Net Zero Hero

06. Working with NGOs

In a change to the usual format for Net Zero Heroes podcasts in the latest episode I am joined by a single guest. But a guest with a compelling story to tell. That guest is Philippa White, Founder and CEO of The International Exchange (TIE).
Philippa is driven by the belief that when professionals fully engage with their humanity, ingenuity and purpose, good things start to happen. TIE is a CPD accredited leadership development program that creates conscious leaders who are shaping the future of their industries and companies. Through the simple means of disrupting comfort zones, TIE exposes people to global challenges, and creates the space for them to find their distinctive power to make meaningful change. Philippa believes that to profoundly change the world, we need people to connect with their potential. In her mind, where we were is very different to where we are going. By helping people discover more about themselves and what their distinctive power is, her ultimate aim is to help create better people, with better companies, in a better world.
Listen on to learn more about how Working with NGOs helps in bringing the change. 
 

05. The dangers of greenwashing

In the latest episode of the Net Zero Hero podcast, I am joined by Helene Melby Brodersen - Head of ESG Strategy at EcoOnline, Nicky Hodgkiss-Cook - Marketing Manager at Modern Milkman, Rachel Watkyn – Founder of Tiny Box, and Georgie Cameroon - Founder and MD of Admiral Consultancy.
The corporate landscape is littered with examples of companies who have fallen foul of making false claims about their products and services. Probably most famous was VW with its emissions claims. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Recently companies such as Innocent Drinks, IKEA, Quorn Foods, Starbucks and McDonalds have fallen into the greenwashing trap. Some greenwashing can lead to direct financial loss such as the VW example, others will damage a brand’s reputation which especially in this environmentally conscious era, can have equally damning effects.
Listen on to learn more about greenwashing and how to avoid making false or unsubstantiated claims.

04. COP27: What do we need or expect from COP27?

The world remains far off track to limit climate change to the agreed levels. COP27 is a rare opportunity for parties and observers to come together and grapple with a challenge that is impacting all of humanity. While the COP takes place in the context of a global ‘polycrisis,’ climate action and cooperation can provide effective ways forward on food, energy, nature, and security. It is a vital nexus of international dialogue and cooperation on these issues.
In the latest episode of Net Zero Heroes, I am joined by Rosie French - Sustainable Investment Manager at Gresham House, Lucy Symons-Jones - Director of net zero at Lexica, Dr Aidan Bell - Founder of EnviroBuild and Mike Hemsley - Deputy Director at the Energy Transitions Commission. Join me to learn what they think we need and should expect from COP27?

03. The role of social value in the sustainable future

As we continue along our path to net zero the focus is primarily on carbon emissions, but in the drive to reduce these emissions are we forgetting the social values that form a core part of ESG and the UN SDGs? Carbon and climate change are dominating the conversation and have somehow hijacked the sustainability agenda – we need to remember the triple bottom line principles (environment, economy, and society) and ensure we are balanced in our approach. Doing good business is about far more than just making money? So how should organizations manage the triple challenges of profitability, sustainability, and social values?
In this episode I am joined by Guy Battle, CEO at Social Value Portal, Peter Schofield, head of integrated commissioning and procurement at Manchester City Council, and Steve Malkin, founder and CEO at Planet Mark to discuss the importance of embedding social values in an organization’s DNA.

02. The evolving role of CEO

CEOs have a major question to address: how can you put your company back on track to growth, and at the same time create long-term, sustainable value for a broader set of stakeholders? To tackle that question, you must first acknowledge that your new growth strategy cannot be built on the same assumptions and principles that drove results in the pre-pandemic era. Success will no longer be measured with profit and operational metrics alone. 
 
To rebound to sustainable growth, you need to reframe your strategic agenda not as a return to business as it once was, but as a new platform from which to create and protect value.
 
In this episode I am joined by Dr Andrew White, director of advanced management at Oxford University's Said Bus School, Nicolas Lefevre-Marton, MD and head of sustainability at ENGIE Impact and Paul Stobart, CEO at Zen Internet to discuss what is required from the modern CEO to drive a sustainability agenda while maintaining profitability.

01. Should absolute zero be the mantra?

Net zero is not a popular term with many environmentalists, often dubbed a dangerous distraction and a fantasy. Net zero is a scenario in which human-generated greenhouse gas emissions are reduced as much as possible, with those that remain being balanced out by the removal of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. A British group of researchers under the name UK Fires, has proposed a different approach and says forget the net, go for absolute zero. So are they correct? Is net zero really a distraction to our ultimate zero carbon future?
In this first episode, we have invited Bob Gordon from the Zero Carbon Forum, Richard Busellato, and David Ko, authors of The Unsustainable Truth to discuss if absolute zero should be the mantra.