Podcasts about decarbonisation

Lorcan McAlindon, associate director at Amberside Advisors, on the complex regulatory and financing frameworks UK data centre developers have to navigate and the increasingly innovative solutions that are being implemented to meet the modern ESG standards while reconciling with grid congestion issues.McAlindon also touches on the lessons UK developer can from from their European counterpart and the measures they can adopt to streamline permitting.Hosted by: Maya Chavvakula Edited by: Brazen Studios Reach out to us at: podcasts@inspiratia.comFind all of our latest news and analysis by subscribing to inspiratiaFor tickets to our events email conferences@inspiratia.com or buy them directly on our website. Listen to all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other providers.  Music credit: NDA/Show You instrumental/Tribe of Noise©2025 inspiratia. All rights reserved.This content is protected by copyright. Please respect the author's rights and do not copy or reproduce it without permission.

In this episode of State of Sustainability, we explore the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), one of the most significant developments in climate policy, carbon pricing and international trade. As the European Union begins implementing CBAM, businesses around the world are assessing what the new regulations mean for imports, exports, supply chains and decarbonisation strategies.We break down how CBAM works, why it was introduced, and which industries are expected to feel the greatest impact. From steel and cement to fertilisers, aluminium and hydrogen, the mechanism is designed to prevent carbon leakage and ensure imported products face similar carbon costs to those produced within the EU.The discussion explores the latest CBAM carbon certificate pricing, the potential impact on global trade flows, and the challenges businesses face as they adapt to new reporting and compliance requirements. We also examine concerns around competitiveness, trade barriers and whether CBAM could accelerate the global adoption of carbon pricing systems.The episode looks at how major economies, including China and the United States, are responding to Europe's carbon border tax, and whether similar mechanisms could emerge elsewhere. We discuss the implications for emissions trading schemes, green steel production, industrial decarbonisation and the future of sustainable manufacturing.Topics covered in this episode include:• What the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is and why it was introduced• How CBAM is designed to prevent carbon leakage and support EU climate goals• The industries most affected, including steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, hydrogen and electricity• The latest CBAM carbon pricing and what it means for exporters• The potential impact on international trade and global supply chains• Whether CBAM creates a level playing field or acts as a trade barrier• How China is responding through the development of its emissions trading scheme• The possibility of similar carbon border taxes being introduced in other regions• The role of CBAM in accelerating industrial decarbonisation• Challenges around emissions data collection, reporting and verificationKey statistics discussed:• Steel accounts for approximately 69% of the trade volume affected by CBAM• Fertilisers represent around 15% of affected imports• Cement accounts for approximately 11%• Aluminium represents around 5%• Current carbon certificate prices are approximately €75 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent• Green steel currently carries a premium of approximately €200–300 per tonneWhether you're involved in sustainability, ESG, manufacturing, procurement, international trade or climate policy, this episode provides a practical overview of one of the most important regulatory changes shaping the future of low-carbon industry.Listen now to learn how CBAM could transform global trade, influence carbon pricing strategies and drive the next phase of industrial decarbonisation.Do you think CBAM will accelerate global decarbonisation, or create new challenges for international trade? Let us know what you think by emailing Saif@altruistiq.com.To discover how leading organisations are improving sustainability reporting and carbon management, visit Altruistiq.com.This episode was produced by thepodcastcoach.co.uk

Get in touch - leave me a messageNo one wants to ship water around the world. That one line says a lot about the next phase of energy storage.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Min Tang, Director of International Business at Rongke Power, one of the world's leading vanadium flow battery companies. We get into why long-duration storage is moving from climate tech side-story to core grid infrastructure, and why that matters for decarbonisation, energy transition planning, net zero delivery, emissions reduction, and policy.You'll hear why vanadium flow batteries are not trying to replace lithium-ion batteries, and why that matters. Different problem. Different tool. Min explains how flow batteries can run for more than 20,000 cycles, retain capacity over decades, and support grid-scale black start, the kind of resilience that becomes rather important when grids are asked to absorb more renewables, power more electrification, and stay upright while demand from industry and AI data centres grows.We dig into the economics too: why storage duration changes cost, how electrolyte leasing can cut upfront CapEx, and why local supply chains could become a major strategic advantage. You might be shocked to learn that localisation is baked into this technology because the electrolyte is mostly water. Glamorous? No. Important? Absolutely.

Host: Alex Cameron, Founder & CEO, Decarb ConnectGuests: Jon Stewart, CEO and Tom Brown, Head of Business Development and Commercial Strategy, Binding SolutionsThe steel industry accounts for roughly 8% of global emissions and has made some of the loudest net zero commitments in heavy industry. But talk to the mills privately and most will tell you they are not on track. The dominant solutions, hydrogen, carbon capture, EAF transition, are either years away, eye-wateringly expensive, or both. Meanwhile, there's a supply chain vulnerability that almost nobody is talking about publicly: pellets. Every major decarb pathway for steel needs them. Producing them at scale costs a billion dollars and most of Europe buys from a handful of suppliers with almost no leverage. Today we're talking to the team at BSL about whether the industry is solving the wrong problems first, and what a lower-cost, modular alternative on something as fundamental as pellets can do for price and targets.Find out why the gap between published net zero roadmaps and what steel mills actually believe is achievable this decade is wider than most people assume. Explore why agglomeration, the pellet-making step, may offer more near-term commercial leverage than hydrogen or CCS, despite attracting a fraction of the policy attention and capital. Learn how a billion-dollar plant cost becomes a structural barrier that shapes who controls the global pellet supply chain, and why European mills are more exposed than they publicly acknowledge. Hear how a technology that works across both blast furnace and DRI pathways makes its case in an industry where most capital decisions are implicitly picking a winner. Find out about Binding Solutions strategic and financial investors as well as their path forward- and where value sits in deep-tech industrial business like this one. Links: ·       Follow Alex Cameron on LinkedIn and find how to get involved with the membership and work of Decarb Connect·       Connect with Jon Stewart, CEO·       Learn more about Tom Brown, Head of Commercial Strategy·       Check out a video about the team ‘s work with British Steel·       Read a paper by one of BSL's scientists and a British Steel expert  ·        Join Alex and a network of hardtech investors and series B+ tech disruptors at Decarb TechInvest in Boston (September 2025) Want to learn more about Decarb Connect?We provide insights and introductions that derisk decision-making and support industrial leaders in deploying decarbonization and low carbon product strategy. Our global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support commercial decarb planning and business models around the world. Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors.  If you enjoyed this conversation, find out about our portfolio of matchmaking events in US, Canada, UK and Europe – or explore our Decarbonisation Leaders Network (DLN), and learn why more than 80 companies the energy-intensive ecosystem have joined to meet the right partners who can accelerate their net zero plans and why it's the fastest growing network of its kind.    (19:38) - Marker 01 (33:52) - Marker 02

Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if the biggest greenwashing risk isn't bad intent, but business-as-usual marketing?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Helen Neal, founder of HN Communications, to dig into one of the most under-discussed risks in decarbonisation: how companies talk about sustainability when regulation is tightening, public trust is fragile, and every net zero claim is being scrutinised. This matters because the energy transition will not be carried by technology alone. Climate tech, policy, capital, supply chains, and public confidence all depend on credible communication.You'll hear why traditional corporate messaging can push companies into unintentional greenwashing, why greenhushing is not a safe escape route, and why sustainability claims increasingly need the discipline of financial reporting: clear evidence, third-party verification, and language that can survive scrutiny.We dig into how AI can help check sustainability language, but also why human judgement still has to own the beginning and end of the process. Helen also explains why supply chain data, board accountability, regulation, and executive incentives are becoming central to credible climate leadership. A vague 2050 net zero pledge without a roadmap? That is not strategy. That is a red flag wearing a nice suit.If you care about emissions reduction, business resilience, decarbonisation, and the real-world mechanics of the energy transition, this one is worth your time.

Get in touch - leave me a messageFake people. Fake comments. Real clean energy projects killed.This is what climate delay looks like in the AI era.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Leah Qusba, CEO of GoodPower, an organisation working at the intersection of climate tech, culture, policy, and decarbonisation. We explore a hard truth about the energy transition: solar, wind, batteries, and electrification may be ready, but public trust, local permission, and disinformation are now decisive barriers to getting projects built.You'll hear why Leah believes fossil fuel dependence is becoming harder to defend as “secure energy”, especially when oil and gas volatility keeps spilling into bills, food prices, business costs, and household budgets. We dig into why clean energy should be framed less as sacrifice and more as protection: protection from price shocks, geopolitical risk, climate impacts, and the charming little habit fossil fuels have of making everything more expensive.We also get into GoodPower's research on what actually changes minds. Their storytelling work has reached tens of millions of people and, in tested campaigns, shifted audiences from NIMBY to YIMBY by 11%. Leah explains why the right messenger can matter more than the perfect message, why rural voices can unlock rural support, and why creators in food, fashion, gaming, cars, comedy, and culture may be more effective climate communicators than traditional climate voices.And yes, we talk about AI-generated disinformation in permitting decisions, fake public pressure, and why pre-bunking false claims before they spread may become essential for emissions reduction, net zero delivery, and climate policy that survives contact with reality.

Get in touch - leave me a messageCarbon data is no longer just something companies report. Increasingly, it may decide whether products can be sold at all.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Stephen Jamieson, Chief Marketing Officer for SAP Sustainability, to explore why sustainability is moving from the ESG report into the systems businesses use to run supply chains, finance, product compliance, and AI-enabled decisions. We get into what this means for climate tech, decarbonisation, policy, emissions reduction, net zero, and the wider energy transition.You'll hear why product carbon footprints, digital product passports, CBAM, ESPR, and Scope 3 reporting are pushing companies towards far more granular, decision-grade climate data. Stephen explains why relying on averages will not be enough when carbon insights start shaping market access, investor confidence, supply chain resilience, and commercial competitiveness.We also dig into AI's double edge. AI agents could change the economics of sustainability by scaling product-level analysis across thousands of items, but only if carbon, water, recycled content, and other sustainability factors are embedded in core business decisions. Otherwise, AI may simply optimise the wrong things faster. Listen now to hear how Stephen Jamieson and SAP Sustainability are helping move climate data from reporting theatre into real-world business action.Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Where is Climate Tech heading? Certainly not dead — but constantly reinventing itself. So much so that you begin to wonder whether the label itself has outlived its original meaning.  Laurent and Gerard welcome Kim Zou, co-founder and CEO of Sightline Climate, the data and research platform mapping the climate-tech economy, and author of some of the sector's most influential newsletters, including CTVC and the newer Powerstack. Sightline has become essential reading for investors, utilities, corporates, and policymakers trying to understand where capital is flowing and how the energy system is evolving.  Together, they explore how Climate Tech has transformed over the past decade. Decarbonisation alone is no longer the central narrative. Today, AI, energy security, and industrial resilience dominate the conversation — often pushing sustainability itself into the background.  The discussion traces how funding has shifted from venture capital toward infrastructure and large-scale project finance. The spotlight has also moved away from “green molecules” — hydrogen, SAF, and carbon management — toward “green electrons”: virtual power plants, grid-enhancing technologies, and the race to accelerate datacentre construction.  They also examine the contrasting innovation models shaping global competition. In China, much of the breakthrough innovation happens inside corporations themselves, with companies like BYD employing more than 110,000 R&D staff, and CATL relying on a 20,000-engineer workforce. The United States, meanwhile, benefits from unparalleled access to capital and world-class universities and research centres. Europe sits somewhere in between, attempting to combine industrial policy with scientific excellence.  Finally, the conversation turns to one of Sightline's newest areas of focus: tracking data-center construction. The company currently follows 140 sites representing roughly 16 GW of announced capacity. Yet only about 6 GW are actually under construction — a reality check that has sent a chill through Wall Street.And Laurent goes on a rant of epic proportion against certain Hyperscalers!!!Useful links:Sightline website: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/Capital Stack and New Funds report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=Dry-Powder-and-New-Funds-2026 ·        Data Center Q1 outlook report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=data-center-outlook-q126 ·        2025 climate tech investment trends report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=2025_investment_report ·        Article on our tour of China's electrostate: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/research/a-tour-of-chinas-electrostate ·        If people want to stay updated on our latest, they can subscribe to our CTVC climate tech newsletter here or our Powerstack power and data center markets newsletter here  

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hanging by a thread. An investigation uncovers troubling ties between a professor at Germany's Federal Police Academy and the far right. And Eurovision returns, amid fresh controversy. Plus: a former pilot calls for a ban on private jets as Cannes gets underway, and how Ukraine is transforming its energy system under fire.++ https://shorturl.at/nAuU4 ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Comments/ideas: ACFpod@outlook.comCooling is responsible for 15 per cent of global emissions and uses nearly two thirds of the electricity in commercial buildings. In this episode, Sam Ringwaldt from Conry Tech explains how modular micro units can cut cooling energy by 70 per cent and increase asset valuations by 18 per cent. We explore the rise of Comfort as a Service, the next generation of deep‑tech retrofits, and what this means for commercial buildings and AI data centres across the Asia Pacific region. It is a clear and practical look at why energy efficiency is becoming a financial strategy for the climate sector rather than simply an engineering decision.REF: Conry Tech, ABOUT SAM: Sam Ringwaldt is a Founder and the CEO of Conry Tech. Sam is an experienced industry leader, with 20 years of experience in building up HVAC companies, growing teams, and promoting new HVAC technologies worldwide. Sam was responsible for introducing Turbocor Technology into the North American and Australasian markets, driving its growth till it became today's dominant HVAC technology, and was able to lead both governments and the private sector to embrace the new technology, adjusting building standards, and driving new frontiers of sustainability and energy efficiency.HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi's La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.

Get in touch - leave me a messageStreetlights sound boring. Until the grid fails and they're the only lights left on.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Liam Ryan, CEO of Streetleaf, a climate tech company rethinking one of the most overlooked pieces of public infrastructure: the streetlight. And yes, I know. Streetlights. Hardly the sexiest corner of the energy transition. But this conversation quickly becomes about something much bigger: resilience, decarbonisation, public safety, emissions reduction, and how we build communities that keep functioning as extreme weather puts more pressure on the grid.You'll hear why the real cost of streetlighting often isn't the electricity at all. It's trenching, wiring, maintenance, utility control, copper theft, repair delays, and infrastructure that can take far too long to fix. Liam explains how solar-plus-battery streetlights can avoid much of that mess while helping cities, developers, and communities move closer to net zero.We dig into how Streetleaf's lights performed during hurricanes, why three to five days of battery backup matters, how monitoring changes maintenance, and why policy can help but won't replace cost and performance. You might be shocked to learn that in some cases, utilities can delay streetlight repairs for months while the customer keeps paying. Delightful system design, if your goal is public frustration.This is a practical episode about climate tech that works in the real world: faster installs, fewer wires, lower emissions, better uptime, and infrastructure that earns its keep when conditions get ugly.

Marta Sjögren, Founder and CEO of Paebbl, joins Alex Cameron, Founder of Decarb Connect, to talk about one of the hardest problems in deep tech: getting a whole industry to move together. Cement and concrete touch nearly every built asset on the planet, yet the value chain is fragmented, margin-sensitive, and deeply risk-averse. Marta breaks down how Paebbl is navigating that from the inside, with investors across the stack and a carbon-neutral bridge in the Netherlands already in the ground.This conversation goes deep on what "value chain activation" actually looks like in practice, where adoption breaks down, how to map incentives across buyers with completely different risk profiles, and what it takes to get a first-of-a-kind project from interest to commitment. If you are building in hard materials, construction, or industrial decarbonisation, this one is worth your time.What you will take away from this episodeWhy having investors across the value chain changes deal dynamics, not just your cap table opticsHow to map incentives when your buyers operate on completely different margins and procurement timelinesWhere low-carbon materials most commonly stall, and who in the middle is the real blockerWhat actually moved Paebbl's carbon-neutral bridge project from conversation to constructionWhy value chain activation is market-specific, and which regulatory environments structurally make it easierHow to keep stakeholders engaged at first-of-a-kind scale when every risk feels novelWhat the EU's reindustrialisation push and low-carbon procurement rules mean for companies building in this spaceAbout MartaMarta Sjögren is the Founder and CEO of Paebbl, a deep tech company turning CO2 into a construction material that can decarbonise cement and concrete at scale. She has built Paebbl from first principles, deliberately structuring the business and its investor base to unlock a notoriously slow-moving industry.Show LinksConnect with Marta Sjögren, Founder and CEO, Paebbl Connect with Alex Cameron, Founder and CEO, Decarb Connect Find out more about Decarb Connect via, Including our European Event in Hamburg (June 2-3)

Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if better buildings are one of the most practical climate resilience tools we already have?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Darren Macri, Co-CEO of Wythe Windows and rising president of the Passive House Network. We talk about why passive house is not just a building standard, but a practical climate tech pathway for decarbonisation, emissions reduction, energy security, healthier homes, and a more resilient built environment.You'll hear why buildings can cut heating loads by up to 90% through airtightness, better insulation, mechanical ventilation, thermal bridge-free design, and high-performance windows. We dig into how this shifts passive house from a niche green design idea into something far more urgent: infrastructure that helps people stay safe during outages, heatwaves, storms, and fires.You might be interested to learn how leaky buildings can make wildfire damage worse, how poor windows contribute to mould, noise, asthma, and energy poverty, and why retrofitting existing building stock may matter even more than making new builds cleaner. Darren also explains why adoption is often blocked less by technology than by training, policy, codes, business habits, and fragmented construction practices. Imagine that: the physics works, but humans still need meetings.We also cover affordability, net zero, the energy transition, local manufacturing, and why better buildings can reduce bills while improving comfort and health.

Get in touch - leave me a messageJet fuel isn't just dirty. It is astonishingly good at its job. That is what makes aviation decarbonisation so hard.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Dan Sutton, co-founder and CEO of Syntholene Energy, a climate tech company working on clean, drop-in synthetic aviation fuel, or eSAF. We talk about one of the thorniest challenges in the energy transition: how to cut emissions from aviation without pretending long-haul flight can simply be electrified into submission.You'll hear why synthetic fuel has struggled to scale, why hydrogen cost is often the defining economic bottleneck, and how Syntholene is betting that geothermal heat, solid oxide electrolysis, and captured carbon can shift the maths. We also dig into why cheap, baseload clean energy matters far more than glossy net zero pledges. Funny how physics remains stubbornly unimpressed by marketing decks.Dan also makes the case that fossil fuels carry a supply chain risk we still underprice: political volatility, fragile routes, and exposure to regions that can quickly turn energy security into an economic headache. We explore mandates, project finance, policy, the role of Iceland's geothermal resources, and whether synthetic aviation fuel can become cost-competitive without relying forever on subsidies.This is a practical, challenging conversation about climate tech, emissions reduction, aviation, infrastructure, and what it will really take to make clean fuels commercially credible.

Vor 40 Jahren, am 26. April 1986, ereignete sich in Block 4 des Atomkraftwerks Tschernobyl, einem der größten sowjetischen Kernkraftwerke, ein folgenschwerer Reaktorunfall. Die Katastrophe war das Ergebnis eines unzulässigen und nicht nur ungenügend vorbereiteten, sondern auch nicht genehmigten Experiments. Obwohl ein derartiges Unglück in Deutschland unmöglich war, führte es letztlich zum Komplett-Ausstieg Deutschlands aus der Kernenergie, zum Einstieg in die sogenannte Energiewende und zu einem signifikanten Anstieg der Stromkosten hierzulande, bei gleichzeitig zunehmender Importabhängigkeit vom Ausland. Damit ist die deutsche Wirtschaft Jahrzehnte später zu einem der großen Verlierer des Unglücks geworden. Zu den späteren Folgen der Entscheidungen nach dem Desaster von Tschernobyl zählt auch die Zahl der Toten aufgrund fortgesetzter Luftverschmutzung des vermehrten Einsatzes von Kohlekraftwerken. Sie wird auf etwa 19.200 und die der schweren Erkrankungen auf 177.000 geschätzt.Aus Anlass des Jahrestags der Katastrophe spricht Daniel Stelter mit dem langjährigen Technikvorstand der EnBW Kraftwerke AG, Ulrich Gräber. Der ehemalige Energiemanager ist nicht nur ein technischer Insider, sondern hat Planung, Bau, Betrieb und politische Rahmensetzung der Atomenergie in erster Reihe miterlebt. Er beschreibt, wie irrational die Ausstiegsdiskussion geführt wurde und welche negative Rolle dabei auch die Unionsparteien gespielt haben.Hinweis – ABSTURZ – So retten wir Deutschland, das neue Buch von Daniel Stelter. Jetzt überall, wo es Bücher gibt. Auch bestellbar bei Thalia, Amazon, geniallokal.HörerserviceStrommarktreport Zukunftspfad Stromversorgung – Perspektiven zu Systemkosten, Versorgungssicherheit und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit bis 2035 von McKinsey: https://is.gd/SAbAoo Studie Role of Nuclear in Germany's Decarbonisation des Beratungsunternehmens Quantified Carbon für WePlanet DACH: https://is.gd/7oUraZ Beitrag Der Schatten des Atomausstiegs wird länger von Ulrich Gräber im Magazin Cicero: https://is.gd/7VNnpR Report Deutschlands Atomausstieg – Die wahren Kosten für Menschen, Klima und Wirtschaft von WePlanet und Anthropocene Institute: https://is.gd/q44iji Buch Kniefall vor der Unvernunft von Ulrich Gräber: https://is.gd/MAbGRY beyond the obvious – Neue Analysen, Kommentare und Einschätzungen zur Wirtschafts- und Finanzlage finden Sie unter think-bto.com.Newsletter – Den monatlichen bto-Newsletter abonnieren Sie hier.Redaktionskontakt – Wir freuen uns über Ihre Meinungen, Anregungen und Kritik unter podcast@think-bto.com.Handelsblatt – Ein exklusives Angebot für alle bto-Hörer*innen: Testen Sie Handelsblatt Premium 4 Wochen für 1 Euro. Mehr unter: handelsblatt.com/mehrperspektivenWerbepartner – Informationen zu den Angeboten unserer aktuellen Werbepartner finden Sie hier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, news editor Erikka Askeland and E-FWD editor Ed Reed examine energy secretary Ed Miliband's push to delink UK electricity prices from volatile wholesale gas markets.  Then, Erikka sits down with DC Thomson's Katy Tallon to discuss sustainability in the energy sector, exploring how the industry is navigating the pressures of net zero commitments alongside the realities of day-to-day operations. And reporter Mathew Perry reports on the takeover interest surrounding North Sea operator Deltic Energy and what it might signal about dealmaking appetite in the basin.

Get in touch - leave me a messageConcrete alone accounts for around 7-8% of global emissions. So what happens when the real climate problem in buildings is no longer just energy, but the materials themselves?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Alexander Sexsmith, architect and founder of Sexsmith Architects, to unpack what regenerative architecture means when stripped of the fluff. We look at the climate challenge hiding in plain sight across the built environment: embodied carbon, toxic materials, weak resilience, and the fact that standard construction often performs badly when fire, water, and heat hit. If we're serious about decarbonisation, net zero, and the energy transition, this matters now.You'll hear why cleaner grids are changing the climate maths for buildings, and why materials like concrete, petrochemical foams, and conventional drywall deserve a lot more scrutiny. We dig into how fast-grown bio-based materials such as hemp, straw, and cork could cut emissions reduction timelines, improve indoor air quality, and strengthen resilience. And you might be shocked to learn that some of the materials people still dismiss as fringe are already proving themselves on fire performance and commercial-scale construction.We also get into the harder bit: scale. Cost, code, skills, supply, consumer awareness, and policy all matter. Because climate tech alone won't fix construction unless markets, standards, and incentives move with it.

Send me a messageWhat if one of the most effective climate tech moves in hospitality isn't flashy at all, but simply wasting less food with far better data?In this episode, I'm joined by Olaf van der Veen, co-founder of Orbisk, to unpack a climate tech story that sits right at the intersection of decarbonisation, operational control, and the energy transition. We talk about food waste, but this is bigger than leftovers. It's about hidden system failure, margin pressure, emissions reduction, and why cutting waste may be one of the most practical net zero levers available to commercial kitchens right now.You'll hear why food waste in restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, and corporate dining is often less about bad habits and more about broken forecasting, poor process design, and weak visibility. We dig into how Orbisk uses AI, computer vision, and IoT to show kitchens exactly what is being wasted, when, and why, and how that turns a vague sustainability ambition into something measurable and fixable. You might be shocked to learn how often the real losses happen before food ever reaches a plate.We also get into the harder-edged business case: why food waste is pure bottom-line loss, why economics still drive most action faster than policy, and how the smartest operators are linking profitability and sustainability instead of pretending they sit on opposite sides of the ledger. No fluff. No green gloss. Just real-world climate solutions that cut costs, improve control, and reduce emissions.

Send me a messageHeat is becoming a business risk in plain sight. And if cooling demand is set to soar, the energy transition has a problem most people still aren't talking about. In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Atkin, co-founder and CEO of Pirta, a climate tech company developing passive cooling coatings and additives. We dig into a part of decarbonisation and the energy transition that gets far too little attention: how we keep buildings, warehouses, data centres, and infrastructure cool in a warming world without driving up electricity demand, emissions, and cost. You'll hear why Rob says “sustainability doesn't sell itself”, and why that blunt truth matters for every founder, policymaker, and business leader chasing net zero. We dig into how Pirta is trying to turn passive cooling from clever materials science into something customers will actually buy, deploy, and scale. And you might be surprised to learn that air conditioning already accounts for about 15% of global electricity demand, with that figure set to triple by 2050. We also get into the hidden role of titanium dioxide, why reducing it matters for emissions reduction, and where passive cooling could have the biggest impact first, from affordable housing to warehouses to AI-era data centres. One of the sharpest insights in this conversation is that some climate solutions win not because they sound noble, but because, as Rob puts it, “a paint's not gonna break down.” Grimly practical. Exactly the point. 

Host: Tom Angus, Director of Conferences, Decarb ConnectGuest: Oskar Schortz, Co-Founder & CCO, GyroPlant In partnership with Urban Future Lab Every hydroponic farm in the world depends on growing substrates - the rockwool, coco coir, or peat that plants grow in and almost all of it ends up in landfill after a single use. It's a supply chain problem hiding in plain sight, embedded in one of the world's most critical industrial sectors.  In this episode of our mini-series in collaboration with Urban Future Lab, Tom is joined by Oskar Schortz is the Co-Founder and CCO of GyroPlant. They discuss how a small UK deep tech company is engineering its way out of that problem entirely, and what it means for the carbon footprint of controlled environment agriculture at commercial scale. GyroPlant, a materials and systems innovation company that has developed the GyroCup — a reusable, food-grade silicone growing vessel designed to last up to 10 years and replace disposable substrates across hydroponic and vertical farming operations. They're working with over 200 companies across multiple continents, including a formal Innovate UK project with Dole plc, and has participated in trade missions to Singapore and the UAE through Innovate UK's Global Incubator Programme.  What you'll take away:Understand what controlled environment agriculture actually is, and why GyroPlant is best understood as a materials and systems company rather than a farming or food businessWhy GyroPlant pivoted from designing whole growing systems to focusing specifically on the substrate problem and what they saw on farms that made that the priorityWhat substrates are, why every hydroponic farm currently depends on them, and why they represent a major sustainability liability in the food production supply chainHow the GyroCup works in practice and what the switchover from single-use growing media actually looks like for a commercial farmWhere the claimed 90% carbon saving versus the next best substrate option actually comes from - manufacturing, shipping, waste disposal, or all threeHow aware large food businesses are of the carbon footprint inside their growing media and whether they're being asked to account for itWhether the indoor farming sector's recent high-profile collapses create headwinds for GyroPlant or whether they actually accelerate demand as farms look to cut costsThe single most important environmental cost that large-scale growers are probably not measuring right nowShow Links:Connect with Oskar Schortz, CCO & Co-Founder of GyroPlantVisit the GyroPlant website to find out moreFollow GyroPlant on LinkedInOur strategic partner, Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon, is a non-profit innovation hub for best-in-class climatetech startups with a focus on clean energy and sustainable urban infrastructure solutions. Check out other episodes of the Decarb Connect podcast and suggest a future guest.Connect with Tom Angus, Director of Conferences of Decarb ConnectLearn more about Decarb ConnectOur global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support leaders driving industrial and energy innovation. Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors. We have summits coming up in Houston, London, Hamburg, Boston and Toronto and the opportunity to find the biggest brains in energy and carbon management – your future collaborators. For year-round introductions and meaningful insights, get in touch about your membership of the Decarbonisation Leaders Network – so many benefits, hundreds of people equally focused on decarbonisation – find out more and talk with Jack Figg, Community Director.

Host: Tom Angus, Director of Conferences, Decarb ConnectGuest: Tom Fenton, CEO, Senze In partnership with Urban Future Lab The UK's housing stock is responsible for a significant share of the country's carbon emissions, and the estimated cost of retrofitting it sits at an eye-watering £500 billion. But what if a large portion of that spend is being directed at the wrong interventions, based on certificates and models that don't reflect how buildings actually perform?  In this second episode of our mini-series in collaboration with Urban Future Lab, Tom is joined by Tom Fenton, CEO and Co-Founder of Senze. They discuss how live sensor data and digital twin technology are exposing the gap between buildings 'as designed' and buildings as 'lived in', and why measuring first could transform both the economics and the impact of the UK's net zero retrofit mission. Tom Fenton co-founded Senze alongside David Partridge of Related Argent and Joseph Daniels of Project Etopia - a lineup that brings together data science, large-scale property development, and net zero housebuilding in a single founding team. Tom previously built Veritherm, where he first encountered the persistent gap between modelled and actual building performance. Senze deploys live sensors directly into buildings to capture real-time data on energy use and thermal behaviour, combining that with digital twin models to deliver actionable insights for building owners, landlords, and large estate managers - from housing associations in Northern Ireland to portfolios in New York. What you'll take away:Why the EPC system is fundamentally broken and why one Senze pilot found a home performing 59% better than its rating predictedHow Senze's combination of live sensors and digital twin models gives building owners something neither approach can deliver aloneWhy the £500 billion retrofit cost estimate could be dramatically reduced by measuring buildings before intervening in themWhat working on portfolios in New York has revealed about the universality of the performance gap problemWhether the government's proposed EPC C standards for landlords by 2028–2030 will drive genuine improvement or simply a compliance scrambleWhy open, shared building performance data infrastructure, as championed by the Live Data Trust may be as important as any individual technologyShow Links:Connect with Tom Fenton, CEO of SenzeVisit the Senze website to find out moreOur strategic partner, Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon, is a non-profit innovation hub for best-in-class climatetech startups with a focus on clean energy and sustainable urban infrastructure solutions.Check out other episodes of the Decarb Connect podcast and suggest a future guest.Connect with Tom Angus, Director of Conferences of Decarb ConnectLearn more about Decarb ConnectOur global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support leaders driving industrial and energy innovation. Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors. We have summits coming up in Houston, London, Hamburg, Boston and Toronto and the opportunity to find the biggest brains in energy and carbon management – your future collaborators. For year-round introductions and meaningful insights, get in touch about your membership of the Decarbonisation Leaders Network – so many benefits, hundreds of people equally focused on decarbonisation – find out more and talk with Jack Figg, Community Director.

Send me a messageWhat if fossil fuels aren't just polluting, but a standing threat to economic stability?This episode makes the case that the energy transition is now as much about security and cost as it is about climate.In this solo Climate Confident+ episode, I dig into a brutal truth too many policymakers and business leaders still avoid: fossil fuels don't merely drive emissions, they drive volatility, fragility, and geopolitical risk. At a moment when war, price shocks, and supply disruption are once again rattling global markets, I unpack why this matters for climate tech, decarbonisation, and the wider energy transition.You'll hear why fossil dependence acts like “instability in a bottle”, and why renewables, storage, EVs, heat pumps, and grid upgrades are increasingly the smarter response, not just environmentally, but economically. We dig into how fuel shocks ripple through inflation, trade, competitiveness, and public finances. And you might be shocked to learn just how much fossil import dependence is still costing countries, businesses, and households, even before you count the pollution, health damage, and wider social harm.This is also a clear-eyed episode. I'm not pretending renewables solve everything by magic. We need grids, storage, flexibility, better policy, and faster deployment. But that's precisely the point: those are infrastructure challenges we can solve. Perpetual exposure to volatile fossil fuels is not a strategy. It's a liability.

“The crisis that we're experiencing with the conflict in the Middle East is only going to reinforce the fact that climate will remain our clients' and our top priority,” Jane Wadia, Head of Sustainability at AXA IM Core, tells Andy Craig, Co-Head of the Investment Insights Centre. Jane foresees a new impetus for renewable energy amid accelerated efforts to reduce countries' dependency on fossil fuels further.For more insights, visit Viewpoint: https://viewpoint.bnpparibas-am.com/Download the Viewpoint app: https://onelink.to/tpxq34Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bnpp.lk/amHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Send me a messageWhat if voluntary carbon markets are either a vital climate tool... or a polished excuse to delay real decarbonisation?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Dr Jennifer Jenkins, Chief Science Officer at Rubicon Carbon, to unpack one of the most contested questions in climate tech and net zero strategy: what role, if any, should voluntary carbon markets play in real-world emissions reduction? At a time when companies are under pressure to decarbonise, prove integrity, and navigate fast-moving policy shifts, this debate matters more than ever.We dig into why some firms see carbon credits as a practical way to close the gap between ambition and operational reality, and why others see them as a dangerous distraction. You'll hear why quality, additionality, MRV, and long-term offtake agreements are becoming central to the future of the market, and why high-integrity supply may be far tighter than many buyers realise.Jennifer also explains how buyers like Microsoft are shaping demand, how voluntary and compliance markets may be starting to converge, and why policy tools like CBAM could reshape the market faster than most people expect. You might be shocked to learn that one of the clearest ways to think about this space is as outsourced mitigation, a framing that makes the economics easier to grasp, but also exposes the credibility problem at the heart of the whole system.

Discussion about decarbonisation have moved from technical departments within shipping companies into their commercial and financial teams, the president and chief operating officer of Veson Nautical, Sean Riley, says in this Lloyd's List podcast. While there is uncertainty around the IMO's Net-Zero Framework, regional requirements — especially those being implemented by the EU — provide a certainty that cannot be ignored. The continuously evolving and expanding nature of regulations in shipping means that decarbonisation is now “both a commercial and operational reality”, he says. Speaking in early March, Riley reflected on the first year of the EU's decarbonisation scheme, the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which ended on January 31. By the end of March, shipping companies will have heard from their verifier about the compliance status of each of their ships based on that first year's data and those results might lead to “some interesting decision-making challenges or dilemmas”, he says. In the podcast, Riley explains why he views FuelEU in particular as an especially impactful regulation to ship operations. He says its “choice driven” options have both positive and negative implications for shipowners and operators, while adding a level of complexity that must be addressed by companies' systems and processes. He anticipates that the outcome will see companies shift their focus away from strict compliance towards optimising the financial benefits of compliance, creating a trading strategy based around FuelEU-related decision-making. However, Riley also emphasises that it's ultimately not about optimising for any one regulation in particular, but rather proactively building decarbonisation into daily decisions in a way that leaves room for inevitable change. He explains in the podcast why this commercial response to a change in the regulatory landscape is different from previous environment-inspired changes, such as the sulphur limits imposed on fuel. He contrasts how the impact of low-sulphur fuel was mainly restricted to operating costs, while decarbonisation requirements today are reaching further, across fixing, operating and trading strategies. The flexibility around how to comply provides the industry choice but has also resulted in a lack of clarity about setting commercial priorities and knowing exactly what conditions to optimise for. Instead, these will vary depending on a ship's location, so “you've got to invest in systems and processes that can absorb change easily”, he says. Riley considers whether some industry sectors are responding differently from others and refers to the potential of AI to resolve some of the uncertainties companies face. “There will certainly be more regulations,” he says, and emphasises: “for our clients, pretending that this is not a commercial reality is no longer an option”.

Send me a messageAI may be booming, but the real bottleneck to it's growth may be turbines. And if firm power can't scale fast enough, parts of the energy transition hit a wall.In this episode, I'm joined by Brad Hartwig, Co-founder and CEO of Arbor Energy, to unpack a part of the climate tech and energy transition story that gets far too little attention: the physical machinery needed to deliver reliable, round-the-clock power. Arbor is developing modular supercritical CO2 turbines with integrated carbon capture, aimed at tackling one of the hardest problems in decarbonisation: how to provide firm, scalable electricity while still driving emissions reduction and keeping net zero in view.We dig into why turbine shortages are becoming a serious constraint on hyperscale data centres, utilities, and industrial electrification, and you'll hear why Brad believes this is now a critical choke point for both AI infrastructure and climate progress. You might be surprised to learn how stretched the traditional turbine supply chain has become, and why legacy manufacturers may be structurally mismatched to meet the moment.We also get into oxy-combustion, methane leakage, biomass, carbon sequestration, long-duration storage, and the awkward reality that wind, solar, batteries, and grid expansion, while essential, may still leave gaps when it comes to firm power. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech, policy, energy transition strategy, and what serious infrastructure thinking looks like when the easy slogans run out.

Construction's Carbon Blind Spot: How Qualis Flow Is Fixing the Industry's Data ProblemHost: Tom Angus, Director of Conferences, Decarb Connect Guest: Brittany Harris, Co-Founder & CEO, Qualis Flow (Qflow) In partnership with Urban Future Labs Construction accounts for roughly 40% of global carbon emissions when embodied carbon and materials are factored in, yet most project teams still can't tell you what they're actually emitting until long after the concrete has been poured. In this opening episode of our mini-series in collaboration with Urban Future Labs, we explore why real-time construction data is emerging as a critical lever for decarbonising the built environment, and how smarter measurement can change both the economics and the carbon profile of major projects. Brittany Harris, a civil engineer turned founder, built Qualis Flow after seeing firsthand that the industry didn't have a data problem so much as a data capture problem. Qflow delivers the ground truth on construction sites, capturing real-time data on materials, waste, utilities, and carbon directly from site the moment it happens. No spreadsheets, no chasing suppliers, just fast, accurate data that helps teams ensure quality, reduce risk, minimise waste, and avoid costly rework or delays What you'll take away:Why construction is responsible for ~40% of global emissions and why the industry still isn't truly reckoning with itHow Qflow turns a site photo into reliable, audit-ready embodied carbon data and what that means for project teams working at scaleWhy the construction materials dataset Qflow is building may be as valuable as the software itselfThe international appetite for construction sustainability data, from the UK to the US, Canada, and beyondWhy procurement and planning frameworks are struggling to keep pace with the tools that already existShow Links:Connect with Brittany Harris, Co-Founder & CEO of Qualis FlowVisit the Qualis Flow website to find out more Follow Qualis Flow on LinkedIn for big ideas on driving more sustainable construction Find out more about our podcast miniseries partner Urban Future LabConnect with Tom Angus, Director of Conferences of Decarb ConnectLearn more about Decarb ConnectOur global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support leaders driving industrial and energy innovation. Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors. We have summits coming up in Houston, London, Hamburg, Boston and Toronto and the opportunity to find the biggest brains in energy and carbon management - your future collaborators. For year-round introductions and meaningful insights, get in touch about your membership of the Decarbonization Leaders Network – so many benefits, hundreds of people equally focused on decarbonization – find out more and talk with Jack Figg, Community Director.  

Send me a messageWar doesn't just kill people. It also blows up energy security, drives up emissions, and exposes fossil fuels for the liability they've always been.In this first Climate Confident+ bonus episode, available exclusively to subscribers, I unpack the unnecessary, illegal, and profoundly ill-advised war being waged by the US and Israel on Iran, and why its fallout matters far beyond the battlefield. This is not just a military crisis. It is an energy transition, climate tech, decarbonisation, and policy story with real consequences for emissions reduction, net zero, inflation, and industrial resilience. In this episode, I look at how attacks on energy infrastructure and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have once again exposed the fragility of fossil-fuelled “energy security”. You'll hear why fossil dependence is no longer a security strategy, but geopolitical exposure. I dig into how roughly $88.7bn was burned in the first 17 days of the conflict, and why the Pentagon's reported $200bn request to Congress shows just how grotesque the opportunity cost has become. We also dig into the emissions impact, including how gas shortages in India are already pushing parts of the economy back towards coal, kerosene, and biomass. And crucially, I lay out why electrification, renewables, storage, and stronger grids are now central to real energy security.Climate Confident+ is just €5, and gives you regular access to in-depth, timely analysis like this.

Send me a messageWhat if one of the biggest climate problems in our buildings isn't power generation, but the fact we're still burning fuel in the basement?In this episode, I'm joined by Dan Yates, CEO of Dandelion Energy, to unpack why geothermal may be one of the most overlooked tools in climate tech today, and why building decarbonisation deserves far more attention in the wider energy transition debate. If we're serious about net zero and real emissions reduction, we need to stop treating heating as a side issue. Dan lays out a blunt truth: heating and cooling account for the vast majority of emissions from buildings, yet much of the conversation still fixates on EVs, solar, and batteries. You'll hear why some forms of electrification can create a nasty unintended consequence by driving winter peak demand through the roof, and why geothermal flips that logic on its head. We dig into how ground-source systems can cut energy use, slash peak load, and potentially reduce the need for expensive new grid infrastructure. You might be shocked to learn that this isn't just an HVAC story. It's a grid story. A policy story. A housing story. We also get into cost, leasing, incentives, data, and why Dan believes geothermal should be seen as distributed infrastructure hiding in plain sight. If you want a clearer view of what practical climate action looks like beyond the usual talking points, this one's worth your time. 

Send me a messageWhat if the real barrier to climate action isn't a lack of science, but a lack of pressure? And what happens when climate risk collides with political instability, fossil fuel dependence, and public anger in real time?In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Dana Fisher of American University, author of Saving Ourselves and one of the sharpest thinkers on climate activism, policy, and public mobilisation. We get into what she calls apocalyptic optimism: being brutally honest about the scale of the climate crisis, the democratic backsliding around it, and the need to act anyway. Because the stakes now are painfully clear. Emissions are still rising, climate impacts are becoming impossible to ignore, and the push for decarbonisation is being slowed by vested interests just as the cost of delay keeps rising.You'll hear why Dana argues that science is necessary but insufficient for decision-making, and why public pressure is so often the real driver of climate policy, decarbonisation, and net zero progress. We dig into how repression can backfire, why climate shocks can shift public opinion, and why attempts to slow climate action may end up intensifying the response instead.We also explore why this conversation feels especially urgent now. As conflict, energy insecurity, and policy disruption expose the fragility of fossil fuel dependence, the case for clean energy starts to look less like idealism and more like common sense. From balcony solar to broader questions of power, protest, and public pressure, this episode looks at why the energy transition is about far more than technology. It's about resilience, accountability, and who gets heard when the system is under strain.Dana's newsletter is at: https://danarfisher.com/apocalyptic-optimist/And you can find her TED talk at: https://go.ted.com/danarfisher 

Industrial systems are responsible for 75% of global emissions, yet only a quarter of climate-focused VC money flows into them. Not because investors don't care — but because these systems are hard. They're interconnected. Capital-intensive. Slow-moving. Technically dense. And deeply under-innovated.Almanac Ventures is built to change that.In this episode of the EUVC Podcast, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Jo Slota-Newson and Marc Sabas, co-founders of Almanac Ventures — a new European seed and pre-seed deep tech fund laser-focused on unlocking decarbonisation in industrial systems through scientific breakthroughs and commercial discipline.This is a pitch episode — a chance for the EUVC LP & GP community to hear directly what Almanac stands for, how they invest, and why the next decade of industrial innovation will be shaped by specialist deep tech funds with true scientific and financial edge.Here's what's covered:00:49 | What Almanac Ventures is — a European seed/pre-seed deep-tech fund backing scientific breakthroughs applied to industrial systems01:31 | The founding team — Jo's nanoscience PhD + 18 years commercialising deep tech, Marc's finance → CVC → impact VC journey (and Jo's 37km Channel swim)03:52 | The complementary edge — technical rigor meets financial/commercial structuring, evidenced through 45 investments and a 2.3× MOIC track record05:22 | The industrial innovation gap — 75% of emissions come from industry, yet only ~25% of climate VC targets it (because the systems are hard, complex, and interconnected)06:11 | Why industry is ripe for deep-tech disruption — 20th-century inefficiencies, high value pools, and the need for performance + cost + decarb together10:17 | “Deep tech works for venture—if you know where to look” — how to identify capex-efficient, scalable industrial technologies vs. science projects that need different capital12:25 | Case study: Hot Green — a new compressor architecture enabling industrial heat pumps for 200–400°C processes (F&B, manufacturing) with electrification upside13:49 | Case study: ReClinker — Cambridge spinout recycling cement inside steel arc furnaces, piggybacking heat, removing the CO₂-heavy chemistry step15:19 | Do you need to be an operator to invest in deep tech? — why complementary experience (science + venture + corporate + some ops) beats any single “must-have”18:35 | Investment strategy — first-check investor at TRL 4–7, pan-Europe, €300k–€1M tickets, aiming for a 25–30 company portfolio with follow-on capacity

Rethinking Infrastructure: Decarbonization Through DurabilityHost: Alex Cameron, Founder & CEO, Decarb Connect Guest: Eric Van Genderen, Director of Environment, Health & Sustainability, International Zinc AssociationIndustrial co2 efforts tend to focus on fuels, technologies, and process change, yet a major source of avoidable emissions sits in plain sight: premature infrastructure failure. Roads, bridges, and wastewater systems that corrode decades earlier than planned lock in repeated cycles of repairs that are both carbon and capital-intensive. In this episode, we explore why durability is emerging as a critical lever in reducing lifetime emissions, and how smarter material choices can reshape the economics and carbon profile of long-life assets.Eric Van Genderen from the International Zinc Association makes the case that we're systematically miscounting the carbon cost of infrastructure by ignoring what happens when it fails early. The fix isn't new technology. Galvanised steel has been a proven solution for nearly a century. What's broken is the decision-making model where federal governments fund construction and municipalities inherit the replacement bill decades later, with no mechanism connecting upfront material choices to long-term carbon or cost outcomes.What you'll take away:Why adding 1–2% to upfront project costs can double infrastructure lifespan — and what that means for lifecycle carbon accountingThe Champlain Bridge as a case study: designed for 50 years, replaced at 30, and why its replacement is now rated for 100+A new metric worth knowing: decarbonisation potential measured in tonnes of CO₂ avoided per tonne of zinc installed Why the federal/municipal funding split is structurally blocking smarter material specificationWhere insurers fit in and why they're an emerging pressure point for longer-life assetsWhy legislation and building codes, not voluntary owner decisions, are the realistic lever for changeShow Links: Connect to Eric Van Genderen of the Zinc Association to explore their plans Find out more about zinc as an enabler of reduced embodied carbon in major projectsSuggest a podcast episode or guestConnect with Alex Cameron, Founder & CEO of Decarb Connect Learn more about Decarb ConnectOur global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support leaders driving industrial and energy innovation. Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors. We have summits coming up in Houston, London, Hamburg, Boston and Toronto and the opportunity to find the biggest brains in energy and carbon management - your future collaborators. For year-round introductions and meaningful insights, get in touch about your membership of the Decarbonization Leaders Network – so many benefits, hundreds of people equally focused on decarbonization – find out more and talk with Jack Figg, Community Director.   

Send me a messageWhat if the biggest climate lever in fashion isn't better materials, but simply wearing clothes longer?The fashion industry accounts for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution. In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Phoebe Tan, co-founder of Taelor, a menswear rental subscription service using AI-driven styling and real-world garment data to rethink how we consume clothing. The challenge isn't just fabric choice. It's overproduction, underutilisation, and a system optimised for churn instead of longevity.We dig into how rental models can increase garment utilisation and reduce emissions by extending lifecycle wear. You'll hear why durability data, wear rates, damage rates, wash cycles, may be more powerful than sustainability marketing. Phoebe explains how Taelor feeds performance insights back to brands, effectively becoming a live testing lab for quality and circularity. And we explore a hard truth: convenience often drives behaviour change faster than climate messaging ever will.If net zero requires rethinking consumption systems, fashion is a revealing case study. This isn't about trends. It's about utilisation density, supply chain feedback loops, and whether circular fashion can scale beyond a niche audience.

Evan Greenfield is Managing Director and Head of ESG for the Private Equity division at BCI. He recently published a paper with Stanford called "ESG Value Creation in Private Equity: From Rhetoric to Returns" that explains exactly how sustainability strategies produce financial returns in portfolio companies. In this episode, Evan joins Jenn to explain why ESG is good for value creation, and why speaking the language of finance matters more than ESG jargon.Useful Links:Follow Evan on LinkedIn hereFind out more about BCI hereRead Evan's book recommendation: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric CarlClick here for the episode web page. This episode is also available on YouTube.For more insights straight to your inbox subscribe to the Future in Sight newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram This podcast is brought to you by Re:Co, a tech-powered advisory company helping private market investors pursue sustainability objectives and value creation in tandem. Produced by Chris AttawayArtwork by Harriet RichardsonMusic by Cody Martin

Decarbonisation is triggering a new great-power race. As demand for green technologies and sustainable power sources grows, Washington and Beijing are battling for control of cobalt, lithium, copper, and nickel - the critical metals that will determine who lands on top of the global energy transition. In this episode, Nicolas Niarchos joins host Atossa Araxia Abrahamian to discuss The Elements of Power, a sweeping investigation into the war for the global supply of battery metals. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Indonesia and beyond, Niarchos uncovers a world shaped by rapacious colonial legacies, Cold War maneuvering, corporate rivalry, and dazzling technological innovation.  Niarchos argues that as wealthy nations push to electrify their economies, the human and environmental costs are pushed out of sight - onto miners working by hand, polluted communities, and territories still treated as expendable. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send me a messageCoal produces 4,000–8,000x more waste per MWh than wind.But you can't take a photo of CO₂, so we ignore it.In this episode, I'm joined by climate futurist and long-term decarbonisation modeller Michael Barnard. We cut through headlines to examine where the energy transition is actually heading - from electrification and maritime shipping to mass timber, industrial relocation, and grid efficiency. The stakes? Whether we build a cheaper, cleaner energy system, or cling to fossil-era assumptions.You'll hear why electrifying everything could cut primary energy demand by up to half.We dig into how 40% of global shipping may simply disappear as fossil fuel trade declines.And you might be shocked to learn why solar panels and wind turbines create thousands of times less waste per MWh than coal, yet attract far more outrage.We also explore how cheap renewables are reshaping industrial geography, why Spain's sunshine could outcompete former gas hubs, and how making electricity cheaper than fossil fuels changes everything.Interestingly, Seville's iconic wooden “Setas” isn't just architecture, it's proof that mass timber can replace steel and concrete at scale, locking carbon into buildings instead of the atmosphere.This is climate tech grounded in physics, economics, and human behaviour, not hype.

Cemvision: Building Climate Solutions Without Subsidy Dependence Host: Alex Cameron, Founder & CEO Decarb ConnectGuest: Oscar Hållén, CEO of CemVision Oscar Hållén talks with Alex about how his Cemvision is disrupting one of the world's highest-emitting industries without relying on green premiums or subsidies. Cemvision reuses alternative chemical processes plus existing production infrastructure and circular feedstocks from steel and iron production to create a one-to-one replacement for Portland cement. This eliminates the calcination process, the primary cost and emissions driver in traditional cement production, while maintaining cost parity with incumbents from day one.Hållén argues that effective decarb requires industrial solutions that can survive policy shifts and stand on their own economic merits. He traces Cemvision's commercial partnerships with Vattenfall and Storex, explaining how trust-building, technical iteration and alignment on long-term vision enabled these collaborations. The conversation examines the current market moment, where industrial commitments to transition often outpace the politics, and explores the mental model of "creative destruction" as a forcing function for climate action rather than perpetual subsidisation of incumbent carbon-intensive processes.Key Takeaways:Design for cost parity from day one – find out how CemVision achieves price competitiveness immediately eliminating dependence on green premiums or policy supportBuild partnerships through technical iteration – explore how years of testing, trials and responsive iteration with partners like Vattenfall built the trust required to sell into a complex value chainCompeting with incumbents– listen to how the team position themselves to compete with traditional producers creating a competitive market positionCreate momentum independent of policy fluctuations  - how to find the right partners and investors in the private sector Match partnership timescales to scaling requirements - finding partners with visibility into future projects and willingness to invest early vs. those seeking immediate deploymentEpisode links: Find out about Cemvision's work and its teamConnect with Oscar Hallen, CEO, CemvisionDownload info on Cemvision's project with StorexConnect with Alex Cameron, Founder & CEO of Decarb ConnectLearn more about Decarb Connect: Our global membership platform, events and facilitated introductions support leaders driving industrial and energy innovation.  Our clients include the most energy-intensive industrials from cement, metals and mining, glass, ceramics, chemicals, O&G and many more along with technology disruptors, investors and advisors.  We have webinars monthly and in-person summits coming up in Houston, London, Hamburg, Boston and Toronto and the opportunity to find the biggest brains in energy and carbon management - your future collaborators.  For year-round introductions and meaningful insights, get in touch about your membership of the Decarbonization Leaders Network – so many benefits, hundreds of people equally focused on creating a resilient and profitable future for industry – find out more and talk with Jack Figg, Community Director.   

Send me a messageAI's energy demand isn't a future problem. It's straining grids today. And most companies aren't ready.In this episode, I'm joined by Beatrice Clark, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Turtle and Hughes, a North American electrical distributor and systems integrator working at the sharp edge of the energy transition. We unpack what surging AI and data centre growth means for infrastructure, resilience, and real-world decarbonisation - not in theory, but on the ground.You'll hear why energy demand from AI is now “on the tip of everybody's tongue”, and how utilities and independent producers are scrambling to keep up. We dig into the tension between diesel reliability and microgrid ambition, and why hybrid redundancy may be the uncomfortable truth of the transition. You might be surprised to learn how fleet electrification looks when you're moving heavy loads across unpredictable routes. It's not ideology. It's maths, logistics, and physics.We also explore double materiality, Scope 3 collaboration, and why sustainability only works when it strengthens operational performance. Net zero isn't achieved in PowerPoint. It's delivered through infrastructure, policy, and accountability across the value chain.If you care about climate tech, grid transformation, emissions reduction, and what decarbonisation actually looks like inside energy-intensive businesses, this conversation cuts through the noise.Listen now to hear how Beatrice Clark and Turtle and Hughes are navigating the hard realities of the energy transition.Podcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. CreditsMusic credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

This week: Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill's ocean transport business, talks with Ian Welsh about the decarbonisation challenge facing global shipping. They explores fuel choices, energy efficiency, customer demand, regulation and why policy clarity is critical to scaling low and zero carbon solutions in a highly competitive sector. Plus: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar highlights how the energy transition is shifting from ambition to delivery, with companies focusing on infrastructure, energy security, capital discipline and system-wide innovation as 2026 unfolds. And, UN warns water crisis threatens fashion supply chains; researchers say ultra processed foods should face tobacco-style laws; and, Oatly and McCain push deeper food decarbonisation, in the news digest (compiled by Ellen Atiyah). Host: Ian Welsh

Recorded live from the Actsplore This Building Influence workshop in Kuala Lumpur, we sat down with Prof Dr Ong Kian Ming and Zalina Jamaluddin to unpack how we can lead with impact -  through intention, curiosity, and the courage to act before you feel “ready.”Together, we explored:What influence really means and why it mattersHow to lead and create impact before you have the titleBuilding trust with sceptical stakeholders and competing interestsThe role of networks and social capital in amplifying influenceProf Dr Ong Kian Ming is the Executive Director of RGE and an Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University. Prior to this, he served as Malaysia's Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (2018–2020) and was a two-term Member of Parliament. Today, he continues to advise businesses, industry bodies, and think tanks alongside his academic and executive roles.Zalina Jamaluddin is the Head of Decarbonisation at Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad. With over 20 years of experience across the private and public sectors, she has held senior roles at ExxonMobil and Talisman Energy, was a founding member and Vice President of the Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC), and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).To everyone who joined us live at the Building Influence workshop  - thank you for showing up with such openness, curiosity, and energy. We're truly grateful you chose to kick-start 2026 with us. And to those tuning in now, we hope this conversation sparks a reminder that influence doesn't begin with a title; it begins with how you choose to show up, right where you are.

In this episode, we speak with Sabrina Tekle Krarup Jensen, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Copenhagen Airports A/S (CPH), who shares how the airport is navigating some of aviation's most complex sustainability challenges.Jensen discusses:CPH's unique role as neutral facilitator: How the airport leverages its position outside the commercial fuel supply chain to support multiple SAF projects, and connect stakeholders across the entire aviation value chain.The eSAF financing gap challenge: Why eSAF prices remain 8-10 times higher than Jet A-1, preventing offtakers from signing the long-term agreements producers need to scale, and why regulatory intervention may be necessary to bridge this gap.Proven SAF impact on local air quality: Results from the ALIGHT project measurement campaign showing 40% SAF achieved a 30% reduction in ultrafine particle emissions.Denmark's green domestic route: How Norwegian Air Lines will launch the country's first green domestic route in March 2026 using 40% SAF.Battery energy storage system and electrification: Implementation of a battery system to store renewable energy and manage power spikes from electric ground support equipment and future electric aircraft charging.Real-world fuel variability research: The FuelTrack campaign with German Aerospace Centre and SAS that links specific fuel chemistry (aromatics and sulphur content) directly to tailpipe emissions.Airport-to-airport collaboration on innovation: CPH's partnership with Schiphol Airport pooling resources on local air quality challenges.If you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversation we had with Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who shares the airline's plans to lead the charge in sustainable aviation. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2'. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time.Links & More:Sustainability - Copenhagen Airports Groundbreaking study linking jet fuel properties to aircraft emissions - CPHCopenhagen Airport installs large battery for green energy storage - CPH ALIGHT project  

Send me a messageEurope is drowning in cheap clean power, and still wasting it.The problem isn't renewables. It's what happens when the grid can't cope with abundance.In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I'm joined by Oonagh O'Grady, Vice President of International Origination at Hydrostor, a global leader in long-duration energy storage. We dig into one of the most under-discussed blockers of the energy transition: what happens after wind and solar scale, but before the grid is ready.Oonagh explains why short-duration batteries, while essential, aren't enough once renewables reach 40–50% of the system. We unpack why grids are hitting curtailment, negative pricing, and instability, and why eight to twenty-four hours of long-duration energy storage is fast becoming the backbone of a reliable, net-zero power system.You'll hear why advanced compressed air energy storage can deliver fossil-free, utility-scale flexibility for decades, how it compares with batteries and pumped hydro on cost and performance, and why inertia and grid stability are suddenly back in the spotlight after recent European outages. We also get into the policy side: what leading regions like California, Australia, and the UK are getting right, and what Europe must do now if it wants secure, affordable, decarbonised electricity in the 2030s.This is a grounded, evidence-led conversation about climate tech that actually works at scale - and a reminder that without long-duration storage, the energy transition stalls just when it should be accelerating.

SHIPPING'S road to net zero was made longer and more complicated in 2025, a year which was supposed to clear up a lot of the uncertainty hanging over shipowners looking to make investment decisions for years to come. But events at the International Maritime Organization in October's extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee mean shipowners must again wait and see if a global carbon price can be agreed, and if so what it means for the future of their fleets. Lloyd's List editor-in-chief Richard Meade and senior reporter Declan Bush help answer a few of the outstanding questions, or at least narrow down the ones to ask, and make sure you're prepared for the year ahead when it comes to decarbonisation policy and technology. Learn more about Lloyd's List Intelligence here: www.lloydslistintelligence.com/products/…oyds-list

Send me a messageEurope doesn't have a clean energy problem. It has a grid problem.Solar is cheap. Batteries are scaling. Demand is exploding. The system in the middle is cracking.In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Stait, Managing Director of Alight's behind-the-meter business, to unpack why the energy transition is now being held back less by technology and more by infrastructure, regulation, and outdated thinking. Alight develops and owns onsite solar and battery systems for large energy users across Europe, using long-term PPAs to lock in savings, cut emissions, and build resilience.We dig into why waiting for cheaper solar or batteries is often the wrong call, and why businesses that move early gain a structural advantage. You'll hear how behind-the-meter solar and battery storage bypass grid bottlenecks entirely, why blaming renewables for blackouts misses the real issue, and how decentralised generation is reshaping energy security, affordability, and decarbonisation all at once.We also explore the uncomfortable reality facing Europe's grids, the growing role of data centres and electrification, and why microgrids are starting to look less like an edge case and more like the logical endgame of the energy transition. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech that works, emissions reduction that scales, and why net zero will be built through economics as much as policy.

Send me a message8% of global emissions come from the material we barely talk about.Concrete. Cement. The literal foundations of modern life, and one of the hardest climate problems we face.In this episode, I'm joined by Ana Luisa Vaz, VP of Product at Paebbl, to unpack why construction is such a stubborn emissions hotspot, and what it would take to genuinely change that.Ana explains why cement emits CO₂ by design, not by accident. Half its emissions come from chemistry, not fuel. You can electrify kilns and still be stuck with the carbon. That's why Paebbl is taking a different path: using accelerated mineralisation to turn captured CO₂ into a cement substitute, permanently locking carbon into concrete itself.We dig into what “permanence” really means in carbon removal, why performance matters more than good intentions, and how conservative industries like construction can adopt new materials without compromising safety. You'll hear how Paebbl can already replace up to 30% of cement today, why cost curves matter more than green premiums, and how digital tools, sensors, and models are accelerating learning in an industry that usually moves at a glacial pace.We also explore the role of policy, public procurement, and cities, the uncomfortable changes the sector needs to unlearn, and whether carbon-negative construction is a realistic goal this century, or just another climate promise that collapses under scrutiny.This is a conversation about climate tech that lives in the physical world. Hard to abate. Harder to ignore.

Send me a messageWhat if the biggest barrier to decarbonising buildings isn't technology, cost, or ambition - but sheer complexity?The built environment produces nearly 40% of global emissions, yet we still make low-carbon construction harder than it needs to be.In this episode, I'm joined by Tommy Linstroth, founder of Green Badger, to unpack why construction remains one of the most overlooked climate battlegrounds, and why that's a mistake. We dig into LEED v5, embodied carbon, and the growing gap between climate ambition and what actually happens on building sites. The stakes are huge: buildings lock in emissions for decades, sometimes centuries.You'll hear why builders aren't resisting sustainability, they're drowning in shifting standards, paperwork, and fragmented data. We explore how LEED has evolved, why carbon now sits at the centre of green building standards, and how decisions made at the design stage quietly determine emissions for the next 100 years. Tommy also explains why third-party verification matters, how “build to code” often means “barely legal”, and why retrofitting existing buildings may be the hardest climate challenge nobody likes talking about.We also dig into where genuine momentum is emerging - from falling renewable costs to better data and smarter software, and how climate tech, including AI, could finally make the low-carbon choice the easy choice. If net zero, emissions reduction, and the energy transition are serious goals, then construction can't stay a side quest.

Send me a messageMost companies say they're tackling Scope 3. Then they rely on averages and hope for the best. That's not decarbonisation. That's denial with spreadsheets.In this episode, I'm joined by Paul Byrnes, CEO of Mavarick AI, to dig into one of the most stubborn blockers to real emissions reduction: bad data across global supply chains. Paul brings a rare mix to the table. Deep manufacturing roots, serious machine learning expertise, and a refreshingly low tolerance for AI theatre. We focus squarely on the climate challenge that keeps executives awake at night. How to cut Scope 3 emissions when suppliers are overloaded, data is unreliable, and margins are thin.You'll hear why most Scope 3 programmes stall before they deliver a single tonne of abatement. We dig into how spend-based accounting can introduce error rates of up to 40%, masking risk instead of revealing it. And why primary supplier data is fast becoming table stakes for any credible net zero strategy.We also unpack where AI genuinely helps emissions reduction, and where it doesn't. From cleaning contaminated data sets, to identifying real decarbonisation levers with financial and environmental ROI, this conversation is about using technology to move from reporting to action.You might be surprised to learn why supplier engagement only works when there's a clear win for suppliers themselves, and why emissions reduction scales fastest when it also improves cost, efficiency, or resilience. No greenwash. No magic bullets. Just physics, data, and incentives aligned.

Send me a messageWhat if the biggest lever for food-system decarbonisation isn't factories or fleets, but soil you'll never see on a corporate balance sheet?In this episode, I'm joined by Rhyannon Galea and Kristjan Luha from eAgronom to unpack one of the hardest climate problems to solve: Scope 3 emissions in food and agriculture.This conversation was originally recorded for my Resilient Supply Chain podcast and I'm republishing it here because it cuts straight to the heart of real-world climate action. Most food companies have 70–95% of their emissions sitting on farms they don't own or control, while those same farms are increasingly exposed to climate shocks. The stakes couldn't be higher.You'll hear why regenerative agriculture is less about ideology and more about resilience, profitability, and physics. We dig into how practices like reduced tillage and cover cropping can rebuild soil carbon, improve water retention, and cut emissions without wrecking yields.We also get into the messy reality of data. Why averages and estimates won't get companies to net zero, and how credible primary farm data changes everything. From satellite verification to machine-level data capture, this episode explores what trustworthy emissions data actually looks like on the ground.You might be surprised by the incentive structures that work best with farmers, and why carbon credits alone are often the wrong starting point. We talk knowledge transfer, practice-based payments, and why 2030 is only “five harvests away” if you're serious about emissions reduction in food systems.

Send me a messageWhat if the fastest way to decarbonise shipping isn't a shiny new fuel, but the waste it's already throwing away?Shipping moves 90% of global trade, yet it's still one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. In this episode, I'm joined by Nicholas Ball, CEO and founder of XFuel, to unpack why cost, physics, and adoption matter more than climate theatre when cutting emissions at scale.Nicholas leads a company turning difficult waste streams, including oily residues from ships themselves, into fully compliant drop-in fuels for shipping and aviation. These fuels work in existing engines, use existing infrastructure, and can deliver up to 85% lifecycle emissions reductions without charging shipowners three to five times more than fossil fuels. That last point matters. A lot.We dig into why shipping is so price-sensitive, why infrastructure uncertainty is paralysing fuel decisions, and why waiting for perfect solutions risks locking in higher emissions for decades. You'll hear why XFuel focuses on waste-based and recycled carbon fuels, how lifecycle emissions are verified under EU rules, and why “drop-in” isn't a marketing term, it's the difference between pilots and adoption.We also tackle hydrogen head-on. Why it's massively inefficient as a fuel. Why scarce renewable electricity should be used to decarbonise grids and industry first. And why electrification should happen everywhere it can, with fuels reserved for sectors that genuinely have no alternative.If you care about climate tech that actually scales, real-world decarbonisation, and cutting emissions in sectors that don't have easy answers, this conversation matters.

Send me a messageWhat if the clean energy transition depended on potato-sized rocks four miles under the Pacific, and we've barely started talking about it?In this episode I'm joined by Oliver Gunasekara, CEO and co-founder of Impossible Metals, to tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in climate tech: there is no net zero without mining. We dig into how deep sea polymetallic nodules, AI-driven underwater robots and smarter policy could reshape the energy transition, emissions reduction, and even the geopolitical balance with China.You'll hear why 84% of global mining today is still for fossil fuels – and what happens to decarbonisation when ore grades on land collapse to 0.2% while nodules sit at the 4% level. We get into how autonomous robots can hover above the seabed, detect and avoid life, and selectively collect nodules, and why the choice of mining technology matters as much as the decision to mine at all.We also explore the hard politics: critical minerals as a strategic vulnerability, the West's dependence on Chinese processing, and why delaying decisions on deep sea mining could mean more rainforest lost, higher battery prices, and a slower energy transition. Kismet: the market for nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese is on track to hit $1 trillion a year by 2035 – and we're still arguing about whether mining “counts” as climate tech.