Podcasts about leadership circle

Since Donald Trump returned to the Presidency in 2025, the US has become increasingly isolationist. It has pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the IPCC, left the World Health Organisation, as well as a whole host of other international organisations and agencies. So, when President Trump leaves the White House, will the US be able to rebuild trust on the international stage? This week on Cleaning Up, former US Secretary of State and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry sits down with Michael Liebreich and reflects on some of the defining diplomatic efforts of his career, from negotiating the Iran nuclear deal to helping secure the Paris Climate Agreement. Secretary Kerry explains how years of relationship-building and behind the scenes diplomacy helped bring Iran to the negotiating table and why he believes the original nuclear agreement succeeded in limiting Iran's nuclear programme. He also shares his frustration at what he sees as the dismantling of agreements and relationships that took years to build, and the challenge of restoring trust in US leadership on the global stage.  Secretary Kerry also shares his perspective on working with China, the importance of international cooperation, and the role diplomacy still has to play. They also discuss rebuilding trust in US leadership, and the shifting balance between the US and China in clean energy. Topics Include: How the Obama administration negotiated limits on Iran's nuclear programme The diplomacy behind the Paris Climate Agreement The meaning of "common but differentiated" in climate diplomacy Lessons from Kyoto, Paris and Dubai on international climate agreements Why engaging adversaries matters more than isolating them How can the U.S. rebuild trust on a global stage? Petrostate vs electrostate: the shifting US-China dynamic Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: John Kerry's bio: https://galvanizeclimate.com/team/secretary-john-kerry Galvanize https://galvanizeclimate.com/ Our Ocean Conference https://www.ouroceanconference.org/ Todd Stern on Cleaning Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffnZzO6CMI8 Ernie Moniz on Cleaning Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0shzlRv4MTY Acronyms: ADNOC - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company LNG - Liquified Natural Gas OPCW - Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons ESG - Environment, Social and Governance IRGC - Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Professor Ning Li has spent decades at the intersection of energy, technology and industrial strategy. A nuclear engineer, complexity scientist and founding Dean of the School of Energy at Xiamen University, he is also credited with coining the term "Small Modular Reactor" nearly 20 years ago. In this wide-ranging conversation with Bryony Worthington, Ning Li explains why China has weathered recent global energy shocks better than many expected, how electrification is transforming economic resilience, and why solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles have become China's most important exports. They explore whether the world is really swapping dependence on fossil fuels for dependence on Chinese electrotech, why modularity has become the defining feature of successful modern technologies, and what lessons other countries can learn from China's rapid industrial scaling. The discussion also covers the future of nuclear power, the role of coal in supporting China's grid, the untapped potential of heat pumps, and why the energy transition should be framed not as a burden, but as an opportunity for growth. Topics include: Why China has been relatively resilient to oil and gas disruptions The rise of the "electrostate" China's new energy exports: EVs, batteries and solar Why modular technologies scale faster The origins of the Small Modular Reactor concept The changing role of coal in China's power system Heat pumps and industrial electrification Nuclear power's future in China Climate action as economic development Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Ning Li bio: https://thebreakthrough.org/people/ning-li Octopus' Fiona Howarth on the EV partnership with BYD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL64XW5ZRBA

Why do 70% of change efforts fail — even when leadership is fully committed? The answer isn't strategy or resources; it's the hidden stories people unknowingly carry that silently block every initiative.In this episode, Ronica Roth, author of “Practice Makes Culture” and co-founder of The Welcome Elephant, shares a practical framework for creating lasting organizational change. Drawing on 25 years of experience helping teams and companies transform, she explains why culture declarations and vision speeches alone never work — and what leaders at any level can do instead. Ronica introduces the concept of “welcoming elephants” — the emotional, systems, and room elephants that surface whenever change is attempted — and why acknowledging them is the first step toward real progress. She also unpacks why most culture lives beneath the surface, in hidden stories that employees carry without realizing it, and how those stories quietly undermine even well-designed initiatives.The conversation covers how to build psychological ownership so people invest in change rather than just comply with it, and why small, intentional daily practices — not grand overhauls — are what actually shift culture. The discussion also touches on applying these principles to AI transformation, where the emotional stakes are especially high and the hidden stories especially loud.Key topics discussed:Why 70% of change efforts fail — and what to do about itThe three types of “elephants” blocking organizational changeHidden stories: the invisible force sabotaging your cultureWhy declaring a new culture is necessary but not sufficientHow to create psychological ownership (not just buy-in)Using meetings as a daily practice for cultural changeLeading AI transformation with vulnerability and structureThe WOOP method for making personal behavior change stickTimestamps:(00:00:00) Trailer & Intro(00:02:43) Why Ronica Write a Book About IT Culture?(00:05:14) What Are the Three Types of Elephants That Hold Organizations Back?(00:11:05) Why Do 70% of Change Efforts Fail?(00:15:45) How Does Ronica Define the Different Layers of Culture?(00:20:57) Why Is Declaring a New Culture Necessary But Not Sufficient?(00:23:12) What Are the Three Pillars of Your Cultural Transformation Framework?(00:39:28) How Can You Turn Meetings Into a Daily Practice for Cultural Change?(00:48:51) How Can Leaders Address the Emotional Elephant of AI Transformation?(00:56:13) Can You Apply These Culture Change Principles to Personal Growth?(01:02:06) What Are the Five Culture Hacks for Scaling Cultural Impact?(01:04:49) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Ronica Roth's BioRonica Roth is a transformation expert dedicated to revolutionizing how organizations work. As cofounder of The Welcome Elephant consultancy, she helps leaders build thriving cultures where both business results and human potential flourish. With deep expertise in product management, business agility, and organizational change, Ronica brings a unique perspective shaped by her certification as a Leadership Circle® practitioner and her distinguished background as a Certified Scrum Trainer Emeritus. Her approach is informed by an MS in Journalism from Northwestern University and enriched by her earlier career in newspapers, giving her exceptional skills in storytelling and communication crucial for effective organizational change.Follow Ronica:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/ronicaroth Practice Makes Culture – itrevolution.com/product/practice-makes-cultureThe Welcome Elephant – thewelcomeelephant.coPractice Makes Culture Substack - practicemakesculture.substack.comLike this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/261.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

Today, wind power accounts for just under 10% of all electricity globally, around the same as solar, recently overtaking nuclear power. 20 years ago, the figure was under 1%. In that time, the sector's leadership has moved around from Europe to the US to Asia, but one specialist European manufacturer has stayed in the leading group throughout: Vestas — a member of the global wind energy aristocracy. This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined by Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas, to discuss the extraordinary growth in the wind energy industry, the challenges it faces with rising interest rates and political hostility, and where the best place to build turbines is in 2026.  Together they do some myth-busting and answer: If wind is so great, why does it need subsidies?  Is wind pointless because it's intermittent? Are turbines killing all the birds? What happens to the turbines at the end of their lives? Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Vestas' website: https://www.vestas.com/en/pages/campaigns/sustainability/200-gw Henrik Andersen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrik-andersen-/ WindEurope 2026: From crisis to confidence — https://windeurope.org/news/windeurope-2026-from-crisis-to-confidence/

For more than 15 years, the RCP8.5 climate scenario has shaped headlines, policy decisions, financial stress tests and public understanding of climate risk. Now, the scientific community has declared it implausible. So what comes next? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes Professor Roger Pielke Jr. back to explore why RCP 8.5 became the dominant "business as usual" climate scenario, and what its demise means for climate research, policymaking and public debate. They discuss the origins of the scenario, how assumptions about coal consumption drove projections beyond plausible futures and ask whether fear-based climate communication has ultimately helped or hindered public support for climate action. They tackle tipping points, extreme weather, climate policy, scientific self-correction, and the crucial question of how societies should respond to climate risk in a world that is still warming. Until recently, Roger was a tenured professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is now senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and publishes an influential Substack called The Honest Broker. He last made an appearance on Cleaning Up in June 2022. If you want to know the background to the RCP8.5 controversy you should listen to that episode, linked below. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Van Vuuren's 2026 paper on RCP8.5 becoming implausible: https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/19/2627/2026/ Van Vuuren's 2011 paper on the development of the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-011-0148-z The Honest Broker Substack: https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/ Michael's writeup on RCP8.5: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/rcp-85-is-officially-bollox Roger Pielke Jr's past appearance on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2LpMpkrP1w Johan Rockström on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/eIJkt_mY12s Jim Skea on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/oAWUdL5ZKsk

As electricity demand rises and renewable generation continues to expand, the same question keeps arising: how do we keep power systems reliable, affordable and resilient? This week, Michael Liebreich is joined by Håkan Agnevall, CEO of Wärtsilä, to discuss the changing role of flexible generation in modern electricity systems, the growing importance of grid stability, and why balancing technologies will be critical as renewables become an ever-larger share of the global energy mix. They explore how rapidly growing electricity demand, including from data centres, is reshaping investment decisions, why flexible gas generation may play an important transitional role, and how batteries, renewables and thermal assets can work together to build a more resilient power system. The conversation also examines the future of shipping decarbonisation following delays to the International Maritime Organisation's proposed global carbon-pricing mechanism, the importance of fuel flexibility for vessel owners, and how digital technologies and AI are improving efficiency across industry. Håkan and Michael cover a wide variety of topics, including: Why flexible generation remains essential in renewable-heavy grids How growing electricity demand is changing energy infrastructure planning The role of gas engines, batteries and storage in maintaining grid stability What data centres mean for future power systems Shipping decarbonisation and the IMO's delayed carbon-pricing vote Fuel flexibility and efficiency in maritime transport How industrial companies are using AI to improve performance and reliability Energy security, competitiveness and the changing geopolitical landscape Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Wärtsilä's website: https://www.wartsila.com/ Episode 208 with Anders Lindberg, Wärtsilä's head of energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtsCCJ4o1WA Episode 229 with Professor Tristan Smith of UCL, on the delayed IMO agreement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdUCidkeDto Episode 235 with Rob Dunn, inside the Start Campus data centre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juAyLAUmU3w

Herzlich willkommen zu einer neuen Folge des Makler und Vermittler Podcasts! Heute erwartet euch ein spannender Einblick in das Thema Führung für Makler und Führungskräfte der Versicherungsbranche. Nicolas Vogt und Torsten Jasper sprechen über die Entwicklung vom Unternehmer zum Teamleiter und warum Führungskompetenzen so selten praxisnah vermittelt werden. Erfahrt, wie ihr euch und euer Team weiterentwickeln könnt, welche Herausforderungen bei der Führung auf euch warten und was es mit dem Insurance Leadership Circle auf sich hat, einem einzigartigen Gruppenformat, das genau diese Lücke schließt. Bleibt dran und entdeckt, wie ihr euren Führungsstil auf das nächste Level heben könnt!

In this special episode of Cleaning Up from San Francisco Climate Week, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington unpack the geopolitical shocks reshaping the global energy transition. From escalating tensions in the Gulf and their impact on oil and LNG markets, to China's accelerating electrification revolution, the conversation explores how energy security, industrial strategy and climate ambition are colliding in real time. Bryony and Michael debate whether the West can realistically compete with China's manufacturing dominance, why electrification is becoming the defining energy strategy across Europe and Asia, and whether hydrogen has any meaningful role left to play. They also examine California's energy paradox, the future of AI-driven electricity demand, and whether nuclear power can help meet the coming compute boom. Along the way, they tackle the politics of trade, the economics of resilience, the rise of clean tech nationalism, and the uncomfortable societal questions posed by artificial intelligence and automation. This episode covers: The energy implications of instability in the Middle East Why electrification is accelerating globally China's EV and battery dominance The future of LNG, coal and renewables in Asia  Why Michael thinks hydrogen is dead policy walking AI, data centres and the coming electricity crunch California's clean energy transformation Whether nuclear power can support the AI revolution Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Absolutely Electrifying - Ep158: Saul Griffith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=238XVTF4ang How Nvidia Made Chips 100,000x More Efficient | Ep215: Josh Parker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0KtA9WKZ3U The Future of Clean Tech Under Trump — Ep198: Jigar Shah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCOaF-qQ_TU

The energy system is not about supply and exports and generation and distribution. It's about how we use energy in our daily lives and workplaces. The so-called energy trilemma, affordability versus reliability versus environmental performance looks very theoretical in the boardrooms of an NGO or a consulting company. But it's not theoretical at all for someone struggling to run their life, do their job and pay their bills. What we need is a system focused on usage, not on supply. Joining Michael on Cleaning Up this week is Harish Hande, a Bangalore-based social entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of the Selco Foundation, which focuses on decentralized solar energy solutions for underserved communities. A graduate of IIT Kharagpur with a master's and PhD in energy engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Harish has over three decades of grassroots experience using sustainable energy to drive poverty reduction in rural India. In 2011, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his efforts to make solar power accessible and affordable for the poor through innovative, livelihood‑linked energy services. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: The Selco Foundation: https://selcofoundation.org/ Impact Investing Has it Backward: https://nextbillion.net/impact-investing-backward-time-prioritize-needs-social-enterprises-not-just-investors/ How Solar is Saving 100s of Lives in Sierra Leone — Ep204: Project Bo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-5QjSfy2SM A Life of Energy Access and Inclusion - Ep20: Richenda Van Leeuwen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tyk1xcf7nQ What India Gets Right About The Energy Transition | Ep226: Dr Arunabha Ghosh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMrn-JewoCo  

Every single scenario for the future that looks at a cleaner energy system has electrification growing to 60, 70, 80% or more, and yet we don't make rapid progress. Why? One of the reasons we don't make progress lies in narratives and culture wars. We hear about heat pumps that don't work, we hear about electric vehicles that don't work, we hear that electrification can't work for high temperature heat and so on, and then we hear a narrative that there is a false solution that will work much better: hydrogen.  So how do we electrify things faster? By focussing on what we can do right now, commercially at scale, and removing the barriers that slow those sectors down.  Presenting the Electrification Staircase, a tool that breaks down the “Electrify Everything” argument into what can be achieved now, what will be in the near future, and what needs more support to come into being by the middle of the century.  This week on Cleaning Up, Michael is joined by the authors of the Electrification Staircase to explore their thinking behind it, how it can be used, and what can be done to get electrification moving even faster.  The authors are Adrian Hiel, Director of the Electrification Alliance, Silvia Madeddu, Solutions Architect at Schneider Electric, William Drake, analyst at Liebreich Associates and Thomas Butler, associate at the Regulatory Assistance Project, as well as Michael Liebreich.  Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: The Electrification Staircase: https://electrification-alliance.eu/articles/the-electrification-staircase-is-out/ The Electrification Staircase Appendix: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qfn6xR7g7dXSZTlfkxcpOa8Pp0WKj7BW/view?usp=sharing The Electrification Alliance: https://electrification-alliance.eu/ Regulatory Assistance Project: https://www.raponline.org/ Sylvia Madeddu's Past appearance on Cleanig Up: https://perspectives.se.com/youtube-sustainability-business-schneider-electric/ep103-dr-silvia-madeddu-industrial-heat-is-electrifying

This week Cleaning Up is back in Brussels, with a deep dive into European energy policy as the continent grapples with the reality of ambitious climate targets, very high energy prices and the vulnerabilities of first Russia's attack on Ukraine, and Israel and the US's recent attack on Iran.  Michael Liebreich sits down with a rising star of the European Parliament, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, for a timely conversation at the intersection of energy, geopolitics, and climate strategy. What begins as a discussion on EU energy policy quickly broadens into a much bigger conversation: a blueprint for Europe's survival in a volatile world. Thomas argues that the war in Ukraine is not just about territory, it's about Europe's future. And one of the main battlefields? Energy. The key to peace, he says, lies in breaking Russia's ability to turn oil and gas into power, through a global transition to clean energy. From the inner workings of EU policymaking to the struggle between fossil fuel interests and the Green Deal, this episode dives into: Why Europe must electrify for its own peace and security The political battles shaping the future of EVs, nuclear, and renewables Whether Europe can compete with China and the U.S. in clean tech The concept of an “electro-democracy” alliance Why energy independence may be the only path to freedom Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: Thomas' Bio: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/256903/THOMAS_PELLERIN-CARLIN/home The 130 Trillion-Dollar Man - Ep84: Mark Carney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtA5ufMzKAU The Dane who Harnessed the Wind - Ep139: Henrik Stiesdal: https://youtu.be/7rjuZ_aCsFQ  

What happens when global energy supply chains can no longer be trusted? Has the U.S. given up its edge in the clean energy race to China? And can politics keep up with the speed of the energy transition and the rise of AI? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with former U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of global energy, politics, and clean technology. They explore how geopolitical tensions, from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz to shifting alliances, are reshaping global energy markets and accelerating the move away from fossil fuels. Granholm offers an insider's perspective on the impact of U.S. policy decisions under both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, including the rise, and partial dismantling, of the Inflation Reduction Act and what that means for US clean energy investment, manufacturing, and competitiveness. The discussion dives into the growing divide between ‘petrostate; U.S. and ‘electrostate' China, the global race for dominance in electric vehicles and battery storage (with companies like BYD leading the charge), and the unintended consequences of tariffs and industrial policy. Looking ahead, Granholm reflects on lessons learned from her time in office, what a future Democratic administration might do differently, and the political and economic challenges shaping the road to the next presidential election 2028: inflation, energy affordability, and the disruptive impact of AI on jobs. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: What Democrats Can Learn From the Trump Energy Playbook: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-26/jennifer-granholm-democrats-should-use-trump-playbook-for-climate For Real Energy Dominance, We Need the IRA: https://heatmap.news/ideas/energy-dominance-ira-granholm Can Data Centres Play Nice With The Grid? Varun Sivaram & Steve Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kSrgRZUCwE ⁠The Future of Clean Tech Under Trump — Ep198: Jigar Shah: https://youtu.be/PCOaF-qQ_TU Why Renewables Are Booming Despite the Politics | Ep245: Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade: https://youtu.be/5oL_XlZ8k_M How the US Lost The Race for Clean Energy | Ep 219: Ethan Zindler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQLkLXt9Uek 

Robert J. Anderson joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation about purpose, intuition, shadow work, and the question that has guided his life. He talks beautifully about doubt and fear alongside grace and synchronicity, and what it takes to keep saying yes when you can't see where it's going.Robert J. Anderson has been a pace setter in the field of Leadership Development for over 30 years. He is the Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of Leadership Circle, and the co-author of Scaling Leadership and Mastering Leadership. Bob created the Leadership Circle Profile, a 360° assessment used by organisations worldwide to measure the effectiveness of their leaders (individually and collectively), chart a pathway for their development, and assess their progress as they develop. In 2005, the Stayer Center for Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business awarded Bob the Partner in Innovation Award. The MEECO Leadership Institute awarded him the International Thought Leader of Distinction in 2018.If you sense you are still not fully committing to the path you are already on, this will offer plenty of inspiration.For more of Robert J. Anderson's work:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-j-anderson/Company Website: https://leadershipcircle.com/For more from Mark McCartney:Newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/Website: https://www.mmcleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlifeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/markcmccartney00:00  The Guiding Question03:30  Becoming Who I Am07:00  Writing the Musts11:30  Learning to Trust Intuition16:00  Around the World Experiment22:00  The Brennan School Years28:00  Leadership Circle is Born34:00  What Is Wanted Now40:00  Unity as Foundation47:00  The Soldier and the White Light54:00  The Divine Elephant1:03:00  Joy at the Bottom1:10:00  What is a good life for Robert?Podcast Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​

Ep 236 - One World in a New World with Charissa SimsHow to overcome fear, anxiety, and reconnect with your true selfFeeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or unsure of your purpose? This conversation explores how to awaken your divine power, release fear, and find inner peace through self-awareness and spiritual connection.In this episode of One World in a New World, Zen Benefiel speaks with Charissa Sims, convener of the Leadership Circle with Humanity's Team, bestselling author, and host of Zen Success, about her journey from anger and disconnection to peace, purpose, and spiritual awakening.Charissa shares how early connection to nature, loss of that connection, and later rediscovery through spiritual practice helped her reclaim her inner power, voice, and purpose.Connect with Charissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charissashaw/Charissa's book: https://amzn.to/3Q5gQ3pHumanity's Team: https://www.humanitysteam.org/#SpiritualAwakening, #InnerPeace, #Mindfulness, #PersonalGrowth, #SelfAwareness, #HealingJourney, #Consciousness, #OneWorldNewWorldJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZl_29zHxehqeL89KSCWFA/join__________

The news agenda this year has been entirely dominated by energy related stories, whether it's the war in Europe being pursued by Russia — formerly Europe's most significant energy provider — the U.S. capturing the head of state of Venezuela — which has some of the biggest oil reserves in the world — or the ongoing attack by Israel and the U.S. on Iran and all its ramifications. But there is also another story, which is the long term rift between the U.S. and the rest of the world about whether and how fast we should be addressing climate change.   This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined by Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, for his third appearance on the podcast. He discusses the International Energy Agency's integral role in trying to steer the world through the current energy crisis, how he sees the global energy system change in response to the crisis, and how his organisation is facing up to criticism from the US over its net-zero scenarios. Fatih and Michael discuss: Why the current crisis could surpass the oil shocks of the 1970s How the International Energy Agency is helping stabilize global markets   Efficiency measures and the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz Why solar, batteries, and nuclear may surge amid the chaos  Why countries are looking toward coal to fill the gap Whether energy security is now overtaking climate as the top priority The growing divide between the U.S. and global institutions on climate policy And why Birol insists: “Data always wins.” As Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih has positioned the Agency at the centre of global efforts to advance a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system. Dr Birol joined the IEA in the mid-1990s and progressed from junior analyst to Chief Economist, where he oversaw the flagship World Energy Outlook.  He has been included in the TIME100 list of the world's most influential figures and recognised by Forbes as one of the world's most influential figures in energy. He chairs the World Economic Forum's Energy Advisory Board and is an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club. This episode was recorded on March 19, 2026. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: The International Energy Agency: https://www.iea.org/ Sheltering from Oil Shocks report: https://www.iea.org/reports/sheltering-from-oil-shocks Fatih's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatih-birol/ The World Energy Outlook 2025: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025 Fatih's past appearance on Cleaning Up The World's Preeminent Energy Economist - Ep133: Fatih Birol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc7ItnBRqXI Setting the World's Energy Agenda - Ep28: Fatih Birol – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW5aPlRI44I

How should a central bank respond to energy shocks? Will high oil and gas prices bolster the uptake of renewables? And what is the true cost of net zero 2050? This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with Pierre Wunsch, Governor of the National Bank of Belgium and member of the European Central Bank's governing council, for a candid, behind-the-scenes discussion about how central banks should and can respond to inflation, energy volatility, and climate transition. From the recent surge in oil and gas prices to the lessons learned from post-COVID inflation, Wunsch explains why central banks may have “got it wrong” during the Russia-Ukraine energy shock, and how they're rethinking their response to supply shocks. Michael and Pierre dive into: The costs of net zero, and why a one-size fits all approach to decarbonisation isn't working. Whether European economies can absorb the costs transition without losing competitiveness Why “transitory inflation” didn't stay transitory during the Russia-Ukraine war The risk of political backlash and policy instability Why industry, not households, is the hardest part of decarbonisation for Europe The gap between climate ambition and credible policy tools. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: Pierre Wunsch bio: https://www.nbb.be/en/cv/pierre-wunsch National Bank of Belgium's Research on Climate: https://www.nbb.be/en/publications-research/publications/topics/climate How China Became a Green Finance Superpower - Ep160: Dr. Ma Jun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu6giWzTxAY The 130 Trillion-Dollar Man - Ep84: Mark Carney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtA5ufMzKAU

What happens if we're underestimating the speed and scale of climate risk? This week on Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with Ricken Patel, Principal at Climate Hub & Founder of activist network Avaaz, to explore how to build successful climate movements, and the case for research into geoengineering. Ricken argues that companies have been accidentally geoengineering since the turn of the Industrial Revolution, as a byproduct of their pollution, and says ‘it's crazy' that research into deliberate forms of geoengineering isn't being allowed. Ricken has a long history as a campaigner and activist working in the climate and democracy spaces. He founded Avaaz, an online activism platform, and led successful campaigns around the Paris Agreement and beyond.  He was voted "Ultimate Gamechanger in Politics" by the Huffington Post, listed among the world's top 100 thinkers by Foreign Policy, and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Patel studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, graduating first in his class, and holds a Master's from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He went on to live and work on conflict resolution and civilian protection in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, and Afghanistan for organizations including the International Crisis Group. Together, Bryony and Ricken dive into: Why climate risks may be far greater than current models suggest The cooling effects we're losing as we clamp down on pollution The  case for researching geoengineering How democracy, truth, and climate are deeply intertwined And how to build a successful movement around climate change. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: Ricken's website: https://www.rickenpatel.net/ The Climate Hub: https://www.cc-hub.org The State of the Climate 2026 | Ep242: Zeke Hausfather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzySrSD8vz8 Parasol Lost: https://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2026/jan/14-jan-26-parasol-lost-recovery-plan-needed/

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined by Emmanouil Kakaras, engineer, academic, and Senior Advisor at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries EMEA, for a grounded, technical conversation about the intersection of emissions and engineering: gas turbines pushing the limits of thermodynamics, the trade-offs between hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic fuels, and why carbon capture keeps coming back into the conversation. Kakaras draws on decades in both academia and industry to explain how decisions actually get made inside large engineering companies, and why the energy transition isn't about picking a single “winner,” but deploying a mix of solutions at scale. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links and more: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: https://www.mhi.com/ Iron-Air Man - Ep144: Mateo Jaramillo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih0gBGCkROM Cracking the Geothermal Code - Ep58: John Redfern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU8TDupVvjM The Dane who Harnessed the Wind - Ep139: Henrik Stiesdal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjuZ_aCsFQ Ep121: Prof. Rob Miller "Jet-Zero Hero": https://youtu.be/zqMHiyyWlZo Padeswood CCS: Decarbonizing cement production in the UK https://padeswoodccs.co.uk   Primetals: A decade of pioneering green steel solutions Large Heat Pumps and the future of district heating https://spectra.mhi.com/energy-transition/the-untapped-potential-of-district-heating The geothermal plant behind Europe's lithium push https://spectra.mhi.com/energy-transition/the-geothermal-plant-behind-europes-lithium-push What role will ‘new nuclear' play in the energy transition? https://spectra.mhi.com/energy-transition/what-role-will-new-nuclear-play-in-the-energy-transition  

This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with Varun Sivaram and Steve Smith to explore one of the most urgent, and overlooked, challenges of the AI revolution: how to power it without breaking the grid. As AI demand explodes, hyperscale data centres are emerging as massive, inflexible loads, rivaling entire cities. But do they have to be a burden on the grid? This conversation dives into a groundbreaking trial led by Emerald AI in partnership with National Grid and NVIDIA—demonstrating that data centres can dynamically adjust their power consumption in real time using software. Key insights include: How AI data centres could reduce grid stress instead of increasing it The concept of “flexible demand” and why it's a game changer for AI data centres Real-world trial results Why “speed to power” matters more than cheap electricity in the AI race How software, not infrastructure, could help unlock billions in grid capacity The hidden flexibility inside AI workloads (and why not all compute is equal) From kettle spikes during football matches to lightning strikes on the grid, this episode reveals how intelligent systems can respond in seconds, turning a looming energy crisis into a massive opportunity. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Euroelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. Read more:  The Emerald AI/National Grid white paper: https://www.ngpartners.com/stories/emerald-ai-whitepaper The $60 Billion Plan For Europe's Largest AI Data Centre | Ep235: Robert Dunn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juAyLAUmU3w

In this podcast, Greg Voisen sits down with Bob Anderson, the visionary founder of The Leadership Circle, to discuss his move from traditional corporate metrics into the "deeper pond" of the Unity Academy. Anderson explains how "Unity-Informed Integral Leadership" transcends rational strategy by integrating subtle energetics, shadow work, and quantum principles to help leaders navigate a modern meta-crisis. By sharing a startling story of a Bell Labs engineer whose physical countenance changed after deep developmental work, Bob challenges listeners to move beyond being "good musicians" following a script to becoming "improv masters" who allow leadership to flow through them with a presence that is felt as much as it is heard.

What happens when millions of electric cars become part of the energy grid? And could the key to cheaper, cleaner power already be sitting in your driveway? And why are so many automakers pushing back against EV targets?  This week on Cleaning Up, host Bryony Worthington speaks with Fiona Howarth, founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles, about the rapid transformation of the global car industry and the powerful role electric vehicles are beginning to play in the energy system. From her early fascination with clean energy to building one of the UK's most innovative EV businesses within Octopus Energy, Fiona shares the inside story of how electric mobility moved from niche curiosity to mainstream disruption. She explains why falling battery costs, bold policy like the UK's ZEV mandate, and fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers such as BYD are accelerating the transition faster than many expected.  The conversation explores how EVs are evolving beyond transportation. With vehicle-to-grid technology, cars could become distributed batteries: storing renewable power, stabilising the grid, and even providing drivers with free electricity for their journeys. It's a vision that could reshape both the energy market and the economics of driving.  But as some companies race ahead, some traditional automakers are pushing back, asking for slower timelines. Fiona argues that the real risk isn't moving too fast, it's backing the wrong players in a historic technological shift.  Leadership Circle:  Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.  Links and more:  Octopus EVs website: https://octopusev.com/  Cleaning Up interview with Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-cRh35Hm4  Earth Set Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEarthSetPodcast

Bryony Worthington and Michael Liebreich give their analysis of the impact of the conflict in Iran on global energy markets. How will it impact the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the US, and will it force countries back to coal, or accelerate the clean energy transition?  This episode was recorded Thursday March 5.  Leadership Circle:  Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.

How can we build out clean energy and infrastructure faster? Is Europe engineering its way to resilience, or pricing itself out of competitiveness? And can we redesign the entire system fast enough to keep up with AI, electrification and rising demand?  This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Hilde Tonne, Chair of Arup and former CEO of Statnett, to explore the hard realities behind the energy transition. From offshore wind and nuclear to grid bottlenecks and data centre demand, Hilde brings a uniquely systems-level perspective shaped by decades leading infrastructure transformation across telecoms, energy and engineering.  They dive into:  Why grid investment, not generation, may be Europe's biggest constraint  Whether hyperscaler AI companies should foot the bill for massive grid upgrades  The hidden bottlenecks in regulation, permitting and procurement • How ‘total design' thinking can cut carbon by 40% before construction even begins  Whether electrification makes Europe more resilient, or more exposed  Hilde argues that this transition is no longer just about climate. It's about security, competitiveness, affordability and economic growth. But achieving it will require rethinking regulation, redesigning infrastructure and the bureaucracy around it, and aligning public and private capital at unprecedented scale.  Leadership Circle:  Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.  Links and more:  Arup's website: https://www.arup.com/  Inside Europe's Largest Data Centre: https://youtu.be/juAyLAUmU3w

This week on Cleaning Up, host Bryony Worthington sits down with investor and energy strategist Laurent Segalen, co-host of the Redefining Energy podcast, for a sweeping conversation that spans carbon markets, uranium trading, battery innovation, and Laurent's bold plan to connect Canada and Europe with a 5,000km subsea electricity cable. Laurent shares the personal moments that shaped his obsession with energy security, from witnessing Cold War division in Germany to cleaning an oil spill off the beaches of Brittany, and how those experiences led him to the heart of Europe's carbon trading system and into high-stakes commodity markets. Along the way, Laurent recounts: How he became becoming one of the most profitable uranium traders on the market The financial mechanics behind interconnectors, and why east-west cables make money Why sodium batteries could reshape grid storage His experience designing carbon markets, and whether they are working or not. At the centre of the discussion is NATO-L (North Atlantic Transmission One Link): an audacious proposal to link Canadian hydro and wind to European markets through ultra-high-voltage subsea cables. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and more: NATO-L website: https://nato-l.com/ Redefining Energy Podcast: https://www.redefining-energy.com/ Ep92: Simon Morrish "650 Leagues of HVDC Under the Sea": https://youtu.be/m6KIMswZkWA

Join us for What Stayed, a live Season Two gathering.March 31 · Virtual · Free · Limited spots · konu.org/eventsThere are many leadership assessments in the world. Most measure competencies — skills, behaviors, strengths, and gaps. The Leadership Circle begins from a different starting point. It integrates leadership theory, systems thinking, and adult development into a single model that connects behavior to the structure of mind beneath it.In this episode, Michael Koehler and his colleague Judit Teichert sit down with Bill Adams and Bob Anderson — co-founders of The Leadership Circle, long-time pioneers in leadership development, and authors of Scaling Leadership and Mastering Leadership.This conversation is less an explanation of a model and more a reflection on its evolution. Bill and Bob revisit the foundational distinction between reactive and creative leadership, share personal moments of reckoning with their own patterns, and explore what happens when even creative leadership begins to feel insufficient for the scale of today's adaptive challenges.If reactive leadership is driven by managed anxiety, and creative leadership introduces vision and choice, what comes next?Bill and Bob suggest that the next stage may require something more relational than individual brilliance — a shift toward collective intelligence, deeper self-awareness, and leadership informed not by separateness, but by unity.What You'll Explore in This EpisodeReactive to CreativeHow strengths, when run reactively, become liabilities. Why development begins when we can see our patterns rather than be run by them. And why reactive leadership is less a comfort zone and more managed anxiety.When Growth Hits a CeilingA powerful story of a CEO who unknowingly capped his organization's growth — and what changed when he realized he was up against himself.Adaptive challenges cannot be solved from within the very structure that created them.Scaling LeadershipDrawing on over a million survey comments, Bill and Bob describe the central shift in effective leadership: from leading through individual capability to developing people and building collective capacity.Leadership scales when development becomes shared work.The Next StageBob describes what he calls integral leadership — leadership grounded in the presumption, if not the direct realization, of the inherent unity of all things.If our current paradigm is built on separateness, what might leadership look like if it were grounded in unity instead?This episode does not offer easy answers. It invites deeper questions:How do we lead in the unknown?How do we slow down when urgency tempts us to push harder?What if the future emerges not from force — but from listening?Quotes from This Episode“Strengths run reactively have liabilities.”— Bob Anderson“Reactive leadership isn't a comfort zone. It's managed anxiety.”— Bob Anderson“I am my own project for life. And it's a big project.”— Bill Adams“If we want things to change, I have to do most of the changing.”— Bill Adams“Are we going to clean this up neatly? The deep recesses of racism that have been in our lineage for millennia? Patriarchy, violence, war, exploitation? We're going to clean that up neatly? No. It's going to be a mess.”— Bob Anderson“Integral...

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, CEO of EDP, one of the world's leading clean energy companies.From the front lines of the energy transition, Miguel explains why electricity demand in the United States is exploding, driven by AI, data centres, and re-industrialisation, and why this could make renewables one of the most attractive investments of the decade. He also shares how EDP transformed itself from an 80% coal-based utility into a company generating over 90% of its electricity from renewables.But the transition hasn't been entirely smooth. Miguel recounts the dramatic moment when Spain's grid collapsed, taking Portugal down with it, and what it taught him about resilience, grid stability, and the hidden challenges of running a modern clean power system.They also dive into:Why soaring power demand is changing energy economicsThe real story behind renewable costs and rising electricity pricesThe link between European competitiveness and energy independenceThe political and economic reality of investing in US clean energyWhy resilience may define the next phase of the transitionThis episode was recorded prior to the recent storms in Portugal. For more information on how EDP is responding to the storms, and what to do if you are affected by them, please visit: www.edp.comLeadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:EDP website: https://edp.com/enThe £60 Billion Plan To Rewire Britain | Ep227: John Pettigrew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Lg1A958aAThe Enormous Ambition Of Germany's New Grid Build Out | Ep233: Tim Meyerjürgens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgUuJ-dx78The $60 Billion Plan For Europe's Largest AI Data Centre | Ep235: Robert Dunn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juAyLAUmU3wThe Price of Resilience - Ep8: Roger Dennis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELQT31riDE

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with carbon removal insider Robert Höglund, CEO of Marginal Carbon, co-founder of CDR.fyi and architect of MilkyWire's Climate Transformation Fund, for a deep dive into what's working and what's not in carbon dioxide removal and corporate climate action.Drawing on five years of hands-on experimentation funding everything from biochar to direct air capture and policy advocacy, Höglund challenges the dominant “speed and scale” narrative. Instead, he makes the case for a new phase: prove and learn. Together, Michael and Robert unpack why the highest-impact climate interventions are often the least measurable, why corporate net-zero targets are more conditional than we admit, and what it will actually take to make carbon removal credible, scalable, and worth paying for.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more: Marginal Carbon: Marginal CarbonCDR.fyi: https://www.cdr.fyi/MilkyWire Climate Transformation Fund: https://milkywire.com/Carbon Gap: https://carbongap.org/Julio Friedmann on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/DX7k6qnTxE8 

What if the future of clean energy isn't decided in Washington, Brussels, or Beijing, but in Lagos, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa? Are we underestimating how fast the Global South is leapfrogging fossil fuels? And what happens when clean energy becomes the cheapest, fastest path to development, not a climate sacrifice?In this episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined for a third time by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN Energy. Together, they explore how Africa and the wider Global South are quietly reshaping the global energy transition, from rapid growth in solar, storage, mini-grids, and EVs to bold policy moves that many developed economies haven't dared to make.They dive into why energy access is about dignity, health, and gender equality; why finance, not technology, is the real bottleneck; and how local capital, data, and innovation could determine whether “Most of World” powers its future with clean energy or fossil fuels.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:Sustainable Energy For All: https://www.seforall.orgDamilola's past appearances on Cleaning Up:https://youtu.be/TbN1Y1C0idohttps://youtu.be/VcpNOmm1pMwBan Ki-moon on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/B14_MeRhfBwThe Sierra Leone Documentary: https://youtu.be/z-5QjSfy2SMClemens Calice on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/urmP7zN6n04Alain Ebobissé on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/ISTvp0BQz3E

How do we model the climate system? How warm will 2026 be? And can geoengineering be anything more than a bandaid?  This week on Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with leading climate scientist Dr. Zeke Hausfather on the day the 2025 global temperature data is released. Despite a La Niña year, the planet has just experienced one of its hottest years on record — pushing us ever closer to the 1.5°C threshold. Zeke explains why recent warming has accelerated, how declining air pollution may be unmasking hidden heating, and what disappearing cloud cover could mean for climate sensitivity.  The conversation ranges from the surprising accuracy of early climate models, the risks of rising nationalism, and what the U.S. withdrawal from international science means for the world.  They also tackle controversial questions:  Are worst-case climate scenarios still plausible? Is geoengineering a dangerous distraction — or an emergency brake? And can carbon removals ever work economically at scale. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more: Zeke's articles in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/by/zeke-hausfather Zeke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeke-hausfather-7327699/ Zeke's Blog on Substack: https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/my-2026-and-2027-global-temperature  

Why does Africa, home to 18% of the world's population, receive just 1% of global energy investment? What's stopping money from flowing to the continent when it has such good wind and solar potential? And what would it take to unlock an energy boom that benefits both Africa and Europe?Spread across 54 countries and with a combined GDP the size of Italy, Africa's population is young and growing rapidly. It is set to grow from 1.5 billion people today to 2.5 billion by 2050. And it could reach 4 billion by 2100, accounting for two out of every five people on the planet.  Africans want and deserve the same prosperity shared by richer parts of the world. And that means investment. So why is investment not flowing? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich speaks with Clemens Calice, CEO and founder of Cygnum Capital, which invests around $1.3 billion in Africa's energy transition. Together they explore why risk perception and outdated models are slowing investment across Africa. From rooftop solar for factories and mines, to electric motorbikes, power pools, and the geopolitics of gas, this episode makes the pragmatic case for how Africa can leapfrog to a cleaner, more resilient energy future.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:Cygnum Capital: https://www.cygnumcapital.comEpisode 196, Lucy Heintz of Actis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGDI_0QIHgEpisode 216, Daniel Calderon of Alcazar Energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhFOWO4C84Episode 120, Ana Hajduka, founder of Africa Green Co.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktWh_G6Sw_g

How do we build a clean energy system while bringing UK bills down? Can the UK's landmark Climate Change Act stand up to a fractured climate politics? And does increasing global instability make home-grown energy more important than ever?This week's episode of Cleaning Up comes to you from inside of the UK's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, where last week Bryony Worthington sat down with Katie White MP, the UK's recently appointed Climate Minister, to discuss her new role, what she's excited about, and current challenges that she's facing.Katie and Bryony met more than 20 years ago when they worked together at Friends of the Earth on the campaign for the Climate Change Act. In her new role, Katie is now the minister responsible for carbon budgets and net zero, alongside other climate priorities. It was only 12 months after she was elected as an MP for Leeds North West that Katie was promoted Climate Minister, in what she's described as her dream job.From their shared history campaigning for the Climate Change Act to today's challenges of energy affordability, electrification and public consent, Katie and Bryony unpack what's working, what isn't, and how to connect climate action to lower bills, stronger security and a better quality of life.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:Katie White biography and brief: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/katie-whiteKatie White's constituency website: https://katiewhitemp.org.uk/

Is the link between oil and geopolitics starting to diminish? Has climate consensus fractured just as clean energy hits escape velocity? And are batteries, not barrels, becoming the true source of power and security?In the first episode of Season 17 of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington unpack a turbulent start to 2026. From shock geopolitical moves in the Americas and riots in the Middle East to the curious calm of a $60 oil price, they explore whether fossil fuels still move the world the way they once did. The conversation ranges from the collapse of climate multilateralism and Europe's energy malaise to the unstoppable rise of electrification, batteries, and system-level clean energy solutions across China, India, Africa, and the “rest of the world.”Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:The Electrification Staircase: https://www.watts-next.eu/ Kingsmill Bond on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2bsoCOznXkArunabha Ghosh on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMrn-JewoCoRachel Kyte on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1m2lm2n_EECatch up on Season 16 of Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaDWQkhmAsaQ28p0h3Lw5I6v

In December 2025, I was asked to speak in front of 400 women working on the future of food. I knew this moment was significant, but it wasn't until I was in the moment that I realized this was a culmination of a vision I had been holding for 12 years!! In this episode, I take you into the vision and into the process of preparing for the stage including the fears I had to battle, the moments of synchronicity, and the lessons learned. Ready to create a vision for your life? Join the CEO Project now. A 6-week course to create the vision for the next 3 years of your life and leadership. Are you a woman working on the future of food? Enrollment is now open for the next Leadership Circle cohort. Apply here to set up a call and learn more.

We're revisiting one of the most listened-to episodes of the entire year on the Fly on the Wall Podcast—because it hit a nerve in the best way.In Episode 173, Chris Sonksen sits down with Pastor Rob for a powerful, behind-the-scenes coaching session on one of the biggest leadership bottlenecks in the church: getting leaders to really lead.If you've ever felt stuck because your staff or volunteers have maxed out their capacity—or if your church is growing and you're not sure how to raise the next layer of leaders—this listener favorite is exactly what you need.In This Episode, You'll Discover:✅ What a Leadership Circle is—and how to start one✅ How to identify the next-level leaders hidden in your church✅ The #1 question to ask after every leadership conversation✅ A clear framework to sift, sort, and apprentice future leaders✅ How to release responsibility without losing excellenceChris shares the same practical tools he's used for years to multiply leaders at every level and build churches that thrive with depth—not just size.

A few years back, I adopted a new tradition. Instead of making a resolution, I set an intention for the year by choosing one word that encompasses what I wanted to create more of. This instantly made me feel like the CEO of my life. I set the direction and made aligned decisions that fit my dreams. In 2023, my word was GLOBAL and in 2025, it was RECEIVE. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my life and leadership to share how my year unfolded. Ready to choose your word for the year? Join the community workshop on December 30th here. Curious about Leadership Circle? Set up a chemistry call here to learn more about the program and if it's a fit for you. Enrollment is open now.

What happens when clean energy starts to outgrow fossil fuels at scale? Is it right to call China an electrostate? And how long will we be reliant on hydrocarbons?This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with Lord Browne of Madingley — former CEO of BP and one of the earliest voices inside Big Oil to publicly call for emissions reductions from fossil fuels.  Recorded in front of a live audience in London, the discussion explores how geopolitics, energy security, AI, and rising global anxiety are reshaping the path to decarbonisation. Lord Browne reflects on launching BP's original “Beyond Petroleum” strategy, his current work investing billions through BeyondNetZero, and why the future of climate action will be driven as much by adaptation, resilience, and people as by technology itself.From the rise of China as an electrification juggernaut and the US as an AI-powered energy giant, to the tipping point where clean energy demand could finally outpace fossil fuels, this episode offers rare insight from someone who has shaped — and challenged — the global energy system from the inside.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:BeyondNetZero: https://www.generalatlantic.com/climate/Lord Browne's previous appearance on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/8VXQ2EGAcGMThe Pragmatic Climate Reset, Part 1: https://youtu.be/OHKGor2_BzQ

Nelly Gal is a Cuban-born Physician Assistant, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate who grew a seven-figure aesthetic and functional medicine empire. As the founder of Live Vibrant Medspa, she now empowers ambitious women in their 30s and 40s to step boldly into their power and reclaim their energy.In this episode, we dive into:|

What happens when a nation's energy security rests on volatile global gas markets? Why does the UK pay market prices for some of the world's cheapest-to-produce gas? And is now the moment to rethink decades of “leave it to the market” dogma?This week on Cleaning Up, Baroness Bryony Worthington sits down with Seb Kennedy, energy journalist and founder of Energy Flux, to unpack the turbulent geopolitics of natural gas, the coming LNG glut, and why the UK–Norway relationship sits at the heart of Britain's energy affordability crisis.Drawing on their recent joint op-ed, Bryony and Seb explore the UK's dependence on Norwegian gas, the vast windfalls that have flowed into Norway's sovereign wealth fund since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and whether a new bilateral deal could shield consumers from future price shocks. They examine the structural forces reshaping global gas markets, the rise of speculative trading, and whether electrification will become harder when gas gets cheap.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:Read Seb & Bryony's Op-Ed on Energy Flux: https://www.energyflux.news/uk-norway-gas-trade-time-for-a-new-deal/Seb's Energy Flux Podcast: https://www.energyflux.news/tag/podcast/Michael's conversation with Carine Ihenecho Smith, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H028Vwf7pNMThe UK's updated plan for the North Sea gas transition: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-sea-future-plan-for-fair-managed-and-prosperous-transitionBritain eases opposition to new oil, gas permits, holds firm on taxes | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/uk-government-allows-some-new-oil-gas-fields-holds-firm-taxes-2025-11-26/

What does it take to build Europe's largest and most sustainable data-centre campus, from an empty plot of land to a 1.2-gigawatt giant of AI? How do you future-proof a facility when chip technology is evolving at breakneck speed? And what happens when the site of former coal-fired power plant becomes a global hub for AI?In this special, on-location episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich visits Sines, Portugal, where Start Campus is transforming the site of a decommissioned coal plant into a next-generation data-centre campus that once finished will be Europe's largest data centre. CEO Robert Dunn takes us inside the first operational building, currently 29MW but just 2.5% of what's to come, to explore the engineering, economics, and vision behind a €10 billion physical infrastructure build that will eventually house an additional €40 billion in incoming IT hardware.From earthquake-proof structures to seawater cooling and uninterruptible power supply systems, Rob breaks down what it means to design for 99.99999% uptime in an AI-driven world. Michael and Rob also dive into the reality and hype surrounding AI: the surge in GPU-hungry AI training, the race to build at gigawatt scale, the challenges of financing these mega-projects, and the balancing act between speed, cost, sustainability, and long-term viability.Set against the backdrop of Microsoft's freshly announced $10 billion investment in the Sines campus, this episode illuminates how the data-centre industry is reshaping global energy systems, local communities, and the future of compute.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more:Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/juAyLAUmU3wThe Start Campus website: https://www.startcampus.pt/Microsoft makes one of its largest investments in Europe at Start Campus in Portugal: https://www.startcampus.pt/microsoft-makes-one-of-its-largest-investments-in-europe-at-start-campus-in-portugalMichael's Green Giant's Whitepaper: https://pioneerpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021.11.17-Green-Giants-White-Paper-Final.pdfThe Year Energy Woke Up To AI | Audioblog 14: Generative AI, The Power and the Glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwZ2iNh133A

What happens when the world's most ambitious climate state runs head-on into a hostile federal government? Can California still lead the clean-energy transition while battling rising costs, wildfires and the Trump government's sweeping tariffs? And what does a “pragmatic reset” on climate policy look like when the stakes have never been higher?This week on Cleaning Up Bryony Worthington sits down with Liane Randolph, former Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and longtime public servant, shaping California's climate, energy, and air-quality strategy. Across roles spanning the Public Utilities Commission and state natural resources agencies, Randolph has been at the center of some of the most consequential policy decisions in the United States — from the rise of rooftop solar and utility-scale storage to the creation of zero-emission vehicle mandates and the state's pioneering cap-and-invest system.Together, they unpack how California built the modern EV market, the origins of the famous “duck curve,” and why central planning turned out to be critical for keeping the lights on in a decarbonizing grid. Randolph also details the extraordinary federal pushback now facing the state: repealed Clean Air Act waivers, legal battles over truck and car standards, and tariff-driven supply-chain shocks that threaten progress.The episode explores:The past and future of California's zero-emission vehicle strategy — from catalytic converters to the birth of TeslaWhy batteries exploded onto the grid, and how wildfire adaptation is reshaping costsThe mechanics and impacts of California's whole-economy cap-and-invest programThe new affordability crisis — and whether a pragmatic climate “reset” is neededElectric aviation, high-speed rail, and the technologies California should bet on nextThe state's 2045 net-zero planning — and which sectors will need breakthroughs like DAC and industrial CCSLeadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:CARB: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/First Cars, Now Planes: Is The Future of Flying Electric? Ep194: Anders Forslund: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW3uTBbAGHAWhy Is It So Hard to Clean Up Global Shipping? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdUCidkeDto

What does it take to future-proof Europe's electricity grid? How do you finance €65 billion in infrastructure without driving up consumer electricity costs? And can the permitting process be sped up to become fast enough for the energy transition?This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Tim Meyerjürgens, CEO of TenneT Germany, the country's largest transmission system operator, to explore the physics and finance behind decarbonising Europe's power networks.From billion-euro transmission lines to the domestic and international politics of connecting the North Sea's vast offshore wind potential with Germany's industrial heartland, Meyerjürgens offers a rare inside view of one of Europe's most complex and capital-intensive transitions.The conversation dives into:• How TenneT split its Dutch and German operations to attract €9.5 billion in equity from investors like Norges Bank and GIC• The challenge of accelerating grid buildout from 20-year to 5-year timelines• The delicate balance between regulation, investment, and public acceptance• Why building our transmission across Europe is key to energy resilienceThis episode was supported by TenneT Germany.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Discover more:• TenneT Germany's website: https://www.tennet.eu/de-en/home • TenneT Germany successfully concludes syndication of €12 billion revolving credit facility: https://www.tennet.eu/de-en/news/tennet-germany-successfully-concludes-syndication-eu12-billion-revolving-credit-facility• The £60 Billion Plan To Rewire Britain | Ep227: John Pettigrew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Lg1A958aA• Can Europe Survive the Renewables Transition? Ep201: Nikos Tsafos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUvKzs82Mi0

Is green hydrogen a ‘miracle fuel' or an expensive illusion? Can we decarbonize without it? And what happens when hydrogen hype meets hard economics?This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich debates Erik Rakhou, author of Touching Hydrogen Future, in a no-holds-barred discussion moderated by Andrew Critchlow of S&P Global Commodity Insights.Together, they contest one of the most contentious topics in energy today: hydrogen. Liebreich argues that hydrogen is plagued by physics-driven cost barriers and limited real-world applications, while Rakhou defends its potential as a critical tool for industrial decarbonization, energy resilience, and long-term security.From the potential of green vs. blue hydrogen, to global ammonia trade routes, Europe's pipeline ambitions, and China's hydrogen cost curve, this debate pulls no punches. Topics include:Whether there'll ever be a hydrogen-based economyWhy hydrogen economics remain so challengingThe role of carbon pricing vs. subsidiese-Fuels and hydrogen's place in transport, steel, and aviationWhy electrification trumps hydrogenThis episode was recorded at the S&P Global offices in London and originally broadcast as a S&P Global webinar on October 29, 2025. THanks to S&P Global and Andrew Critchlow for hosting the debate.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Read more:Erik's website: https://rakhou.comThe EU's hydrogen strategy: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen_en• Data on EU natural gas prices 2010-2025: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1buQTdpQOMShue-zXyZUYVgZ9dPe5rZ5Y/view?usp=share_linkMichael Liebreich's Keynote Speech at World Hydrogen Congress 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj900aBPkiYErik's book ‘Touching Hydrogen Futures': https://europeangasmarket.euEuropean Court of Auditors call for a hydrogen reality check: https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/news/NEWS-SR-2024-11Michael's Pragmatic Climate Reset: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-the-pragmatic-climate-reset-part-i/

What if the energy transition isn't about sacrifice and belt-tightening, but abundance? Are electrified technologies ready to replace the polluting fossil fuel system we're so reliant on? And what will it mean for western nations if they can't keep up with China? In this special bonus episode of Cleaning Up, recorded live in Berlin, Michael Liebreich sits down with Kingsmill Bond, strategist at Ember, to unpack The Electrotech Revolution, a powerful new framing of the global shift from a fossil-fuel economy to an electrified, efficient, and inevitable clean energy system.Together, Kingsmill and Michael explore why the growth of solar and wind is now outpacing fossil fuels worldwide, how China's leadership is reshaping the global landscape, and what Europe and the US must do to compete. Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and more:Ember's Electrotech Revolution Report: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-electrotech-revolution/Ember's Funders: https://ember-energy.org/about/Lauri Myllyvirta on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/FqjvCeR9VLgMichael's Pragmatic Reset Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHKGor2_BzQMichael's Pragmatic Reset Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFF1imh1U2c

This week on Cleaning Up, we welcome back Rachel Kyte, the UK's Special Representative for Climate Change, for a deep dive into the shifting landscape of global climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.Rachel brings decades of experience — from leading Sustainable Energy for All under Ban Ki-Moon to senior roles at the World Bank and IFC — to unpack how countries, investors, and institutions are navigating the new era of implementation.Together, Michael and Rachel explore:How the UK is re-engaging globally on climate and energy policy.The evolution of climate finance and why capital still struggles to flow into emerging markets.Which path the world will follow, the US petrostate model, or China's electrostate model.Why investing in grids, governance, and infrastructure is still missing from the energy transition.What to expect at COP30 — from forest finance to a possible rethink of the annual COP model.And how countries from Africa to Asia are shaping their own pathways to clean growth and energy security.Rachel also reflects on public attitudes, the politicization of climate action, and the need for pragmatic cooperation over rhetoric.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and more:Rachel's first appearance on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/Umq5pICThDMInside the World's Biggest Investor - Ep138: Carine Smith IhenachoThe Planet's Leading Diplomat - Ep70: Ban Ki-moonSustainable Energy for All - Ep16: Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella

My guest this week is the incredible Eritria Pitts, founder of Story Maestra. Eritria is a former journalist, comedian, and now a story coach and strategist for high-achieving women who are ready to liberate themselves from perfectionist performance and inherited narratives. She believes your greatest asset isn't your resume—it's your reclaimed story.Tune in to learn how to move from feeling stuck despite your success to confidently stepping into your next aligned chapter:✨ Why high-achieving women often lose touch with their authentic voice.

Global shipping contributes about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the total emissions of Japan or Germany. The sector, including its contribution to climate change, is governed by the International Maritime Organisation or the IMO, which is a UN agency based in London in the United Kingdom.Last week, the International Maritime Organisation gathered to vote on a proposal to reduce emissions from ships that had been agreed to in principle earlier this year. And ahead of the gathering, most people intimately involved in the process thought the proposal would pass. But that wasn't the case. The US stepped in at the last minute and pressured all those gathered to delay the vote on the proposal for another 12 months.This week on Cleaning Up, host Bryony Worthington sits down with Professor Tristan Smith, a leading expert on shipping decarbonisation from UCL Energy Institute, to unpack the dramatic events at the latest International Maritime Organization meeting — where the United States' last-minute intervention derailed a landmark vote on cutting emissions from ships.Together, they explore:How global shipping, responsible for around 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, became a critical test case for international climate policyWhy the IMO's proposed carbon intensity regulation could have marked the beginning of the end for oil and LNG as marine fuelsThe “Tariff diplomacy” and other threats that reshaped global negotiationsWhat this means for COP30 and other multilateral agreements.Bryony and Tristan also dive deep into possible solutions: from e-fuels, ammonia, and battery electrification to nuclear propulsion — weighing what's practical, what's political, and what's merely wishful thinking.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:Is Shipping the Easiest "Hard-to-Abate" Sector? - Ep143: Johannah Christensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umPAonV20cMThe IMO website: https://www.imo.org/Michael's Substack on the IMO decision: ​​https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/imo-members-choose-between-the-us

This summer, Michael Liebreich wrote two essays under the title of the Pragmatic Climate Reset. The first challenged the idea that the clean energy transition has failed. And the second challenged the clean energy and climate community to a reset, exploring eight areas which he thinks the transition has gone astray.In this special episode, Bryony Worthington sits down with Michael Liebreich, to unpack Part 2 of “The Pragmatic Climate Reset.”Michael lays out a bold vision for cutting through the noise — replacing ideology with realism, and paralysis with progress. From net zero targets and critical minerals to global politics, energy security, and the economics of clean tech, this is a conversation about what it takes to deliver a just and workable climate transition.Bryony asks Michael,Why criticise Greta Thunberg rather than call out anti-climate commentators like Joe Rogan or President Trump?Did he go too easy on the fossil fuel industry?What does he think he got wrong?How has the essay been received, and did he get any good feedback, either positive or negative.Michael puts forward the idea that if the transition is to succeed in the long run and keep the public on board, we must proceed as a tortoise, not a hare, building on the considerable momentum of renewables to phase fossil fuels out of our energy mix while also keeping energy affordable, and everyone's lights on.Listen now, or watch the full episode on YouTube.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:Read Part I here: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-the-pragmatic-climate-reset-part-i/Read Part 2, here: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-the-pragmatic-climate-reset-part-ii-a-provocation/Watch the first part of the pragmatic climate reset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHKGor2_BzQExplore all of Michael's audioblogs and essays: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaAGobfBqd5eRQfeb5l9vPLG

What does it take to rewire a nation's energy system? Can we make the grid cleaner, smarter, and more resilient — without driving up bills? And how will the explosion of AI data centres reshape the future of electricity demand?This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with John Pettigrew, outgoing CEO of National Grid, for a candid conversation marking the end of his 35-year career. Together they explore the UK's £60 billion plan to deliver Clean Power by 2030, the race to build transmission for offshore wind, the growing strain from AI-driven electricity demand, and lessons from major outages in Spain and Heathrow.Pettigrew reflects on the evolving “energy trilemma” — balancing decarbonisation, reliability, and affordability — shares reflections from his 35-year career: what's changed, what went wrong, and what comes next for the grids powering our clean energy future.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:John's first appearance on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/1HVcJuO9dNIRoger Dennis on Cleaning Up 'The Price of Resilience': https://youtu.be/CELQT31riDENational Grid's £60 billion plan: https://www.nationalgrid.com/gridforgrowthNational Energy System Operator (NESO): https://www.neso.energy/Final report from what happened to the Heathrow substation: https://www.neso.energy/news/final-report-review-north-hyde-substation-outage

Alisa Gracheva joins the show to tackle the invisible force that can secretly halt your authority and stall your business scale: unresolved trauma and deep-seated limiting beliefs. Alisa, who has walked a powerful healing journey herself, breaks down what trauma truly is and how it's encoded in your physiology as negative beliefs that keep you playing small.This conversation is the deep dive into the mindset block and unseen resistance that we often experience, including:

What does it take for India to deliver electricity to hundreds of millions while simultaneously building a fast-growing clean energy system? Can it overcome its fossil dependence to secure its energy futures with renewables? And how will India's development choices shape the global climate fight in the decades ahead?India, like China, is home to over a billion people, and is highly reliant on imported fossil fuels and domestic coal. But unlike China, it still has a very rural population and has not yet experienced the rapid rise in per capita energy consumption that accompanied China's recent development boom. The future path India takes to development is therefore of critical importance.In this episode of Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, founder and CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and Special Envoy for COP30. Together they explore India's “twin transition”, achieving universal energy access while driving a massive expansion of clean power. From the data-driven electrification of 130 million households, to innovations in market design that slashed solar prices, to India's push for secure, diversified green supply chains, this conversation reveals a rarely told side of India's energy transition story.Arunabha also shares insights on India's role in international climate diplomacy, the significance of cooperation with China and Brazil, and the urgent need for hyper-local climate risk assessment to protect communities from extreme weather.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:Council on Energy, Environment and Water website: https://www.ceew.in/India hits 50% non-fossil power milestone ahead of 2030 clean energy target: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/india-hits-50-non-fossil-power-milestone-ahead-2030-clean-energy-target-2025-07-14/How can India make the leap to become a green, clean country? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/28/huge-energy-challenges-how-can-india-make-leap-green-clean-country