5 AUGUST 2020
14:30-16:00 BST
Our planet faces an existential crisis and transportation is at the heart of this issue. In 2020 alone, we’ve seen unprecedented heat waves, wildfires, and flooding, along with many other extreme weather-related incidents around the world.
Envision Virgin Racing uses it's platform to spark discussion and raise awareness about electric mobility, renewable energy and the technological advances which will revolutionise everyday transportation.
It is clear that immediate action must be taken on a global scale if the impacts of climate change are to be mitigated and, ideally, reversed. Race Against Climate Change Live will convene the world's leading figures from business, government, environmental and youth sectors to provide insight and provoke debate on some of the most pressing topics of our time.
Join us for a series of live, thought provoking discussions.
Topics
PANEL 1
The next generation
Recent events have given a voice to a new generation of climate advocates from a younger demographic (Generation Z). But with older generations seemingly taking less notice of our climate emergency are we seeing a generational divide or will the climate crisis bring generations together?
Moderator:
- Peter Johnson - Managing Director, National Geographic Kids
Speakers:
- Aidan Gallagher - Actor, Singer-Songwriter, Environmental Activist
- Bella Lack - Conservationist & Environmentalist
- James Levelle - Climate adventurer & RACC Ambassador
- Amy & Ella Meek - Kids Against Plastic
- Raha Moharrak - Explorer, Mountaineer & Climate Advocate

PANEL 2
2035 electric car revolution
The Government’s 2035 electric car revolution; full speed ahead or a car crash waiting to happen?
Moderator:
- Georgie Bingham
Speakers:
- Graeme Cooper - Project Director, National Grid
- Steve Cropley - Editor & Chief, Autocar
- Britta Gross - Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
- Sylvain Filippi - Managing Director & CTO, Envision Virgin Racing
- Michael Mann - Professor, Scientist & Climate Advocate
- Christina Calderato - Head of Transport Strategy & Planning, Transport for London (TFL)
PANEL 3
Go Green or Go Home
Should businesses be forced into a green recovery plan in a post-pandemic landscape?
Moderator:
- Georgie Bingham
Speakers:
- Sylvie Ouziel - International President of Envision (Digital) Group
- Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu - Sectors Engagement Lead, UN Climate Change
- Laura Timlin - Director Business Services, The Carbon Trust
- Nigel Topping - High Level Climate Action Champion, COP26
- Sanjay Srivastava - Chief Digital Officer, Genpact
Speakers & Hosts
Meet our globally leading speakers joining the Race Against Climate Change

Franz Jung
Vice President Envision Group & Chairman of the Board, Envision Virgin Racing

Aidan Gallagher
Actor, Singer-Songwriter & Environmental Activist

Héctor Bellerín
Professional Footballer & Environmental Advocate

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu
Sectors Engagement Lead, UN Climate Change

Michael Mann
Professor, Scientist & Climate Advocate

Raha Moharrak
Explorer, Mountaineer & Climate Advocate

Bella Lack
Conservationist & Environmentalist

Nigel Topping
High Level Climate Action Champion, COP26

Amy & Ella Meek
Founders, Kids Against Plastic

Britta Gross
Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute

Graeme Cooper
Director, National Grid

Laura Timlin
Director Business Services, The Carbon Trust

James Levelle
Climate Adventurer & RACC Ambassador

Steve Cropley
Editor & Chief of Autocar

Sylvie Ouziel
International President of Envision (Digital) Group

Sanjay Srivastava
Chief Digital Officer, Genpact

Georgie Bingham
Radio & Television Presenter

Peter Johnson
Managing Director, National Geographic Kids
Franz Jung
Vice President Envision Group & Chairman of the Board, Envision Virgin Racing
Franz Jung, Vice President of Envision Group and Chairman of the Board of Envision Virgin Racing Formula E team. With Envision’s ownership of the Formula E team, Mr. Jung oversees the international Marketing and PR communications and activities to strengthen the Envision brand globally.
Mr. Jung has more than 25 years of international experience in leading roles as a Senior Executive, globally operating German premium automotive brands incl. Porsche and BMW.
Mr. Jung worked for Porsche AG since 2014 as Vice President of Overseas Regions and Emerging Markets. From 2015, he was appointed as President and CEO of Porsche China, responsible for corporate strategic planning and management at Porsche China (incl. Hong Kong and Macau). During his 3 years at Porsche China, he successfully led the marque to new heights and made China the largest single market in Porsche globally for consecutively 3 years.
Before joining Porsche, Mr. Jung worked for almost 2 decades for the BMW Group. His positions included President and CEO of the BMW Group Nordic and BMW Group Canada and BMW Group Italy. From 2003 until 2006, he was working in Beijing as Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing for the BMW Group Joint Venture.
Mr. Franz Jung currently lives in Shanghai.
Aidan Gallagher
Actor, Singer-Songwriter, Environmental Activist
Aidan is an environmental activist, speaker and influencer. He works to protect healthy oceans and a sustainable planet. Gallagher made history in 2018 as the youngest Goodwill Ambassador ever to be designated by the United Nations. His work for the United Nations includes hosting the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference on behalf of the UK Government and Duke of Cambridge as well as being the face of the United Nations “The World is in Our Hands” campaign. As an actor he is best known for his acclaimed performance starring as Number Five in Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY. An up and coming singer-songwriter musician, Gallagher was selected for the prestigious Big Break Accelerator Program Showcase for 2020 SXSW, making him the youngest ever solo artist to be selected to perform at SXSW.
Héctor Bellerín
Footballer and Climate Advocate
Héctor Bellerín Moruno is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right back or wing back for the Spain national team and Premier League club Arsenal, where he is currently serving as the team's vice-captain.
He is a passionate advocate for the environment and recently initiated a campaign to support One Tree Planted after pledging to plant 3,000 trees for each Arsenal victory.
That's not all, he's also an avid fan of electric vehicles and has driven one for over four years.
Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu
Sectors Engagement Lead, UN Climate Change
Lindita leads work on sectors engagement in climate action as part of UN Climate Change wider Global Climate Action work.
She led development of both Sports for Climate Action and Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and works closely with a variety of stakeholders to mobilize key actors and catalyse ambitious action towards decarbonization.
Before joining UN Climate Change, Lindita worked in public relations and coordinated projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in policy and sustainability.
Lindita has an educational background in engineering, international relations and global energy and climate policy.
www.un.org
Michael Mann
Professor, Scientist & Climate Advocate
Dr. Mann is a distinguished Professor and ESSC Director at Penn State. He has received numerous awards including the EGU Hans Oeschger Medal, the AAAS Public Engagement with Science Award and the Tyler Prize. He made Bloomberg News' list of fifty most influential people in 2013 and has authored more than 200 publications, and four books including Dire Predictions, The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars, The Madhouse Effect, and The Tantrum that Saved the World.
www.michaelmann.net
Raha Moharrak
Explorer, Mountaineer & Climate Advocate
Raha Moharrak is the youngest Arab and the first Saudi woman to conquer Mount Everest. Previously she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Vinson, Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua, Kala Pattar, Pico de Orizaba and Iztaccihuatl.
Raha graduated with a bachelor’s in Visional Communications from the American University of Sharjah before starting her career at a leading advertising agency. However, Raha’s life changed the day she submited Kilimanjaro and challenged herself, her society and her culture. It was there, between the clouds, standing on Africa’s roof that she saw that her spirit could no longer be silenced and that nothing could hold her back from her love of adventure.
www.rahamoharrak.com/
Bella Lack
Conservationist & Environmentalist
Bella is a 17-year-old Conservationist and Youth Ambassador for the Born Free Foundation, STAE, RSPCA and Jane Goodall Institute. She uses the power of technology (in the form of social media, video-making and blogging) to try to educate and inspire a wide group of people to protect the natural world. In addition, Bella delivers speeches, including speaking at the People’s Walk for Wildlife, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018 and TEDX Brighton 2019.
Nigel Topping
High Level Climate Action Champion, COP26
Nigel was the CEO of We Mean Business until December 2019, where he drove radical collaboration for climate action among NGOs working with the world's most influential businesses. This coalition played a key role in bringing the constructive voice of business in support of the Paris Agreement and, under Nigel's leadership has continued to drive ambition and action to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon economy.
Previously, Nigel was Executive Director of CDP, launching new programs and partnerships including supply chain, water, forests and cities. Nigel has 18 years’ experience in the private sector, including as a member of the management board of the world's largest manufacturer of brake pads, TMD Friction.
Nigel is a commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and has been instrumental in the launch of many collaborative initiatives such as Science Based Targets, Business for Nature and the Global Commons Alliance.
Amy & Ella Meek
Kids Against Plastic
Amy and Ella Meek are the teenage founders of the environmental charity Kids Against Plastic. Since founding their youth-led organisation back in 2016, the girls have worked hard to inspire kids and adults alike to take action to reduce their use of single-use plastics – or become ‘Plastic Clever’ as they call it. Their Plastic Clever scheme has since been adopted by over 900 schools, as well as by cafes and businesses.
The girls have spoken internationally, including giving their own TEDx talk at the ages of 14 and 12 in 2018, and at the UN Geneva in December 2019. They are also published authors, with their book Be Plastic Clever being released by Dorling Kindersley in May 2020.
www.kidsagainstplastic.co.uk
Britta Gross
Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
Britta leads the Institute’s mobility practice area, which is focused on the market-driven strategies, technologies and policies required to accelerate towards a cleaner, sustainable and more equitable low-carbon mobility future for all.
Britta has an extensive background in Automotive and Aerospace industries. She began her career with Hughes Space & Communications in Los Angeles, leading Mission Design and Systems Engineering teams developing communication and weather satellite programs.
www.rmi.org/
Graeme Cooper
Project Director, National Grid
Graeme is the focus point for National Grid's work on electric vehicles/decarbonisation of transport by leading and coordinating all the work relating to the UK regulated business of National Grid. His work helps the Government, the energy and automotive industry transition towards zero emission vehicles.
www.nationalgrid.com
Laura Timlin
Director Business Services, The Carbon Trust
James Levelle
Climate adventurer & RACC Ambassador
James is an adventurer and filmmaker crazy for stories that explore how amazing the natural world is... and how amazing we humans can be too.
His award-winning films have not only taken him to some of the most extreme environments on the planet, they have opened his eyes to the power of film and its potential to change people's perspectives.
‘Free Ride’, James’s most daring and ambitious adventure so far had him team up with environmentalist, Rob Greenfield, on a audacious attempt to cross the continent of South America without any money – ten weeks, six countries and over 9,000km – which James describes as the most mind-blowing journey of his life.
www.jamesmlevelle.com
Steve Cropley
Editor & Chief, Autocar
Steve Cropley. Steve Cropley has been testing and writing about cars for nearly 40 years, half of that time at Autocar, the original car magazine. He trained as a journalist in Australia, came to the UK to join the staff of Car magazine in 1978, and became editor in 1981.
www.autocar.co.uk
Sanjay Srivastava
Chief Digital Officer, Genpact
Sanjay Srivastava is Chief Digital Officer of Genpact, a global professional services firm.
Sanjay leads Genpact’s growing digital and technology businesses, overseeing the company’s offerings in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation and digital technology services.
Before joining Genpact, Sanjay worked as a technology entrepreneur, creating and building four start-ups and has even been named one of the “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today,” by the International Data Group.
Georgie Bingham
Radio & Television Presenter
A trained news and sports journalist, Georgie has proven her ability in some of the most demanding broadcast environments, in a career spanning more than 20 years.
Most will know Georgie as the current host of the Weekend Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT where she and her co-host have recently set new record-high figures for the network.
Prior to this, she has worked for the likes of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Sports and ESPN to name but a few.
Georgie is a proud ambassador for the Football Foundation and for the Help For Heroes
Peter Johnson
Managing Director, National Geographic Kids
Peter is Managing Director of National Geographic Kids (Creature Media) and heads up the magazine for the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With over 15 years’ experience in the children and family sector, Peter also leads Creature Media's agency arm, specialising in communicating challenging topics like sustainability and the environment to families for brands.
Schedule
A selection of key times for RACC LIVE 2020

14:30
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Franz Jung

14:35
PANEL 1: The next generation

15:00
Special Guest: Hector Bellerin

15:05
PANEL 2: The Government’s 2035 Electric Car Revolution

15:40
PANEL 3: Go Green Or Go Home
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Join an inspiring line-up of experts and leaders in our first virtual RACC Live event