15 August 2026, London, UK: The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020 when he was Prince of Wales, has appointed British Formula E racing driver, Sam Bird, as an SMI Terra Carta Ambassador in recognition of his commitment to accelerating the sustainable transition in sport.

The SMI Ambassador Programme involves distinguished global leaders across disciplines who serve as high-level representatives, storytellers, and advocates of the SMI, Terra Carta and Astra Carta. Alongside the SMI’s Founder and its CEO community, the Ambassadors help to educate, inspire, and engage the world in accelerating a sustainable future.

For over a decade, Sam Bird has advocated that the performance-related benefits of electrification are as compelling as its environmental advantages. Throughout his career, he has campaigned consistently on urban air quality, joining forces with the Mayor of London to promote low-carbon transport in the city, and has been a persistent public advocate for the championship’s record as the first sport to be certified net-zero carbon from inception.

Making his Formula E debut in Season 1 in 2014, Sam Bird competed in its first 11 seasons, claiming 12 wins, 27 podiums, and six Pole positions, positioning him as one of the series’ most successful drivers. In 2024, he was awarded the Formula E Action of the Year at the FIA prize-giving ceremony. Today, he remains active in the championship as a reserve and development driver and as one of its most familiar broadcast voices.

Sam Bird said: "Formula E is a real-life example of what becomes possible when business, technology and sport pull in the same direction. An idea that began on the racetrack is now shaping the cars people drive every day, and the same principles extend far beyond sport itself. It is an honour to become a Terra Carta Ambassador for the Sustainable Markets Initiative, and I am excited to continue unlocking opportunities across the industry."

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sam Bird as a Terra Carta Ambassador for the Sustainable Markets Initiative, whose experience at the forefront of electric racing and genuine passion for the sustainable transition make him an exceptional advocate. Sport is one of the greatest opportunities we have to accelerate private sector action, and Sam's expertise will help us position Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation.”

Sport reaches more than four billion fans worldwide, giving it a rare ability to shift behaviour and mobilize people at scale. As the private sector’s ‘go-to’ CEO platform for driving the sustainable transition, the SMI connects key stakeholders across the global sporting ecosystem, intersecting innovation, science, finance and beyond to accelerate private-sector progress in the industry.

The SMI’s Sport Pathfinder brings together leaders from across the sport value chain to address systems-level problems and opportunities that no one company or industry can solve alone. Its work highlights how sponsors, venues, broadcasters, and governing bodies can drive a default sustainable approach across global sport ecosystems and how the SMI is uniquely positioned to coordinate delivery.