The Green Edge Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fraser Harper and Michael Cross
The Green Edge Podcast, a series of weekly updates and occasional special audio posts from our work here at The Green Edge.
greenedge.substack.com
Hot on the heels of our July Top Read post, our Editor’s Pick from last month’s Green Edge Digest takes its cue from recent announcements made by the PM on technical education.
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A conversation with Dr Rachel J Wilde about her recent Green Edge Top Read publication Green Jobs for the Future? Opportunities and Challenges for Young People in Coastal Communities.
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Editor’s Pick again this time round, with a chat about four from the peloton of last month’s Green Edge Digest.
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In April 2025, we devoted a full episode of The Green Edge Podcast to Andy Burnham’s Institute for Government speech on English devolution, place-based growth and the five foundations of life: shelter, safety, mobility, opportunity and support. At the time, Burnham was speaking as Mayor of Greater Manchester, arguing that the mayoral combined authority model could unlock a more coherent, preventative and financially sustainable state.
This new episode returns to that same speech — using exactly the same Burnham excerpts — but listens to them through a different political lens. If – as increasingly seems likely – Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister, what will he actually do with the ideas he set out in 2025? Would “place first” remain a governing principle once the levers of Whitehall are in his hands? Will he devolve power over skills, transport, housing and employment support as boldly as he asked others to do? And how could voters, employers, educators and local leaders hold his feet to the fire?
In this episode, we revisit Burnham’s central argument: that growth cannot be commanded from departmental silos, but has to be built through places — by joining up housing, transport, education, public services and jobs. We ask whether this is simply a strong mayoral pitch, or the outline of a national governing philosophy.
The episode gives particular attention to skills. Burnham’s critique of the English education system is that it has been built around the minority of young people who follow the academic, university route, while the majority need a parallel technical pathway with equal status. His answer in Greater Manchester has been the MBacc: an employer-led alternative to the EBacc, structured around seven gateways into local priority sectors and intended to give young people a clear line of sight from school to good work.
We explore whether this could become a national skills settlement: devolved technical education, stronger careers infrastructure, guaranteed high-quality work placements, better alignment between colleges and employers, and a more serious response to the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training. We also ask what role — if any — Skills England should play in such a system, and whether the Centre should set standards while places shape delivery.
The episode’s central challenge is simple: Burnham has talked powerfully about place, prevention and opportunity. But if now moves from Manchester to Downing Street, will he still believe that Whitehall should let go? And what practical tests should be set now — on MBacc, T Levels, apprenticeships, adult education, transport access and NEET reduction — to judge whether the rhetoric has become delivery?
This is not a prediction of a Burnham premiership. It is a Green Edge stress test of a political idea: if place is the answer, what will national government have to stop doing, start doing, and give away?
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A load of rubbish being written and talked about here this week. Plus a preamble on Enginuity’s forthcoming SME Snapshot Survey — more about that next week.
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In our Editor’s pick from the May Digest, we’re talking about food (perhaps no so) glorious food. See also this month’s Top Read post.
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With 50% of small businesses suffering a cyber incident every year, cybersecurity is irrevobally bound up in any consideration of supply chain resilience. Discuss. We do, of course.
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Our Editor’s Pick this month finds a few odd couplings that didn’t make our Top Read but are still worth a ruminate over. See the rest of our top reads—and our reviews of the rest of the crop—in this month’s Green Edge Digest.
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A special Third Thursday episode to talk about our work going in to the next iteration of Enginuity’s Future Skills Hub. With our guest Ellie Wallace of Enginuity.
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Editor’s pick from the March Digest this week, to go alongside this month’s Top Read post.
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A sideways chat around our Third Thursday post this week. Plus a quick look at AoC’s Green Skills Conference and the potential for astrotourism.
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It’s a foodie episode this week, with three Editor’s Picks from this week’s additions to the Green Edge Digest. Read our post on this month’s Top Read here.
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Back from travels and back in the saddle, with a few thoughts on what it takes to move from situational awareness to industrial readiness.
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Is Net Zero A Zero-Sum Game? It certainly shouldn’t be, we’d argue in our Editor’s Picks this month. Plus our Top Read from January.
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Conversations with the author of this week’s Green Edge guest post, Simon Lightman, as well as our old friend Martyn Poessinouw.
No Green Edge podcast next week, but we’ll be back with our January Digest postings at the very beginning of next month.
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Happy New Year from The Green Edge! We open the year with our Top Read from December 2025, together with a couple of interesting Editor’s Picks.
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In our final update of 2025 we present our Top Three Reads, selected from our year’s monthly Top Reads listed in yesterday’s post.
Compliments of the Season and see you in 2026!
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Our Editor’s Pick from the November Digest Update takes us round the world: from cocoa in West Africa to waste in Sweden; from fertilisers in Brazil to workforce planning in Singapore. Drivin’ home for Christmas soon…
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A slightly different update this week, focusing on one of our top reads from November, Workforce Planning for Clean Heat. With James Fotherby of Aldersgate Group and Joe Ahern of WPI Economics.
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A quick debrief on COP30—specially the Just Transition part, to see how close it got to the pre-conference recommendations. Plus a chat about a book on one of our favourite topics, wine.
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A wee chat round the edges of our Third Thursday podcast on Seagrass and Jewels with our guest Charlotte Cornelius. Plus some interesting stuff going on at Greenworkx.
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What does it mean to make something truly sustainable in a world built on preciousness, rarity and desire? Designer and jeweller Charlotte Cornelius is proving that luxury can have a conscience, and that craftsmanship might just be the greenest thing of all.
In this Third Thursday episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to Charlotte at her boutique and workshop in Southsea and learn a few good things about sustainability in the world of precious metals and gemstones—oh, and seagrass.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Crises - What Crises? Those of the existential type it seems, reportedly at least. together with COP30 opening in Brazil, open letters on education and sustainability, and reports telling us that hiring for green talent continues to grow at twice the pace of skills in the workforce.
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Following up on this week’s Digest Update, First Thursday Top Read, and Special Podcast; plus, V’s and A’s—what would you do?
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To mark Green Careers Week 2025, this special episode of The Green Edge Podcast highlights how T Level industry placements offer opportunities for students to develop real world experience in sustainable practices, and makes the case for employers to host placements co-designed to meet both learner and organisational needs.
With guests:
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Karen Kelly, Strategic Associate at SDN-Mesma;
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Will Knox, Head of Years 12 and 13 at Ada Lovelace CofE High School;
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Sam Lewis, Director of Greenhatch Group.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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A few Hallowe’en-y things to chat about this week: SocEnv’s expanding list of apprenticeships mapped to its Educational Pathways programme; the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper (of course); and the political mood music increasingly pushing the green movement to justify its position.
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Focusing on DESNZ’s new Clean Energy Jobs Plan: a podcast to accompany this week’s bonus Top Read post.
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Plenty of leftover goodies from this week’s Third Thursday podcast on the Bloxham Sustainability Challenge. Plus news of the winners of this week’s RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind Awards 2025.
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The Bloxham Sustainability Challenge (BSC) began as a classroom project at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire in 2023 and has evolved into a much wider educational initiative, through which schools can meet policy goals while equipping students with the skills, values and experiences needed for a sustainable future. The BSC for 2025 has over 30 participating schools from across the UK participating.
In this Third Thursday episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to BSC’s co-creators, Dr Claire Evans of Bloxham School and Joanna Middleton of the land and environment consultancy firm Dalcour Maclaren about the Challenge, and we hear from two students who completed the BSC in 2023 and 2024 about their experiences.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Shooting the breeze on what we’ve been seeing in the world of sustainability over the last week.
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Hot on the heels of this month’s Green Edge Digest and our First Thursday Top Read, we present our Editor’s Pick. Plus our first opinion on the announcement of the Government’s (ahem) ‘new towns’.
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The green transition needs people and skills, not just policies and technology. Should we be building those people and skills in Britain, or borrowing them from abroad? Discuss.
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Plenty to talk about this week again, this time from our Third Thursday audio post on a question of place, featuring Jim Coleman of WSP. Plus—mentioned only in passing but well worth a read to get one thinking—try this piece from the Architects’ Journal.
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The UK Government’s latest housing ambition is to build 12 new towns in England. But what exactly are they planning to build? Just lots of houses? Or fully functioning places with lives, economies, and identities of their own?
In this Third Thursday episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to Jim Coleman, Head of Economics at WSP, about what’s needed to realise this ambition—and what we risk if we get it wrong.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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A second Thursday burble about what took our interest this week, including where skills land in the recent government reshuffle and an interesting report from the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement.
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We aren’t talking about our Top Read post and audio this week, but instead are taking an Editor’s Pick through the rest of our August Digest.
Plus news of the upcoming World Design Congress, to be held at the Barbican Centre in London (and online) on 9-10 September.
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Our 150th weekly update! We mark it with a retrospective of what we’ve learned over the last three years and what we’d like to see in the next three. If you’d like to read our additional scribblings on the subject, see our subscriber bonus post here.
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Plenty to talk about from our Third Thursday podcast this week, before a well-earned (we would claim, others may not) break for The Green Edge next week. Back again at the end of August!
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RenewableUK is the UK’s trade association for renewable energy, representing over 500 companies across wind, solar, wave and tidal energy, green hydrogen, and energy storage. It plays a key role in shaping energy policy, supporting innovation, and driving investment in the technologies powering the UK’s transition to Net Zero. From offshore wind to emerging clean power solutions, RenewableUK champions the industries building a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy future.
In this (early, because of the Bank Holiday) Third Thursday episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to Scott Young FIEP, about his work as Head of Skills at RenewableUK and his role as Workstream Lead for People and Skills at the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC).
Download the RenewableUK/OWIC Wind Industry Skills Intelligence Report 2025.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Talking about our Top Read post this week on EVs and the art of hiring. Plus, a chat with Luke Moss of Exeter College on the progress of the Green Skills Advisory Panel (GSAP).
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Getting ready this week for the August rush (not!) and chatting about upcoming additions to our growing list of special Green Edge podcasts. Plus news of Germany at the tipping point (for heat pumps, that is).
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This week we talk with Tom Cheek, Education Relationship Manager at the Society for the Environment (SocEnv), about SocEnv’s apprenticeship mapping work and its upcoming Entry Level Environmentalist (ELEnv) register, and more besides. Plus, a rather frustrated piece we read recently from our friend David Warnes of Chelmsford College.
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A follow up to our Third Thursday special podcast on the rebranding of IEMA to the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP). Plus a dive into the weeds of the Modern Industrial Strategy.
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From 17th July 2025, https://www.isepglobal.org/—the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals. The Green Edge wishes it all the best with its new name.
In this special episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to Martin Baxter, Deputy Chief Executive of ISEP about what’s behind the rebrand, as well as some of ISEP’s major initiatives going forward.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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A dip into the pot of luck brings out news of a pair of recent regenerative agriculture events from Carbon Calling and Groundswell. Plus a letter to the FT and the Bloxham Sustainability Challenge.
And for anyone who may be interested in the Anglo-Saxon translation…
Eorþwis eorlas, | feldes freondas,Ne hergiað hæþen, | ac healdað þa soðe.Swā clæne cræft, | swā cynnwīs sibb,Sēam under sunnan, | syllic and fæst.
Earth-wise the folk, friends of the field,They raid not like heathens, but hold to the truth.Such clean craft, such kin-wise peace,A seam beneath the sun, wondrous and firm.
Solswylce sæd, | in swarte moldan,Bearnan mid blisse, | blōstmum geglenged.Yþ under eorþe, | ēacen and þrūtan,Lif þurh lisse, | lēodum forgifen.
Sun-like the seed in the dark soil,Burns with joy, adorned in blossoms.A wave beneath earth, swelling and thriving,Life through grace, given to the people.
Ne wyrceð he wæl, | ne wītan þurh synne,Ac fæst is his folme, | fæger his þēaw.Heorotspeall hergde, | hilde ne bēoþ,Ac giefu and gemynd, | grund weorþað hālig.
He makes no slaughter, nor sins through greed,But steady is his hand, fair is his habit.Not horn-blare of war nor battle shall be,But gift and remembrance — the ground made holy.
Se æcer þe lufað, | lēof bið forðsiðes,Gearum gerymed, | ġeardagum wliteg.Mon and mearc, | mid mod and hyge,Holdað þa hælo — | healdan eorþcyning.
The field that is loved is dear through the years,Opened by seasons, lovely as of old.Man and land, with mind and heart,Hold to the healing — honour Earth’s lord.
Music: Hilly Billy Land, from the album Northern Man.
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Chat about our Top Read post this week on the Design Council’s new Skills for Planet Blueprint. Plus, a new green jobs matrix Michael’s been working on.
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On the agenda this week, the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy 2025. Plenty for us to mull over there, including whether it enables a green economic framework for the future. Something to speculate on, at least.
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Global responsibility and Engineers Without Borders UK’s Competency Compass are on the agenda for our Third Thursday post and our podcast this week. Plus we’ve been out and about at Anglia Ruskin University’s recent Sustainable Futures Conference.
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Engineers Without Borders UK (EWB-UK) is part of a global movement of over 30 Engineers Without Borders organisations united in the belief in engineering as a catalyst for positive change. EWB-UK is committed to putting global responsibility at the heart of the profession by tackling the critical challenges facing higher education and industry.
EWB-UK’s Global Responsibility Competency Compass points the way for the engineering professions to embed ethics, sustainability and social impact alongside their more technical skillsets.
In this special episode of The Green Edge Podcast, we talk to Dr Jonathan Truslove of EWB-UK about the Competency Compass and some of EWB-UK’s initiatives to ensure the Compass becomes common engineering practice across the world.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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A pot pourri episode this week, ranging from The Design Council’s new Skills for Planet Map and the National Retrofit Hub’s policy recommendations for a National Retrofit Workforce Strategy, to locust steepchasing. Don’t ask, just listen.
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Chatting about our Top Read post this week. Plus news about upcoming events in Engineers Without Borders’ Systems Change Lab—register now!
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News this week of the announcement of the full Board of Skills England—plenty for us to chew overe there. Plus an announcement from us about future Green Edge offerings.
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A virtual beer together thinking over the subject of tacit skills. For anyone interested in further reading, here’s an oldie-but-goodie on the subject.
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Shooting the breeze around an off-reach or two from our latest special podcast episode with Professor Aoife Foley, Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester.
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In this episode, we talk to Professor Aoife Foley, Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester. We explore the urgent need to move beyond siloed thinking in energy transitions, the role of integrated systems and skills, and why good economics—and a dose of Good Housekeeping common sense—are essential for a stable, sustainable future. From interdisciplinary innovation to calling out green "red herrings," Aoife shares her personal views and opinions on what it really takes to deliver Net Zero.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Chatting about our First Thursday post and our top read from South Devon College this week, plus the colours of the rainbow—including green, of course.
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May is here and our new Green Edge Digest update is out. How do we do it?—listen in and we’ll tell you! Plus a great Green Skills Map that has just caught our eye.
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Back from our Easter breather, we’re chatting about our special podcast episode on Clarion Housing Group this week. Next week—Digest update!
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Britain’s 1,500 or so housing associations own and manage over 2.5 million homes. When it comes to retrofitting, they face—in bulk—exactly the kind of technical, social and financial challenges the country as a whole must navigate. But when they act at scale, they also hold one of the keys to solving at least some of these challenges.
In this special episode, we talk to Dave Bussey and Daniel Archard of the largest housing association in the UK, Clarion Housing Association.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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In an extended (slightly) episode of our weekly podcast, we focus on a recent keynote address by The Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, to The Institute for Government.
The whole speech with Q&A can be found here and the IFG’s flagship podcast Inside Briefing is here.
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In a week that included both a Fool’s Day and a Liberation Day, we’ll avoid the obvious snide remarks and talk about our First Thursday post and the Circular Economy Taskforce instead.
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We finally have the Project Willow report to talk about this week, huzzah! Plus a new funding package for construction skills, a new GCSE for Natural History, and a quick look at the Net Zero Council.
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Following on from this week’s special podcast, a few further thoughts on just transition from ourselves and Prof Dave Reay. Plus new homes in Nottingham—solar, anyone?
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The transition to a greener, low-carbon economy is well underway—but how do we make sure it’s fair? That’s where the idea of a Just Transition comes in. It’s about ensuring that workers, communities, and industries affected by the shift away from fossil fuels aren’t left behind. It means new skills, new jobs, and a greener economy that works for everyone. But how do we get there?
In this special episode, we talk to Professor Dave Reay, Chair in Carbon Management & Education at the University of Edinburgh and Co-chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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No post this week but still plenty to talk about, including our perspective on wasted wind and a new report from Scotland’s Just Transition Commission.
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Our First Thursday post on our Top Read from Lightcast to talk about this week. Spring is sprung—for the moment, at least!
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Our guest post on structuring aviation for net zero to talk about this week, as well as a new report from ECIU on the economic opportunities brought by the UK’s net zero economy. Plus a chat about mackems, tackems and fixems.
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Our Third Thursday podcast on Talking Textiles to chat about this week, plus some interesting work on Fashioning Our Future from Salisbury Museum. Also news from the Net Zero Council, securing the future for Grangemouth, and the looming of the recycling tax.
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Textiles are all around us—not just the clothes we wear, but lining our environment and supporting our lives. It’s a 1 trillion dollar global industry, but one which struggles with sustainability.
In this special podcast, we pick a little at the seams of sustainability in one particular part of the textile industry—commercial interiors—with our friends at Yellow Interiors.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Stuff to chat about this week include the raft of written evidence just published by the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, Lightcast’s new UK Skills Revolution report, and Corporate Knights’ 2025 Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable corporations. Plus—if you have a subscription—our latest letter to the FT!
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Chat about our Top Read post this week, plus another post from Michael about the opportunities for Housing Associations and the Net Zero Accelerator.
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Conversation this week on just transition and planetary solvency. Plus, how to get from Cumbria to Marienthal on the M6.
Back next week with our Green Edge Digest posts.
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A Third Thursday post and a fair bit to chat about this week on the subject of bikes. With guest Michael Maiden from Wheelie Bike Shop in Poole, Dorset.
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No post this week, but still plenty to talk about, with Kloodle, JCB hydrogen engines and sustainable textiles on the agenda.
Back next week with our Third Thursday post!
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In with the New Year and chat about our new formats, including this week’s First Thursday and our Green Edge Digest posts: Message In A Bottle, Top Reads, The Take and Digest Update. Let us know how we’re doing!
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Following on from this week’s post, our last podcast of the year. Posted with our compliments of the winter season and our wishes for the best of whichever way your belief, creed or faith observes it.
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Talking about the power of networks this week. Also, green summits, new skills hubs, transition towns and giving Radio 2050 a jolly good listening to.
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Plenty to chat about again this week, from The Big Short and our post on sweating assets to The World Design Congress next September; and from Onshore Power Supply maps to the new Growth and Skills Levy. Phew!
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Heat pumps, COP29 and The Green Edge’s plans for global domination—you heard it here first.
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We’re talking and posting about green design skills this week, while other people are talking about changes to the appreticeship levy. So, we’re talking about them too.
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Digging the school garden here this week, plus a question from the floor to our fearless leader at COP29 and what interests the national counting house.
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Talking about last week’s post and this week’s post today. Plus a chat with engineer and author Yasmin Ali about Hereford’s New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE).
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Want to know more about Wednesday’s Budget? Take a day or two off and read about it here; or perhaps have a listen to this podcast together with Martin Lewis’ excellent summary for the nitty-gritty.
Oh, and you can find our usual weekly post (not on the Budget) here.
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Dear Skills England, please read our post and listen to our podcast this week. Plus, we hear from EngineeringUK on its new STEM Education report, as well as City of Ithaca’s digital twin. Dioscuri for the modern age.
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This week’s special podcast on The Education Landscape is on our agenda this week; plus news of National Electrotechnical Training’s NET Celebration of Skills in London on 23rd October.
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This week’s post takes the form of a special edition of The Green Edge podcast, in which we talk to Ruth Joseph of Strategic Development Network (SDN), Scott Young of RenewableUK and Alan Benvie of Oldham College about The Education Landscape programme.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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Fun with AI this week and a chat with the person who’s got us thinking hard about this stuff: Martyn Poessinouw of Peterborough City Council.
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Waves of greening on the agenda in our post and podcast this week, plus a visit to the Felix Project and thoughts about whether the AI that powers great endeavours actually use more energy than they save.
A few minor crackles on Michael’s line - do not adjust your set!
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A full agenda this week, with reports from GetZero & The 5% Club and Skills England, a great video from Mr EV featuring a member of HEVRA and an inadvertent cameo appearance by Stanley Baldwin (now corrected). Plus this week’s post, of course.
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Talking electrical skills in our post and podcast this week, an important topic and one brought into sharp focus in ECA’s Electrical Skills Index. Plus, how did we fare in this year’s WorldSkills competition?
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A little more from our chat with Lisa Bennett, as featured in this week’s special podcast episode. Plus a look at the 2040 agri Net Zero targets and the WorldSkills 2024 competition going on over there in Lyon, France.
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This week’s post is a special podcast episode featuring a conversation with Lisa Bennett, author, award-winning journalist, and speaker focused on how to overcome common mindset challenges that sabotage success in a complex, fast-changing world.
Lisa’s books include Ecoliterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence, co-authored with Danial Goleman and Zenobia Barlow, and she's currently working on a new book entitled B-Heroic: How Good People Do Hard Things in Tough Times, set to be released in 2025.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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The Green Edge is back, with this week’s post, our Reports Roundup Parts One and Two. Plus, of course, this weekly update which you can also find on Apple, Spotify or whever you get your usual podcasts.
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A chat about this week’s post, together with brief ruminations on MINIMAL, the 2024 edition of the clothing brands report and more rewilding in Scotland.
The Green Edge is now taking a short pause for the rest of August. Normal service will be resumed in early September.
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A follow up to this week’s special podcast with a few words from Michael Hardisty, Head of Environmental Sustainability at EngineeringUK. Plus, some interesting news about a Park called Harold.
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This week’s post takes the form of a special edition of The Green Edge podcast, in which we talk to Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, on a range of topics including the organisation’s policy recommendations for the new government, its Science Education Tracker research which among other things is highlighting concerns for the future workforce as girls turn off from engineering and science, and its recently-launched Climate Schools Programme.
Follow the conversation by clicking the Transcript button.
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In our hundredth weekly update, musings on this week’s post and rewilding enterprises at Trees for Life, Highlands Rewilding and Ambios. Plus we learn a new word or two.
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A follow-up chat to this week’s post. A recording of the ESG seminar hosted by City & Guilds and Kineo, by the way, is available here.
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A fab piece of analysis from Focaldata on voter behaviour to talk about this week, plus of course a chat about this week’s post and a comment or two on who’s (becoming) who in the new government.
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To accompany our Election Special post yesterday, here are our thoughts on how this whole green thing could be put together.
Congratulations to Sir Kier Starmer on his resounding win. We’re watching!
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A little monkey business around our post this week, although it’s all meant in good grace. Huzzah for Hartlepool!
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Follow-up chat to this week’s post on the different ways green skills might be delivered. Plus - it’s not rugby (unfortunately) but we can’t let the Euros go by without a prediction or two.
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Some leftover chat from this week’s special podcast edition with Dr Marcus Bellett-Travers. Plus a trio of companies we think are doing nice things: Xerotech, SunTrain and Norsepower.
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This week’s post takes the form of a special edition of The Green Edge podcast, in which Dr Marcus Bellett-Travers of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) gives us his views on food production in the UK and its potential conflicts with sustainable land use and the pressure to decarbonise.
Alongside his role as agri-food lead at ARU, Dr Bellett-Travers is the author of Powering Productivity For Sustainable UK Food Security, commissioned by the Agricultural Industries Confederation in 2023.
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This week’s podcast accompanies the release of a special episode for the Enginuity Future Skills Hub, featuring a conversation with Mike Wilson of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
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Talking about measuring in our post this week. Plus a chat with Iain Mackinnon, chair of the Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA), about the Government’s response to the UK shipbuilding skills taskforce report A Step Change in UK Shipbuilding Skills.
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AI and the sustainability alternative to it taking (or not) people’s jobs is on the agenda this week. Plus, a busy summer coming up with developments on the Enginuity Future Skills Hub and other things beside.
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Plenty to talk about the English skills system in our post this week, plus hearing from Sir Michael Barber on the strategic imperative for it all.
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We’re talking about our post this week, which features a conversation with Professor Ewart Keep on the state of the English education system. We’ve also released a special podcast episode of our full conversation with Professor Keep, which covers that and more besides.
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In this special edition of The Green Edge podcasts, Professor Keep gives us his views on the state of the English education system, the impact of AI on future work and other hot topics.
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This week, we’re talking about playing nice with the new local climate action pledge. Plus, a mention of why we shouldn’t worry about borrowing to tackle climate change.
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In this week’s post and podcast, we’re talking to Chris Graham, Head of Biology and Sustainability Lead at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. Plus, we sing a bit of Pink Floyd.
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Talking about moving from a linear to a circular way of living? Total transformation of society, job done. Never let it be said we don’t think about the big stuff.
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We’re talking about food, glorious food this week: why on earth is there so much of it? Plus we’ve been reading stuff and chatting to a few folks, including the Royal Academy of Engineering and Mission Zero Coalition.
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We’re back after the Easter break with news in this week’s post that the Enginuity Future Skills Hub is up and running!
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Alongside chat about this week’s post we’re talking about ONS’ latest green jobs count and NAO’s new report on decarbonising home heating. Plus a little something for the NERDEs.
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In this week’s post we’re talking about emergent norms (not gnomes). Plus, we add our voice to this week’s criticism of Defra for not tackling the “e-waste tsunami”.
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On the chatlist this week: this week’s post on problem framing for SDG 12 and Mission Zero Coalition’s new report on future buildings.
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Another special guest post this week, this time from Tim Jackson on some of the Community Energy work going on around Winchester. Plus some thoughts on the subject from Will Taylor of Gemserv.
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A special guest post this week Luke McCarthy, Green Economy Lead for Surrey County Council. Lots for us to talk about.
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Conversations to accompany this week’s post with Dee Halligan of Forth CIC and Simon Roper of Ambios.
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To accompany this week’s post on the release of our joint white paper with Enginuity, we’re talking about human capabilities and their importance for sustainability.
Plus, earlier this week we released the latest episode of our City & Guilds Green Edge podcast.
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This week, a focus on a few of the publications in our monthly reports roundup, including a useful POSTnote on green skills and a new skills matrix from CIWM.
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eNotebooks as digital learning twins? We’re chewing over that thought in our post and podcast this week. Plus a chat with the Church of England about what its doing around sustainability.
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Talking about our experiences with EV charging this week, plus an update from Forth CIC.
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Our first post and podcast of 2024 covers a conversation with Leah Robson of Your Energy Your Way. Plus, consideration of the resignation letter of a certain Member of Parliament.
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Our final post and podcast the year. Compliments of the season to all our readers and listeners. See you in January!
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A slightly longer episode this week to talk about our review of 2023.
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This week, not just a post to talk about but also a video from our interview with 2023 Ashden Award winner Power for All. Plus a chat with the Principal of Chelmsford College about a better approach to funding Skills Bootcamps.
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A chat this week about our post on green skills bootcamps. Plus a preview of fascinating chat we had with an integrated energy project in Uganda - and, of course, we can’t forget the Autumn Statement.
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Alongside discussion on this week’s post on embedding sustainability in education, we have a conversation with Jamie Agombar of SOS-UK, which shows how it might be done. Also, we talk to Paul Amann of Liverpool City Council (LCR) telling us about LCR’s Green Jobs & Skills Plan and award-winning Be More green growth jobs & skills portal.
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A few links here alongside this week’s post: one from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, one from Surrey County Council’s Green Careers webpage, and a Green Careers survey from IEMA. Plus a green changemaker card linked to the Young Green Briton Challenge.
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In a busy Green Edge week, we’ve posted for an Ashden roundtable, attended another hosted by Deloitte and IEMA; read the responses from Government to both the Environmental Audit Committee and the Climate Change Committee, and seen Siya Kolisi lift the Rugby World Cup. Well done Springboks!
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We’re talking about the effect of the Net Zero transition on the UK labour market this week, together with the effect 46 big blokes (including subs) might have on each other in this weekend’s Rugby Union World Cup Final.
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In celebration of International Repair Day on 21st October our post and chat this week is with Clare Seek of Share (Portsmouth), talking about all things repairable and a new Repair and Reuse Declaration for Britain.
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This week, we’re talking and writing about the encore careers of batteries and looking at an interesting new report from the IPPR. Plus a spot of chat on the Rugby World Cup - well done there, Portugal!
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We’re joined on this episode by Tim Rogers, talking about his guest post this week on the Energy Trilemma and other things (electric) griddy.
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We didn’t rush into a response to Rishi Sunak’s announcement on Net Zero last week, preferring to follow the immediate fallout instead. Our post and chat this week reflect our thoughts one week on.
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No rugby talk this week, although we do have some big games coming up at the weekend, including what could well turn out to be the dress rehearsal for the final. Oh, and we’re talking about our post on occupations versus skills.
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Talking sustainability competences and rugby this week. What could be more important?
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Chatting about our post on apprenticeships this week, with some interesting points of comparison between the English system and those of Australia and some of the European nations.
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More circular economy chat, what with this week’s post being about repurposing and all. We also recall an interesting interview telling us what those clever Finnish folks at Block Solutions are doing in South Africa.
Postscript: this episode was recorded before news broke of the horrific fire in Johannesburg. The Green Edge expresses its sympathy to the families of those who died, together with a sincere hope that South Africa will one day find a way to properly resolve the social problems that incubate such tragedies as these.
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Coffee and chat about heat pumps this week. Plus, congratulations to BAR Technologies on its contribution to the maiden voyage of WindWings.
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This week’s post is all about Circular Design; we hear what The Design Council has to say on the matter; and we consider part of government policy that might need a bit of re-design.
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We’re talking about Yellow Interiors and things circular in our post this week. Plus, why Dorset is the place to take your EV on holiday.
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Lots to talk about again this week, what with our post on hearts and minds, and fun and games from HM Gov on a nuclear taskforce and North Sea licenses.
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We’re talking about topics as far apart as Green Skills FE Academies and Renault / Geely’s new ICE joint venture in this, our fifty-second weekly update. Yep, we’ve been doing this stuff for a year already!
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Apples and oranges are on the menu this week, as are human capabilities frameworks for sustainability. Nothing too fruity, we assure you.
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Our post this week is on the UK Catapults and their contribution to the green skills agenda. We talk about that, plus the upcoming Green Careers Week in November.
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We discuss some of the finer points of our post this week on hidden green skills, and also reflect on the similarities and differences between ‘green skills’ and ‘competences for sustainability’.
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This week, we’re talking about transitions and our new project with City & Guilds.
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We’re delighted to announce that The Green Edge has been appointed by City & Guilds to collaborate on a major new initiative to define C&G’s green skills and qualifications roadmap. And there’s an invitation to our subscribers too!
Learn more about it here and in this week’s post.
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We’re thinking about just transitions this week, as well as an interesting new partnership between IEMA and Pearson.
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For this week’s post and podcast we’ve been talking to City of Portsmouth College about its Net Zero Training Hub.
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This week we’re talking about two important new publications from the Climate Change Committee (CCC): A Net Zero Workforce and Skills and Net Zero.
Talking about publications, our Reports Roundups are now all available as a searchable list here on The Green Edge Data Portal!
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This week we’re talking about qualifications, micro-credentials and the Commodore PET.
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This week we’ve been talking to the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management (CIWM) about their plans to lead the way to a world without waste.
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This week we’re listening to some old public information films and talking about our post on Flexible Energy Demand. We’ve also been talking to the good folks responsible for the Surrey LSIP.
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This week we talk through some of the finer points of our post on regional green innovation, as well as taking at a glance at the new WEF report on future jobs and talking to the good folks at People Powered Retrofit.
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This week we’re mostly talking about green skills frameworks and interesting things coming out from the LSIPs in places like Surrey and Cumbria.
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Our post this week spotlights the new Black Mountains College in Wales. We talk about that, as well as the progress on two projects we’ve been pleased to be involved with: the new Science Museum Technicians Gallery and IMEA’s Green Careers Hub.
Plus - we listen to podcasts too! Here’s a good one from Green Alliance - but do listen to ours first!
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Lots to talk about after the Easter break with the release of the new Net Zero Growth Plan, the Government’s response to the Skidmore Review, and others we write about in this week’s Green Edge post.
Plus, we bring news of new masters-level courses from the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), including a short course in Climate & Biodiversity which Green Edge subscribers can join at a discounted rate just for being, well, you.
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Our post this week is on the progress of energy towards Net Zero, so we’re chatting about that. Plus the briefest of looks at the energy situation in South Africa.
Please note: no podcast from us next week as it’s Easter. Whatever your creed, we wish all our subscribers the compliments of Spring (or Fall, if the Southern Cross is in your sky). Our next full post and podcast will be in the week ending 14th April.
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We’re talking about two Green Edge posts this week: one on the Spring Budget and the other on big Net Zero happenings in Europe. Plus we talk to Sarah Strachan of Anglia Ruskin University.
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This week we’re talking about LSIPs and other place-based green skills matters.
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In this special Green Edge podcast, we bring news of a partnership between WPI Economics, Lightcast and The Data City offering data, insight and resources to understand, map and navigate the current and future green economies in regional and local areas.
This podcast is sponsored by WPI Economics and The Data City.
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A wee bit of background noise from Zurich airport in this week’s podcast, which accompanies our post on Flying to Net Zero. Also a chat with the Recruitment & Employment Federation.
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Levelling Up is on this week’s agenda. We’ve been thinking about some of the projects as well as what this word ‘devolution’ means to people like Michael Gove and Steve Rotherham.
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North of the border for us this week, talking about Scotland’s Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) and the work of CESAP’s Implementation Steering Group (ISG).
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This week we’re focusing on the three phoenixes rising from the ashes of BEIS, in particular the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
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Who owns adult green skills development in the UK? We hear from NOCN Group and Innovate UK KTN on this and other subjects related to this week’s post.
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To accompany this week’s post, we’re talking to The Sustainability Group and The Data City.
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This week, it’s the Skidmore Report we’re talking about. Plenty to discuss.
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The Skidmore Report is now out and we’re taking a first look at that, together with a conversation with Forth CIC for this week’s post as well as the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Network.
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In this episode we’re talking about refurbishing domestic dwellings for Net Zero (aka retrofitting). We also talk to Forth CIC and ruminate on Rishi Sunak’s recent statement about numeracy education.
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Best wishes for 2023 from The Green Edge! Here’s our first podcast episode of the year, which accompanies this week’s post. Onwards and upwards…
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Part Two of our roundup for 2022 accompanies our roundup of this year’s top reports.
Wishing you compliments of the Christmas season. We’re taking a short break now until the New Year and we look forward to seeing you again on The Green Edge, starting with our first post of the year on 5th January 2023.
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It’s been a tempestuous year and in this week’s slightly longer-than-usual podcast we discuss some of the big things we’ve written about during 2022 on The Green Edge.
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This week we celebrate The Green Edge’s first anniversary and in our regular post we introduce The Green Edge Data Portal. We also talk to Tony Sanders of The GreenSkills Partnership.
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This week we’re charging up the batteries and we chat with Portsmouth International Port’s new Sustainability Coordinator.
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This week, we’re talking about green careers. We also hear from Nick Newman of National Careers Week about its recent Green Careers Week.
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We’re talking about the English freeports this week, as well as taking another look at COP27. We also consider some early views on Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement.
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This week, we take a quick look at COP27 as well as a few points related to this week’s post. Also a brand new report for Scotland and a new book from Georgina Sturge, a Statistician at the House of Commons Library.
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We discuss some of the finer details about this week’s post and talk to Rebecca Turner of IEMA about the Institute’s new Green Careers Hub.
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This week, we’ve been looking at the cryptoworld and get perspectives from two blockchain-enabled sustainability projects, SITE and Centree.
We’re also proud to be part of IEMA’s Green Careers Hub. More on this to follow in the coming weeks.
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Know someone who’s thinking about a degree in ES3 (Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies)? In this week’s podcast and accompanying post we’re talking about some of the things to consider.
We also find out a little more about the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS).
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We’re riffing on retrofitting this week. As we say in our post, skilling up for the retrofit revolution is like Grommit chasing Feathers the Penguin across the living room floor…
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This week we’re talking about Chris Skidmore’s independent net review. Even if you don’t listen to our podcast (although we hope you do) we encourage you to respond to his online call for evidence, which closes on 27th October.
We also look at an interesting new venture called SITE (Sustainable Impact Trading Ecosystem), which is looking to bring together the worlds of impact investing and blockchain.
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This week, everyone’s talking about the fallout from the mini-budget. We look for the Growth Plan’s green heart.
We also feature conversations with the Ashden charity about its latest briefing ‘Retrofit: Solving the Skills Crisis’ and with Auditel on PAS 2060.
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In addition to this week’s post on the LSIP trailblazer in Sussex, we recall a conversation we had with Professor Martin Siegert, who has recently taken up a new post as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Exeter University.
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In this weeks’s podcast we feature an interview with Centree, which uses blockchain technology to support the protection of old-growth forests by turning them into investable, living assets.
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This week, we talk about Leading The Charge, a major new digital series from the ECA. Also, the announcement from DfE of its designated employer representative bodies for the development of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) in England.
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This week, we talk to Arjan Geveke of the Energy Intensive Users Group and Tony Wilson of the Institute for Employment Studies.
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Everyone (in England and Wales at least) is off for a break this weekend, so we thought we’d drop you the podcast a day early in lieu of our regular Thursday post. It’s slightly longer than usual (15m:30s) but we’ve had some good conversations this week which we need a few minutes more to tell you about.
Here are some useful links for things we talk about in the podcast:
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Leading The Charge (Electrical Contractors’ Association);
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Build Your Purpose, Build Your Business (Hampshire Chamber of Commerce);
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The Solar Shed.
Our next regular post is 1st September. Until then, enjoy your weekend and let’s hope the grass is greener soon!
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This week we spotlight Wheelie Bike Shop, a young business making headway in today’s tricky business world. Read our full post here.
In the podcast, Michael Cross also tells us about an ONS consultation on defining and measuring green jobs. We’ve just released a special post on this, which you can also find by clicking this link.
Thank you for reading The Green Edge. This post is public so feel free to share it.
The Green Edge needs sponsors
To keep The Green Edge free to subscribers, we’re asking for a small amount of sponsorship. Your sponsorship may be linked to a specific piece of content, a steer you would like to give us, or simply in recognition that we’re adding value to the green economy narrative. It could a one-off contribution or in more regular instalments. At whatever level, your support will be much appreciated.
If you’d like to talk to us about sponsorship, please email us by clicking the button below. Thank you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit greenedge.substack.com
The Green Edge Podcast, a series of weekly updates and occasional special audio posts from our work here at The Green Edge.
This week we're focusing on UK100's recently-published Local Net Zero Delivery Progress Reports. Read our full post here.
Would you like to write a guest post for The Green Edge? Email us at the address below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit greenedge.substack.com
The Green Edge Podcast, a series of weekly updates and occasional special audio posts from our work here at The Green Edge.
Would you like to write a guest post for The Green Edge? Let us know at the address below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit greenedge.substack.com
For many years, university leaders have made bold statements about how they’re responding to the future. But, oftentimes they go on to talk about the same old traditions, structures and august alumni. We still see the old university models: the Humboldtian, the Newman, and the Robbins-Oxbridge still in evidence and being roundly defended.
But changes are happening. Previous Green Edge posts have drawn on the experiences of Imperial College, The Open University, Liverpool John Moores University, and the exciting new London Interdisciplinary School based in Whitechapel. Always looking for developments with high potential, we sat down recently on a rather crackly Zoom line from Bilbao with Professor Chris Speed, the new Director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI).
The Green Edge’s interest here is very simple. We believe there is a need for both radical reform and an increase in the number of students enrolling in degree programmes with distinctly sustainable themes. Programmes that will equip them to progress the net zero transition across the whole UK economy.
The Green Economy needs a talented, creative green workforce. An important aspect of this is a move in Higher Education to problem-centred, multi-disciplinary and dynamic curricula with an inclusive approach to admissions. These programmes need to fuse learning and research with the world outside, so students can learn, research and develop their capabilities as the Green Economy builds around them. In our opinion, EFI fits well into view and so we felt was well worth understanding further.
Our thanks to Professor Speed for taking the time to talk to The Green Edge.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit greenedge.substack.com
Introducing The Green Edge Podcast, a series of weekly updates and occasional special audio posts from our work here at The Green Edge.
We start with our weekly update for w/e 29th July 2022, in which we discuss (among other things) the new progress report from the Climate Change Committee, green innovation at the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and green skills planning in Liverpool.
Would you like to write a guest post for The Green Edge? Let us know at the address below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit greenedge.substack.com