Send me a message Most climate policies focus on cutting emissions. But what if the real issue is what’s being left off the table, fossil fuel production itself? In this week’s episode of Climate Confident , I speak with Tzeporah Berman , Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative , about why global climate goals are doomed if we keep expanding fossil fuel supply while trying to cut demand. Tzeporah explains how the Paris Agreement never once mentions the words “oil,” “gas,” or...
Jul 09, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 228
Send me a message Most people don’t think about carbon emissions when they think about the internet—let alone digital advertising. But here’s the kicker: the ad tech ecosystem is responsible for roughly the same emissions as the global aviation sector. Yes, really. In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Frank Maguire , SVP of Product Marketing & Sustainability at Equativ (formerly Sharethrough), about the often-overlooked climate impact of digital ads. We broke down h...
Jul 02, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 227
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sat down with Stuart Thompson , President of ABB Electrification Service , to unpack one of the most overlooked but critical fronts in the climate transition: industrial decarbonisation. Industry accounts for around a quarter of global energy-related carbon emissions, and much of that stems from outdated infrastructure, unreliable grids, and a historic reliance on cheap fossil fuels. Stuart leads a $1.4 billion division with 5...
Jun 25, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 226
Send me a message Hi folks, Tom Raftery here. Just dropping into your feed to let you know there’s no new Climate Confident episode this week - I’m taking a short break to recharge and get ready for some brilliant conversations I’ve got lined up in the coming weeks. But don’t worry, the podcast will be back next Wednesday at 7am CEST, as always, with another inspiring story of climate action and innovation. In the meantime, if you’re missing your climate fix, remember there’s a massive back cata...
Jun 18, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 225
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sit down with Ciaran Flanagan , who leads Siemens’ Global Data Centre business , to unpack the evolving role of data centres in our energy and climate systems. We dig into the data centre’s journey from a “sausage machine” of power-hungry servers to a potential hero in grid stability and renewable energy adoption. Ciaran shares how data centres in Ireland, despite consuming up to 20% of national electricity, are driving econom...
Jun 11, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 224
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sit down with Sangeeta Waldron , a communications professional and author of What Will Your Legacy Be? , to explore how our personal choices and narratives shape the climate fight. We cover a lot of ground. Sangeeta shares how her time in the Himalayas revealed the harsh realities of climate change and sparked her lifelong commitment. We also dig into how indigenous knowledge can fill crucial gaps in scientific data, and how p...
Jun 04, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 223
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Angel Hsu , associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill and founder of the Data-Driven EnviroLab . We dive deep into how AI can be used to combat climate misinformation and bring real accountability to climate pledges. Angel and her team have built two domain-specific AI tools, ChatNetZero and ChatNDC, designed to help policymakers, researchers, and business leaders navigate the chaos of climate targets, national climat...
May 28, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 222
Send me a message In this week's episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Bryan Parkes , Head of Innovation Acceleration at Zespri , the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit. Bryan shares how Zespri is taking a bold, practical approach to climate resilience through its Zespri ZAG Innovation Fund - an annual US$2 million commitment to agricultural innovation funding. We dig into why Zespri is using a venture clienting model—not venture capital—to attract global solutions for the k...
May 21, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 221
Send me a message How do we scale nature-based carbon removal without greenwashing or over-promising? That’s exactly what I explore in this episode with Lisett Luik , co-founder of Arbonics . We all know forests are powerful carbon sinks. But turning that into credible, measurable climate action is harder than it sounds. Lisett shares how Arbonics is using satellite data, digital twins, and over 50 layers of land analysis to help landowners across Europe grow new forests or manage existing ones ...
May 14, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 220
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Laura Miranda Perez , Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer at Oxford PV , about one of the most important developments in solar tech today: perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. We unpacked how Oxford PV’s approach improves solar panel efficiency from the typical 20–22% to over 30%, and why that matters not just for land use, but also for grid capacity, system costs, and the speed of global decarbonisa...
May 07, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 219
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I speak with Alexei Beltyukov , co-founder of Universal Fuel Technologies , about a new approach to producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), using a process they call flexiforming . Unlike traditional methods like HEFA or Fischer–Tropsch, flexiforming allows producers to use a much wider range of feedstocks, from mixed alcohols to naphtas and renewable waste streams, and turn them into jet fuel, renewable diesel, or chemicals....
Apr 30, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I speak with Alice Chun , inventor of the world’s first inflatable, origami-inspired solar light and founder of Solight Design . Alice shares how a career in material technology and a deeply personal experience with her son’s asthma led her to tackle energy poverty, disaster relief, and carbon emissions with a single, deceptively simple product: the SolarPuff™. We discuss the staggering health and environmental toll of kerosene lighting, e...
Apr 23, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 217
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Ryan Schermerhorn, a US-based patent attorney who’s been helping clean tech innovators navigate the IP maze - until recently with the help of a now-suspended fast-track programme. We discussed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which allowed inventors of emissions-reducing technologies to get patents approved in months rather than years, at no cost. Ryan ...
Apr 16, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 216
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sat down with John Sturman , Managing Director at NatPower UK , to dig deep into the realities of grid decarbonisation and energy transition at nation scale. John pulled back the curtain on how NatPower is scaling up battery storage and renewable projects not just in the UK, but across the globe. From developing Europe’s largest battery storage pipeline to pioneering power solutions for maritime decarbonisation, this conversat...
Apr 09, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 215
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sat down with Faustine Delasalle , CEO of the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP), to delve into the real challenges, and opportunities, of decarbonising heavy industry and transport. Faustine and I explored the current state of industrial decarbonisation, including the progress made over the last five to six years in proving that sectors like steel, cement, and shipping can transition to low-carbon alternatives. But as she poi...
Apr 02, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 214
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sandhya Sabapathy , Global Head of Environment and Net Zero at Entain , about the evolving role of sustainability in business – and what it truly takes to make climate action effective, strategic, and inclusive. We discussed how sustainability has moved from the sidelines to the boardroom, driven not only by regulation but by clear commercial logic. Sandhya pointed to examples like IKEA – redu...
Mar 26, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 213
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Chris Doherty , CEO of Joulen , to discuss how data, AI, and battery storage are changing the way homes and businesses interact with renewable energy. With energy costs fluctuating and grid constraints becoming more of a challenge, the role of smart energy management has never been more important. Chris explains how virtual power plants (VPPs) allow households and small businesses to collectively act as a large-scale power ...
Mar 19, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 212
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Jenny Morgan , author of Cancel Culture in Climate , to explore how public shaming and polarisation are holding back real progress on climate solutions. We already have the tools and technologies needed to reduce emissions, yet fear of criticism—whether from activists, media, or the public—often paralyses businesses and leaders. Jenny explains how cancel culture leads to three major pitfalls: Greenwashing – Overstating sust...
Mar 12, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 211
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Puja Balachander , CEO and co-founder of UpGreen , to explore how commercial landlords and asset managers can accelerate energy efficiency retrofits while keeping costs down. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions , yet many remain inefficient due to financial and logistical barriers. UpGreen tackles this by reducing upfront retrofit costs and enabling landlords to recapture savings from tenants, turnin...
Mar 05, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 210
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Dr. Jemma Green , Co-Founder and Chairman of PowerLedger , to explore how blockchain technology is reshaping the energy sector. We discuss the shift towards peer-to-peer energy trading , how utilities can adapt to a decentralised grid, and what role blockchain-backed renewable energy certificates can play in ensuring transparency and accountability. Dr. Green explains why traditional feed-in tariff models are becoming unsus...
Feb 26, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Annalisa Bracco , a physical oceanographer and climate scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, to explore how our oceans are changing—and why it matters. The ocean is a critical carbon sink, absorbing vast amounts of CO₂, but it’s also warming at an alarming rate, driving more extreme weather events and disrupting marine ecosystems. Annalisa explains how rising sea temperatures are fuelling stronger hurricanes, sh...
Feb 19, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 208
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Jarand Rystad , CEO of Rystad Energy , to take a hard look at where we are in the global energy transition and whether we’re moving fast enough to meet climate targets. We discuss: How disruptive technologies are reshaping the energy landscape – and why the transition would happen even without climate concerns. Why solar, wind, and battery technologies are now economically outcompeting fossil fuels. The China paradox – lead...
Feb 12, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Send me a message Factory farming isn’t just an animal welfare issue—it’s a major driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health risks. In this episode of Climate Confident , I speak with Thom Norman , co-founder of FarmKind , to break down the true environmental costs of industrial animal agriculture and explore solutions. We discuss: ✅ How factory farming contributes up to 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through methane, deforestation, and fertiliser use. ✅ Th...
Feb 05, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Ollie Burch , a communications strategist and co-founder of Among Equals , to dive into the thorny but crucial issue of climate communications. How can we engage more people in the fight against climate change, and why are so many efforts to do so falling flat? Ollie, with his background in behavioural science and sustainability communications, offers fresh insights into what’s gone wrong—and, more importantly, how...
Jan 29, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast , I’m joined by Angelo Campus , the CEO and co-founder of BoxPower , to explore the transformative potential of microgrids in building resilient and sustainable energy systems. Angelo shares his journey from growing up at the edge of the grid in rural Northern California to founding a company that develops microgrids powered by solar, batteries, and backup generators. These systems are delivering power to underserved communities,...
Jan 22, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 204
Send me a message In this week's episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Anders Lindberg , President of Wärtsilä Energy, to unpack the complexities of the global energy transition. Wärtsilä has a wealth of insight into how we can move towards a 100% renewable energy future—without breaking the bank. Anders and I dive into the often-overlooked need for flexibility in energy systems. While solar and wind energy have become cheaper and more widespread, integrating them effectively i...
Jan 15, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 203
Send me a message In this episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Charlie Angelakos , Global VP of External Affairs and Sustainability at McCain Foods , to delve into the company’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% regenerative agriculture by 2030. With a direct relationship with 3,500 farmers globally and a commitment to farming in harmony with nature, McCain is tackling the twin challenges of climate resilience and sustainable food production. Charlie provides a detailed breakdown of reg...
Jan 08, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 202
Send me a message This year-end episode of Climate Confident takes a deep dive into the most impactful insights from 2024. With 47 episodes of inspiring conversations, we explore the technological breakthroughs, systemic strategies, and collaborative efforts shaping climate action. Highlights include Dragonfly Energy’s game-changing battery tech, Neara’s grid optimisation solutions, and regenerative agriculture practices from eAgrinom. We also discuss collaborative initiatives like the Dairy Met...
Dec 25, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 201
Send me a message In this special episode of Climate Confident , I sit down with Stephan Müller from SAP to explore a major development in sustainability and finance – the newly launched SAP Green Ledger . Stephan, a finance expert at SAP, explains how this tool applies the same rigorous accounting principles used in finance to carbon emissions, offering companies a new level of transparency and trust in their sustainability reporting. We discuss why CFOs are increasingly being seen as "Chief Va...
Dec 18, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 200
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast , I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Anderson , Senior Director at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Katie leads efforts to drive climate action in the food and agriculture supply chain, making her an incredible resource on a topic we need to tackle urgently: methane emissions in agriculture. Methane, a potent but short-lived greenhouse gas, is responsible for a significant portion of agricultural emissions. Katie expl...
Dec 11, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 199
