The Fund has been created to build on the positive legacy Formula E leaves behind in host cities and maintain world-leading sustainability standards that the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship sets across the sporting and sustainability sectors, including being the world’s first net zero carbon sport.
READ MORE: Formula E's drive for sustainability
Focusing on initiatives delivering environmental and social impact aligned to Formula E’s purpose and sustainability strategy, the Better Futures Fund is designed to leave significant tangible impact all year round, far beyond each scheduled race week. The Fund will also play a pivotal role in the series’ social impact strategy – Formula Equity – that tackles social inequalities and nurtures resilient and diverse communities where races take place.
For Season 10, the Fund will focus on:
- Supporting underrepresented communities in race locations, designed to tackle social inequality
- Environmental protection, prioritising nature and air quality in urban environments
- Community engagement and their transition to living more sustainable lifestyles
Across the remainder of Season 10, a fund of €100,000 will be split across the four race locations of Berlin, Shanghai, Portland and London, with local charities receiving up to €25,000 for their respective causes. In Season 11, the fund will support separate charities in all race locations around the world.
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Alongside the funding itself, Formula E is committing to working alongside each charity, providing awareness of its causes, engaging directly with the organisation and offering volunteer support. Organisations will feature as part of Formula E’s wider sustainability strategy, including hosting representatives at track and introducing them to the wider Formula E ecosystem as part of the series’ Inspiration Hour held every race week, to engage with local communities and educate them on environmental and social sustainability best practice.
Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, said: “Formula E leads the world in sustainability initiatives, yet as a competitive sport we always want to do more. The Formula E Better Futures Fund will give us total control in the supporting charities and communities in the markets we bring our sport aiming to leave a deeper, lasting and more targeted impact. This will enable us to have greater ownership and flexibility on helping those most in need and towards a more sustainable and equitable future.”
Julia Pallé, VP Sustainability at Formula E, said: “With a mission to accelerate sustainable human progress through electric racing, our new Better Futures Fund elevates our on-going purpose to the next level. Directly aligned to our wider sustainability strategy and Formula Equity that focuses on social impact, we’re taking a more direct approach to target specific causes and communities more closely aligned to our overall vision. This will enable us to have greater ownership and flexibility on helping those most in need and towards a more sustainable and equitable future.”
Berlin
Formula E will be supporting two charities in Berlin, including:
- Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) is one of the six recognised umbrella organisations in Germany for independent welfare, including the support of refugees.
- AWO Kreisverband Berlin-Mitte e.V. (AWO) currently support 1,420 people including adults and children at Tempelhof Airport where the SUN Minimeal Berlin E-Prix is taking place this year.
- Formula E’s funding will directly improve the living conditions within the Tempelhof accommodation site, alongside promoting social integration.
- Funding will support:
- Improving the living atmosphere – making leisure spaces more friendly and comfortable through furniture, entertainment and decoration.
- Activities – hosting festivals from countries of origin to promote socio-cultural cohesion.
- Improving quality of life – sports equipment, wood for craftsmanship activities and practices and new computers.
- Participation & inclusion in the social space – creation of activities for residents such as bike tours and day trips to help people explore the city – both independently and in groups.
- Rückenwind collect and repair bicycles for refugees, running bicycle learning workshops where volunteers can learn to repair bikes for each other.
- Volunteers come from all over the world with different experiences and skills, committing to an open society, the right to repair and sustainable, cost-effective mobility.
- Rückenwind also organises community events, cycling workshops and bike tours in and around Berlin with three core goals across mobility, integration, sustainability.
- Alongside its main workshop, Rückenwind also has a workshop at AWO’s Tempelhof airport accommodation site to specifically support the refugees living there.
Charities being supported by the Fund in subsequent markets will be announced at the start of each race week.