demonstrating that sustainability in sport does not mean a compromise on quality of action, Formula E’s drivers pushed the GEN3 to the limit last season, breaking every on-track speed and sporting record with triple-digit overtakes in the majority of races.

Manufacturers in the series include Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan, Mahindra, Maserati, DS Automobiles and ERT. The championship creates an intensive test bed environment for the 11 teams, and partners, to innovate EV technologies, which are increasingly making the ‘race to road’ transfer into electric cars on the streets.

The Formula E delegation attending COP28 will comprise of teams and partners including ABB, DHL, UNICEF, NEOM McLaren Formula E Racing Team, Envision Racing Formula E Team and others, using thought leadership sessions to highlight the bespoke benefits such as technology development and learnings they draw from the global series.

In 2020 Formula E became the first sport in the world to have its emissions reductions targets validated by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). It is on track to achieve its 45% reduction target by 2030 target across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.

Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins on Saturday, 13 January 2024, in Mexico City. The series will then race in Diriyah, Hyderabad, São Paulo, Tokyo, a venue in Italy to be announced, Monaco, Berlin, Shanghai, Portland, and London.

The COP28 summit is being held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November until 12 December 2023. It is the 28th annual United Nations climate meeting where governments will discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change.

Summary of Formula E COP28 activity

Tuesday, 5 December
DHL Masterclass with Julia Palle – invite only
Location: DHL Innovation Centre
Overview: Showcasing the technology and sustainable freight solutions DHL develops within the championship and the value it sees in the championship.

Bloomberg Green thought leadership evening reception with Formula E delegation and special guests – invite only
Location: Jumeirah Emirates Tower
Overview: Bloomberg Green at COP28 is an immersive experience designed to delve into pragmatic strategies for cross-sector climate action.

Wednesday, 6 December
Formula E Green Zone Session – ‘Formula E’s Race Against Climate Change’ – open to all Blue and Green zone passholders
Location: COP28 Green Zone Main Stage (Dubai Amphitheatre), Dubai Expo City
Time: 1130-1230
Overview: During Formula E’s session, moderated by Sky Sports’ David Garrido, you’ll hear how the all-electric motorsport championship continues to be a pioneer within motorsport, technology and sustainability, providing fans with spectacular racing and teams and partners with a world-leading test bed to develop cutting-edge sustainable solutions. Speakers:
Jeff Dodds – CEO, Formula E
Ian James – Team Principal, NEOM McLaren Formula E Racing Team, Team Principal
Sylvain Filippi – Managing Director and CTO, Envision Racing Formula E
Mike Umiker – Managing Director, Energy Efficiency Movement
Fathi Tlatli, President Global Sector Auto-Mobility at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, DHL
UNICEF spokesperson, Global Partnership Team

Thursday, 7 December
Formula E panel at Future Mobility Hub during its Sustainability in Sport Day – open to Future Mobility Hub passholders
Location: Future Mobility Hub DMCC, 1001 10th Floor, Uptown Tower Uptown Dubai
Time: 1715-1800
Overview: During this panel session you’ll hear how teams and partners from Formula E are working together in developing the cutting-edge racing series and how learnings and technology can be transferred to wider consumer audiences and applications.

Formula E networking evening drinks reception for teams, partners, ecosystem, and invited special guests – invite only
Location: Future Mobility Hub DMCC, 1001 10th Floor, Uptown Tower Uptown Dubai
Time: 1800-1930

UNFCCC Sport 4 Climate Action athlete panel including Lucas di Grassi
Location: Blue Zone TBC
Time: Friday, 8 December TBC

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