The Frontrunners in the Race Against Climate Change: Meet the Corporate Campaigner
Envision Racing has launched its Race Against Climate Change Advisory Board – a collective of influential voices from science, technology, academia, and industry, working together to accelerate the global transition to a net-zero future. This diverse group was brought together to break down silos and unite sectors that are often working in parallel, when what’s needed most is collective, aligned action.
Among the Board’s inaugural members is Alice Spencer, Executive Director of Education at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). With a career spanning corporate, not-for-profit, and government sectors, Alice has helped shape national and organisational strategies on key commercial opportunities – from biodiversity restoration in Australia to corporate transformation at a global level. Under her leadership, hundreds of major organisations and thousands of leaders worldwide have gone onto align business performance with positive outcomes for society.
In this interview, Alice shares insights from her journey, explores the role of leadership in delivering systemic change, and discusses why meaningful progress on climate hinges on the courage to challenge ‘business as usual.’
Firstly, please introduce yourself and give us an overview of your background.
My work at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership is focused on helping organisations let go of outdated mindsets and reimagine how they operate in a world shaped by climate change, social pressures, and market transformation.
We work with senior leadership teams and board members across all sectors and continents to build the critical knowledge and capabilities to lead through complexity and uncertainty – to stop viewing sustainability as a side project or a branding exercise, and instead embed it into the heart of business strategy and in shaping future commercial resilience.
The transition to a sustainable economy isn’t a challenge of finding the right science and data; it’s a leadership one. And it has to start from the top. We know the problems – in many cases, we have the solutions – but it will take bold leadership to motivate the scale of industrial change required that brings about the markets and businesses of the future.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see in your line of work and how can corporates make significant change?
We focus on three core themes: climate, nature and people. And across all three, the challenge is the same – you can’t fix an unsustainable system by tinkering at the edges. We need structural change. That means shifting from linear, extractive models to circular, regenerative ones; financing a just transition; and ensuring diverse voices are not only heard but central to shaping the path forward.
Too often, sustainability is seen as a siloed department or niche initiative. But real impact happens when it’s seen as a lens for every strategic decision – from product design to supply chains, investment, governance and beyond. At the moment, our global markets don’t reward sustainability performance. Rather markets allow companies to profiteer from depletion of social and environment assets. Clearly that is unsustainable – it is not good for business or the planet. So businesses have a role to use their voice and influence to demand better policy and incentives that enable them to become un-stuck on their sustainability potential.
How are you seeing corporates respond to that challenge – and are they moving fast enough?
It’s a mixed picture. Some companies are still in the early days – dealing with legacy systems, high emissions, and deeply entrenched models. For them, the transition is complex and politically sensitive. Others are moving faster – more agile, more innovative, more open to change, more positive about sustainability as a serious competitive advantage rather than a limiting tick box exercise.
But regardless of where you start, the questions are the same: are you shaping the future, or are you being shaped by it? Are you building a business model that will make sense in a decade – or just clinging to what worked in the past?
Many leaders still assume that historic business successes will keep them safe in the future. But social unrest, consequences of inaction on climate and technologies like AI are revealing just how quickly supply chains, consumer behaviour and infrastructure expectations are changing.
And the leaders who are stepping up aren’t just making marginal improvements – they’re flipping their models entirely. One major renewable energy CEO we’ve worked with made the bold call to move away from fossil fuels, even as infrastructure was still being built. He didn’t wait for regulatory pressure. He saw the market signals, saw the momentum behind net-zero, the inevitability of the market shift, and made the leap. That’s the kind of forward-thinking leadership we need more of because it sets a precedent that ‘moves the middle’ and brings whole sectors along with them.
What excites you most about your role on Envision Racing’s Advisory Board?
What’s powerful about this board, besides being a lot of fun (we’re allowed to have fun, right?) is how action-oriented it is. We’re asking the important questions like what can we do now? What’s the next priority? What’s achievable for a small but mighty team with a global platform?
The team’s size belies its impact – what Envision Racing says is amplified far beyond what you’d expect from a small organisation. That influence matters. And in a world saturated with information, storytelling becomes crucial. How do we make the sustainable path the most compelling, the most desirable? How do we frame this as a race worth winning?
What Formula E offers isn’t just a new motorsport – it’s a symbol of the future of mobility, of innovation with purpose. It’s a platform to inspire, to provoke, to challenge. And it reaches across borders, cultures, and generations.
How do you see that message landing with audiences – particularly those who aren’t already engaged?
We underestimate the power of emotional connection. People don’t change because of data alone – they change because of how something makes them feel. Think about how deeply people connect to Formula 1 – the adrenaline, the drama, the sound. Formula E may be quieter, but that’s part of the story.
In Monaco after our first advisory board meeting, we sat at breakfast while the cars raced past, and being able to hold a conversation, breathe clean air, and not get drowned out by roaring engines – that’s the vision. A city that’s exciting and liveable.
And sometimes, it only takes one experience – one moment – for someone to make a real commitment. That’s why the advisory board is so powerful. It’s not an echo chamber, it’s a network. And when the right people are around the table, the impact extends far beyond the meeting room.
Finally, what does real collaboration look like to you – and what advice would you give to others trying to build momentum around climate action?
If you’re joining a conversation about climate, you are also joining a conversation about nature, justice, future markets, innovation… the list is endless but an incredibly exciting and increasingly positive space to play.
In terms of real collaboration, I’d suggest getting out of your lane. It looks like shared accountability with stakeholders.
You have a responsibility to act – whether that’s committing to change inside your organisation, sharing the message, or opening doors for others.
This isn’t about grandstanding – it’s about momentum. And every person on this board was selected because they bring something unique to the table, whether that’s networks, influence, energy, or commitment.
We’re not a huge team, but we’ve got huge ambitions. And what’s amazing is how quickly a sense of community has formed. Within a day of our first session, people were reaching out to each other, collaborating, helping make connections. That kind of instant coalition is rare – and powerful. If we can nurture that energy, align it, and keep the pressure on, I truly believe we can help tip the balance.
