Can carbon capture save the planet - and make money? The government has announced millions of pounds of funding to support the UK's emerging carbon capture industry. How will it change our futures? Evan Davis speaks to the head of The East Coast Cluster, a project awarded some of this financial support, alongside other industry leaders, to understand whether this revolutionary technology could solve our climate change problems, or whether it is another way to evade our environmental obligations....
Oct 21, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2020, the pandemic hit, and the world locked down. Suddenly white-collar staff went from working in the office, to working remotely. But now we are opening up, will people want to return? Hybrid working has become the buzzword of employers across the country, allowing individuals to have more flexibility over where they work. So how likely is this to function effectively? How do businesses manage staff and productivity? And will there ever be anyone in the office on Fridays....? Join Evan Dav...
Oct 14, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Labour shortages, particularly in the hospitality and HGV sector have dominated the headlines from petrol shortages, to worries about Christmas dinner being off the menu. And its not just the logistics sector at risk - hospitality, agriculture and the care sector have all reported labour problems in post-pandemic, post-Brexit Britain. So what exactly is the solution? Do we bring in more labour from abroad? Do we invest in training and developing British workers? Or are companies going to have to...
Oct 07, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The extraordinary success of the creation of vaccines for Covid-19 has made the business of clinical trials look simple. But appearances can be deceptive and it usually takes many years and costs hundreds of millions of pounds to bring a new drug, therapy or medical device successfully to market. Evan Davis and his guests discuss how the economics of commercial clinical trials now look for companies in the light of such a disruptive event as the pandemic. How far is greater collaboration - with ...
Jul 22, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Should consumers be told the carbon footprint of the products they buy? And if so, how? In recent years, a shift in customer attitudes towards climate change has caused businesses to up their game when it comes to showcasing the environmental impact of products. But just how transparent it this? How much do buyers want to know about how sustainable their shopping is? Evan Davis and guests discuss the highly complex issues around carbon labelling and how best to communicate sustainable business p...
Jul 15, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Electric vehicles are a hot topic. Nissan has announced it will construct a factory to produce EVs, while the government says no new vehicles running on petrol or diesel will be sold after 2030. The electric transport sector will play a crucial role in tackling climate change. But are we on track to hit these targets? Can EVs deliver the same reliable service as combustion engine vehicles and reduce "range anxiety"? Does the rolling out of this transition have consumers convinced? Evan Davis and...
Jul 01, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The spending power of disabled people and their families - the so-called purple pound - is valued at £249 billion a year. So is there a competitive business advantage in designing accessible goods and services? Evan Davis and guests discuss, with examples ranging from haircare products to hotel rooms. Guests Sam Latif, Company Accessibility Leader at Proctor and Gamble Robin Sheppard, Co-Founder and President of Bespoke Hotels and Gavin Neate, Chief Executive and Founder of Neatebox Producer: Le...
Jun 24, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast For nearly 20 years, the cruise industry experienced huge growth. Then a pandemic hit. After a year of forking out for boats docked in port and devastating headlines chronicling outbreaks early on in 2020, what does this mean for the future of cruises? How are they restarting, what barriers are they facing and - most importantly - how do they convince customers that they are indeed safe? Guests Dr Jennifer Holland, Lecturer in Tourism, Suffolk Business School Ben Bouldin, Vice President, EMA, Ro...
Jun 17, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast For years the suburbs have been seen as places to live, from which you can commute to a big city to work. But has the pandemic pushed the economic pendulum in the other direction? With more people working from home and cities becoming quieter, could this lead to a revival of the suburban economy? Evan Davis explores the national picture and hears from entrepreneurs in Denton, Greater Manchester, who have helped revive its struggling town centre, encouraging people to spend money locally. Guests ...
Jun 10, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How can businesses cope with supply shortages? Car factories across the world have had to shut down because they can't get hold of enough silicon chips. And as many economies bounce back post-Covid, other industries are facing similar problems. How can enterprises plan both for sudden falls and surges in demand and how quickly can supply chains cope? Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests: Dr Andy Palmer, CEO of Switch Mobility Maureen O'Shea, Leader of Supply Chain and Operations Management for ...
Jun 03, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast The pandemic has given a nudge to the decline of cash. If that is the past - what is the future for our payments system? Could it simply be cards linked to bank accounts, handled via apps? Or could we be approaching a pivotal moment when the exciting (or maybe alarming) world of crypto and digital currencies take over? Central banks around the world are pondering this very question and are poised to launch their own digital currencies. Evan Davis and guests look into the future of money. Guests:...
May 27, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast When you have billions it's impossible to spend it all on yourself and your family. So what else do you do? Join the space race like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos or start a foundation like Bill Gates and follow in the footsteps of the massively wealthy industrialists of the Gilded Age, like Andrew Carnegie or John D Rockefeller? What do they tell us about our world is changing for better or worse. GUESTS Dr. Katharina Rietzler, Lecturer, American History, University of Sussex Paul Vallely, Author, '...
Mar 25, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s all around us and has pride of place in the periodic table. Hydrogen is the number one element. For decades it’s been hailed as a potentially cleaner alternative to the fossil fuels which power heavy industry, our homes and transport systems. But hydrogen from renewable sources has never quite realised its potential. It's expensive to produce. However, as the UK now has targets to cut carbon emissions, green hydrogen may have a major part to play in the clean-up. Evan Davis and guests discu...
Mar 18, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since Brexit, many companies have had to set up a subsidiary operation in the EU to continue trading. What are the rules, regulations, pitfalls and costs? Evan Davis hears the experience of three very different businesses, in sectors ranging from tights to cheese to architecture. GUESTS Brie Read, founder and CEO SNAG Group Ross Hutchinson, founder and principal director, Hutchinson & Partners, architects Simon Spurrell, founder and CEO, Cheshire Cheese Company...
Mar 11, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The government wants to boost the UK's growing space industry through its £400 m investment in satellite communications firm OneWeb. The company is a pioneer, launching satellites in Low Earth Orbit with the aim of providing broadband to under-served areas of the globe. But there are rivals, Elon Musk's Starlink Constellation being the best known. So is the UK investment in OneWeb a moonshot moment? Evan Davis and guests boldly go into discussion over what happens when you combine cutting-edge t...
Mar 04, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The rush on shares by individual investors, into struggling US video game store chain Gamestop was portrayed as an attempt by a new breed of retail investors to thwart hedge funds which were shorting the stock. Some investors won big, others lost everything and one hedge fund, Melvin Capital, lost half of its $13bn fund. Was this really a David and Goliath fight, signalling a win for retail stock pickers, collaborating on social media platforms like Reddit? And has it changed the future of inves...
Feb 25, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are the business opportunities in turning our old housing stock green? The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – most of it built before environmentally efficient design was regulated. It’s estimated around a quarter of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from the energy we use for heating, lighting or running appliances in our homes, public buildings or workplaces – and energy used in our homes is the most significant source. How soon can heat pumps, solar ...
Feb 18, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are the long-term implications for the Covid crisis for the British economy. The government has borrowed more money over the last 12 months than ever before in peacetime. The ratio of public debt to national income is above 90%. If it rises even further do we need to worry? How will the chancellor manage the economic pain caused by coronavirus? What will it mean for tax and spending - and is there a route back to growth? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS John Kay, economist, author, con...
Feb 11, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Almost five years ago on The Bottom Line - just before the EU referendum – debated the pros and cons of being in the EU. In a tribute to Radio 4’s The Reunion, the programme has reassembled most of the original contributors to get a sense of whether hopes and fears have been delivered. From current customs glitches, aspirations to increase UK global exports, to Brussels red tape versus ease of trading in a European Single Market. What do guests think now? Joining Evan Davis will be: Jon Moynihan...
Feb 04, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast From the NHS Test and Trace Service to the lack of PPE at the start of the pandemic - both projects branded as having been incompetently delivered. But do we fail to notice the constraints their senior leadership team operate under? Evan Davis and expert guests discuss why some big public projects like the London 2012 Games went well. While others, like Crossrail, get bogged down in delays and a budget overspend. Just how is competence measured and delivered? Guests: Sir John Armitt, Chair of th...
Dec 11, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How are industries like live music, travel, conferences and events coping with the pandemic recession - and what plans do they have for survival? These business sectors have been hit disproportionately hard by the dramatic changes in our ways of life. In a programme recorded before the recent announcement of an apparently successful vaccine trial, Evan Davis discusses with business leaders from across these industries. Producer: Julie Ball GUESTS Tim Hawkins, Chief Strategy Officer, Manchester A...
Dec 11, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Commercial landlords and tenants are at odds over unpaid rents due to the pandemic. Many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are suffering acutely. Most have landlords who collect rent for their premises. In turn, many landlords have to pay interest on their loans to the banks. The pandemic is upsetting that delicate financial balance. It's estimated that billions of pounds is owed to landlords in unpaid rents. Threats of legal action against tenants are hitting the headlines. Just who sh...
Nov 05, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How has the pandemic affected commerce in one English town? Bolton's economy has been struck particularly hard by this pandemic. Not only was it subjected to the national lockdown, but it subsequently became a hotspot, under even tighter restrictions. With a town centre that was already in decline, how has this crisis affected local businesses and what does the future hold for the town? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Jonathan Warburton, Chairman, Warburtons Joseph Carr, Managing Director,...
Oct 29, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is the pandemic a spur to a world of temps and zero hour contracts? Hundreds of thousands of people have been losing their jobs during the crisis. Many are turning to the gig economy to boost their income. Should we welcome the acceleration of the move away from conventional employment? Evan Davis and guests discuss the pros and cons of the expanding gig economy. Guests Xenios Thrasyvoulou, CEO of People Per Hour Lorna Davidson, CEO of Red Wigwam Matthew Taylor, CEO of the Royal Society of Arts,...
Oct 22, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In modern business it's impossible not to be worried about a cyber attack of some form. But how do you lower your chances of attack and what do you do if someone manages to get in your system and data? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Sian John, director, EMEA, cyber security strategy, Microsoft UK Geoff White, author, 'Crime Dot Com' and investigative technology journalist Jake Davis, consultant, Hacker Culture National Centre for Cybersecurity - Cyber Essentials advice for businesses http...
Oct 16, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The second pandemic wave means UK businesses have to live with uncertainty for at least another six months. Those economic green shoots and the summer of 'eat out to help out ' seem a while back. So what are the implications for jobs and overall business viability in this climate? Difficult conversations are going on in boardrooms across the country. Evan Davis with expert guests reflect on the choices businesses face in these extraordinary times. Guests Nobel economist, Professor Joseph Stiglit...
Oct 08, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast WPP boss Karen Blackett talks to Evan Davis about building a racially diverse business.
Jul 23, 2020•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Black Lives Matter protests have prompted boardroom soul-searching about how to engage a more racially diverse workforce. Good intentions have been around for decades and have encouraged much talk about removing biases from mainly white corporate cultures. But this has still not led to the change people want. Hardly any large UK firms have black, Asian or minority ethnic chief executives. Evan Davis and guests explore the practical solutions to achieving racial equality at work and the poten...
Jul 23, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Has staying at home during lockdown made us think more about our travel habits? Are you less likely to want to get on a bus or a train to get to work or are you itching to get on the next available flight? And what about the business travel industry? Are companies realising tele-conferencing is now just as acceptable and a cheaper option than a business flight? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Laura Shoaf, managing director, Transport for West Midlands Simon Jeffrey, policy officer, Transpo...
Jul 16, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Zoom meetings and working from home. Two habits which office workers have picked up during the enforced lockdown. But will these behaviours habits stick? Some believe that if more of us choose to work from our spare rooms on a regular basis, this will have profound implications for offices, commuting, human interaction and productivity. Evan Davis and guests discuss whether current predictions about the death of the office are over-exaggerated. Guests André Spicer, Professor of Organisational Be...
Jul 09, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
