Alejandro Agag

Alejandro Agag is on a mission to make motorsport sustainable. As founder and chairman of FIA Formula E, he’s seen household Formula 1 names like Porsche and McLaren join the electric race. As of the 2022-23 racing season, Formula E has reduced its emissions–across operations, energy usage, and supply chain—by 27% collectively compared to its 2019 baseline. Taking things one step further, this year Agag announced the launch of the world’s first hydrogen-fueled car race: Extreme H.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

One effective and immediate step we can take is to implement a global carbon tax. This approach doesn't require extensive research or huge investments, and it can incentivize the use of lower-carbon alternatives by making CO2 emissions more expensive. This way, we can harness the power of the free market to drive the economy towards greener options.

However, the reality is there is no silver bullet to drastically advance the climate agenda. Climate solutions are about evolution rather than revolution. Yes we need bold ambitious and entrepreneurial thinking, but we have to ensure we're all bought into the strategy of how we're going to achieve our aims. 

It is that collaboration, mutual thinking and ultimately mutual benefit that we all need to work on. No company, government, or clever idea will solve it alone, but painstaking teamwork will ensure everyone from consumers to governments is playing their part to help protect the planet.

What is a climate solution (other than your own) that isn't getting the attention or funding it deserves?

The ultimate real climate solution is nuclear fusion. If we can replicate the controlled reaction that powers the sun, we will have access to unlimited and emission-free energy to power our civilization. Until this technological breakthrough, all our efforts to mitigate and reduce the effects of climate change will only be temporary measures. 

The arrival of AI will also lead to a significant increase in electricity use, which was not fully accounted for in previous climate models. Therefore, we will need all types of energy sources, from renewables to nuclear, from fossil fuels to hydro. In the long-term, only fusion can supply enough energy for an increasingly warm and technologically-advanced world.

Carbon-free and abundant energy would also make possible a game-changing technology that is currently not viable due to its high energy intensity: direct carbon capture. An unlimited supply of non-polluting electricity could power massive capture of CO2 directly from the atmosphere

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?

To the leaders attending COP, I would emphasize that we are falling short in one crucial aspect: climate awareness. When we launched the FIA Formula E Championship, 10 years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the reception we received from fans and especially from companies around the world. Formula E quickly became a commercial success. The primary focus for companies worldwide was environmental impact, and everyone was committed to making change. This commitment was a response to the widespread concern among the public about climate change. We need to return to the level of awareness we had 10 years ago and prioritize climate action once again.