When Envision Racing launched its Race Against Climate Change Advisory Board, the aim was clear: unite pioneering minds from across industries to accelerate impactful climate action. Among those experts is a sustainability and technology strategist whose journey has taken him from the newsroom to international PR firms, and from nonprofit leadership to the frontier of artificial intelligence.
In this interview, we meet Jonas Allen, an advisor blending deep insight in communications, electronics, and AI, with a long-standing passion for creating tangible environmental impact. From his early days in media to his current work using AI with purpose at Sand Technologies, Jonas reflects on the challenges facing tech, the role of nuance in sustainability conversations, and why optimism must be matched with urgency.
Let’s start with your background. How did your career path bring you to Sand Technologies?
I actually started my career in journalism – writing for travel and entertainment magazines. That early work gave me a real appreciation for the power of storytelling and how to engage people through content. Eventually, I shifted into PR and marketing, which allowed me to work more strategically – thinking not just about media coverage, but about partnerships, promotions, and the broader impact of communications.
I worked in global PR agencies through the dot-com bubble and beyond, before co-founding a boutique firm with some of my colleagues. That gave me a whole new appreciation for what it takes to build a business and survive in a competitive industry.
Wanting to expand beyond the specialism of PR, I eventually moved into regional marketing roles and later into the tech and nonprofit space – which is where the sustainability thread really took hold.
How did that pivot into sustainability come about?
I joined a nonprofit based in the Pacific Northwest, where there’s always been quite a strong environmental mindset. I had two young kids at the time, and I wanted them to be proud of the work I was doing. That was the motivator: to leave the world better than I found it.
The organisation oversaw one of the most successful ecolabels in tech and I was working with major electronics brands to make their products more sustainable. It wasn’t just about improving design, it was about changing the way we market and position sustainable choices to institutional buyers, governments, and consumers.
That experience and those collaborations really deepened my understanding of the trade-offs, the complexity, and also the opportunities to drive meaningful change at scale.
What drew you to your current focus on AI – and to this advisory board specifically?
A couple of years ago, while leading marketing for a major IT services firm, I was introduced to the founder of Sand Technologies, whose mission was to use AI to generate real, positive impact in the world. That wasn’t just a tagline – the work was about applying artificial intelligence in ways that deliver real social and environmental benefit in addition to economic improvements.
There’s a public perception that AI is only good for generative tools like ChatGPT writing your emails or creating a funny video. But AI is so much broader than that. It’s been around for decades. Digital twins, machine learning, pattern recognition – these are powerful tools that can drive huge efficiencies and insights across sectors, including sustainability. That’s what excites me: the potential of AI not just to entertain or automate, but to accelerate human progress.
Joining Envision Racing’s Advisory Board was a natural fit. The team’s passion is infectious. What drew me in was the opportunity to apply AI and software development to support a team that’s pushing the envelope – not just on track, but in how they engage fans, communicate purpose, and drive environmental performance.
What role do you think AI can play in sustainability and motorsport?
A huge one. Whether it’s tracking environmental performance more efficiently, improving energy use, making data-based decisions in a split second, or deepening fan engagement, AI can help teams be smarter, faster, and more transparent.
It’s also about identifying how the Race Against Climate Change can resonate with different audiences, inspiring them to take positive steps in their own lives as well. What lights a fire under fans? What moves people from awareness to action? AI can help uncover those patterns and amplify what’s working.
Of course, there’s complexity too. Like all advanced technologies, including cloud, there’s a carbon footprint that can’t be ignored. But, the benefits of strategic AI deployments also can’t be ignored. Used wisely, AI can generate so many benefits for the private sector, public sector and humanity writ large. Nuance is critical in these conversations. It’s important to acknowledge the challenges and work toward reducing impact – without throwing out the potential.
What are some of the misconceptions around AI and sustainability you think we need to challenge?
One big one is the idea that generative AI is the whole story – it’s not. GenAI may be the hot topic today, but AI as a whole is more like a spectrum. There are hundreds or thousands of compelling use cases, particularly in asset-heavy industries. The good news is, now that more people are waking up to the idea of AI, there are entirely new audiences exploring the potential applications for AI.
When it comes to sustainability, one of the misperceptions or myths is the notion that there’s going to be a perfect solution. Take EVs, for example. Critics will point to the batteries that require mining, or to the tyres that cause more wear on roads. All of that is valid, but every solution has trade-offs. The question is: what’s the spirit behind it? What are we trying to solve? And how do we keep improving over time? It’s important to continuously learn and iterate. Nobody can afford paralysis by analysis – making progress against our goals is better than standing still.
We need to talk about sustainability with honesty – not just highlight the benefits, but also acknowledge the costs, and make it clear that progress is a journey. AI can play a huge role in that journey.
What stood out to you in your first experience on the Advisory Board?
The diversity in the room was incredible – people from science, sport, technology, policy – all with different expertise, but completely aligned in purpose. There was real unity. When you have that kind of focus, you can do hard things. You can make real progress.
There’s a sense of urgency that’s very real. Climate change isn’t slowing down – if anything, we’re behind where we need to be. So the conversations weren’t just theoretical. They were about action: what can we do now? What’s realistic? What can we take back and implement in our own organisations?
For me, the most exciting thing is how quickly this group has formed a sense of shared responsibility. It’s not just a title. People are engaged, contributing ideas, connecting dots, and helping the Envision Racing team scale their impact in practical, measurable ways.
Where do you hope the board goes next – and how do you see your role evolving?
I think the future is about keeping the momentum alive between meetings. It’s easy for advisory roles to become reactive – just show up when there’s a calendar invite. But this group wants more than that.
We’ve started talking about identifying topics ahead of time, doing pre-work, having offline conversations. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with other members at the next race in London, but even more so, to continuing those discussions in between.
This board can be a sounding board but also a testing ground, an amplifier, and a force multiplier. And I hope to continue bringing that AI and digital perspective into the mix, not just in terms of what’s possible, but how we can actually deliver it
