Elite sport must ‘give it everything’ to become more sustainable: Formula E at COP28

DUBAI: Formula E will call on elite sport leaders to “give it everything” in their sustainability efforts when its representatives attend the UN’s COP28 summit.

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, its teams and partners will be represented at the event by a delegation hoping to showcase how high-performance motorsport and sustainability can co-exist without compromise. Formula E is the world’s first sport to be net zero carbon since its inception.

COP28, which will be held in Dubai from Nov. 30 until Dec. 12, will see governments discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change. It is the 28th such annual UN conference.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds 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.’”

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

Formula E was conceived in 2011 by businessman Alejandro Agag (now Formula E founder and chairman) and the FIA as the first all-electric single-seater motor racing championship. Its mission is to showcase sustainable mobility in the heart of iconic world cities.

The first race was on the streets of Beijing in September 2014. Nine seasons and 116 races later, Formula E is the first electric world motor racing championship to be