In the race against climate change, thousands watch ice car melt in real time

As the Met Office issues the first ever extreme heat warnings in the UK this week and the US continues to face record high temperatures and wildfires, thousands are connecting to watch a sustainably sourced three-ton life-size ice replica of a Envision Virgin Racing Formula E car melt at Tower Bridge in Potters Field Park, London.

Envision Virgin Racing team partner, Genpact, a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, is inviting the public to compete with their data scientists and take part in a competition to predict the percentage of total ice melt of the car as it is exposed to London’s severe weather conditions for 24 hours. The “Melting Point” activation has been designed to draw attention to the realities of our warming planet and highlight the role of technology in overcoming critical global issues.

Genpact’s digital technology has helped Envision Virgin Racing accurately predict the number of laps in a race and has enabled the team to maintain their status of being the first carbon-neutral Formula E team, making it the greenest team on the greenest grid.

Melting point

The Melting Point event is certified as carbon neutral by the non-profit organization A Greener Festival, which is dedicated to improving the sustainability of events, tours, venues, and festivals. Team London Bridge is collecting the melted ice water in its bowserand it will be reused to water local community gardens.

Melting Point launches ahead of this weekend’s doubleheader races in London and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26 which is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom.

For every competition entry, Genpact will donate $1 to the Arctic Ice Project, a non-profit organisation that aims to slow climate change, restoring ice in the Arctic by leveraging their technical capabilities through collaborating with the world’s most prestigious laboratories and universities.

Tackling climate change

Sanjay Srivastava, chief digital officer, Genpact, said:

“Digital innovation helps our clients around the world tackle their most complex business issues – but it doesn’t stop there. That same innovation can and must be applied to addressing the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues.

“Tackling climate change is fundamentally about largescale transformation. And like other large transformation projects we take on, at its core this is a data and insights problem. We look to connect complex systems, work with vast amounts of data, and create insights that enable action. Whether in the boardroom, on the racetrack, or in the race against climate change, digital innovation is at the core of enabling meaningful progress.”

Tom Light, executive director, The Arctic Ice Project, said:

“It’s an honour to partner with Genpact on Melting Point, which will raise awareness of the detrimental impact of climate change,” said. “Our mission is to slow down the pace of climate change and buy time for our planet to transition away from a carbon economy to a more sustainable way of life. The health of the Arctic is vital to preserving the Earth’s environment.”

Sylvain Filippi, managing director and chief technology officer, Envision Virgin Racing said:“With our season heading to a nail-biting finish, where the difference between winning and losing is measured in milliseconds, the ability to drive innovation that leverages data, and turn real-time insights into action is critical to our success. At the same time, the race against climate change is the one race we must all win.

 “Genpact has been integral to streamlining data collection to support the team’s carbon-neutral certification and together, we are taking yet another step in tackling climate change. The Melting Point challenge enables us to bring Formula E fans – who are among the most engaged, passionate, and socially conscious audiences – directly into the fight against climate change.”

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