Terra.do - Solve #climatechange: Recent Episodes
Terra.do
Terra.do is an online climate school. We teach you everything climate, connect you to an online community of changemakers and put you to work remotely on high-impact climate projects that need your unique skills.
Our podcasts are focused on climate change, sustainability, development, conservation, and many more issues focused on developing countries, starting with India.
Dr Tracey Osborne is the Director of the University of California’s Center for Climate Justice. Her research focuses on the social and political economic dimensions of climate change mitigation in tropical forests and the role of Indigenous Peoples, the politics of climate finance, global environmental governance, and climate equity and justice.
Raj Aggarwal is President of Provoc, a communications firm and certified B Corp that’s rooted in equity and empathy-driven work, and he chairs the Climate Justice Task Force for the B Corp Climate Collective, a group of Certified B Corporations working together to take action on the climate emergency. Alongside the University of Oxford’s Business School and B Lab, Raj and his team at Provoc led a research effort to build a Climate Justice Playbook for Business.
Yang Hong is the founder of Shoshin Insights, a data and engineering consultancy practicing to minimize harm and work for humans.
She also leads a Climate Justice learning group as part of Work on Climate, a positive, action-oriented Slack community for people serious about climate work. The Climate Justice Learning Group has put together a “Climate Justice 101 Guide”, a beginner-friendly guide that offers a starting point for folks wondering what climate justice is actually about, what it looks like in practice, and why it’s so important.
Notes:
04:08 – Tracey's entry point into understanding injustice and climate change
06:18 –The evolution of B Corp movement by Raj Aggarwal
08:49 – Yang's quarter life crisis
12:53 – Mindset shifts and aha moments experienced on the climate justice journey
30:01 –Challenges faced by business leaders and systemic changes in policies
34:45 – The changes and shifts within the climate justice movement as seen through Tracey's eyes
38:29 –Yang's advice on making climate justice part of our personal practice
45:53 – Redressal of past injustices look and ideal world scenarios
55:32 – Call to dig deeper with Terra.do's Climate Justice Workshop. More details below....
Resources:
- Sign up for our Climate Justice Workshop on March 13 and March 14
- B Corp Climate Collective’s Climate Justice Playbook for Business
- Sign up for updates on Work on Climate’s Climate Justice 101 Guide
- Work on Climate, an action-oriented Slack community for people serious about climate work.
- The plethora of resources shared by Yang Hong
Micah Lang is catalyzing the zero carbon transition as Sr Green Building Planner at the City of Vancouver. He is a climate change and sustainability professional with expertise in green building policy; local climate change mitigation strategies; greenhouse gas quantification and inventory protocol; sustainable development, water and wastewater access in North America, Latin America, Africa and South Asia. Micah holds an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley.
In this podcast, Micah describes his journey towards sustainability, the significance of green buildings, how to incorporate equity issues into green building policy planning design and what the players across the building's value chain need to be doing to fix emissions.
Notes:
04:02 – Micah's environmental journey
15:31 –Ongoing projects
17:43 – Incorporating equity issues into green building policy planning design
21:20 – Market research on customers
25:58 –Technologies that are enabling the transitions for green buildings
37:47 – Canada Green Building Council's 'The Climate Forward report'
42:58 –Awareness in the media
49:07 – Call to action - broaden social networks (both professional and personal)
Prasanna Colluru is the Director of Corporate Strategy at Future Proof Shipping (FPS), a Netherlands-based company that provides zero-emissions marine transportation services to enable players across the value chain to make the energy transition in shipping. At FPS, Prasanna is responsible for maintaining a strategic overview of alternative fuels and zero-emissions technology markets, assessing technologies (on their commercial, technical, operational, and financial) viability, and enabling holistic decision making on the choice of technology/solution for zero-emissions vessels. Prasanna holds an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University) and a bachelor’s degree in design from NIFT (New Delhi).
In this podcast, Prasanna describes her journey as well as that of Future Proof Shipping which is looking at changing the way marine transportation is for the future. Their first zero emissions ship will be setting sail later this year, further proof that hydrogen can lead the way forwards towards a new economy.
Notes:
01:47 – All about Future Proof Shipping
03:35 –Prasanna’s journey in sustainability
06:07 – Zero emissions vessel setting sail
10:39 – Market research on customers
13:13 –Hydrogen infrastructure
10:39 – Market research on customers
13:13 –Hydrogen infrastructure
15:51 – Shipping's multi fuel future
18:45 – The New Hydrogen Economy course from Terra.do
19:25 –Decarbonizing ships
23:02 – Politics and policy
25:42 – Call to action - repair, reuse, recycle
Niall O’Connor is the Asia Director of Stockholm Environment Institute in Bangkok, Thailand. Niall holds a BSc and a MSc in Forestry, both from University College Dublin, and a MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from Imperial College London. Niall comes to SEI from WWF, where he had served in leadership positions since 2008, and as regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa since 2011. Previously, he served as country director in Gambia and Senegal for Concern Universal, a UK-based international NGO.
In this podcast, Niall talks about the wonderful work that the SEI Asia Centre has been involved in giving particular emphasis to gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction, how business as usual is not going to help the world in a post-pandemic world and why inclusiveness is extremely important as we look towards the future.
Notes –
01:02 – Niall’s environmental journey
03:37 –The role of SEI’s Asia Centre
09:45 – Organisational challenges
14:25 – SUMERNET - Sustainable Mekong Regional Network
17:40 – Examples of SEI’s work in connecting gender and climate change
30:59 – Climate refugees
35:17 – Informed climate activism in Thailand
39:01 – Call of action - personal responsibility and inclusiveness
Jonah Mwangi is the Founder and CEO of Green Nettle Textile. Jonah’s background is in biochemistry and he is a farmer by passion. He is an early stage social entrepreneur in the field of agribusiness helping out small farmers. He is an alumni of YALI Transformative Leaders program as also the ygap social changemakers program. Green Nettle was the first African winner of the prestigious Global Change Award presented by the H&M Foundation in 2019.
In this podcast, Jonah talks passionately about the importance of the circular economy and fashion. His company Green Nettle Textile is innovating by converting nettle stalks into a linen-like fabric. Learn more about Jonah’s journey and his learnings with entrepreneurship so far…
Notes –
01:01 – Jonah’s entrepreneurial journey
04:45 –The premise behind Green Nettle Textile
08:02 – COVID19 challenges
10:26 – Impact of winning the Global Change Award
12:08 – Climate change in Kenya and impacts on Jonah’s company
14:24 – Circular economy and fashion
18:11 – Politics and policy
22:28 – Social entrepreneurship and media awareness
21:13 – Call of action - always think about the impact of fashion
Cedrick Tandong is the CEO of Three Wheels United. He has been working in India on the smart use of technology for over 10 years and holds a masters in systems and information management. He began his career as a business analyst at Tata Consultancy Services doing market research on fast moving consumer goods in France. Cedrick also previously founded a company in Cameroon in the e-commerce space. Cedrick is TWU’s mastermind when it comes to operationalizing the impossible as he loves organizing, coordinating and executing under unpredictable circumstances. He also holds a second graduate degree in business management and has lived and worked in four countries across three continents.
In this podcast, Cedrick talks about his entrepreneurial journey, the vision and business model of Three Wheels United and its impacts whilst also giving us glimpses into the state of the EV market in India.
Notes –
01:15 – Cedrick’s entrepreneurial journey
02:41 –The premise behind Three Wheels United
07:36 – Expansion plans of Three Wheels United
09:41 – Impacts of Three Wheels United
13:03 – Politics and policy
17:21 – Being a 2020 Henry Arnhold Fellow
18:34 – Experiencing India
19:50 – Advice to young entrepreneurs
21:13 – Call of action - support the EV ecosystem
Divya Sharma is the Executive Director at Climate Group’s India office. A thought leader, researcher, academician she comes with experience spanning nearly two-decades operating throughout India and internationally within the sustainable urban development and climate resilience space. Divya has a Doctorate in urban climate resilience and a Master’s in urban development planning. She has extensively worked with national, state, and municipal governments in India and abroad; regional, national, and international development agencies and foundations and international research community and academia. She has been on prestigious advisory positions on international and national networks for sustainable development and climate change internationally and at the national level.
In this podcast, Divya talks about her climate journey, her work at The Climate Group, her passion for cities and the need to accelerate climate action.
Notes –
01:17 – Divya’s climate journey
03:35 –The Climate Group and Divya’s role at the Climate Group India
08:46 – We Mean Business Coalition - a Climate Group initiative
11:31 – COVID, renewable energy and corporate sourcing of renewable energy in India
15:35 – Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network
20:23 – The Indian government's Smart Cities Initiative
25:12 – C40 Cities Finance Facility
31:03 – Call of action - need to accelerate climate action
Neelima Vallangi is a national award-winning photographer and well published travel writer. For the past one year she has been researching and covering the climate crisis for news media and other forms. She is currently working on a feature length documentary film tentatively titled "The Human Cost of Climate Crisis" set in Nepal, due to be released by December 2020. She was recently featured by India Climate Collaborative as one of the 40 young leaders to raise awareness and strengthen commitments with their solutions on climate and development. She is also working on an independent newsletter titled "Climate Matters". She continues to research and report for mainstream publications on the climate crisis, with a special focus on the Himalayas and South Asia.
In this podcast, Neelima talks about her climate journey, filming her documentary “The Human Cost of Climate Crisis”, talking about climate grief on social media, youth activism and what needs to be done to solve the current climate crisis.
Notes –
03:28 – Neelima’s climate journey
05:57 –The genesis of Neelima’s newsletter ‘Climate Matters’
08:47 – More on Neelima’s documentary ‘The Human Cost of Climate Crisis’
10:54 – India Climate Collaborative
12:21 – India and climate change
14:04 – Women and climate change
15:55 – Social media and climate grief
21:41 – Indian media and climate change
27:55 – Call of action - collective responsibility
Dr Ana Maria Loboguerrero Rodriguez is Research Director of Climate Action for the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Head of Global Policy Research for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), based in Cali, Colombia. She holds a Master and a PhD in Economics from UCLA. She has more than 10 years’ experience of working on climate change challenges. She has used her experience working in the public sector to become a key partner of policy makers and planners in the region to find ways to make climate information practical for end-users.
In this podcast, Ana Maria talks about her journey, her roles and responsibilities in her organisations, what climate change means to Colombia, the role of policies and how best to tackle climate change.
Notes –
01:12 – Ana Maria’s starting point on her climate change journey
06:33 –Roles and responsibilities in CGIAR, CIAT and CCAFS
13:13 – What climate change means in Colombia
19:37 – Colombian government’s policies towards climate change
26:50 – Climate smart villages
29:56 – Food security in Colombia
33:10 – Women in agriculture in Colombia
36:22 – Governmental help to organisations
41:19 – Climate change narrative in Colombia
44:33 – Climate strikes in Colombia
47:51 – Call to action
Prasenjeet Yadav is a molecular ecologist turned National Geographic Photographer & Explorer. Prasenjeet is one of the very few photographers who integrates science deeply into his photo stories. His previous projects helped bring light on sensitive issues such as climate change and its effects on high elevation in the Himalayas. Similarly a project on how windmills affect surrounding ecosystems raised questions about how green is our green energy. He is a founder member of 'Shoot for Science' which is an initiative to train scientists in science communication.
In this podcast, Prasenjeet talks about his journey and passion for science and communication & snow leopards changing his life. He also asks to become more aware and become part of the solution in the fight against climate change.
Notes –
01:09 – Prasenjeet’s journey to becoming a storyteller
03:37 –Nat Geo grant and story on the Shola Sky Islands
06:35 – Challenges faced during the Shola Sky Islands story
09:46 – The snow leopards - conservation challenges, human impact and more
25:19 – Starting up ‘Shoot for Science’
29:18 – Harnessing the power of social media
31:35 – Indian media and climate change
35:53 – Informed climate activism
37:42 – Call of action - become aware and be part of the solution
Akshay Makar is an experienced thought leader, innovator, and climate entrepreneur within the field of sustainability. Akshay is Founder and CEO of CLIMATENZA. Climatenza’s vision is to accelerate deployment of renewable energy technologies in industries to attain 100% clean future by 2050. Under his leadership, CLIMATENZA has become a global energy company with offices in India and Chile. The recipient of numerous awards, Akshay was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, as also one of the Top 25 Young Leaders by Young Sustainable Impact. Akshay is a 2019 Echoing Green Fellow and a One Young World #Lead2030 Challenge Winner.
In this podcast, Akshay talks about his journey and passion for renewables, his company Climatenza, setting up shop in Chile and what the future holds for concentrated solar technologies in the renewable energy space.
Notes –
01:12 – Akshay’s interest and passion for renewable energy
03:09 –About Climatenza
05:26 – The CST market
07:03 – Net zero concept
10:36 – Starting up in Chile
14:40 – Impacts of Climatenza
21:49 – Help from government
24:41 – Media awareness about CST
26:58 – Advice to entrepreneurs
29:00 – Call to action
Pankaj Bhatia is the Global Director of GHG Protocol and Deputy Director of the Climate Program at the World Resources Institute. Pankaj is one of the leading experts on the GHG Protocol standards and tools, particularly in the areas of corporate, Scope 3, mitigation action, and city accounting. He launched and led the three-year global process that involved more than 2,300 stakeholders to develop the new global GHG Protocol Scope 3 and Product Standards released in October 2011. Currently, he is leading the GHG Protocol team working to develop new global standards in the land sector which are expected to be released by 2022. In addition, he also oversees and supports WRI’s National Climate Action teams working across all its international offices in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Mexico.
In this podcast, Pankaj talks about his journey, his work pertaining to GHG protocols at the WRI, emissions inventory, connections between Covid19 and emissions and accomplishing carbon neutrality.
Notes –
01:19 – Pankaj’s starting point on his climate change journey
03:03 –Pankaj’s role in developing GHG Protocol, Scope 3 and Product Standard
10:29 – Emissions inventory
19:01 – Expectations from COP 26
22:17 – 2050 Pathways Platform
24:45 – Covid19 & emissions
29:14 – WRI setting up new GHG protocols by 2022
36:24 – Carbon neutrality
41:06 – Call to action relates to political legacy of government leaderships
Louise Mabulo is an award-winning chef, farmer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of The Cacao Project, a social venture aimed at equipping farmers for sustainable success. She is a featured honoree for Forbes Asia Under 30, is a Young Champion of the Earth under the United Nations Environment Program, Outstanding Farmer of the Year 2018, and a Friend Of Humanity Awardee under the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. She has studied Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University, U.S.A. and the Watson Institute Philippines.
In this podcast, Louise talks about her journey, the Cacao Project, the challenges posed by COVID19 to her community within the context of food security, climate-smart agriculture in the provinces of Philippines and so much more.
Notes –
01:09 – Louise’s climate journey
03:23 –The Cacao Project
06:29 – Covid19’s impact
07:42 – Climate change in the Philippines
09:07 – Climate smart agriculture in the Philippines
12:24 – Food security in the local community
15:48 – Women in agriculture
21:01 – Using social media to spread awareness
22:47 – Politics and policy
24:08 – Building empathy towards farmers
26:29 – Call to action - ‘Be the person that makes the world a better place’
Agnimitra Bachi graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Early in his education, he developed a taste for sustainability when he worked with the Center for Science and Environment on alternative building practices. His fascination for ‘simply beautiful’ designs took him to Sri Lanka where he worked with prominent Sri Lankan architect Anjalendran, in close proximity to Geoffrey Bawa’s works, to which he attributes much of his design sensibilities. Agnimitra is also a graphic designer, part time comedian, theatre enthusiast and co-founder of the BlackBox movement in Delhi.
In this podcast, Agnimitra talks about his journey, his organisation Made in Earth, the challenges posed by COVID19, the importance of using earth in sustainable architecture and how to proactively engage in nurturing and adding to a green environment.
Notes –
01:13 – Agnimitra’s career arc
04:08 –The basic tenets of Made in Earth and important projects
15:32 – COVID19 and challenges
19:49 – Younger generation’s interest in sustainable architecture
25:27 – The effect of the construction industry and emissions
28:52 – Green building certifications in India
31:49 – Green building practices
34:55 – Media’s representation of sustainable architecture
41:06 – Call to action - proactively engage in nurturing and adding to a green environment.
Dr Debisi Araba is a public policy and strategy specialist and is currently the Managing Director at the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the premier catalytic, multi-partner platform for food and agriculture transformation in Africa. He is a recognized thought leader across the African agricultural sector. Prior to joining the AGRF, he led the International Center for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT’s work in Africa as the Africa Region Director. He holds a MSc in Clean Technology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a Doctorate degree from Imperial College London and a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
In this podcast, Debisi talks about his journey, his organisation Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the challenges posed by COVID19, the realities of climate-smart agriculture and what innovations we can expect in Africa in the near future.
Notes –
01:31 – Debisi’s career arc and journey
08:08 –All about AGRF and the challenges it is facing
15:31 – Climate-smart agriculture
22:01 – The concept of ‘hidden hunger’
26:02 – AGRF’s 10th Summit
29:44 – Women and agri businesses in Africa
32:51 – Politics and policy
35:36 – Covid19 and food security in Africa
39:00 – Africa and its innovations
Rohan Arthur is a senior scientist and founding trustee of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Karnataka, India. He heads NCF’s Oceans and Coasts program, an interdisciplinary group that works on a range of issues, including understanding human-wildlife interactions in aquatic environments. His research interests concern issues of conservation, particularly the implications of climate change for marine ecosystems, the rational management of marine systems and fisheries in India, and the interface between policy, traditional practices, and ecosystem management
In this podcast, Rohan talks about how the Nature Conservation Foundation got started, the role of coastal ecosystems & how climate change is impacting them, his work in the Lakshadweep islands and how climate refugees are going to be a reality in the near future.
Notes –
03:18 – How Nature Conservation Foundation got started
05:34 –Essential services provided by coastal ecosystems
10:27 – How climate change is affecting coastal ecosystems
16:18 – National and State level plans to deal with coastal issues
23:51 – Prediction of coral bleaching
27:18 – Work in the Lakshadweep islands
36:38 – Building resilience
42:50 – Empathy towards coastal communities
47:50 – The role of individual and collective action
Chandra Bhushan is one of India’s foremost environment and climate change experts. He is the President & CEO of the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST). He was Deputy Director of Centre for Science and Environment from 2010-2019. He has researched, written and campaigned for issues ranging from climate change and energy transformation to rights of mining-affected people and industrial pollution. He was conferred with the ‘Ozone Partnership Award' for his contributions towards the framing of the Kigali Amendments to the Montreal Protocol by UNEP in 2017.
In this podcast, Chandra Bhushan talks about his climate change journey, what the purpose behind starting iFOREST was, his personal involvement in the District Mineral Foundation, his thoughts about UNFCCC, COPs and the Montreal Protocol in international climate negotiations and how important it is to make a wholesale change to the economic system to tackle climate change.
Notes –
01:12 – Chandra Bhushan’s climate change journey
04:42 –Climate change in India
10:18 – All about iFOREST
17:06 – EIA draft notification
21:17 – District Mineral Foundation
27:15 – BASIC group of countries and politics
31:31 – UNFCCC and failed processes
38:53 – Kigali Amendments to the Montreal Protocol
42:45 – Tackling climate change
Dr Maheswar Dhakal is Joint-Secretary and the Head of Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment in the Government of Nepal. He is also the UNFCCC Focal point for Nepal. He holds a Masters in Environmental Sciences and PhD in Forest Resources Economics from the University of Tsukuba, Japan. His research focuses on forest policy, economic valuation of forest products, protected area and conservation policies, and human-wildlife conflicts in Nepal.
In this podcast, Dr Dhakal talks about the role the Nepali government is playing in its fight against climate change, the challenges around food security in Nepal, his expectations from COP 26 and the role of the media in presenting a climate change narrative to the people of Nepal.
Notes –
01:05 – Dr Dhakal’s career arc
02:27 –Role of Nepali government in dealing with climate change
09:42 – Kathmandu and pollution
12:07 – Food security in Nepal
14:11 – Nepali government’s policies about wildlife crime
16:44 – Sagarmatha Sambaad
19:06 – Expectations from COP26
21:15 – Media and climate change narratives
22:42 – Call to action
Mitzi Jonelle Tan is 22 years old and she has been an activist since 2017. She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 2019. During her time in university, she was a student leader in several organizations and was also part of her college student council. Mitzi is the Convenor for Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) which is an alliance of individuals and youth formations that advocates for immediate climate action led by the youth.
In this podcast, Mitzi gives us tangible examples of what’s happening in the Philippines with climate change. She talks about the work that YACAP is doing and more. She ends with the hope that youth led collective action is needed to give voices to those people who have been marginalised and affected by climate change.
Notes –
01:12 – Mitzi’s climate change journey
05:19 –Climate change and the Philippines
06:36 – Governmental reaction to climate change
12:16 – Ordinary Filipinos and climate change
15:51 – Using social media to create an impact
19:33 – Covid19 and climate change
24:06 – Expectations from COP 26
27:40 – Call to action to unite together to combat climate change
Navroz K Dubash is a Professor at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He works on climate change policy and governance, the political economy of energy and water, and the regulatory state in the developing world. Widely published in these areas, Navroz serves on the IPCC as a Coordinating Lead Author, Government of India advisory committees on climate change, energy and water policy, and the editorial boards of several international journals. In 2015, he was conferred the 12th T N Khoshoo Memorial Award for his work on climate change policy
In this podcast, Navroz takes us through some defining moments in his climate journey, gives us a taste on climate politics (both internationally and in the domestic sphere), talks us through the National and State Action plans, India and the COVID19 situation within the frames of climate change and leaves us with his hopes for a climate resilient India.
Notes –
01:09 – Navroz’s climate change journey
04:10 –Climate change and Indian politics
17:01 – India’s CO2 emissions and connection to COVID lockdown
22:52 – India’s National & State level Action Plans
31:57 – Climate change and COVID
42:13 – Informed climate activism
46:22 – Expectations from COP 26
50:40 – Hopes for a climate resilient India
Roxy Matthew Koll is a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. He is currently leading research on climate change—how it extends to the rapid warming in Indo-Pacific oceans—and impacts the global rainfall pattern, the monsoon and the marine ecosystem. He is a Co-Chair of the CLIVAR Indian Ocean Region Panel, and a Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. The Indian Meteorological Society felicitated him with the Young Scientist Award in 2016, for his research on the changes in the monsoon.
In this podcast, Roxy talks how he got started on his climate journey, what climate change means in India, why monsoon predictability is so important, how India’s National Climate Change Plan needs to evolve and how best to tackle climate change as a country.
Notes –
01:09 – Roxy’s climate change journey
03:14 –Climate change in India
10:56 – The lockdown in India affecting weather patterns
13:31 – Monsoon predictability
21:22 – Indian National Climate Change Plan
25:10 – Expectations about COP26
26:33 – Climate change narrative being presented by the media
28:56 – Scientific communications
30:26 – Tackling climate change
Ezhil Subbian has completed her degree in Industrial Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai, and then went on to do a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Oregon Health & Sciences in Portland. 12 years in the Bay Area as part of the biotechnology industry led to her starting up her own company. She is the CEO of String Bio, a company that leverages methane, produced from waste or natural sources, to create next generation raw materials that are sustainable and traceable.
In this podcast Ezhil talks about how she got started on his journey, how market ready String Bio is, what role politics and regulators play, how do we bridge the gap between law and technology and lastly her hope for a course correction towards a ‘new normal’.
Notes:
00:58 — Ezhil’s career arc
04:46 —Details of work at String Bio
07:22 — Challenges that String Bio is facing
09:58 — Politics and policy
13:34 — Future of String Bio connected to food security
15:37 — Bridging the gap between law and technology
19:32 — Fundamental shift from agriculture to science to provide food
23:25 — Technology shaping the narrative of sustainability and food security
27:54 — Course correction for a ‘new normal’
Fleur Newman has always been motivated to pursue a career where she can contribute to making our societies more sustainable. She currently leads the work on the Gender and Climate Change agenda item under the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and is the Gender Focal Point and the Focal Point for Women at the UNFCCC Secretariat. Her background is in climate change, sustainable development, energy and international law and in advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
In this podcast, Fleur talks to us about her role in the UNFCCC, opportunities to correct gender imbalance and how as a society we need to collectively push for this to happen in the near future.
Notes –
01:04 – Fleur’s starting point on his climate change journey
02:14 –Describing the way the UNFCCC - Gender Function
07:58 – How are women affected by climate change
12:16 – Resilience in terms of gender and climate change
14:45 – Climate finance and women
18:54 – Expectations from COP26
23:36 – Acknowledging challenges as opportunities
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu grew up in an agricultural family where he learnt practical crops cultivation and livestock keeping first hand as a kid. Nnaemeka wears several hats - he is the Executive Director of The Smallholders Foundation, which uses community radio to educate farmers. He has also founded ColdHubs which provides solar-powered cooling systems that help farmers in off-grid areas in Nigeria to maintain and extend the life of their harvest. He has received more than 23 awards during his professional and academic career including an Ashoka Fellowship, Nigeria’s Young Person of the Year and has been a Yara Prize Laureate.
In this podcast Nnaemeka talks about how he got started on his journey, the role his companies play in helping farmers, how social entrepreneurship is a challenge must one jump into headfirst and lastly he hopes that everyone can be a change agent.
Notes:
01:22 — The onset of Nnaemeka’s environmental journey
06:03 —Challenges faced by farmers in the region
08:42 — Role of The Smallholders Foundation
13:19 — ColdHubs and how it helps smallholder farmers
16:04 — Food security in Nigeria and Coldhubs role
18:22 — Politics and policy
20:06 — Social entrepreneurship
21:25 — Perception about climate change in Nigeria
26:16 — Being a change agent
Harini Nagendra is a Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University. Harini is an ecologist who uses methods from the natural and social sciences - satellite remote sensing, biodiversity studies, archival research, GIS, institutional analysis, and community interviews, to examine the sustainability of forests and cities in the global South. She has also been a Lead Author of the 5th IPCC Report - Working Group III. She is a recipient of numerous awards for her research, has authored two books, and over 150 peer reviewed publications, including in Nature, Nature Sustainability and Science.
In this podcast, Harini talks to us about her career path, the future of the forests and how relentless the cycle of fight for nature can be.
Notes –
01:19 – Harini’s career arc
14:31 –Nature nurtures cities versus urbanisation killing green pockets
18:59 – Covid19 within the frames of climate change
23:35 – Forests protected by state and national laws
29:44 – Work related to satellite remote sensing and technology for biodiversity assessment
32:40 – National Geographic Explorer experiences
34:22 – Books on Bengaluru
40:46 – Climate change narrative
43:05 – Call to action
Dr David Molden is Director General of ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the mountains and the people of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. He has been instrumental in the development Hindu Kush Himalayan Assessment, an IPCC like assessment that lays out policy options for sustainable development in the region. He is now formulating the HKH Science Policy-Forum to bring countries together to jointly address issues of mountain environments, livelihoods and regional cooperation.
In this podcast, Dr Molden talks about the role of ICIMOD, the Hindu Kush Himalayan assessment report, the challenges the Hindu Kush mountain region faces and his vision of a climate resilient future.
Notes –
01:04 – Dr Molden’s starting point on his climate change journey
10:04 –Role of ICIMOD
14:38 – Hindu Kush Himalayan Region feeding into future policy
16:39 – Examples of ICIMOD’s impact
23:37 – Nepali government’s policies about climate change
25:22 – Expectations about COP26
27:19 – Climate change narrative being presented by the media
29:36 – Informed climate activism
30:59 – Tackling climate change
34:05 – Call to action
Abhilasha Purwar is an environmental entrepreneur heading Blue Sky Analytics, which is building a global environmental data stack using geospatial & IoT datasets. Abhilasha graduated with a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University in 2017. She is interested in energy and infrastructure finance (particularly in emerging economies). She is a certified yoga teacher and enjoys Acro Yoga, hiking, biking and backpacking
In this podcast, Abhilasha talks to us about gender diversity in the startup world, all about Blue Sky Analytics, ageism and climate change, ESG investments and so much more.
Notes –
00:59 – The onset of Abhilasha’s environmental journey
02:45 –Challenges of being a woman in the startup world
07:57 – Role of Blue Sky Analytics
12:55 – Ageism and climate change
20:10 – Tech and outdoor sports
23:13 – Politics and policy
26:45 – ESG investing
30:53 – Tech shaping the narrative of climate change
35:53 – Making environmentalism cool
Sejal Mehta is currently the editor at Marine Life of Mumbai, the flagship project of Coastal Conservation Foundation. Her past work includes Lonely Planet Magazine India, National Geographic Traveller India amongst others. She is a published author of children's books and fiction.
In this podcast, Sejal talks to us about the creatures that inhabit Mumbai’s beaches, how empowering citizenry with knowledge can increase their awareness about climate change and how important it is to think of Mumbai’s shorelines as a living, breathing thing.
Notes –
01:07 – Marine Life of Mumbai
10:48 –Coastal Road project
17:38 – Social media and MLoM’s Instagram account
22:06 – Coastwise- an intertidal zone festival/celebration
26:06 – Outreach to the younger generation
28:31 – All about mangroves
31:29 – Cleaning up of beaches
33:58 – Media and spreading awareness
Dr Saleemul Huq is an expert on the links between climate change and sustainable development, particularly from the perspective of developing countries. He was the lead author of the chapter on Adaptation and Sustainable Development in the third assessment report of the IPCC. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – as a contributor to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. In the same year, he was also awarded the Burtoni Award for his contribution to capacity building in climate change negotiation of the developing countries. He is also the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh.
In this podcast, Dr Huq talks about the keys issues facing Bangladesh in climate change, how the role of COP’s have evolved, the climate change narrative in Bangladesh and how an empowered citizenry is the best way forward in terms of #climateaction.
Notes –
01:20 – Dr Huq’s starting point on his climate change journey
03:03 –Key issues in climate change faced by Bangladesh
06:30 – How the Bangladeshi government deals with climate change
11:06 – IPCC - role as an observer and COP’s
18:13 – Climate finance
21:21 – Climate change narrative
26:22 – How to tackle climate change
Ryan Merrill is a recent Doctoral Research Fellow in Sustainability, Strategy and Innovation and an Adjunct Professor at Singapore Management University. He has spent 10 years in higher management in institutional finance, energy research, education, and consulting, and holds a PhD in Environmental Policy from the University of Southern California. Ryan is extremely passionate about the promise of mangrove forestry to lead the fight against climate change and is doing excellent work with his organization The Global Mangrove Trust.
In this podcast, Ryan talks to us about the importance of mangroves in the fight against #climatechange and the mission and basis for his organization, Global Mangrove Trust.
Notes –
02:24 – Global Mangrove Trust - mission and vision
05:16 –GROVE - A 2020 Lab idea
12:14 – Politics and policy
17:08 – The key role of mangroves
20:59 – Conservation awards for community stewardship of the forest
29:15 – Climate change narrative
32:57 – Ryan’s call to action
Mahua Acharya is Asia Director for Climate Policy Initiative. She is responsible for leading CPI in Delhi and Jakarta, while also supporting high-level strategic planning and further build-up of the organization. She has extensive experience in green finance, renewables, and carbon markets. Mahua holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale University. She is a guest lecturer at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad & frequently contributes to the Mint.
In this podcast, Mahua delves into the world of climate finance, including tools used, the biggest opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs and what the future holds for #climateaction in India.
Notes –
01:21 – What is climate finance all about
07:19 – Challenges facing climate finance in India
09:40 – Tools of climate finance
13:40 – CPI’s role in climate finance
15:44 – Green bonds
18:18 – Renewable infrastructure
25:43 – The Lab at CPI and related projects
28:17 – Biggest opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs
30:32 – Future of climate action in India
Gokul Halan, a hydrogeologist by training, is part of the team handling the Water Resources Programme of Keystone Foundation. He manages water-related projects in the Nilgiris. With a keen interest in community development, Gokul who belongs to the Badaga community is always looking for an opportunity to apply traditional wisdom to develop solutions to modern-day issues of water management.
In this podcast, Gokul talks to us about water security issues in the Nilgiris, how indigenous tribal communities are truly dependent on water resources, and how it can take literally 14 years to establish a forest on degraded land!
Notes –
00:58 – Gokul’s work at the Keystone Foundation
01:55 –The role of GIS
06:56 – Socio-economic impact of climate change in the Nilgiris
10:34 – Importance of water conservation for the indigenous communities
16:35 – Payment for Ecosystem services
20:47 – The three pillars of Keystone Foundation
29:56 – GoI’s Water policy
35:06 – Inevitability of climate change
Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist, illustrator, wildlife buff and creator of Green Humour, a series of comic strips about nature. He believes that there is always a funny side to the serious things in life. Green Humour is India's first comic strip to be syndicated internationally and runs periodically in newspapers and magazines. Rohan has won awards by the UNDP, Sanctuary Asia, WWF International and the Royal Bank of Scotland for his work. He has authored three books- The Great Indian Nature Trail, Bird Business and Making Friends with Snakes.
In this podcast, Rohan tells us how he got started on his cartooning journey, the profound impact his work has been having and the future of cartooning in climate change.
Notes –
01:27 – Rohan’s career arc and segue into Green Humour
04:59 –Breaking down complex pieces of information into visuals
06:15 – Direct impact of work on readers
10:15 – Social media and interactions
14:22 – Personalisation of content
16:35 – Future of cartooning and climate change
Vositha Wijenayake is an international lawyer specialising in public international law, with a focus on international environmental law & UN human rights law. Vositha presently works as the Executive Director of SLYCAN Trust and is also a member of the national expert committee on climate change of Sri Lanka. Having worked since 2009 on bridging youth and environmental activism, she has focused on engaging youth as a key stakeholder in climate change processes through capacity building and awareness creation. She has over a decade of experience in working on climate change, at both the national and international level.
In this podcast, Vositha gives us a background in what drives Sri Lanka’s climate policy, how the media narrative is shaping up and whether Sri Lanka needs climate activism.
Notes –
01:42 – Vositha’s interest in environment and climate change
04:17 –SYCAN Trust and their challenges
08:36 – Sri Lankan government and their climate change policies
13:56 – Media narrative in Sri Lanka regarding climate change
17:35 – Informed climate activism
27:21 – The way forward in Sri Lanka
Harish Hande is a celebrated social entrepreneur who started SELCO, a solar lighting company in 1995. Along the way, he reinvented consumer finance for the poorest of the poor and the fundamental concept of building for the bottom of the pyramid. His empathy for his customers and humility in light of their knowledge is telling, and reflects in the meritocratic organization that SELCO is today.
In this podcast, Harish comes out swinging against the hierarchical, resume obsessed and out of touch development sector. Let’s put it this way, a lot of thumping on the table involved in this episode. It’s a privilege to have Ramon Magsaysay awardee Harish Hande on Terra.do’s podcast on climate change in developing countries.
Notes –
01:06 – The origin of SELCO and Harish’s early interest in solar energy
06:39 – SELCO Foundation and its future
13:39 – Asset building to get out of poverty
20:08 – SELCO’s strategies for asset building
25:26 – Pay As You Go solar - is it good?
34:34 – Politics, policy and our desire to preserve power structures
42:02 – Advice on how to get into social entrepreneurship
Arati has always wanted to tell stories. She realised that writing and storytelling was her passion. A childhood listening to family arguments about the benefits of dams ensured that her focus lies on freshwater issues. Her heart lies in slow journalism - following a story over seasons and years becomes important in shaping the narrative. The National Geographic grant awarded to her opened a lot of doors in terms of reaching out to people.
Whilst long-form journalism is important, social media is extremely important for outreach. Climate change and the environment is a nuanced and scientific topic. There are so many tools available to storytellers like photography & video to showcase the story's significance. Her goal is to combine different kinds of media to reach as many people as possible.
Slow journalism is important - for eg - floods are a symptom of the problem. A quick social media post doesn't give us context. Arati’s form of journalism tries to delve deeper. Patterns are changing across the planet. Climate change is so much more than the ice caps melting or even trees flowering earlier. Getting to the crux of what is important with diverse voices speaking up is essential in the climate change narrative.
India has varied ecosystems. Planting of trees in grasslands is something that disturbs the ecosystem. A desert is not a ‘wasteland’ - adding solar panels can potentially destroy livelihoods on grazing lands. The climate change narrative in India needs to change drastically.
#RiversAreNotPipes is pan India. Water cannot be just put into canals and fed across the plains. For eg: Arati calls the Indira Gandhi Canal a large pipe - the Himalayan waters are being fed into Jaisalmer. The desert was never meant for that kind of agriculture. We need to understand the function of a river. It behoves us to know how our land works.
Slow walking with Paul Salopek was a fun yet challenging experience. Paul is a National Geographic Fellow & spending time with him was an enriching experience. Walking 700 km through a landscape forges a bond. Going to places that weren’t even on Google Maps was a fabulous adventure; seeing the country through Paul’s lens and even just absorbing the landscape gave Arati perspective.
The Peepli Project was all about communities and ecosystems negotiating with each other within the frame of a large topic. There were natural intersections of issues. For example, freshwater intersected with women’s issues or health. The idea behind the Peepli Project was to follow a story to try to effect change. There are very few outlets that funded this kind of work and the project eventually ran out of funding, unfortunately. This kind of long-form journalism is imperative in Arati’s opinion.
What is maybe right for the West may not be right for India. Growing paddy in Punjab is an example of this. The Indian audience needs to keep asking questions. Listening to scientists is extremely important. It's necessary to sift the propaganda from the truth. We should always try to maintain a scientific temper. Arati’s last piece of advice is not to lose our connection with the earth.
Fifteen years ago, Ankit Singhvi took a detour to the energy sector. In 2005, he narrowed his focus further towards renewable energy & the clean tech space. His company Mozev was the first company in the country to run commercial electric buses. The core proposition of Mozev is to make EV profitable for customers across the whole chain from start to finish. The name Mozev implies mobility across electric vehicles and Z is the Z factor.
Why are there no EVs in India? Unlike the rest of the world, India has a value-oriented economy. At the consumer level, people look for value. Charging infrastructure is a bottleneck. Fleets are early adopters. Buses seemed to be the viable solution, having a unique form factor as they provide point to point connectivity. Routes can be electrified. This is not possible for other form factors. As we know, 100% of the market is fleets and if we start focusing on utilization, then we can work on making it profitable for customers.
Developments in Mozev- When Mozev started, there was no government policy in place. 25 electric buses were deployed along our first route i.e the Manali-Rohtang route. The demand since then has been quite strong and now intercity buses have started. As utilization has been maximum, profits have soared. We have now started the first Mumbai - Pune route- electric buses. By the end of 2020, he hopes that their buses will be running across major intercity routes in India.
The electrification of freight = 10x the opportunity. There is now a broader trend of electrification of economies. Freight is by definition designed to carry weight and there can be a focus on long haul applications.
Government policy - Globally there is a strong trend towards electrification of transport. Concerning service road transport, governments have been driving adoption through strong subsidies. China is the world leader on both the demand and operational side. European countries like Norway use subsidies as criteria for adoption. India is doing it a whole lot differently. They started the National Mission For Electric Mobility Transmission launched in 2012-13 where their goal was to get seven million electric vehicles by 2020 in India. The focus was on two to three-wheelers and cars with no attention being paid to buses or trucks.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries came out with FAME (Faster Adoption of EVs) in 2014. Learnings there were that subsidies weren’t generous enough to generate demand. At the market level, the government is a small operator in vehicles and traction was quite less. Ankit started the Electric Mobility Alliance which is a pan India NGO - all stakeholders like utilities, customers are involved. The focus was to reorient policy from vehicle level spend to look at lifetime spend and not just subsidies. He reckons that significant progress has happened in the last couple of years.
Ankit estimates that by 2025, 100% of bus sales will become electric!! The technology and infrastructure involved will become better. As a whole, consumer experience is better in electric buses and it's a solution which is both reliable and profitable.
Right from the onset of her career in journalism, Dharini has always had an interest in environmental issues. Communication & policy advocacy is intertwined within Climate Action Network or CAN. For several multinational fora like the IPCC meetings, CAN is the officially accredited environmental group where it functions as the public’s eyes and ears during these closed-door meetings.
Part of CAN’s role has been to flag governments who don’t participate wholeheartedly in climate negotiations. The trick is to approach them using different strategies – through media, lobbying with negotiators by always pushing for stronger action.
South Asia is very vulnerable to climate change. Agriculture is still the primary means of income for many. There has been a focus on providing insurance to farmers where there have been droughts, increasing failure of crops & food price volatility. As and when agriculture fails, there are ripple effects like distress migration & poverty. Women, unfortunately, bear the brunt of this failure. There is enormous pressure on farmers to adapt to climate change.
'Climate activist' is a complicated word. Much before these words became part of the mainstream discourse, there were environmental defenders from areas like South America and Africa who have been the front line defenders of nature. Local communities are on the front line of climate activism in Dharini's opinion.
Youth strikers like Greta Thunberg and school groups are organizing climate strikes using social media and it translates into feet on the ground. Dharini does feel that the real battle is ending fossil fuel production. Dismantling fossil fuel companies is extremely key in our fight against the climate crisis.
Social media allows people to tell their own stories without anyone mediating. People are telling their stories, using their language, in their way. This allows everyone to become a climate communicator which is the need of the hour.
We had an exciting and hugely engaging podcast with Shailesh Vikram Singh, co-founder of Massive Mobility.
Shailesh is passionate about making an impact. He believes that sustainability & venture capital thinking go together. He thinks that the current sustainable/climate tech space is analogous to how the e-commerce industry was in 2006. The trajectory in India is going to be different from how this space has evolved in the US and China.
His company Massive is one of the first funds entering the climate change sector in India. For entrepreneurs to grow, building an ecosystem is necessary. His network, the Go Massive Earth Network is an excellent means to access resources like labs and scientists.
Massive measures itself only by returns, since the impact is evident in just the space itself they've chosen. More controversially, he concludes that getting entrepreneurs to focus on "double bottom lines" just confuses them. Impact investing kills the supply of capital and innovation ends up in a chokehold.
Shailesh sees a lot of potential in the mobility and waste management sector. The right opportunities exist and it's up to companies to harness them. His unconventional perspective on the role of policy is that "globally, innovation has always preceded policy, not the other way round". Let's take the example of the Delhi elections. Air pollution is still not considered an electoral issue. The government simply doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with it.
The classic mistake that he believes companies make is that they become activist in their approach; whilst a measured business-minded strategy is needed.