London, the hub of global finance and policy, set the perfect stage for the return of Envision Racing’s Race Against Climate Change (RACC) Live event on the eve of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season finale.
Held along the River Thames by the ExCel Centre – the home of the final race of the season – the event brought together an engaged audience for a powerful discussion on how finance, innovation and sport can accelerate meaningful climate action.
From the grid to green finance
As one of the few net zero sports teams in the world, Envision Racing isn’t just about performing on the racetrack. At RACC Live London, we took our mission off track spotlighting how sport can act as a catalyst to convene and inspire the industries that hold the key to unlocking real climate solutions – starting with sustainable finance.
As one of the most influential voices in the climate investment space – and arguably, in finance altogether – we invited David Blood to engage in a Q&A Fireside chat with our Operations Director Jennifer Babington. As the former Chief of Staff at the UK Green Investment Bank and General Counsel at Element Power, Jennifer brought deep expertise and a unique perspective to the conversation, bridging the worlds of policy, clean energy, and corporate leadership.
David Blood is the co-founder of Generation Investment Management, a firm he founded alongside former US Vice President, Al Gore. David is passionate about tackling the planet’s biggest threat – climate change – and is doing so through his experience as a financier, directing funds towards climate-saving projects. Formerly the CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, David’s career led him to the conclusion that sustainable investment was the way forward.
At RACC Live, David’s message was clear: the money to solve the climate crisis exists – it’s now about where, and how fast, we choose to direct it.
In this article, we’ve summarised some of the most interesting questions and answers from the session.
Have we lost the race against climate change?
A key theme of the talk was that sustainability and sustainable investment isn’t just ethically correct or environmentally friendly – it’s simply better. For individuals, for entrepreneurs, for policymakers, and for the economy.
“The green transition is going to happen because it’s a really good idea – both economically and for health and everything else,” states David. “But – we have lost the narrative. Particularly in the United States, but even around the world, we have made it way too complicated.”
“What used to be a fringe group of ‘climate sceptics’ are now being referred to as ‘climate realists’. They are saying the transition is going to take a long time, that it will be extremely expensive, kill jobs, and there will be no energy security associated with it. All of that is incorrect – and yet, that is what a lot of people believe.”
“We need to be sharper and more positive. That’s why what your team is doing in Formula E is absolutely critical. You’re showing that being sustainable is simply better – not as good or worse, but better.”
Where is the money going?
As someone who understands the financial markets in depth, we wanted to understand where investment is going and what is needed to make the transition a reality.
“The biggest challenge from a sustainable investment standpoint is we need to invest something like four trillion dollars per year over the next 20 years to decarbonise and make our global economy more sustainable. That’s a lot of money.”
“The good news is last year we invested two trillion dollars in the energy transition which is twice as much as we invested in hydrocarbons during the same period. A few years ago, that was reversed – we invested double in hydrocarbons compared to green energy – so we’re certainly making progress.”
What does global decarbonisation look like?
“We will decarbonise in the UK, we will decarbonise in the USA and we will decarbonise in China – in fact, China will likely lead the way. But we need to find out how we’re going to do this in India, Indonesia, Brazil etc etc.”
“We need to change mindsets. Climate and nature challenges are different than issues like poverty for instance, because you really can’t see it. We’re starting to experience droughts and forest fires and high heats – but most people can’t internalise it and they don’t see it as a global problem.”
What are the biggest priorities?
“We need to electrify everything, we need to change industrial businesses, we need to change the built environment, land use and mobility – those are the five areas we need to radically change.”
For that final area – mobility, you’re leading the way. Through Formula E, you’re proving e-mobility can be really nice, cool – but also better. And that is 20% of the energy transition.”
A catalyst for climate optimism
RACC Live London served as a powerful reminder that the race against climate change is not lost – but it is urgent. Through open, honest discussion and bold leadership, the event demonstrated how sport can convene the very people and sectors capable of driving systemic change.
From David Blood’s expert insight to the growing momentum behind green finance, one thing is clear: we have the solutions, the capital, and the innovation to deliver a more sustainable future. What we need now is unwavering commitment, clearer narratives, and faster action.
At Envision Racing, we’ll continue to use our platform to accelerate that transition – both on and off the track. When we race for purpose, progress is inevitable.
