In this special one-off episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, Head of Communications and podcast host Isabelle Sparrow chats to Carbon Copy co-founder and Trustee, Ric Casale about the charity’s exciting new concept: Changeprint. Every action leaves a Changeprint. A Changeprint is the collective impact created when people join with others to make something happen. It’s visible proof that collaboration works and that local climate action improves daily life. A Changeprint isn’t the project itself. ...
Jan 15, 2026•26 min
In this, the final episode of the series, hosts Isabelle and Bradley are joined by author and activist Mya-Rose Craig (AKA Birdgirl) and Emma River-Roberts to discuss how to make climate and nature action truly inclusive, and why it matters. We learn about Mya-Rose's organisation Black2Nature and the work she is doing to introduce her love of the outdoors to young people of colour; and we discover how personal experience led to Emma creating the Working Class Climate Alliance, to help more peopl...
Dec 18, 2025•31 min•Season 5Ep. 25
We might be a quarter of the way through the 21st century, but our energy system in still stuck in the past, with distribution of power still reliant on the National Grid and few options for people to take control of their energy needs on a local level. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we speak to three guests who are looking to disrupt the status quo and empower people to collectively generate and use electricity within communities. We speak to artist and filmmaker Hilary Powell abou...
Dec 04, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 24
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we head to Wales, to explore two fantastic examples of community hubs. Hwb y Gors is a newly opened arts and sustainability education centre in Cwmgors, Neath Port Talbot, which has been developed in an old Victiorian school building and is supporting the local community through a huge range of creative activities and wellbeing initiatives; and Tŷ Pawb is an impressive gallery, retail and event space in Wrexham, opened in 2018 and created in what was fo...
Nov 20, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 23
The UK has some of the lowest quality and least energy efficient housing stock in Europe, and the majority of our buildings are still heated by gas fired boilers. This is despite huge hikes in fuel prices in recent years, and the introduction of subsidies for greener alternatives. For many people, low-carbon heating is inaccessible due to high upfront costs or unsuitable due to poor insulation. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore two initiatives that are helping communities to ...
Nov 06, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 22
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is joined by Vera Zakharov, Local Action Coordinator at Sustain, to speak about food partnerships and how the Sustainable Food Places programme is supporting the creation of a better, more connected food system across the UK. We meet guests from two very different food partnerships – Martin Carle from Granite City Good Food, in Aberdeen; and Augusta Lewis from Bwyd Sir Gâr Food, the sustainable food partnership for Carmarthenshire...
Oct 23, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 21
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore the origins and the impacts of The Carbon Literacy Project. We speak to co-founder Phil Korbel, about how and why the initiative started, and about its exponential growth over the last thirteen years. We meet Linda Foley, an experienced educator and Manchester City Councillor, who discovered Carbon Literacy in her efforts to engage more of the school community with sustainability, and who says the project is the “silver bullet” she was lookin...
Oct 09, 2025•39 min•Season 5Ep. 20
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is joined by Isabel Mack, founder of the Party Kit Network CIC, to discuss the world of possibilities offered through borrowing. Whilst most people are familiar with book libraries, there are now hundreds of initiatives across the UK (and beyond) that allow the borrowing of other items –from household appliances to sports equipment and everything in-between. Listen now to hear: About why Isabel Mack started the Party Kit Network C...
Sep 25, 2025•34 min•Season 5Ep. 19
In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast, join host Isabelle Sparrow with guest co-host, Kiloran O’Leary from Sustain to learn how producing and eating local food can help people connect with each other and bring positive change to their communities. Listen now to learn: How Sustain is supporting food-related businesses to help more people on lower incomes to access local, healthy and sustainable produce. How the people of Carrickfergus in County Antrim came together t...
Sep 11, 2025•42 min•Season 5Ep. 18
In this episode of Do Something Bigger, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, hosts Isabelle Sparrow and Bradley Ingham meet three guests who are trying to improve the perception and the reality of using public transport in the UK. We hear from Michael Solomon Williams, Head of Campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport and learn why it is still relevant in 2025, more than fifty years after the campaign was launched. We speak to Neil Barnfather, Chief Commercial Officer at GoodMaps, about how the ap...
Aug 28, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Following the UK’s driest spring on record, and England’s hottest June, this episode explores the causes of heatwaves, and what we can do to reduce the health and wellbeing impacts of extreme temperatures. We learn about the urban heat island affect with Professor Stefán Smith, Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Reading, and we look at the importance of water efficiency and soil health with Dr Laurence Couldrick, CEO at the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Listen now to discover: Why towns an...
Aug 15, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 16
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we explore how sharing ownership between many people enables communities to protect valuable buildings, businesses and green spaces for the good of all. Join hosts Isabelle Sparrow and Bradley Ingham as they discuss the challenges and the benefits of raising money through a community share offer; and how three initiatives: Jubilee Farm in Northern Ireland, SOS Frome in Somerset and Fordhall Farm in Shropshire did just that. Listen now to hear: How comm...
Aug 01, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 15
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow and producer Brad Ingham are joined by expert guests, Lottie Trewick, Research Analyst at nature restoration company Nattergal, and Steve Micklewright, CEO of Scottish charity Trees for Life to discuss the importance of boosting biodiversity through UK rewilding initiatives. Listen now to hear: How re-introducing key species like beavers, otters, lynx and wild cattle can have a huge impact on whole ecosystems. About the enormous f...
Jul 18, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Plastic, specifically single-use plastic, is ubiquitous in all of our lives. Food, beauty products, household items – nearly all come with in plastic bag, container or even both. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is joined by Daniel Webb, founded and CEO of Everyday Plastic, to discuss how we can collectively reduce the 1.7 billion pieces of plastic thrown away in the UK every week. We learn about plastic-busting campaigns led by City to Sea (the organisation behi...
Jul 04, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 13
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore campaigns where local action is integral to national progress. We hear about We’re Right Here, the campaign for the Community Power Act. We chat to two of the campaign’s local leaders, Claude Hendrickson MBE, a diversity and inclusion expert and community housing advocate based in Leeds; and Charlotte Hollins, tenant farmer at Fordhall Farm, the UK’s first community-owned farm. We also learn about Zero Hour, the campaign for the Climate and N...
Jun 20, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 12
When we think of protecting nature, we almost always think of forests, meadows, rivers and lakes – and the animals that reside in them. But nature extends way beyond the tide line. Beneath the waves there are habitats and species that not only enrich our lives, but are fundamental to them. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we connect the dots between the land and sea, and explore how work to restore marine ecosystems has benefits for both people and planet. Listen to hear: How marine sp...
Jun 06, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 11
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore how switching the car for walking or cycling is a positive change that’s about so much more than climate. Join our host Isabelle Sparrow and guest co-host Izzy Romilly, Sustainable Transport Research & Campaign Manager at Possible, to learn how driving less and choosing an active lifestyle has health, air quality and economic benefits too! Hear from cycling advocates Mariam Draaijer of JoyRiders, and Katie Collier and Rosie Venner of Bike...
May 23, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 10
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is rejoined by Kathryn Machin, Head of Community Engagement Campaigns at WWF UK, to explore their work and those of organisations around the UK, to help more people to spend more time in nature. We learn how Tayshan-Hayden Smith and members of his community in North Kensington have transformed previously derelict spaces into thriving gardens, and places to reflect and find solace following the Grenfell Tower tragedy; and we learn ...
May 09, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 9
If food waste were a country, it would be the second biggest global emitter of carbon emissions after the US and China. It’s a big environmental, economic and social problem. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we chat to four different guests, each with a different perspective on how to prevent good food ending up in the bin. We hear from Fiona Bell whose initiative CropDrop helps to connect alloment growers to local food projects, we meet Kate Page from Fooditude, a London-based corpora...
Apr 25, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 8
The energy transition is not just about reducing carbon emissions. Local community-generated power can bring huge benefits to communities – economic, social and environmental. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we chat to John Taylor from Community Energy England and Beth McAllister from Oxfordshire’s Low Carbon Hub, about the positive impact that generating energy locally can have. Listen, to hear Carbon Copy’s Isabelle Sparrow and renewable energy advocate Sonya Bedford MBE examining t...
Apr 11, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Whilst planting trees might seem like an obvious action to tackle the climate and nature crises, there’s more to reforestation than meets the eye. In this episode of Do Something Bigger, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we meet Carl Rowlinson founder of woodland creation initiative Plant One Cornwall, who shares his story of turning a feeling of helplessness about the world into a positive and impactful county-wide project. We also hear from the aptly named Dave Wood, CEO of Bristol-Avon based Avon...
Mar 28, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow and producer Bradley Ingham chat to reuse and repair experts Dr Adam Read MBE and Clare Seek. They discuss the plethora of co-benefits brought by a circular economy, and outline their visions for a future in which repair and reuse is normalised and celebrated. We learn about The Renew Hub, the incredible large-scale reuse operation run by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK in Greater Manchester, which is savin...
Mar 14, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we’re exploring how farming and food production, done in the right way, can bring huge benefits for nature and climate. Join host Isabelle Sparrow and special guest co-host Kathryn Machin, Head of Community Engagement Campaigns at WWF UK to explore why involving farmers and food producers in conversations about nature and climate is so important. We speak to Martin Lines – an arable farmer from Cambridgeshire who is also CEO of...
Feb 28, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we are seeking solutions to one of the UK’s most common and most destructive natural disasters: floods. We discover just how high the risk of flooding is, how much worse it is predicted to get – and why this is linked to climate change. We explore ways to prepare for flooding, in homes and in wider communities – and we look at natural flood defences and sustainable urban drainage solutions (SuDS) that can reduce the likelihood ...
Feb 14, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 3
In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore the waterlogged world of peatlands. We learn about the huge value that peat can bring, in terms of storing carbon, reducing flood risk, purifying water and providing habitat for rare species like adder, curlew and insectivorous plants. Listen, to hear how both Ulster Wildlife and Lancashire Peat Partnership are working to restore peatlands, and discover how you can take action to protect these incredible landscapes. L...
Jan 31, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Britain has some of the least energy efficient housing stock in Europe, with 27 million homes in need of improvement. People across the country are struggling with bills and suffering in cold, draughty houses. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we meet Andrea Howe from Cosy Homes in Lancashire, and Til Wallis, from Canopy Housing, to explore action that people can take to insulate their homes and other inefficient buildings, to save money, improve health and reduce carbon emissions. List...
Jan 17, 2025•23 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Join podcast host Isabelle Sparrow and producer Bradley Ingham for this, the first episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast series, Do Something Bigger, as we introduce our year-long campaign: 25 Big Local Actions in 2025. We look at why this year is so important for climate action – both globally, and locally. We examine the potential for local action to make a huge difference, and how positive changes that appear unrelated to climate change or nature restoration can have benefits for the environment...
Jan 01, 2025•10 min
In this special bonus episode of All Nature, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we meet Gnisha Bevan. Gnisha and co-founder Roger Griffith, MBE started the Black Seeds Network around five years ago to provide a platform for environmentalists of colour to socialise, gain support, seek opportunities, develop innovation, knowledge and expertise on environmental issues. Now, the network has joined with partners including Friends of the Earth to create a year-long programme of events and activities called...
Nov 08, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast’s All Nature series, we discover the ambitious work of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which hopes to make the region the UK Pollinator Capital by 2030. We hear from Sophie Spencer, Senior Environment Manager at WECA about why nature recovery and, in particular, pollinators, are such an important focus for the organisation. We learn about the Bee Bold Awards, a unique annual celebration of local groups and businesses that are doing someth...
Nov 08, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode of All Nature, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we hear from two community organisations selected as part of the Nature Neighbourhoods programme. In Edinburgh, we meet the founders and participants in Granton Community Gardeners, a charity helping to improve access to fresh food and green space, which attracts people from a huge range of backgrounds, ages and nationalities. In Leeds we discover the Lincoln Greeners group, a weekly gardening group run by community arts organisation M...
Oct 18, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 3
