Best known for her work in the formation and delivery of the Paris climate agreement in 2015, Christiana Figueres and legendary French racing driver Alain Prost will join forces to chair the newly-formed Global Advisory Board.
Developed to bring together leading figures from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, the Global Advisory Board will steer the future direction of Formula E as a key player in influencing the global uptake of electric vehicles and its impact on reducing emissions.
Joining Figueres and Prost in the Global Advisory Board will be Founder & CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag, Chairman & CEO of SINA Charles Chao, CMO of Jaguar Land Rover and Chairman of Jaguar Racing Gerd Mauser, CEO of Land Rover BAR America's Cup team and ex-McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh, Head of Global Sponsoring and Deputy Head of Marketing at Julius Baer Marco Parroni, and reigning Formula E champion and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Lucas di Grassi. With experience ranging from sport and mobility to marketing, business and engineering, the group will provide input and advice on topics such as sustainability, media and business.
As an internationally recognised leader on global climate change, Christiana Figueres is best known for her work as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 - 2016. During this time, she assumed responsibility for the international climate change negotiations after the failed Copenhagen conference of 2009, with her efforts culminating in the historic Paris agreement in 2015. “In order to meet the objectives set out by the Paris agreement and prevent global temperatures spiralling out of control, we must have a need for speed and react quickly. If we don’t see the emission levels starting to plateau by the year 2020, it’s unlikely we’ll collectively hit the agreed targets. This unique forum at Formula E will allow us to bring great minds together with the same common goal, speeding-up the transition and use of electric vehicles in everyday life,” said Figueres.
With four Formula 1 world championship titles to his name, Alain Prost is Co-Founder and Team Principal of Renault e.dams Formula E team. Having spent over a decade in Formula 1, driving for prominent outfits such as Williams, Renault, Ferrari and McLaren, Prost gained his four titles between 1985 and 1993. During this time, Prost was widely known as ‘le Professor’ for his methodical and calculated approach behind the wheel. In 2013, Prost joined forces with Jean-Paul Driot to co-found the Renault e.dams team. Under his direction, the team has claimed all three team championship titles, making them the most successful team in the series. “I’m proud to be a part of this expanding movement with Formula E and working together with Christiana on the Global Advisory Board. Being with Formula E since the very beginning I’ve seen first-hand how it has grown and developed, not only as a championship but also the impact it’s already having on the road car industry. I look forward to working closely with the other members and maintaining Formula E’s prime position as part of the electric revolution,” said Prost.
Commenting on the announcement, Founder & CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag, said: “Formula E is more than just a race, it’s a platform to inspire change - a change in perception, a change in attitude and behaviour, and a change in the way we live our lives and actively influence the future of our planet. It’s an honour to have names like Christiana and Alain heading up the new Global Advisory Board, alongside a strong mix of recognisable names in the field of media, marketing, business, sport and sustainability. I’d like to express my thanks for their participation and we hope to tap into their expertise when choosing the long-term direction of our sport.”
The announcement was made just days from the opening race of Season Four of the race series, taking place on the specially designed circuit on the streets of Hong Kong's Harbourfront. While the Board will consult on sustainability, media and business, all matters relating to sporting and technical regulations remain under the authority of the sanctioning body - the FIA.