Representatives from UEFA, UNFCC and META to take part in event hosted by ‘the greenest team on the greenest grid’
Ahead of Saturday’s headline E-Prix race in London’s Excel Arena, Envision Racing are bringing together leading figures from across the world of sport, business and government to inspire action on the climate emergency and announce a call to arms for all involved in sport to continue the fight against climate change.
They will be speaking at the Race Against Climate Change Live event on Friday 29 July, hosted at the Tate Modern and held in partnership with TIME and COP26. Headline speakers include Michele Uva, Director, Football & Social Responsibility at UEFA, Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Sectors Engagement Lead on Sports and Fashion at UNFCC and Eoghan Griffin, Head of Sustainability at META.
The event will be hosted by Sky Sports presenter David Garrido and will feature two panel debates focusing on how to create sustainable cities and the power of sport to unite and inspire behaviour change. There will also be two in-depth fireside chats with Nigel Topping, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion at COP26, who will discuss the legacy of COP 26 and the role of EVs in achieving net zero targets, and Eliud Kipchoge, record breaking marathon runner and climate advocate, who will discuss the impact of air pollution on elite athletes and the work of his Foundation to address the climate emergency.
This is the latest in a series of Race Against Climate Change events hosted by Envision Racing Formula E team, whose aim is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and inspire positive climate action around the world. Their sustainable chain initiative has already generated almost 100,000 pledges from fans across the world to take personal actions such as flying less, reducing meat consumption or switching to an electric vehicle to help reduce their carbon footprints.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer at Envision Racing, said:
“From its role in fighting racial inequality, to highlighting the importance of mental health, sport has the power to be one of the most unifying and influential activities in the world. At Envision Racing, we’re proud to be using our platform as a sporting team to bring together
leading figures from across sport, civil society and business to drive the fight against climate change and call for all involved in sport, and all who love sport, to do what they can to tackle the issue.
“It’s fantastic to be hosting this RACC event in one of the most sustainable cities in Europe, as we gear up for the London E-prix taking place on Saturday. Here, we will continue to drive sustainability on the track, as well as off through developing key components for future road EVs.”
Michele Uva, Director, Football & Social Responsibility, UEFA said:
“The transition to a thriving, green economy is imperative and UEFA must be part of the journey through investments in sustainability. We are determined to take our responsibilities and accelerate collective action of all European football stakeholders to prevent and reduce the degradation of the environment, while leveraging football’s reach and visibility to advocate, such as with this event with Envision Racing, for concrete actions.”
Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Sectors Engagement Lead on Sports and Fashion, UNFCCC said:
At the UNFCCC we recognise the positive role sport can play in communities and people’s lives accross the globe. That’s why we work with sports organizations to make sport an agent of change in our collective race against climate change. As part of RACC Live, we’re delighted to be able to contribute to the conversation around decarbonization and the role of sport to bring people along in the journey!