Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Chris Kruger , founder of AYK Energy , a leader in marine battery innovation. Together, we delved into the exciting yet challenging world of maritime electrification and the technologies driving its growth. Chris shared insights into the evolution of marine batteries, from their humble beginnings powering communications systems to today's sophisticated propulsion applications. We discussed why...
Dec 04, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 198
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast , I’m joined by John Lang , Project Lead at the Net Zero Tracker and a leading figure in the fight for transparency and accountability in climate action. Together, we explore the complexities behind net zero commitments and unpack what’s needed to transform promises into meaningful results. John explains the work of the Net Zero Tracker, which monitors over 4,000 entities worldwide—including countries, companies, cities, and regi...
Nov 27, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast , I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Ana Nacvalovaite , a research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Kellogg College Centre for Mutual and Co-Owned Business. Ana brought a wealth of insight into a fascinating and complex topic: the role of sovereign wealth funds in advancing sustainability, tackling climate change, and driving equitable global development. We started with the basics—what sovereign wealth funds are and why ...
Nov 20, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I chat with David Nicholson , Mercy Corps ' Chief Climate Officer, about their impactful work at the intersection of climate resilience, energy access, and humanitarian action. Mercy Corps operates across 42 countries, tackling critical issues around food and water security, governance, and economic opportunity—all with a climate focus. David explains why energy access, often overlooked in climate adaptation, is vital for vulner...
Nov 13, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Send me a message In this episode of *Climate Confident*, I’m joined by Viktor Meier , CEO and co-founder of Glice , a company that's transforming ice sports by creating eco-friendly, zero-energy synthetic ice rinks. We dive into the story behind Glice, exploring how Viktor's early commitment to environmental issues led him on a journey to revolutionise ice skating without the environmental cost of traditional ice rinks. Viktor shares how Glice was born out of a desire to maintain the joy and ac...
Nov 06, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Send me a message Here’s a deep dive into sustainable IT with Ralph Loura , co-founder and Chairman of SustainableIT.org . In this episode, Ralph shares his journey from CIO to sustainability advocate and outlines why the tech industry must take accountability for its environmental impact. We cover the unique role of technology leaders in driving sustainability, tackling issues like e-waste, energy overuse, and the soaring environmental cost of AI. Ralph introduces SustainableIT.org’s mission, w...
Oct 30, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Send me a message In this week's episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Lew Blaustein , founder and CEO of EcoAthletes , an organisation dedicated to inspiring athletes to lead the charge on climate action. We delve into Lew’s fascinating career pivot, from sports marketing to environmental advocacy, sparked by the events of 9/11 and a pivotal Tom Friedman article on energy dependence and global conflict. Lew shares the unique influence athletes hold in shaping public opinion an...
Oct 23, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Send me a message In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Professor Valerie Thomas from Georgia Tech to dig deep into some of the pressing topics in the climate space today – from carbon capture and biofuels to the growing potential of using timber in construction. We kicked off with carbon capture, a technology often seen as a critical tool in reducing atmospheric CO2. Valerie broke it down for us, explaining the science behind capturing CO2 from the air and the enormous challe...
Oct 16, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had a great chat with Dr Denis Phares , founder and CEO of Dragonfly Energy . Denis shared the fascinating journey of how Dragonfly Energy came to be, stemming from his background in academia, and a desire to make a tangible impact on climate change through entrepreneurship. We delved into their innovative dry electrode manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries. This method eliminates the need for toxic solvents, signifi...
Oct 09, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 190
Send me a message Welcome to a special edition of the Climate Confident Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Jim Sullivan , Global Head of Product Management for Sustainability at SAP . With three decades of experience in sustainability and climate change—including roles at the EPA and in startups—Jim offers deep insights into the evolving corporate approach to climate action. We delve into the key takeaways from this year's Climate Week in New York. Jim highlights how the event has grown b...
Oct 02, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 189
Send me a message Hi everyone, Tom Raftery here, and welcome to episode 188 of the Climate Confident podcast. In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Michael Barnard , a climate futurist who's spent the last 15 years delving deep into the challenges and solutions around climate change. Michael and I discussed the often controversial topic of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS). We explored why mechanical carbon capture technologies, particularly those promoted by the f...
Sep 25, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 188
Send me a message On this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Carina Gormley from the Centre for Public Impact . We delved into the challenges local governments face when implementing climate action plans, particularly the "intention gap" where well-crafted plans struggle to translate into tangible actions due to systemic barriers. Carina shed light on the complexities within government structures, highlighting how departmental silos can hinder collabora...
Sep 18, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 187
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Dev Dalal and Xavi Laguarta , co-founders of Mitti Labs , for an insightful chat about the critical role of sustainable agriculture in combating climate change. Dev and Xavi explain how traditional rice farming, particularly in India and Southeast Asia, is a significant source of methane emissions – a potent greenhouse gas. We dive into how Mitti Labs is addressing this through innovative solutions like alternate w...
Sep 11, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Jay Hakes , a renowned expert in U.S. energy and environmental policy. We delved into the critical role the upcoming U.S. presidential election will play in shaping global climate action, particularly as we approach the 2030 climate targets. Dr. Hakes provided an insightful analysis of how the U.S. political system, with its built-in complexities, often hinders swift climate action. He sha...
Sep 04, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Shravan Kumar , Director of Client Success at Gramener , about the transformative role AI and geospatial data can play in tackling climate challenges. Shravan shared insights into how AI is being utilised to address urban heat islands, predict and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters like floods, and support cities in becoming more climate-resilient. We delved into real-world examples whe...
Aug 28, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 184
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Gagan Dhillon , the CEO and co-founder of Synop . Gagan and his team are helping commercial fleets transition to electric vehicles, focusing particularly on school buses and drayage trucks. We delved into the challenges fleet managers face when shifting from diesel to electric, and how Synop’s platform optimises vehicle charging to reduce costs and increase uptime. One of the standout discussi...
Aug 21, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Elizabeth Thompson, the director of Visions 2030 . Elizabeth dives into the importance of artistic imagination in addressing climate change and how her organisation is leveraging creativity to foster optimism and action. We explore the Lumisphere experience, a unique project designed to counteract climate anxiety by engaging people in visualising positive futures through immersive art and tech...
Aug 14, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Send me a message It is that time of year again - summertime! I'm taking a couple of weeks off to get some much needed R&R. This podcast will be back again on August 14th, and I have some excellent episodes lined up for the 14th, and the subsequent weeks, so don't go away! In the meantime, it is time for me to go work on my tan (not really - blue eyed redheads like me don't tan!), see you back here on the 14th! Support the show Podcast supporters I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's am...
Jul 31, 2024•3 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Send me a message Welcome to another episode of the Climate Confident podcast! I'm Tom Raftery, and today I had the pleasure of chatting with Larry Selzer , President and CEO of The Conservation Fund . Larry shares his fascinating journey from marine biologist to conservation leader, explaining how he's found at the intersection of economic development and environmental preservation. In this episode, Larry discusses the innovative strategies The Conservation Fund employs to conserve land while s...
Jul 24, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Send me a message Hi everyone, Tom Raftery here with another episode of the Climate Confident Podcast. This time, I'm joined by Lina Fedirko , Associate Director on the Road Transportation team at ClimateWorks Foundation . Lina dives deep into the complexities of decarbonising road transportation and highlights innovative urban mobility solutions, like congestion pricing and low emission zones, that cities are adopting globally. We also explore the critical role of responsible mineral supply cha...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I chat with Daniel Jaconetti , the National Sustainable Design Leader at HED . Daniel delves into his journey from New York to becoming the corporate sustainable design leader at HED. We discuss the importance and practices of integrated design, the future of sustainable architecture, and the role of innovative materials and technologies. Daniel also shares valuable resources and insights on achieving high-performing, net-zero b...
Jul 10, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 178
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I engage in a fascinating discussion with Yonatan Neril , founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD). Despite being an atheist myself, I recognise the potential of religion in shaping opinions and driving action. This prompted me to explore Yonatan's work in mobilising faith communities for ecological sustainability. Yonatan shares his journey from California to Israel, highlighting the deep...
Jul 03, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I’m joined by Brian Sheng , CEO and co-founder of Aquaria , to explore a potential solution to water scarcity. Brian shares how Aquaria is tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time by harvesting water from the air. We delve into the technology behind atmospheric water generators, which create clean water through condensation, akin to the droplets on a cold beer glass on a hot day. We discuss the practical applicat...
Jun 26, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Send me a message In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I chat with Kathleen Biggins , founder of C-Change Conversations . Kathleen's organisation is unique in its nonpartisan approach, travelling across the U.S. to educate diverse groups about the tangible impacts of climate change. We delve into how C-Change effectively communicates the science and risks associated with climate change to conservative and moderate audiences, emphasising the importance of addressing the issue beyond ...
Jun 19, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Send me a message Welcome to another episode of the Climate Confident Podcast! I'm Tom Raftery, and today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tucker Perkins , the CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) . In our conversation, Tucker delved into the role of propane and renewable propane in the journey towards a cleaner climate. We explored the extensive safety and training measures PERC implements to ensure safe propane usage across various sectors. Tucker highlighted the innova...
Jun 12, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Send me a message In this special episode of the Climate Confident Podcast sponsored by Siemens, I sit down with Constantin Ginet , Global Head of Energy Performance Services at Siemens , to explore the intricacies of industrial decarbonisation. We discuss the significant challenges industries face, from the urgency of reducing emissions to the complexities of scope one, two, and three emissions. Constantin shares Siemens’ innovative approach, emphasising the role of digitalisation and the use o...
Jun 05, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Send me a message Welcome to this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast. I'm Tom Raftery, and today I'm joined by Osprey Orielle Lake , founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). Osprey shares her journey from early environmental activism in California's Redwood forests to leading WECAN, highlighting the crucial role of women in climate solutions. We delve into the significant impact of women's political empowerment on reducing carbon emissions and...
May 29, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Send me a message Welcome to another episode of the Climate Confident podcast. I’m Tom Raftery, and today, I'm delighted to be joined by Robin Saluoks , CEO and founder of eAgronom . Robin shares his insights on the crucial role of regenerative agriculture and how it can revolutionise farming. We delve into Robin’s unique background, growing up in Estonia on a family farm, and how this experience, combined with his expertise in computer science, led to the creation of eAgronom. We discuss the si...
May 22, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Send me a message Hi everyone, Tom Raftery here, and welcome back to another episode of the Climate Confident podcast. This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dana R. Fisher , director of the Centre for Environment, Community, and Equity at American University and author of the new book, Saving Ourselves - From Climate Shocks to Climate Action . Dana brings 25 years of research on climate policymaking and activism to our conversation, providing valuable insights into the current state of ...
May 15, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Send me a message In this thought-provoking episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I'm joined by Ditte Lysgaard Vind , Chair of the Danish Design Council and author of the book Danish Design Heritage and Global Sustainability . Ditte sheds light on how Danish design heritage influences global sustainability and the crucial role of living within planetary boundaries. Ditte emphasises the importance of "planetary boundaries" which include crucial limits like climate change and biodiversity. She...
May 08, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 169
