Net Hero Podcast – With Sumit Bose: Recent Episodes
future Net Zero
Here for business trying to be net zero now, find out inspirational net zero stories, hear from thought leaders and experts. listen every Wednesday. Brought to you by future Net Zero.
This time, will the growth in solar globally need a bunch of robots to help us? Or is AI out to take our jobs?
This time I look at energy policy in Wales and explore if this model of energy devolution helps or hinders the net zero transition
This week Alec Taylor from charity Oceana tells me the risks from old oil rigs in the North Sea and the lessons to be learned for offshore wind
This week I explore the real growth in fusion, from concept to proven science its next big step is commercialisation
Is the political and public backlash against net zero to be expected? This week I speak to the boss of Hitachi Energy in the UK about the cost of transition...
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Greenwashing is still rife but how much of it is down to incompetence? Marketing expert Helen Neal Neal explains it to me...
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The film industry is spectacular...at creating waste! So how can we reduce the footprint of cinema studios?
After 15 years Sumit revisted Hinkley where a new power station is finally coming to life, in this special episode I take a tour around the future of clean power
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With the current jet fuel crisis has the time come for more expansion of e-fuels? That's this week's topic...
The challenge to keep control on rising costs are a feature in 2026, once again, for businesses and the public sector. There are, however, sources of solutions in reach that can boost business sustainability, protect revenue and reduce risk.Get the latest insights and smarter actions to take with water and trade effluent by joining Future Net Zero and Cherie Guthrie, a Water Plus senior Key Account Manager with 13 years’ experience in business water - in this free 2026 podcast.Cherie outlines opportunities to explore, along with the real-world strategies businesses can take to help the bottom line and keep running costs down.Those taking-up smarter water strategies are seeing results, reducing utility costs and building operational resilience:* 42.5% water saving, on average daily use, at a site after a proactive water management project with Water Plus that saw small efficiency devices installed. The saving was tracked in 2025 by a data logger installed on a water meter in a water audit and efficiency project involving 17 locations. * A national operation with a data logger fitted to a water meter at a site was alerted to a rise of 400 litres per hour, preventing more than £12,000 in additional annual wholesaler charges. A follow-up visit arranged in February 2026 located an underground pipe leak, which was replaced and had lost 67,200 litres (67.2m3) in just 7 days. * A saving of more than £350,000 delivered for another multi-site - after the proactive approach and close customer support of an Account Manager and Key Account Manager at Water Plus, who challenged wholesaler charges at a location. The cost reduction in 2025 was due to changes in site use. * Another business secured a water-saving across three of its sites that could have added more than £9,400 in extra wholesaler charges on its bill. Two leaks on underground pipework and a wall tap leak were located and repaired in autumn 2025, through the Advanced Services team at Water Plus.
2026 is a key year to plan and set in motion approaches to limit additional cost challenges from wholesaler price increases for water from April 2026. And saving water can help reduce future water scarcity risks, while reducing carbon emissions - as well as have in-year impacts to give a boost to budgets. Ready to source more water, energy and risk reductions?Support is available to help organisations tackle rising costs and reduce operational risks:* Explore free resources on smarter water management: water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water * Discuss partnership opportunities: hello@water-plus.co.uk * Request water efficiency and resilience services: advancedservices@water-plus.co.uk
Water Plus, a multi award-winner for its work helping customers save water, gain efficiencies, accelerate sustainability actions and reduce risks. It's the largest water retailer for businesses in the UK, providing a comprehensive range of services for more than 689,000 customer supply points across England and Scotland. These include billing and customer service, account management, meter reading, leak detection, additional water tracking and analysis technology, water saving site reviews and water efficiency device installation. Individual wholesaler prices will vary depending on water usage and location of sites and will appear on water bills from 1st April, 2026. More details at: https://www.water-plus.co.uk/news/wholesaler-price-changes/ This is the featured podcast for Water Plus.
Wind turbines taller than skyscrapers powering whole a city? Is that the future of offshore green power... find out in this episode
A dive on a coral reef had a profound effect on silicon valley wizz Tom Chi and he's now on a mission to change the negative narrative on net zero
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This time why hasn't Hydrogen taken off as the next great clean fuel? I chat to Steffen Hoffmann the MD of Bosch in the UK
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Is Geothermal power the secret sauce for net zero, as new science shows many more places could use heat from underground...
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In this episode I chat with Laura Elms from e-bike hire company Forest, about getting more women using cycles with confidence
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In this episode I chat with Laura Elms from e-bike hire company Forest, about getting more women using cycles with confidence
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This week I sat down with Kirsten Oliver from WSP to unpack what the latest Contracts for Difference auction means and why it matters
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In this episode Sumit speaks to Georg Rute from Gridraven a company using AI and the weather to improve the capacity of powerlines.
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This time I talk to Kate Schecter from World Neighbours on how we ensure developing nations at the forefront of climate change are part of the net zero effort
Are we doing enough to make sure our kids are learning in a cleaner, safer and more sustainable place?
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In this episode Sumit speaks to Georg Rute from Gridraven a company using AI and the weather to improve the capacity of powerlines.
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Which? Energy specialist Emily Seymour helps me breakdown if Labour's Warm Homes Plan will change things for the better
This time Sumit explore the world of robotics and how everything on every production line everywhere - is actually powered by fossil fuels but one company is out to change that
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Wale Aboyade from Sun King explains how plug and play solar is transforming energy access across Africa!
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As Britain gears up to rebuild the grid, roll out EV charging and accelerate infrastructure, how do we actually know where anything should go?
Is COP still worth it or is the whole net zero project starting to wobble? That's the topic for this week's chat with Lord Adair Turner
Is it time for floating wind? Or is it just an expensive impractical folly? That's this week's topic on the podcast
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Sustainable aviation fuel is finally stepping into the spotlight and this week’s Net Hero Podcast dives straight into the fight to clean up flying
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This week I speak to the boss of Octopus in the USA about AI, data demand and the tricky to navigate net zero world of state specific supply
This time around it's a warm welcome back to Dr Frederick Bertley from COSI and we tackle the thing that'll change climate forever - AI
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This episode the forgotten side of decarbonising - how to make 'sustainable' chemicals used in everyday items
Is an SMR the key to unleashing wide scale clean power? Find out in this episode...
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Is an SMR the key to unleashing wide scale clean power? Find out in this episode...
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This week could you be binning a useful source of power each time you throw out your food waste?
This time round Sumit speaks to Susan Taylor Martin of the BSI about the new net zero standard set to shake things up next year
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This episode I talk to Joe Kwiatkowski, a data scientist and energy specialist who can now tell you just how clean your power is day to day!
Solar is entering its prime says this week's guest on the Net Hero Podcast, so is it really the most important renewable power?
The Net Hero Podcast is back after the hot summer break and this time I explore what happens to disease spread as our climate shifts
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Dan Williams, CEO and CO-founder of measurable.energy, joins Sumit Bose to discuss the crucial aspects of energy strategies that are being overlooked
Estimate how much energy and carbon reductions and cost savings you could generate
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Is carbon trading actually going to boom?
Will your business soon find itself judged on your emissions as well as profits - find out in this episode!
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The force is strong with this podcast as Sumit speaks to a sustainable jedi shaking up bioplastics
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This time Sumit speaks to Ana Luisa Vaz from an innovative Dutch company which is working on a type of cement that will lock away carbon forever!
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Stew Horne, Chair of the Heat and Buidlings Council takes me through the culture shift we need to decarbonise heat and it's about trust
This episode Sumit speaks to my friend and a brilliant leader in the energy sector Jo Butlin, about the continued lack of women's representation and why it's still annoying!
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On this episode, energy expert Tony Day tells me building more power plants, solar and wind farms isn't the only path we should be prioritising... we should look at efficienc
🌊 Dive into the Deep: The Ocean’s Secret Weapon Against Climate Change 🌊
This week on Net Hero Podcast, we plunge into the abyss—not in despair, but to uncover one of our planet’s most underrated climate champions: the deep sea! 🐙💙
Join marine ecologist Dr Jean-Luc Solandt of the Blue Marine Foundation as he reveals:
- 🧊 Cold, Dark Carbon Vaults: How seabed ecosystems quietly lock away centuries of CO₂
- 🚢 Climate Vandalism Exposed: Why bottom trawling is “ploughing ancient forests” under the waves
- 🗺️ “Protected”? Think Again: The shocking reality of map-based marine reserves without enforcement
- 🔧 Solutions at Sea: Stronger laws, smarter monitoring, subsidy shifts, and coastal community empowerment
If you believe trees and renewables are the whole story, think again—our greatest climate ally may lie miles beneath the surface. 🌐✨ Learn how you can pressure policymakers, vote with your wallet for sustainable seafood, and help the ocean heal.
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Lydia Edwards explains how British Gas’ Flex Advantage gives businesses control, flexibility and zero carbon energy as standard
Karl Farrow takes Sumit on a journey underground to explore the potential of geothermal energy in Britain
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This episode Sumit explores if gas is actually part of our green future rather than our past.
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James Hughes, Head of Commercial SME and Paul Sidebotham, Head of SME Sales, join the team at Future Net Zero for a quick chat, sharing their insights on the evolving landscape of net zero, energy tariffs, and services within the SME sector
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Could optical cables offer us the solution to AI's growing demands, that's the subject of this episode.
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With all the recent political furore over net zero is it time for a rethink? That's what I discuss with Robert Groves the CEO of Smartest Energy this time round
Rory MacFadyen the co-founder of sustainable sports brand Reflo tells me why sports can change the way we think about climate
This episode we delve into biotechnology and whether we can enhance nature to solve the climate crisis
This episode is all about money 💰 as Sumit talks to Heiko Ludwig from German bank Nord/LB about funding big net zero projects.
Tune in now to find out more!
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This time round I speak to James Humfrey of Xlinks who have plans to take green power from Morocco to the UK!
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A brilliant guest this week Dr Frederic B Bertley the CEO of COSI explains what's gone wrong in science messaging
In this episode Sumit speaks to a Swedish scientist using graphene to boost the green hydrogen revolution
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They were our first stab at cleaning up emissions and they became rich pickings for thieves...catalytic convertors. You probably have one if you have a petrol or diesel motor.
They sit ahead of your exhaust and are made of a mix of precious metals like platinum and palladium. Now one company in Canada is doing it's best to recycle all the good stuff so we don't have to mine it again.
I spoke to Don Weatherbee CEO of Regenx Tech about how this could be a way to help us protect resources.
I will put my cards out there I think carbon capture or CCUS as it’s called – the U is utilisation and the S storage – is a vital part of the net zero path. Others disagree – many others. It’s said to be too expensive, unproven and worst of all a licence to keep burning fossil fuels.
This episode I chatted to Olivia Powis the boss of the CCUS association representing companies working to bring this tech to the party. So what’s her view on the role of CCUS right now?
🌿 Net Hero Podcast – How Green is Your Windfarm? 🌬️⚡
Windfarms generate clean energy, but their construction impacts nature. How do we balance renewable power with protecting wildlife?
🎙️ Heather Lafferty, Ecologist at Statkraft, shares how her team ensures windfarms are built responsibly, minimising harm to birds, animals & habitats.
🔹 How windfarm sites are carefully assessed
🔹 The conflict between ecology & business goals
🔹 Why independent experts play a key role in decision-making
Are windfarms as green as we think? Listen now and read the article 👇
🔗 Podcast: https://fnz.energylivenews.com/2025/03/05/net-hero-podcat-how-green-is-your-windfarm/
WindEnergy #Sustainability #NetZero #Renewables #WildlifeProtection #GreenEnergy
Take a fresh look at ways to help keep running costs down, increase efficiencies and cut carbon emissions in 2025
This episode we are talking waste, how it's dumped, treated and why it's actually not waste at all but valuable resources we should look after
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This week it's time to whizz around the track as I chat Formula E racing and what it will do for mass transport
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This week we go east to Singapore to see how one of the richest Asian nations is trying to clean up its fossil fuel economy
This week Sumit joined by Myrtle Dawes the CEO of the Net Zero Technology centre to chat growth
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This week, how an old technology like Radar is helping a Norwegian tech start up clean up the waste sector
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In this podcast I explore Helium and if we can use this gas to speed up net zero pathways
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Could solar advances help cut space exploration emissions?
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In the final episode of 2024 I take a look back the tales we have told...THANK YOU.
That’s all I really need to say, thanks to all the guests on the podcast this past year, to my team who make this show possible and to you the readers, viewers and listeners.
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Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage or CCUS is a divider of opinion. Personally I think it's going to play a big role in the net zero future, as does the new government, however many say its too expensive, too unreliable and a licence to pollute.
In this week's Net Hero Podcast, I explore if this tech can have uses on a much smaller scale with John Hartley who is the boss of Levidian. Its a company making small scale CCUS a reality.
In this week's podcast I look into how cleaner steel is vital for all our energy scenarios
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I explore the potential of fusion to drastically alter our lives and no, it's not science fiction!
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In this week's episode I explore if the world is suddenly taking a backward step on its net zero pledges and what's to blame
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast I explore the challenges affecting COP29
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In this episode I speak to an IT expert about how important the emissions from your computers really are
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast I investigate if sustainable aviation fuel can work
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose spoke to Nedjip Tozun, CEO of d.light on ensuring fairness in the energy transition
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In this episode of the 100 Days of Labour podcast, Future Net Zero speaks with Margaret Read, Director of Policy at the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), about the critical need to decarbonise the UK’s heating systems. We will discuss the NIC’s perspective on the challenges of decarbonising buildings, identified as a significant barrier to achieving net zero emissions.
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Labour says it wants to supercharge the green transport revolution but is it being blindsided by EV bias? There are other ways to cut emissions, so should the government be more open to alternatives? Nick Molden, CEO of Emission Analytics gives us a candid and unbiased view of the options ahead.
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We spoke with Tim Rotheray, former CEO of the ADE and currently Chief Sustainability Officer at Viridor, who says heat decarbonisation won’t ever get dealt with if we expect consumers to take the lead as we discussed Labour’s heat plans. Tim told us its been a topic governments have circumvented as it’s often too hard to tackle.
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Sam Hollister, Head of Energy Economics at LCP Delta, and Matthew Deitz, Senior Consultant at LCP Delta, will discuss the current energy landscape in the UK. They will evaluate the impact of the new government’s policies on energy costs and finance, particularly how these policies have affected energy prices for both companies and consumers.
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Marcus Shepheard highlights key actions, such as lifting the ban on onshore wind and launching Great British Energy, as steps toward a more sustainable energy system. Marcus describes the 2030 Clean Power Plan as challenging but achievable, noting that meeting increased electricity demand will require significant investment.
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Labour has set out its policy landscape. How can you navigate it and be sure it’s fair? What about the bureaucracy barriers to growth? We explore both with the CEO of Ofgem Jonathan Brearley and COO of npower Business Solutions Anthony Ainsworth listen in.
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Physics Professor at the University of Oxford, Henry Snaith spoke to Sumit Bose about his revolutionary solar technology
Save water, save energy and cut carbon emissions – from sinks, to toilets and more, hear how to tap into the opportunities out there, with the multi award-winning team – and official water partner of Future Net Zero - at business water retailer Water Plus
Water can be a forgotten utility, though by controlling it businesses – including SMEs and larger – can often reduce their water consumption and other utility bills.
And getting started with water-saving is easy too – plus water efficiency actions don’t need to cost the earth.
As for the potential out there – well, a pub that runs accommodation for hire, saw the average flow rates through taps decrease from an average 13 litres a minute to an average 2.4 litres a minute, an 81% water saving, with new water efficient showerheads cutting flow rates from an average 11 litres per minute, to an average 7 litres per minute.
These are low-cost steps, that can deliver a big result around using less water and less energy.
Hear more about the opportunities with water out there – in this podcast. Plus, there’s more on the Future Net Zero site here.
There are carbon emissions linked to all water used at businesses, so reducing water used, cuts carbon too.
You cannot go Net Zero without looking at water and finding smarter ways to use it, reducing overall use – which gives a big boost to efficiency.
Businesses and the those in the public sector interested in the additional water tracking and services Water Plus can provide, including water audits, can email: hello@water-plus.co.uk .
Sumit speaks with Sophie Truman from Too Good To Go, a B Corp trying to tackle food waste.
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose spoke to Chief Executive Officer of DAI Magister, Victor Basta about funding for sustainability companies.
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In this week’s podcast, Sumit Bose interviewed Emma Toovey, Chief Ecology Officer at Environment Bank, about nature recovery projects
In this week’s podcast, Sumit Bose interviewed Emma Toovey, Chief Ecology Officer at Environment Bank, about nature recovery projects We've introduced a new viewing system for our podcasts to give you early access.
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose interviewed Javier Cavada, CEO of Mitsubishi Europe, Middle East, and Africa, about the current state of electrification
We've introduced a new viewing system for our podcasts to give you early access. We will release episodes on our usual channels a week later if you're unable to register to our early access platform, visit: Net Hero Podcast
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose speaks to scientist at the National Physical Laboratory, Ali Al-Sikab on the role of hydrogen in a net zero future
We've introduced a new viewing system for our podcasts to give you early access. We will release episodes on our usual channels a week later if you're unable to register to our early access platform, visit: Net Hero Podcast
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In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose spoke to Ian Rose of smart thermostat company Passiv UK about decarbonising heat at the lowest cost to consumers
In this week's Net Hero Podcast, Sumit Bose speaks to Executive Director at Symphony Environmental Michael Stephen about technology that turns ordinary plastic biodegradable
Investing in at-home charging infrastructure can help you save over £1000 a year compared to public charging, said Michael Goulden, Co-Founder of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure supplier, Kerbo Charge.
In this week's episode of the Net-Hero Podcast, Michael told us: 'Around 40 percent of residents in the UK and 60 percent in London, don't have driveways.
'And the problem for those people is that the average price of a slow neighbourhood charger in the UK is 55p a kilowatt hour. That works out to be more expensive per mile than a petrol car.
'So there is a lack of incentive for people to move to electric - new EVs are more expensive at the moment and the cost of using a public charger is more expensive than running your petrol car.
'And it is the residents in cities that we want most to move to EVs that are most reluctant. They are the most vulnerable to air pollution.
'Data tells us that about 300,000 people in the UK died prematurely because of air pollution. And pollution from cars is a big part of that.'
Kerbo Charge provides at-home charging infrastructure without the need for a driveway.
He said: 'So we know that people want to be able to charge at home and it's about getting the power safely from their house to their car.
'The product that we've developed is a through pavement EV charging channel.
'We've talked to councils and they told us that it needs to sit flat with the pavement so it doesn't create a trip hazard. We only want the cable to be going in when the resident is charging and then they need to be able to take it out. It needs to have a lid with a self-closing design so it can't be left open by accident and it needs to be able to bend with the pavement surface. And we made a product that does just that.'
Michael told us that the infrastructure can also be used for flats.
He said: 'We've developed something for people living in flats especially those on higher floors, which is a sharing app.
'The way this works is if the ground floor flats can hook up their power to a charger and then run that through the Kerbo Charge channel, then anybody in the block of flats can borrow the power supply.
'The app records exactly how much electricity is used and then the owner of that flat is paid for the cost of electricity before they pay their bill.'
Although the cost of installing EV charging infrastructure is expensive, Michael tells us that government subsidies and the long-term benefits of having at-home charging can help.
He said: 'There is now a government grant for everyone in the UK and it is £350 off the price of your charger once you get one of these channels.
'So that helps bring the bundled price down. So if you get the channel that is about £1000 and a charger would be about £900 fully installed, you take £350 off that.
'But with chargers you can get a subscription service and that, coupled with the fact that at-home charging is cheaper than public charging, will pay itself back.
'There are also councils that are helping with the cost of installing Kerbo Charge. So in Nottinghamshire, they are putting our units in for free. In Reading and Milton Keynes, they are expected to subsidise the costs. So there is allocation of cash for local authorities to help EV drivers.'
Watch the full episode below and don't forget to register to the Big Zero Show Online: 100 days of Labour event.
Energy efficiency shouldn't cost you thousands in retrofits, said Tom Ascough, Managing Director of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company, Symphony Energy.
In this week's Episode of the Net Hero Podcast, Tom told us: 'There is a significant performance gap in HVAC. Practically every building suffers from it, where you think you're going to get a lot better energy performance based on design and you don't.
'We need to match theoretical energy efficiency to actual efficiency.'
Tom told us that the challenge of decarbonising heating and cooling is massive.
He said: 'The challenge with cooling is that as you tackle heat, you actually worsen the cooling challenge because your buildings are better insulated and retain heat.
'In terms of global statistics, buildings account for 40 percent of total global emissions, 27 percent is just the operation of buildings and half of that is just HVAC.'
Symphony Energy helps buildings improve on their existing HVAC infrastructure without excessive costs.
He said: 'One of our technologies dubbed performance algorithms takes your existing HVAC infrastructure and forensically examines it and identifies the environmental signature of the building.
'Demand for heating and ventilation changes every day in every part of a building and we identify that pattern. And then we look to match that pattern with output, put those together and automate them.
'In terms of the retrofitting – two of our technologies, including the performance algorithms, doesn't change anything physically in the buildings, just the programming. And the last of our technologies is a small device that needs to be retrofitted but it is just tiny stuff.
‘So it costs very little and doesn’t cause much of a disturbance.’
Symphony Energy’s technologies can significantly increase energy efficiency.
'With the combination of our technologies, we can typically reduce energy consumption in a building by 60-80 percent.
'We had a client who wanted to test us and they gave us one of their best performing buildings, in the top 5 percent, to improve.
'Initially we thought, what can we really do? But when we deployed our three technologies, we ended up reducing the HVAC electricity by 75 percent and the HVAC gas by 76 percent. We brought that energy use intensity of that building from 121 down to 44.'
Watch the full episode below and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
In this week’s Net Hero Podcast, Sumit spoke to Roger Holm, Executive Vice President at marine solutions company, Wärtsilä on how they’re trying to clean up the world’s shipping lanes
We need to future-proof the shipping industry, said Roger Holm President Marine & Executive Vice President of Wärtsilä.
Speaking on the podcast, he said: ‘Global trade is dominated by shipping.
‘More that 80 percent of global trade is handled through ships. We have around 100,000 ships around the world that transport everything from cargo to passenger travel.
‘So it really is the lifeline of global trade and it impacts all businesses around the world.
‘But this also makes it one of hardest industries to decarbonise. The reason why you can’t electrify shipping like you can do with so many other industries, is because of the weight of the batteries and the space you would need.’
The shipping industry is concerned about its footprint and The International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided last July to commit the global shipping sector to net zero by 2050.
‘We currently use both diesel and liquified natural gas (LNG). LNG is gaining a lot of traction and it can help us decarbonise.
‘Recently, we have also gone from a single-fuel environment to a multi-fuel environment. Green methanol, for example, which is a carbon neutral fuel has been taken up quite a lot in the last year.
‘The engine technology that we use is actually very good because it gives us flexibility. You can invest in a ship now that runs on LNG today and then when green fuels become widely available, you can convert the engine to run on green methanol or green ammonia, for example.
‘So it gives you the flexibility to change the ship during the lifetime of the vessel, which is necessary for us to get to net zero by 2050.’
Watch the full episode below and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
Globally the construction industry, the built environment if you like, is responsible for 1% of global emissions, that sounds small but it's actually huge. That's just what it takes to build something, let's not forget all the embodied carbon it takes to make a concrete slab, a steel bar or clay brick.
So how can we cut down that footprint?
In this episode I chat to Mats Skoldberg, Head of Technology from Volvo Construction Equipment, they make a huge chunk of all the diggers and excavators, lorries and dump trucks used around the world.
Put your prejudices away and help a common goal.
That's the advice from Bob Ward, Policy Director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. He was my guest this week as we worked through the challenges facing the new Labour government.
So it's happened, a super majority for Labour.
After last week's election results what is the new government going to do for accelerating net zero? In this podcast Sumit Bose gives you his take on the opportunities and challenges Labour now has, to live up to its manifesto pledges.
Net Zero will be better for our health.
That's why it matters so much, says Wendy Cheeseman, who heads up sustainability at Oxfordshire University Hospitals NHS Trust. Wendy who will be speaking next week at the Big Zero Show, explained why the NHS is so concerned about its own emissions and wider carbon, as she says it is a real marker for health.
We discuss the pathway for reduction for such a large and vital organisation and how to balance what is needed by frontline medicine. Despite what you may think, medical staff who are obviously busy saving lives are also very conscious of the environment says Wendy, so how do you get the balance right?
Find out next week, grab the last few tickets remaining here.
In a future net zero podcast, Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer for npower Business Solutions told us that sustainability will help businesses grow
We’re going to have to speed up the planning process to meet net zero targets.
This is what Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer, npower Business Solutions said in this episode of the future net zero podcast.
In this podcast I talk about starting your sustainability journey and how sometimes just wanting to start is enough...
Team up. And start.
That's the way to get to net zero says Fitzoy Hutchinson, who is in charge of sustainability for the famous Celtic Manor Resort.
In this brief chat we discuss the issue of supply chains and the challenges of getting emissions down if budgets are tight. Fitzroy has worked in the NHS and now in hospitality, where there are huge challenges and also expectations from their consumers be that patients, or tourists.
He told me how he is trying not to punish his suppliers, rather encourage them to join the Celtic Manor pathway to net zero. We also discuss how to cut back without costing the earth for your organisation.
When I ask Fitzroy his top tip for those trying to cut emissions, he responds adeptly: "What can you do? Do the best you can!"
Come and hear more from Fitzroy when he speaks at the Big Zero Show on July 2nd.
In this podcast, Kenny Hallet, Head of Sales Development and Nick Parr, Head of Major Business Commercial join the team at Future Net Zero to give a quick market update. They look back at the past few years to talk through the energy market and how we’ve got to where we are now!
They discuss the landscape through covid, the war in Ukraine and an energy crisis to market stability and normality in 2024, touching on how as a business we managed daily spikes, changing consumer appetite for energy procurement and how we’ve diversified our product offering to strike a balance between risk and budget certainty.
What happened with demand destruction as working from home became the norm, is the market evolving so that automation, better data, and flexible consumption become common place and is Kenny about to be replaced by AI!? Listen to find out…
Podcast highlights:
- Kenny has been in the energy industry for 20 years! We couldn’t have anticipated or prepared for the shocks of the last few years. The energy crisis took the market by surprise, it’s been a long recovery buts it’s raised the profile of energy.
- Nick states customers and suppliers have had to understand what the risks are and how to get through these. We saw markets spike on a daily basis, which created a challenging environment for everyone.
- Demand destruction has been significant, and we’ve learnt how to reduce our demand. With a milder winter, we’ve an abundance of storage!
- Current landscape has been stable, so some customers have planned ahead and reforecast in line with usage.
- Talking to your supplier is more important now than ever. We want to take the time to focus and understand people’s needs, some products are complicated, but we can offer reassurance and guidance.
Get in touch:
For further information on anything discussed in the podcast, or if you want to explore our products and get some guidance and support on which one is best for your business, get in touch with our team today.
We’ve a comprehensive product line up to meet your procurement needs and a variety of renewable options to get you stared on the road to net zero.
You must take your supply chain with you if you want to get to net zero.
That's what Matteo Deidda from Lloyds Banking Group told me as we discussed how we can take all businesses on the journey to net zero. Matteo will be speaking at our Pathway to Net Zero talks offering a synopsis of the Lloyds group's ambition to halve its supply chain emissions by the end of this decade.
We discussed how it's important for larger companies not to persecute but encourage and help smaller suppliers who are not as aware of what they can do to reduce emissions.
Listen to our short chat and remember to book one of the last free tickets remaining for the Big Zero Show.
The food we eat. You are what you eat. Eat well be well.
So many phrases revolve around our fundamental need to shove something in our mouths but should there be a new phrase?
Eat for the planet?
In our Pathway to Net Zero sessions at the Big Zero Show, we will be exploring exactly that concept. I spoke to Tom Maidment from Hilton Foods, who will be speaking about the footprint of food used by your business and why it's often ignored by many of us, when looking at our emissions footprint.
However, it can not only be sigificant but also something you can affect directly.
Want to know more, listen in and come along on July 2nd.
In this week's briefing I chatted to Simon Manley from UNDO, who will be taking us on a journey through carbon removals when he speaks at the Big Zero Show in July.
If you've not heard of carbon removal, it's a bit similar to carbon capture but often involves passive natural resources to grab the carbon out of the air, in the case of UNDO they are using rocks and natural weathering to do the job.
Check out this quick intro into the topic and why it can be a tool used by businesses of all sizes today, to help them on their pathway to net zero.
Catch Simon in person on day One of the show.
This week we start the first in our series of Big Zero Briefings, where I chat with one of the speakers from the Big Zero Show.
In this episode I chat to leading economist Vicky Pryce as she reveals how financing and your net zero credentials are increasingly interconnected. Vicky will be guiding you through what you can do to find funding for your net zero projects, how policies will affect you and why banks may soon give you a carbon based credit rating!
Don't miss her talk at the show, get your free ticket now.
Can tourism ever be green?
It's one of those double edged swords, tourism brings wealth and changes lives often in some of the poorest parts of the world, yet the effect of tourists can be damaging to the environment.
London is a world tourism hub with more than 2.5 million international visitors last year, let alone the thousands of Brits who visit the Capital from around the UK. One of the must do things is to jump on a sightseeing bus and cruise the streets and one company, Tootbus, aims to make that tourist experience as low carbon as possible.
I joined Gavin Brooking, the MD of Tootbus on a tour of the city aboard an EV bus and explored his desire to retrofit old buses and make them all low emission, watch and listen and don't forget to subscribe.
Oh and you can see the Tootbus in action at the Big Zero Show grab your free ticket now!
Now it's great when you the audience get in touch to tell your net hero story.
That's exactly what Robert Johnson, of Arigna Fuels did and what a tale he has to tell. It's all about solid fuels especially for the rural market in Ireland, where Arigna is based.
Being very open and honest, he explained how they were still selling coal but trying to clean up their solid fuel offering, by moving into something called biochar - a biomass based brickquette which burns almost as well.
In rural Ireland, they have thousands of customers using solid fuels who have no other option and cannot afford to replace their burners with solar panels or heat pumps. But Robert is leading work to try and offer a cleaner fuel with a much lower carbon footprint and fewer emissions.
So is this a waste of energy and resources as we all know we shouldn't be burning stuff? Or is it the right approach to help those who cannot afford to change infrastructure, clean up their emissions?
I admire what they are doing and think it's based on pragmatism and reality, what's your view? Listen in, comment and follow us on social media. And like Robert if you want to feature on the podcast drop me a line.
Vertical farming, or farms in the sky, sounds well sexy doesn’t it, conjuring up images of sci-fi clean rooms growing everything from ginger to grapes.
The truth is a little bit less sci-fi but maybe more net zero. Vertical farming allows, in general, salad crops (lettuce, rocket, kale etc), to be grown without soil, in vertical trays up to 6m in height.
As the plants are in a controlled environment there is no need for fertilisers or pesticides and they can be grown all year round.
In this episode I spoke to Jack Farmer from LettUs Grow, who have been using aeroponic (soil free) warehouses to grow crops with on average a 70% increase in yield.
He explained how vertical farming could help developed nations reduce emissions from agriculture and if some of this science can be used in hotter more arid environments.
Listen in an subscribe and don’t forget to share on social media.
Now time for that great debate... is meat compatible with a net zero future?
Globally we consume more meat now than at anytime in human history. In the UK alone a billion chickens a year make it onto our plates in some form. Add to that about a million pigs slaughtered monthly and you can see that there is a lot of appetite out there!
In terms of net zero, we are told we need to reduce meat consumption due to the amount of emissions associated with the sector, from cow burps, pig poop, water, land use, let alone slaughtering and packaging.
Then of course there is the moral argument. Suffering and welfare and of course the environmental effects, have seen vegetarian and vegan options become commonplace on menus.
But is there something that could satisfy our desire for meat but cause less emissions and suffering? That's the topic I discuss with Che Connon, an academic and managing director of BSF Enterprise. They have created lab grown pork from cells, with the same taste and texture and properties of real meat.
They are also experimenting on tissue engineering to create a lab grown leather and other bio products, with the aim of reducing the emissions and suffering of animals.
I really enjoyed this chat, let me know what you think and do subscribe and share the podcast.
James Turner joins Future Net Zero on their latest PODCAST to discuss our renewable options, how green is green energy and the importance of traceability.
Ok it had to happen. For dinosaurs, substitute the Dodo and the Mammoth. For a theme park, substitute the more altruistic goal of combatting climate change.
Yep, that’s right. A company called Colossal Biosciences from America is trying to bring back extinct species in a bid to rebalance the natural carbon cycle as well as fight the extinction of endangered species.
Their plan is to create the first Woolly Mammoth since the Ice Age, as co-founder Ben Lamm explained, as he believes the giant elephants reintroduced to the arctic could help stablise the climate.
Sounds like something right out of a sci-fi novel or movie but they are doing the science and believe the first mammoth calf could be born within the next two years.
So is this a vanity science project or real conservation work to help combat our effects on the environment. Listen in and make up your mind, don't forget to subscribe!
The humble shroom. You can have it on your plate and it’s a delicacy. You can see it growing on your walls and it’s a pest. You can see it on trees and it’s a natural composter.
But could fungi be the thing your home of the future is made from?
They have amazing properties and can be made into materials like insulation board or blocks and new research is showing they can literally ‘eat’ hard to recycle plastics or other toxic materials.
In fact, their abilities are unknown but Ehab Sayed, founder of a company called BIOHM, thinks they are our greatest natural allies in the fight against climate change.
Listen to our chat, where Ehab outlines the possible uses of fungi, from making sustainable leather to cleaning up our oceans, let alone changing the face of construction.
Let me know your thoughts and do subscribe to the podcast and our net hero newsletter.
It’s that first world problem, three years on your computer needs replacing because it’s struggling and slow but what if you didn’t have to chuck it into the skip?
What if you could replace that cracked screen, or update the memory or even swap out the processor, so your laptop can go on and on?
That’s the idea behind Framework, a PC company from San Francisco led by Nirav Patel. They have built a pc you can update as time goes on and replace things like keyboards or screens, the premise being the more we can service ourselves, the less e-waste as computers can go on much longer.
Sounds like a dream for computer nerds! But will it work for people like me who just about can turn a computer on? Listen to our podcast and see if this really is way to cut the amount of waste and reduce emissions as Nirav believes it could work for lots more electronic products…
Please subscribe to the newsletter and the podcast. Also let me know if you have a story to tell, just email nethero@futurenetzero.com
Plastic… enemy no 1 for the green lobby. We’ve learned to vilify it, from straws, to bags, to the giant rubbish patch in the Pacific. No one seems to have a good word to say about it these days. Especially as it’s a direct by-product of the oil and gas sector.
But stop a minute.
Where would we have been without plastic during the pandemic? How would I be typing this story without the plastic keys of my keyboard? Let me know how you’d get by without it? You can’t. From cars, to phones, to toys, to TVs. Medical equipment to windows. Plastic is vital.
The issue isn’t that all plastic is bad, the issue is a lot of it is very difficult to recycle and often there is no economic case to do so, until now.
This week I spoke to Adela Putinelu from Plastic Energy, a company that has found a way to do both things. They can take things like plastic film or the shiny foil plastic that your crisps come in and turn that back into the base chemicals that make plastic. This then goes back to the manufacturers or the petrochemical sector, negating the need to use fresh sources of oil to make plastics.
So, plastic gets recycled all the way back to its component material and we save on new emissions as there’s no need to dig up more fossil fuels for the feedstock.
I loved it! Listen in for the full story and remember to subscribe to our net hero newsletter and follow us on social media.
If you have a tale to tell contact us on nethero@futurenetzero.com.
Is net zero here already?
Well not quite but according Stew Horne, Head of Policy at the Energy Saving Trust and the guest on this week’s podcast, we are missing a massive trick.
Ah heat pumps - you love them or hate them.
I've never really worked out why they trigger such reactions in people. Many believe they are the ultimate answer to us decarbonising heat, others say they are an expensive redundant technology even before they are widely used.
What is the truth? Well I have often thought they can do a lot for the right home and office but only if the circumstances are right, eg a new build development. I have been less convinced if they can be a retrofit option for our buildings especially in terraced housing or compact commercial properties.
So this week Alistair Murray from Rendesco talks me through what they are, how they work and if they really are marmite or not! We discuss their use, cost and deployment and the truth behind some of the headlines, good or bad.
Two words from ancient history? Maybe actually two words for the green net zero future?
On the podcast this week I discuss if voltage optimisation is a bit of unloved technology, which could be helping businesses right now to cut their carbon and save money. The technology has been around for decades and works by making sure the electric machinery and devices operate at the optimal voltage, which is often a lot lower than the 240V we have as standard. It saves energy use and lengthens the lifespan of devices.
A decade ago many businesses used voltage optimisation but as the efficiency of products has improved, it’s become somewhat of a technology of yesterday but maybe that’s wrong.
I speak to Michael Lambert from powerPerfector who explains why voltage optimisation may actually be the right kit to help cut carbon and cost right now and why he believes its role in our decentralised energy future will be vital.
Listen and subscribe.
Money makes the world go round. But does it make it better?
For centuries, the world of finance has always been at the heart of everything we have done from trade to infrastructure, from wars to disaster relief. Commerce drives all our decisions and choices, whether we like it or not.
So where does it sit when it comes to net zero? Well the past three years there have been big commitments made to help fund decarbonisation and level up the global debt mountains, to help poorer nations tackle climate change. But has much really happened?
We need finance to fund all these changes but the returns are often years away, that means we still have lots of money making returns from fossil fuels at present. So are we anyway near a finance system that cares about greenery, rather than being in the black?
Join my great chat with Heather Buchanan, CEO of Bankers for Net Zero, as we explore the true colour of net zero money…
Insects are the kings of the planet. They live everywhere and are the most numerous animal on Earth.
We’ve heard endless stories about how eating insects will be the key to cutting our emissions from our food chain. I’m not so sure we’d all be switching to a cockroach curry or stick insect pie.
But they are nature’s ultimate waste disposal experts and one company has come up with a way to use them for just that.
In this podcast I speak to Larry Kotch, co-founder of Flybox. It does what it says and makes modular boxes which grow soldier fly larvae, they are voracious eaters and can munch through organic waste. But not only do they eat the waste, so you don’t have to incinerate or send to landfill, they are also a great feed stock for the petfood, fishing and agriculture sectors.
So you make money, reduce waste and cut emissions all naturally! Now that’s a real buzz, listen now and subscribe.
What if you could recycle your floor tiles or wall decorations time and again?
The start of Spring is almost here and it’s generally the time to throw things out and spruce stuff up. DIY shops get very busy soon as everyone looks at a home makeover.
Walls and ceilings can be repainted. Furniture can be repaired and replaced but floors? We’re normally stuck with them for years.
But what if changing your floor wasn’t as expensive? What if it wasn’t as bad for the environment either?
Designer Susana Lopez has created a company called ALDStone which specialises in sustainable flooring. She’s come up with a reusable underlay, which can have, wood, tiles or carpet laid on it time and time again. It’s brilliant for thermal insulation and made of sustainable materials.
So is this the future for green flooring? Listen in and let me know what you think. For me it’s a very clever idea! Enjoy the podcast and share it with your friends.
The weather is all over the place right now but it's certainly been cold and I'm sure you've had your heating on.
The affordability of heat is a real issue for society, politicans and the energy industry. We have people despite government subsidies, really struggling to pay to keep warm. Our homes leak heat endlessly and our businesses and industries are no better.
So how can we tackle the heat question? How can we keep warm or cold, (think of the growing need for air conditioning around the globe), in the most low carbon way? That's part of the conundrum being studied at Leeds Beckett University's Sustainability Institute. I spoke to Professor David Glew who is Director of the institute to discuss what we can do to address the issue of heat and the wider science behind cutting emissions.
Listen in to a brilliant discussion which covers a wide range of subjects on how important science based testing of net zero technologies is for our future.
Subscribe and keep sharing!
Can you look good without killing the planet? We all know the cost of fast fashion not just on resources but also on people, from child labour, to using chemical polluting dyes, it’s an industry that has come under scrutiny a lot over recent years.
But there is another side to it that is perhaps less discussed, that’s the enormous carbon footprint. Clothes are generally made from natural or synthetic fibres. The latter we all know are mainly by products from the hydrocarbon industry but natural fibres like silk and cotton also have a huge emissions impact.
On this week’s podcast Ietje Klaver is my guest and she’s from a company called Pyratex, which is trying to cut the carbon from our clothes right at the start of the journey – the original fibres. They are using recycled cotton fibres from old clothes, ones grown from seaweed, orange and banana waste and using new techniques trying to make textiles which can be reused again and again.
So could this innovation keep fashion on the right side of the climate catwalk? Listen in and subscribe!
Is climate change a religious topic ? Can we learn from those who believe in God when it comes to convincing us to change our ways?
Is the truth that net zero is missing the heavenly touch? That’s what I discussed with Michael Pollitt Professor of Business Economics at the Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge.
He’s looked at how the messages of climate change pushed out by environmentalists, companies, politicans and the media measure up against the word of God.
In essence does all the negative messaging about doom, gloom and 1.5C+ act against our collective psyche and so, instead of encouraging change make us more resigned to inaction?
Michael and I discuss if we need to reframe the messages to be more positive and if the power of people with faith, which is the vast majority of the planet, is the key way to get us all to cut emissions.
The air we breathe is probably the biggest marker of how we feel.
In parts of the world, cities are choked with smog and during the pandemic one of the clearest indications of our effect on the environment, was the sight of clear skies and fresh air, when everyone was locked down and vehicles were off the roads.
From chimneys and smoke stacks, to oil flares and vehicle exhausts. We are constantly polluting our air and this has a direct effect on climate and our health. On this week's podcast I speak to Anna Dworakowska from Polish Smog Alert, a group of concerned citizens who took action to clean up the air in their city and their country!
What started as a pressure group in Krakow, became a national movement which forced politicians to act and now pollution laws have been tightened up, improving the quality of the air across the nation.
Polish Smog Alert were recent finalists for the Earthshot Prize, so what has Anna learned and what can we do to change the climate where we live for the better?
Well what a year it’s been. As we say goodbye to 2023, I thought I would look back on the stories I thought gave a real flavour of the state of net zero.
As we end with a ‘sort’ of commitment to phase out all fossil fuels made at COP28, has it been a good or bad year for our 2050 target?
Join me as I remember some of the stories and guests who made me think twice; from antibiotics gathered from the sea, to cleaning up nuclear and my chat with Chris Skidmore on Mission Zero.
It’s been a great year for the podcast and we have also moved to video, please keep following us, subscribing and sharing what we are doing. Big thanks to the team here who produce it, particularly Garima, Rob and Sohee.
Have a great Xmas and happy new year, we will be back in January with more Net Heroes to celebrate!
Water can be an untapped opportunity for businesses – and exploring it further can power energy and carbon savings. Small actions with business water can deliver wider results – and they don’t need to be high cost to see lasting impacts.
Looking more at water use at sites is critical to future business growth and success link this sentence to: https://www.futurenetzero.com/category/water-plus-news/. Knowing more around how water’s used helps keep businesses operating, reducing risks and improving resilience.
Join Cherie Guthrie, a Key Account Manager with the UK’s largest business water retailer, Water Plus (link words Water Plus to https://www.futurenetzero.com/water-plus/ , who works with a range of sectors including multi-sites, manufacturers and food and drink companies, to find out approaches and areas that can deliver great results.
Water Plus has won 16 awards since July 2022 including a UK Customer Satisfaction Award, a Best Business Water Retailer award, two National Sustainability Awards, eight Green Apple Environment Awards and a Global Gold for Water Management in the Green World Awards 2023 for work with organisations around their water use and its steps to increase water efficiency, help reduce water waste and support projects that help communities.
To partner with the experts at Water Plus, email hello@water-plus.co.uk and include “FNZ Podcast” in the subject heading - and find more of the range of services available at: www.water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water .
Imagine having tea, in a cup, while sitting on a table, wearing trainers, that are all made from greenhouse gases!
Bonkers, right? Well maybe that's around the corner. This week's guest is Mark Herrema from a company called Newlight Technologies, which has taken carbon capture into a whole new dimension, by using bacteria to absorb carbon emissions and convert them into a plastic like material.
They call the process Air Carbon and have used it to make products like cups, straws and plates so far but the possibilities, are endless. The team have discovered bacteria that like to 'eat' methane and CO2, absorbing it from the air and convert it into an amazing array of products.
It's taken two decades of science but they are finally ready to start making things at scale. I loved it! Hope you will find the story as fascinating as I did, listen or watch now.
Net Hero Podcast Episode 107
Time to cough up? If we want to get to net zero we really need to get the money side of it sorted. Join my chat with leading economist Vicky Pryce as we talk cash!
This week, as COP28 continues we discuss the central issue in the whole net zero debate…. money.
Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, told me net zero will require significant investment and that’s the central issue. Who will pay? How will it be funded, by states or by companies?
Is carbon taxation the only route to ensuring there is an equitable market, where poorer nations are not suffering while richer nations use loopholes to appear cleaner than they are?
I chat through all these issues with Vicky. Listen in and please comment and share your thoughts on social media.
This week I spoke to Chris Skidmore MP, the man with our Net Zero plan.
As Energy Minister back in 2019 he actually wrote into law our 2050 target and it has been his passion ever since. In autumn of 2022 he set out Mission Zero his 129 recommendations for the government as a pathway to net zero.
Chris will be leaving parliament at the next election to concentrate on promoting his roadmap to net zero for both business and individuals and has written a book 'Misson Zero' to explain his ideas. I caught up with him just before he heads to COP28 to talk about the book, the current policy landscape and of course his reportcard on our progress to net zero so far.
Listen to our conversation it's honest and revealing and if you are a futurenetzero reader you can order a copy of the book at a discounted price.
Can net zero be a just transition for the whole world?
That's the big debating point this week on the podcast. I am joined by Anders Wijkman, Co-president of Club of Rome, a thinktank set up in the 1970s to look at the effects of business on the planet.
It published a report back then asking society, politicians and businesses to think about their actions on the planet's ecosystem. Anders has held a variety of roles from being a politician elected to the Swedish Parliament, to running the Swedish Red Cross, to heading up circular economic research during his 50+ years looking at environmental issues.
Most recently he published a critical outlook paper called "Come On – Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet”.
I asked him if he felt there was any way we can have a just transition, based on the progress so far and the lack of action when it comes to developing nations getting involved. His answers are quite revealing.
This week's podcast is about the global view of net zero, through the prism of a tech company working with graphene.
Now we've covered graphene many times on the podcast, it's a form of carbon that many have backed to be the conduit for the net zero transition; it conducts a current, it's super strong, it can be moulded into objects and clothing and it's incredibly light.
But this week I discuss the wider uses of it in technology and the broader, more difficult topic of net zero territoriality. Graphene can transform battery use but it's greatest deposits are in China, which already has a stranglehold on microchips, PV and much more.
In the US tech companies have been boosted by President Biden's policies to go big on net zero investment, yet is that really about their own energy security, rather than net zero? And is there a bigger issue, that net zero can only be championed in the richer nations, whilst the developing world is just trying to provide their people the basics.
Join me as I explore all these themes with John DeMaio CEO of the Graphex Group, it was a challenging and insightful discussion, please listen or watch and remember to subscribe!
Monitoring data is key for businesses starting their sustainability journey.
This is what John Hyde, Centrica’s Head of Sales told us.
He said: ‘I think for people at the start of their sustainability journey, they should look at their data. Monitor it, identify the hotspots and the emissions and then look at what kind of new technologies would have the most impact.
‘After that, it's about getting the right balance for the strategy. There's some quick wins like energy efficiency.
‘There are fabric upgrades, green supply contracts and they can unlock cost savings and you can reinvest them into bigger capex projects like heat pumps, upgrading a CHP system to run on hydrogen or solar.
‘And then finally, what I'd really urge people to do is to not wait around for government or regulations to force you.
‘[Legislation is] constantly changing but sustainable practises help business, it's good for business and it can be a differentiator for your customers too. So don't wait, just put these things into practise.’
He emphasised on the importance of using all available climate technologies to reach our net zero goals.
He said: ‘You've got different technology arms competing for the prize, where actually there's no silver bullet. All these different technologies will work together for a future better system.’
John told us that it’s important businesses embrace sustainable technology.
He said: ‘Things like heat pumps, solar, they're known quantities but people were previously hesitant to deploy them. [But] generating your own onsite energy protects you, protects against the volatility that we've seen in the market.’
But businesses are struggling to fund net zero projects, so what can be done?
‘We do a lot of research and over half of businesses we see are finding it difficult now to access funding to invest in these ways.
‘So we put our money where our mouth is. We support that kind of Opex financing and it's our own cash we're using, so there's no third parties, no banks, so people are getting a very good deal there.
‘But it's harder to quantify the cost of inaction, the opportunity cost, the people who are hesitant and sitting on the fence. But we're helping in that way with funding.’
I've heard many interesting tales over the course of the last two years on this podcast, yet this week's one is a corker!
What if you replanted forests by seed bombing?
That's right, dropping seeds like little bombs, from the undercarriage of drones, with each seed wrapped in a protective package so it doesn't smash to bits when it hits the ground.
That's what a company called Morfo is doing across parts of depleted South American rainforest. They have been using the drones to help reforestation projects in areas that have been over used or completely cleared, with remarkable results. In one project in French Guiana they've helped a forest go from 0.3 to 42% cover in just a year!
Listen or watch my chat with Adrien Pages, one of the founders of this sky high agri-business. Remember to like and subscribe!
We spoke to Justin Jacober, Managing Director of Centrica Business Solutions about enabling net zero
Sustainability has been put on the back burner.
This is what Justin Jacober, Managing Director at Centrica Business Solutions told us.
He said: ‘I think some companies are just focused on survival.
‘Even if you’re still focused on how [you’re] going to make payroll, you still don’t want to lose sight of what the net impact to the environment, in which you are operating, is going to be.
‘It’ll take all of us and it’ll take actions right now. And we all need to act.
‘It’s a matter of if we all take significant steps towards decarbonising our heat and energy networks. That’s the key.’
Business that don’t have the time and resources to think about sustainability can outsource sustainability to energy partners to help them with the transition.
Justin said: ‘What we should as an industry do is let you get on with what you’re good at. So you need to run your business, you need to focus on taking care of your employees and your customers. What we need to do is take care of that for you.
‘[We] come in with you, assess your unique roadmap to get to net zero and I can take it off your plate.
‘In five years you can make a pretty significant impact. So you decarbonise your heat networks, your energy networks, while you save a bunch of money.
‘It’s my job to help companies decarbonise, to leverage how we build, own, operate decarbonised solutions. But it’s everyone’s job to make sure that they're asking the right questions at the right time, to get people like me and others into the organisation to help out.’
Mr Jacober emphasises on the importance of engaging with sustainability, without which businesses will likely be penalised by stakeholders.
He said: ‘I think it’ll be a license that will be removed from them, either through investors or customers choosing someone different. So I think it’s kind of at your peril but the time to act is now.
‘I can’t imagine why, if you can save some money while you’re [decarbonising], why you wouldn’t do it today.’
Watch the full episode to find out how Centrica Business Solutions can help your business reach net zero.
WOW. One hundred! A Century. A TON!
Thanks so, so much for listening, as we celebrate the 100th Net Hero Podcast! When I started this a couple of years ago, I didn't think there would be such a response, yet here we are, one hundred different voices, people from all over the world and 28,000 downloads and counting!
To mark the occasion, I've been chatting to a young woman whom I first met at the start of her career as a graduate engineer, who I can firmly attest really is a net zero hero, Juliette Sanders now Director of Strategic Comms at Energy UK. Jules is an energy and sustainability geek in the truest form, she loves it!
She's worked across the energy sector and does more to make it relevant to the public than anyone else I know; from giving talks to youngsters, launching a range of sustainable energy jewellery, to dressing as a turbine at festivals, Jules has done it all.
Why? Because she believes the energy sector has a vital role to play in enabling society to change.
So, join us for an entertaining and informative chat. Keep subscribing and please help spread the word that the Net Hero Podcast is the one to listen to!
We Spoke to Oliver Kruc, Sales Channel Manager at British Gas Business about the cost of the pandemic on net zero
The energy crisis is preventing businesses from going green.
This is what Oliver Kruc, Sales Channel Manager at British Gas told us.
He said: ‘When their energy bills go from one year to the next – doubling, tripling, quadrupling in some cases. All of a sudden, the presence and pressure of incorporating sustainability becomes a bit more challenging when your costs increase by that much overnight.
‘Across the board, we are seeing less of an uptake of green energy products from businesses purely because cost is still largely above what it has been pre-pandemic or even pre-energy crisis a couple of years ago.’
Oliver told us that recent legislation pushing net zero further into the future shows that the government is mindful of the costs that businesses have to bear.
He said: ‘I think that what it does do is show that the government is starting to recognise that some of these costs aren’t really affordable today for lots of businesses.
‘None of these [sustainable technologies] are cheap for people to invest in and install and it gives the community a little bit more breathing space to think. Hopefully, we’ve got more time for some of these technologies to reduce in cost, to become cheaper.’
But businesses are being pushed by stakeholders to think more about sustainability.
Oliver said: ‘Over the summer, we surveyed 300 business leaders and one-third of them told us that they’re under increasing pressure to take environmental action from stakeholders.
‘We’re starting to see customers inquire more about sustainability.
‘And businesses are starting to recognise their customers are now expecting or requiring their supply chain to be operating with a certain level of sustainability consciousness.
‘So the ability of a business to deliver their sustainability goals has a direct impact on their profitability.’
It’s the most abundant element in the universe, lighter than air and firey too! But is Hydrogen really going to play a big role in our net zero future?
Whenever the topic of Hydrogen pops up there’s lots of furore, its detractors say it’s too expensive to make, unsustainable, impractical and limited. Its champions say Hydrogen can give us a ready made substitute for natural gas and is the key to an equitable transition.
So what’s the truth? I discuss that this week, with Danielle Stewart who works for National Gas and is heading up a pilot scheme looking at the large scale deployment and transportation of H2 around the country. We delve into the myths around its safety, its green credentials and the practicalities of what it will mean to you the consumer.
Agree or disagree, get listening and remember to drop us a line on social media with your comments. If you want to be featured on the net hero podcast, get in touch and please subscribe to our youtube and podcast channels.
We’re not moving fast enough to combat climate change.
This is what Laura Plimbey, head of partnerships and propositions for British Gas Business, told us.
But businesses are making changes. Laura told us that ‘20% of businesses have switched to renewable energy contracts and a further 68% say that they plan to switch in the near future, which is promising.’
She added: ‘We’ve seen that 73% of businesses are planning to invest in their CO2 monitoring and reporting.’
She noted that businesses can use simple techniques to reach net zero.
‘To get to net zero, there’s two things. One is your monitoring and reporting, understanding where you use energy, where you waste it.
‘Are your appliances running efficiently? Are they old? Is any equipment needing a service? Have your windows got all the seals?
‘All the basics, all the things that you can tick off to say I'm not using any energy above what I need to run my business?
‘And when you've got a handle on that, so the energy you are being supplied, that you are paying for and you are using is what you absolutely need.
‘The second part then is to have that supplied by a zero carbon or better still, renewable supply. And that makes you net zero because you're using only what you need and what you need is being supplied from a non CO2 admitting source.’
Laura noted that business can focus on cutting emissions if they cannot afford to switch to renewable energy.
She said: ‘There is [something you can do] – your CO2 monitoring, your reporting, understanding your business usage, understanding how your colleagues and the people you employ are using energy within your business and creating that energy culture, to basically change everyone’s attitude and understanding and not just pinning it all on the supply type.’
Listen to the full podcast to know more about how British Gas Business can help businesses reach net zero.
You wake up one winter's day and your house tells you to install insulation, pop a solar panel on the roof and points out the best place to stick a heat pump!
Aaagh an AI house! Well not yet but a new start up is looking at building something along these lines.
SuSy.house is an app that's going to let homeowners find out just what they can do to cut emissions for their home, by explaining the potential for solar, heatpumps and other energy saving technologies.
I spoke to Bryan Charter, one of the founders, about how it works and the way this might help homeowners and landlords find a bespoke solution for energy saving measures. Will it be a gamechanger? Will it encourage us to think about our places differently? Listen in and find out more.
A little robot gets a personality, falls in love and saves the polluted world by repopulating plant life, cheered on by obese human blobs.
If you've never seen it do so, Wall-E is a pixar classic and a film I have loved watching with my kids (and without them) again and again. The premise is clear we need robots to show us the folly of treating the planet as a waste bin. Great fiction or is it?
This week on the net hero podcast I spoke to Carling Spelhaug from AMP Robotics. They are using AI powered droids to improve the efficiency of recycling centres by teaching robot grabbers how to collect a range of reusable products. It's a way of working faster and more accurately, so is their robot Wall-E's grandad and the start of what's to come to help clean up our world?
Listen in or watch on our youtube channel and please follow the net hero podcast on social media.
Hot air! As we get towards autumn we need lots of it to keep our homes and workplaces warm. But could the real gamechanger be under our feet?
District Heating is a concept that goes back to the Romans and ancient Chinese, yet its main use has been the last century or so in America. We’ve all seen movies with steam coming out of street vents, in fact most apartments in US cities use communal heating.
But it’s never really caught on here and even in Europe, it’s confined to the nordics in the main. But now it’s being lauded again as a ‘new way to net zero’, so can it work to help us decarbonise heat? I speak to Rob Thornton who heads up the International District Heating Association, to talk hot air, pipes and community heat.
Listen in or watch the video below and keep subscribing to our channels and follow us on social media. If you want to be featured on the podcast get in touch.
Sumit Bose speaks with Julia Hailes who advocated working with business for environmental change back in the 80s.
She co-published the Green Consumer Guide in 1988, which kick started environmental consumerism and she made the bold step to say working with business was important if we are to really protect the planet.
Is Julia happy or disappointed with our progress four decades on? Does environmentalism need government to regulate to kick business into action and did she ever think net zero would become a mainstream issue? We talk through all this and more.
Please remember you can now watch the podcast too and please follow the #netheropodcast on social and subscribe to our channels.
Join us in this special episode as we sit down with our former colleague and eco-warrior, Mahin Khan, for an inspiring conversation about her incredible journey towards a net-zero future in Pakistan! 🇵🇰
Mahin Khan, a true trailblazer, has taken her passion for sustainability to new heights. From our office discussions to founding her own net zero-related company, she's making waves in the environmental sector. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking conversation that will leave you motivated to take action for a sustainable future!
Subscribe to stay updated with our inspiring content. Share this with your friends and family to spread the word about Mahin Khan's incredible work and inspire others to join the net zero movement.
Together, we can make a difference!
📢 Connect with Mahin Khan:
Carbon Wise: https://www.instagram.com/carbonwise.pk/
Mahin Khan: https://www.instagram.com/ecomindedmahin/
NetZero #Sustainability #Pakistan #Inspiration #Entrepreneurship #EnvironmentalChange #GreenFuture #Podcast #Interview #EcoWarrior
Beer, ah. Homer Simpson doesn't get much right but when it comes to a nice cold or as we prefer here in the UK, warm, beer, he's spot on.
But did you know your pint isn't as good for the planet as you might think? I was surprised as, after all beer is water and some kind of cereal, with a dash of yeast, all natural stuff, so I didn't consider it's carbon footprint apart from the packaging it comes in.
Well that's all changed after this podcast with Dr Roland Pahl-Dobrick who works for the Pall Corporation and is in charge of brewing, his quest to make the cleanest pint we can. Listen in to find out how.
Now this is a tricky one, ask most people and you think that a diesel car is the most polluting thing on the road. And an EV has no emissions at all.
But is that the whole truth? Nick Molden runs Emissions Analytics an independent testing body, that measures not just tailpipe emissions but all the emissions coming from a car.
That includes the particles from tyres to the embodied carbon needed to make both an ICE car and an EV.
What I discover during our chat really changed my mind about how we see ‘clean transport’ and what we must do to get to the ultimate aim of net zero transport but at an affordable equitable level.
Maybe, the cult of the EV isn’t right and there are other answers too?
What do you think? Do listen in and let me know and let’s try to have a sensible debate, as I fear there are some very stubborn voices out there who see the EV as the only panacea for clean transport! Keep subscribing!
We’ve all seen the rise of Science Based Targets (SBTI) as the measure of how net zero a company is.
Lots of big companies prove their ESG credentials by signing up to the targets and measure their emissions reductions success against them. That’s all well and good if you have a department of trained specialists to track everything but what about the vast majorities of businesses?
More than 95% of businesses are SMEs and mid sized companies, who will always fail against the absolute standards of SBTI, because as they grow their net emissions often increase with turnover.
So is there a better yardstick for them? I spoke to Chris Hocknell from consultancy Eight Versa who believes carbon intensity metrics are a far better methodology for most business.
I tend to agree, listen now and please sign up to our newsletter and subscribe to the podcast.
This week I speak to Dr Jan Rosenow, someone I respect very much, who has been looking for years at the state of sustainability and net zero.
He is Director at the Regulatory Assistance Project and has been studying the picture across Europe and wider, when it comes to progressing towards our 2050 target.
I put it to him there is a global divide on net zero and we explored what nations are doing to show their real commitment to cutting emissions. It's a great podcast as Jan takes me through the picture for the global south and then who's doing what in Europe, including us!
Please listen in and subscribe to our new look Net Hero newsletter with plenty of good stuff. Keep downloading and sharing.
Are you net zero enough? And if not does that make you a heretic?
That’s the question that is the subject of this podcast where I speak to Marc Cortez, green energy businessman and author. Net zero has become a mainstream topic lately and there seems to be a narrative that you need to do it now and only one way, that is electrify everything using renewable power.
Anyone with any other views, however helpful in cutting emissions, is branded a fossil fuel/nuclear/hydrogen empathiser and worse. So why are we now in a world particularly in social media, where even if we have the same goal, there is such division in the net zero narrative?
Marc and I debate this and I am sure some reading this and listening in, will not agree with what’s said, however I think it’s a debate, a reasoned debate, we need to have, so please listen in!
Any thoughts get in touch nethero@futurenetzero.com
This week's podcast is one of the ones I love. An entrepreneur with a vision to do something radical, to help the planet and us.
Charlie Paton and his colleagues have been working for two decades on creating agricultural solutions for arid lands using seawater! Their seawater greenhouses, which can be made of canvas not just glass, use desalinated sea water to bring barren deserts into life.
The water condenses and using the desert winds evaporated over special panels, allow plants to grow using transpiration and humidity, instead of vast amounts of direct soil watering. It's brilliant stuff and deserves success.
Check the video below to see this in action and listen in to the podcast, as we discuss how water stress is the next big frontier in the net zero struggle.
Foresight sustainability forestry has a mission, plant lots of trees.
Nothing new in that, however as its boss Richard Kelly told me, timber afforestation - creating woods on disused land isn't just good for the planet but also for generating profits.
They have acquired 50 sites across the country, mainly low value land and are converting the sites to become timber forests which give great yields within a few years.
Their aim is to create a carbon market in time, based on natural capital - trees, that not only absorb carbon but provides a good renewable business model.
Listen now and let me know what you think of the idea.
Dirt. Earth. Soil. Salvation!
In this week's podcast I ask whether the answer to our emissions problems is literally under our feet!
Jim Mann thinks so. He's the boss of environmental carbon capture company UNDO, which is using the science of geology to use the soil to capture excess carbon. They are spreading a type of pulversied rock called Basalt, onto farmland it then reacts with the CO2 in the air to absorb the carbon and at the same time helps improve the health of the soil.
With some grant money and pilot projects already underway, could this be a natural and low cost solution to carbon capture? Listen in and find out more.
Join Jenny Collins, Key Account Manager and Susan Carstairs, TPI Business Development Manager, who were both part of the Big Zero Show 2023, as they outline key things to keep in mind when it comes to managing water better – and how thinking more about use and noting meter reads during a year, if the meter is safe to access, can help to lower energy use, lower running costs and reduce risks to supply interruptions on site pipes.
With sustainability more and more in the minds of businesses, large and small – looking at water use can also help cut carbon emissions too, reducing wider impacts for the planet.
So, listen to this podcast from the Future Net Zero official water partner and the UK’s largest water retailer, Water Plus – and see more information about easy steps to take with water, at your site, at: www.futurenetzero.com/category/water-plus-thought-leadership/
To partner with the experts at Water Plus, email hello@water-plus.co.uk and include “FNZ Podcast” in the subject heading.
Getting older often means downsizing, finding a retirement village or home. But what if it meant living a cleaner, greener, net zero life? Ian Holloway is co founder of Burnham Waters retirement village in Essex. It's a whole new concept for older life, with freehold eco homes complete with EV chargers and heat pumps, all set in plenty of countryside to offer a natural carbon sink. The homes are being built with one third of the emissions of standard built estates and with e-bikes, electric mini buses and AI powered street lighting, is it the cleanest future we can have? Listen to our chat and be inspired!
Please listen in, as Sumit Bose looks back at and gives you a snapshot of what was discussed at The Big Zero Show 2023. Guests include Jon Butterworth from National Gas, Mayor of the Midlands Andy Street, green guru and founder of Good Energy, Juliet Davenport, Cordi O’Hara boss of National Grid and many of the delegates who came to the show.
In the final podcast before our Big Zero Show Sumit Bose speaks with Mark Rose from TotalEnergies Gas and Power.
TotalEnergies is, like many of the gas majors, changing radically. It's setting net zero targets, divesting investments into renewable power and exploring green gas.
Money. It's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash...
Those famous lyrics now seem to have different connotation, for our net zero future. But can investing in the right net zero tech actually make you a stash like Pink Floyd said?
In this podcast I talk to Rebecca Howard from Coventry Building Society. We discuss the green lending world and how making energy efficient spending commitments, could help you find funding in the future.
Will getting a loan or mortgage, one way be influenced by your carbon footprint? Listen in and remember, Rebecca is one of our speakers at the Big Zero Show on 20th June.
When it was not trendy to be green, Juliet Davenport had an idea. A commercial idea to make renewable power supply a reality for customers who cared. No one thought going green would be financially successful, yet it's now the way of the world.
I was delighted to speak to her about the journey, why she started it and how you too, can do good and still make money. She reveals the secrets in her new book The Green Start Up, copies of which she will sign after her session at the Big Zero Show.
This week on the podcast it's another one of our brilliant speakers at the Big Zero Show, Detective Superintendent Vanessa Eyles.
She tells me all about cybercrime and why hackers and criminals, see net zero as an opportunity. What can you do to protect your organisation, how can we keep safe and ensure your data, which is the new gold, is locked away?
We explore ransomware, how to deal with keeping your business and assets safe online and also where to get help for free, to make sure you are protected. It's a vital listen for all businesses.
Register for your Big Zero Show ticket to see Vanessa's talk in Coventry on June 20th.
As we build up to the Big Zero Show on June 20th, I'll be chatting to some of the experts who are speaking at the event. This episode it's Gabriel Davies from Orsted an expert in the emerging field of 'floating wind'.
We look forward to her session, discuss the ways offshore wind power works now and what lies in store if floating wind starts to scale. We'll talk power, the environmental cost of contruction and bust some myths about their effect on dolphins!
Listen in and make sure you've booked your ticket for the show to see Gabriel in action on June 20th!
A carbon capture expert speaks to Sumit Bose about the technology is ready to become an affordable solution for society
In this week’s podcast, Sumit Bose speaks to Nathan Bennett from Renewable UK about the wind power potential for the UK, legislative levers and if we are on track to hit our goals.
Sumit Bose talks to the boss of the REA, Nina Skorupska, about the place of renewable energy in society now
Can they really be the cleaner way to decarbonise transport? Sumit Bose explores this fascinating subject with Markus Speith from Siemens Energy, who have been building a prototype e-fuel facility in Chile.
This week as an Easter treat I caught up with former Energy Minister Claire Perry O'Neill. She was a speaker at our events pre-pandemic and played a huge role in getting COP26 to Glasgow.
She now works as a consultant and net zero advocate and is supporting a company called Terrascope, which is helping companies with ESG measurement and strategy. We caught up on that, technology and of course politics.
How does she think the UK has done since it committed to the 2050 target four years ago? What have we done right and where has government failed? An open and candid chat - listen now!
In this episode of the Net Hero Podcast Sumit Bose and Ellis Hall chat about how net zero has progressed in terms of business and politics over the past year.
In this episode of the Net Hero Podcast Sumit asks nuclear expert and advocate, Caroline Longman to justify why the chancellor has give nuclear the status of ‘sustainable’ energy - is it really so?
Can everyone have access to the EV market? Software company eDRV thinks they can shake up the market to be more equitable.
This week Sumit Bose speaks to Chris Skidmore MP whose Net Zero Blueprint was published last month and they discuss the state of our progress and why he still feels optimistic we can hit the 2050 target.
But the main subject of the podcast is climate science of the oceans. With work already showing we can create antibiotics from ocean algae and bacteria, therefore cutting the emissions of pharmaceutical synthesis, many believe the water can unlock more net zero benefits.
With housing the biggest challenge to decarbonisation and very little being done about revamping housing stock, is the answer to build every new home to be net zero? And what's it like to live in such a place? Listen in as Ian Pritchett from Greencore explains what they have done and the challenges that exist.
In this podcast I speak to John Olav Tande Chief Scientist with SINTEF, one of Europe's biggest research organisations. We discuss how we optimise wind power, particularly offshore wind. How do we make it less disruptive and less harmful to the marine environment? Can offshore wind work everywhere or is it just limited to Europe? Why does it offer the best way to rapid decarbonisation?
The launch of National Gas means the UK's gas network is now separate from the National Grid, nothing changes in terms of pricing or the delivery of gas but could it herald gas becoming an enabler of net zero?
According to National Gas CEO Jon Butterworth, gas has more than a place as a future energy source for net zero, as it can offer a way to use green hydrogen for power. Also he says gas pipes can offer heating in places electric heat pumps can't reach, so is gas actually a more equitable source of energy?
This week I have been speaking to Dr David Pugh from Digital Catapult, about how digital technologies are, and will be even more so, at the forefront of getting us to net zero. We discuss how more and more tech will influence the way we work and also how to ensure this smart revolution is equitable, both here and across the globe.
Listen now and do share on social media.
In this episode I explore the realities of wind power, particularly at sea, is it really the greenest form of energy we have? Can it deliver the baseload we require? What about the environmental footprint of these huge turbines particularly on marine life?
Guiding me through the pros and cons of wind is Ian Taylor from Thistle Wind Partners, who has been in the sector for 20+ years. We have an honest chat about the realistic potential of wind power for net zero.
In this podcast Sumit sets out his vision for 23 and looks back on 22.
What a big year it was, dominated by the Ukraine war and subsequent energy crisis that has led to economic turmoil here and around the world.
So what can 2023 bring us and what will it mean for your business? Does net zero have as much importance as it once did? Or is this the time to seize the opportunities to live a cleaner life? Listen now to find out...
Driving us to despair or cleaner air? Could self driving cars and autonomous vehicles help us cut carbon and reach net zero faster or are they a dangerous folly? In this episode, the last this year, Sumit chats with logistics expert Ian Wainwright about the footprint of freight and if AI cars are really the answer?
Space tech is so commonplace in our lives we hardly think of it. From baby milk to sat nav and cordless vacuum cleaners to memory foam mattresses. And of course, where would we all be without the ability to take a selfie? All these things were invented for our exploration of space.
Now research says satellite tech could help us get to net zero a decade earlier!
Listen to my out of this world chat on the possibility of space to help us fight climate change. My thanks to Todd McDonell from Inmarsat for the voyage into net zero and beyond!
The founder of the HUGO energy app explains why it’s been so successful in shifting people’s behaviour, so they become more energy conscious
For this week’s future Net Zero podcast we are joined by energy expert Vander Caceres, Market & Customer Intelligence Manager at Centrica Business Solutions.
He explains how the market is looking, as energy prices have risen substantially in the last year – and what people and businesses can do to combat this.
Join Sumit Bose and an expert from Firstport exploring the need to improve the buildings we live in
Biomass - chopping down trees for fire in simple terms. Is it right, does it make environmental sense, can it really be good for the planet? All questions I have asked and never really got unemotive, science based answers to, until now.
Join my chat with Professor Patricia Thornley from Aston University, who takes me on a journey from the Carboniferous forests of millions of years ago to the biomass burners of today.
In this episode Sumit talks to Jamie Bursnell, from Bellway Homes. They are building new homes to be as energy efficient as possible, without looking like glass igloos or tellytubby grass mounds.
How we can decarbonise housing and what we have to do to ensure new homes are built as net zero properties from now on, not as a fad but as standard?
Listen to this week’s future Net Zero podcast to learn more about how the way your business consumes electricity is changing
Nokia expert tells Sumit Bose that a clean future relies on using telecoms to make things work more efficiently
In this episode we look at whether the grid will stop businesses getting to net zero due to lack of capacity and infrastructure. As more and more organisations not only use energy but produce it too, how will the grid cope. Could it block our net zero ambitions?
That's how you can navigate your way through this tricky winter, says Anton Roberts, Director of Commercial and Transformation from TotalEnergies.
Pascal Radue, CEO of GE’s Hydro Solutions for GE Renewable Energy spoke to FNZ about the role of hydropower in the current energy crisis.
In this episode I talk to two experts on how to navigate the crazy world of energy prices. With Russia continuing its war the price of energy is more volatile than ever. So what can you do and how can your business or public sector organisation survive ?
For Energy Markets week, Kiran Bose spoke with Gina Cohen, a Natural Gas Consultant for the Technion University in Israel on what the continent can do to combat the ongoing energy crisis.
“There’s not much Europe can do in the short term,” she said.
You work up a sweat as you pound the pedals or the treadmill, 400 calories burned and then... you charge your phone with the energy you generated!
That is already happening thanks to a bright idea from Will Flint the CEO of Energym! listen now to an amazing concept.
Water can cut carbon emissions linked to your organisation – and help reduce energy bills – and this really can involve just a few simple steps. The official water partner for Future Net Zero, Water Plus, outlines how.
In this podcast, Barry McGovaney, Innovation and Technology Manager at Water Plus, the largest water retailer in the UK, covers practical steps that can make a big impact for organisations – large and small. He also shares insight and figures around some of the savings available.
Dan Hutchins, a Key Account Manager from Water Plus talks to us about how looking at water use can help public sector organisations with the climate emergency challenges to go Net Zero.
In this podcast Sumit speaks to Jeff Allinson from Delta Clean Tech on the issue of carbon capture. Could it be the best way to reduce our damage to the planet without compromising our lifestyles? Or is it a licence to pollute and a pawn used by the rich to demonstrate greenwashed credentials? Listen in and subscribe.
Tony McHardy, who is a people champion on the Executive Committee and Commercial Director at Water Plus, covers steps the company is taking to help reduce impacts on the environment.
Water can be a whizz to help organisations, small and large, reduce impacts they can have. It can also lower energy use.
Barry McGovaney, Innovation and Technology Manager at Water Plus, the largest water retailer in the UK, explains where the carbon emissions are in water at sites.
Karen Brock, who is a Customer Communications and Campaign Lead at Water Plus, the UK’s largest water retailer, explains the benefits for any organisation to look closer at the water they’re using.
On this week's podcast Shidan Gouran of BlueSphere Carbon takes me on a journey into the matrix-like code of carbon credits and blockchain! I find it horribly confusing but could blockchain help clean up this part of the net zero world?
Sumit Bose speaks to Amit Chopra from Schneider Electric on why EVs might just help you beat the energy price crisis.
As the reality of the energy crisis starts to bite this autumn, should manufacturers do more to make products that are automatically as energy efficient as possible. I speak to Lena Henry the Managing Director of Whirlpool in the UK about its net zero commitments and what they are doing to ease the consumer energy burden.
In this podcast I speak to Rupert Pearce the CEO of Highview Power about their 'frozen air' technology for energy storage and how the wider sector must play its part in cutting the wasted energy generation from wind and solar
So how does the NHS go about tackling the net zero challenge?
Well in Manchester they have a plan and I spoke to Sarah Price, who’s in charge of their ambtion of getting to net zero by 2038 and cutting current emissions by half, in just three years!
Do we need to get used to long dry hot summers? Is water soon going to be a precious resource and is all this change weather or climate change. I speak to climate scientist Freya Garry for the definitive answers.
in this episode I look at how digitalisation can be the way to clean up air travel for future generations.
Could energy bills hit £500 a month by winter and is this upwards hike in prices ever going to stop? Find out in this week's podcast with Sumit Bose
The CPRE, the countryside charity has said we have lost about 1400 hectares of prime agricultural land to green energy projects, with more planned. Are we sleepwalking into a planning crisis where we face off food v power?
This week Sumit Bose chats with Ellis about Scope 1,2,3 and what it all means and look forward to the Tory leadership race and its effect for net zero
In this week's podcast I speak to Grahame Buss a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil.
You can't have missed their actions from recently running onto the Silverstone Grand Prix track, to gluing themselves to paintings in galleries, painting the steps of the Treasury red and of course, handcuffing onto goal posts!
In this episode Sumit Bose looks back at our inaugural show and discuss the issues that came up
Our oceans are our planet and they are warming up. Latest research from the World Meterological Organization shows the waters are acidifiying and warming at a rate not seen for 26,000 years.
In this podcast I chat to Dr Maxx Dilley, the Director of the Climate Programme, who explained why this is happening, it's implications and thankfully something we can do to halt or even reverse this trend.
This week Prof Thomas Maschmeyer the boss of battery tech firm Gelion, talks the good, bad and ugly of battery tech
Why are they so important in the green transition? – we find out on this week’s future Net Zero podcast
In this episode Sumit Bose speaks to our new young carbon jedi Ellis Hall, he's heading up our carbon partnerships programme and will be out and about meeting as many people as possible, to help businesses on their net zero pathway.
Serhii Dubinevych and Stanislav Zet work together running a company called fuelwell. It is trying to cut emissions on ICE cars and other vehicles by cleaning up the combustion process by almost a fifth. It's great science and a good story. But what is most remarkable is that they are continuing to operate in the midst of the Ukraine war!
It's a big question that the Met Office's Hadley Centre of climate research has been trying to answer by looking back at historical data. Dr Mark McCarthy and his team have looked up historical records going back to the Victorian era and beyond and found that weather extremes are nothing new!
In this week's podcast I hear from Mike Gray from GreenClub which is working to make golf more sustainable. It even had me changing my mind so do listen in.
In this podcast Sumit investigates the cost benefit for retrofitting housing stock using new materials as demonstrated by a unique housing project run by Nottingham council.
We've featured so many stories on batteries here on the Net Hero Podcast so it takes something to get us interested. However the work Charlie Welch and his team at ZapBatt based in California is doing did make me take notice.
They're working on using a type of batter that lasts longer, holds more charge and importantly can be reused for far far longer so it causes less environmental damage in terms of having to re-mine the precious metals and minerals.
In this episode find out why one of the UK's poorest boroughs has invested heavily in rooftop solar for a school and how the Ukrainian renewable sector is trying to bravely carry on as infrastructure all around is blown to bits
Stop Russian energy imports say Ukrainian activists and Sumit Bose discusses the future of clean Hydrogen powered rail
In this Net Hero podcast we look at the Ukraine invasion and what the energy sector must do and explore the role of EVs in energy flexibility.
In this week’s podcast with two Gemserv experts, we look to uncover how the heat industry is changing and the key role it has in a low carbon future
Dirt. Soil. Bugs.
Could the answer to tackling climate change be under our feet? The microbiome - in other words the world of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in soil could be an under used resource in the battle to reduce greenhouse gases according to one British company.
Sumit Bose spoke to Robin Brundle from Technology Minerals about batteries and how we can save the precious resources inside them for future use
We spoke with Urban-Air Port's Ricky Sandhu on the future of eVTOLs - but what are they and would you be willing to take one?
We spoke with ENA’s Farina Farrier about how energy networks are set to adapt to the green transition and what this means for the market and infrastructure.
This week we speak to a team of students from Coventry University Business school who have designed a house that is cheap to build from recycled materials for developing nations at risk of flooding from climate change
Can we make cement and concrete less carbon intensive as we try and build a new net zero world?
Sumit Bose speaks to Ian Riley from the World Cement Association about the challenges to make concrete cleaner and even carbon negative
If your EV starts playing up you can't look under the hood to see what's up, you will need to check the health of the battery cells so how do you do that without taking something apart?
Well a team of scientists led by Prof Peter Kruger head of Experimental Physics at Sussex University, have come up with a way to do just that using quantum physics to make a 'camera scanner' to see if your battery is poorly!
Listen to our latest podcast with Gemserv and Dodona Analytics discussing why a data-driven approach will be critical in the low carbon transition.
Happy new year all and welcome back to our first podcast of 2022.
In this episode Sumit Bose speaks to Sebastiaan Van Dort of the BSI about the standards we will need as we enter a world of net zero. How will we regulate the new EVs, batteries, peer to peer trading or the plethora of other things we have to deal with?
Listen to today’s podcast with Gemserv’s Rob Honeyman on the critical role low carbon heating has to play in the net zero journey and what next steps should be taken
This is the last episode of the Net Hero Podcast this year and it's a cracker. Sumit Bose started this podcast to hear from businesses, politicians, academics and the great and the good working towards net zero.
But Sumit also wanted to highlight ordinary people doing something because they believe it's the right thing to do and that's what this episode is all about.
In this week's episode you'll hear two very interesting chats that Sumit Bose had at COP26.
The first was an obscure stand behind the back of the Blue Zone where I met Vincent Huang the offical artist of Tuvalu - he is bizarrely Tiwanese and specialises in art depicting climate change, frankly fascinating and the second part is a conversation with an old friend of ours here at futurenetzero.com - Angus Forbes who was a co-host on series one of Gaia Says No.
In this week's Net Hero podcast Sumit Bose is joined by Alex Goody the CEO of Gemserv. They take a look back at the events and conversations from COP26 and of course the plethora of commitments.
Listen to our latest podcast with EQUANS’ Mark Dolling on the 'School Zero' project - set up to help get schools on a greener pathway
Listen to our latest podcast with ENA’s Randolph Brazier on what the networks are doing to help in the energy transition and the key role they play
On this week’s podcast, Sumit Bose spoke to Catherine McGuinness, Board member of TheCityUK and Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee, on the importance of finance in this year’s climate summit, as well as its impacts in the future.
She labelled the conference “the finance COP” – but what does this mean?
The final episode from COP26 and Sumit Bose spoke to some of the business people of Scotland working on delivering net zero
Today was youth and pubic empowerment day - so the young people took to the streets actually they didn't, some did to listen to Greta but there were a lot of oldies in the crowd.
However we went off the beaten track to a fringe event where it was just young people, international scouts in fact and they told me what they want from the businesses of today to secure the future of tomorrow.
I can tell you they were really impressive have a listen in...
Today was energy day at COP26 and we had a lot about killing off coal but there was lots more too. Sumit Bose was walking through the ‘action zone’ when who decided to offer a talk to us all, none other than Al Gore the former US Vice President and his message around net zero was actually quite positive!
Sumit then spoke to two energy sector advocates that are vital for the transition – nuclear and … hydropower and the day ended with a powerful statement from a delegate from Tanzania who bascially said for COP26 to work, rich nations need to cough up!
What an interesting day indeed. This day three of CO26 has Sumit Bose with a new pair of echo shoes! Dimitris our reporter got caught up in the XR protests to mark finance day and Sumit Bose met the head of the biggest mobile organisation who said 5G will speed up net zero!
Oh and it did end with a meeting with representatives of two Amazonian rain forest tribes!
So it's day two from COP26 and in this podcast we give you a feel of what it's like to (eventually) get inside COP26 blue zone.
Sumit Bose speaks to delegates from various nations and grab an exclusive chat with Mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan who has some of the biggest tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft in her city. She's part of c40 cities - a group of Mayors from around the globe who are pushing the agenda on net zero and climate change issues.
Throughout COP26 we will be bringing you regular Net Hero podcast episodes.
Today, day one it's our journey via train from London to Glasgow and the thoughts on what awaits at COP and the reactions to the opening day speeches particularly that of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles and the UN Secretary General too.
Sumit Bose is joined by our news editor Dimitris Mavrokefalidis as we discuss the next two weeks for energy, business and the planet. High hopes or will it be a wash out?
In this week's episode, Sumit Bose speaks to Nikki Flanders, Managing Director of Energy Customer Solutions at SSE, who are one of the principal sponsors of COP26.
They discuss her aspirations for these talks, the challenges facing politicians, businesses and NGOs, and of course the hopes for future generations.
Managing Director of Energise, Simon Alsbury, spoke with futureNetZero.com on the need for organisations to collaborate on the path to net zero
In this podcast Sumit Bose speaks to Byron Kominek of Jack's Solar Garden a unique farm in Colorado using solar panels to grow crops in harsh conditions
As consumers look for alternatives to leather is it really such an evil product? Or is it something we can continue to use sustainably? Sumit Bose speaks to Qualus CEO Vikrant Pratap on his plans to clean up leather
Sumit Bose speaks to Alex Milward Director of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage at BEIS about the UK's CCS strategy and its pros and cons
Sumit Bose speaks to Professor Matthew Symonds of Deakin University in Australia about a study which shows our animals' appendages are getting larger as the planet warms up!
Is nuclear the real key to our net zero future? But are we just too scared to accept it?
How can SMEs make the difference to our net zero journey? By measuring and getting validated says Pete Starr of training company Chili Pepper Development, who is working with James Stainforth founder of Sustainable Business Services. Using the future Net Zero Standard with CBN Expert they’ve managed to make a real difference to their businesses.
Welcome to our new podcast series, where we will explore the role the continent has to play in delivering net zero
Welcome to our new podcast series, where we will explore the role the continent has to play in delivering net zero
Louise Kingham spoke to future Net Zero about how she will leave the organisation for a new role at BP and what she hopes to deliver in her new position
Welcome to our new podcast series, where we will explore the role the continent has to play in delivering net zero
Is sustainability still a priority for UK businesses in the aftermath of COVID?
If you ask Gill Alker, Head of Consultancy at AMP Clean Energy, the answer is a resounding yes.
Welcome to our new podcast series, where we will explore the role the continent has to play in delivering net zero
Are electric vehicles (EVs) actually more expensive? Do they really take all day to charge? If you use a car wash are you in for a shocking surprise?
Chris Jackson, Head of Fleet Partnerships at Centrica Business Solutions, says the answer to all of those questions is a resounding no - Chris has driven pretty much every EV there is over the past 15 years, covering tens of thousands of miles and by his own account, experiencing "the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the UK's charging infrastructure".
Solar now makes real business sense - it's the perfect technology to reduce energy costs and drive a green recovery. That was the suggestion from Francisco Cabadas, Head of Solar Development at AMP Clean Energy, who highlighted the vital role solar energy is already playing in the UK's efforts to deliver net zero.
That was the suggestion from Andreas Atkins, Electric Vehicles (EVs) Product Business Development Manager at Centrica Business Solutions, who spoke to future Net Zero Editor Jonny Bairstow about why businesses should start looking at installing charge points, switching to electric fleets and how they can go about starting this process.
Decarbonising heat is a real challenge - but smart software and computer-controlled infrared technology can play a vital role in cutting emissions from buildings, says Oliver Baker, CEO of Ambion Heating.
Oliver recently spoke to future Net Zero's Jonny Bairstow to explain how the company's computer-controlled infrared (CCIR) heating system works and why he thought it could help support the journey to net zero by 2050.
With one-in-ten new vehicle sales in the UK in 2020 being plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) or full electric vehicles (EVs), the challenge is clear – we have nine years to get to ten-in-ten vehicle sales being electric.
That's the suggestion from Natasha Mahmoudian, Head of Public Affairs for Electric Vehicles at Centrica Business Solutions, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about how despite seeing recent progress, more needs to be done to accelerate EV adoption.
Steve Pick, British Gas - says smaller business owners should think of their offices and workplaces, the same as they think of their homes, when it comes to energy efficiency measures
Decarbonising heat is difficult... but a Sussex village could hold the key.
The village in question is Barcombe, which is where UK Power Networks and Community Energy South are hosting the innovative Communiheat project, alongside local community group Ovesco and Buro Happold.
Together, these organisations aim to accelerate the shift from fossil fuel-based heating to clean electrification, by considering a range of technologies such as air source heat pumps to transition the entire area away from fossil fuels in one go.
Adam Chilab, EV Product and Propositions Manager at British Gas Business, spoke to future Net Zero about the vital role the public sector has to build strong electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to reach 2050 decarbonisation targets.
Leyton Orient Football Club’s Danny Macklin and Josh Stephens spoke to future Net Zero about what the club is doing to become more sustainable and what the game can do as a whole.
Networks must evolve to allow electricity to be used and distributed in more flexible ways.
That's the suggestion from Ben Wallace, Head of Development for Urban Reserve at AMP Clean Energy, who spoke to future Net Zero Editor Jonny Bairstow about the critical role he expects flexible energy will play in supporting intermittent renewables and enabling the delivery of net zero.
Sean Langford from SmartestEnergy and Experienced Energy Solutions’ Craig Watson told ELN how sustainably-minded businesses can get started on going green
Social pressure is building for businesses to perform in a greener way and leave future generations with a better world.
That's the suggestion from ENGIE's Energy & Sustainability Manager Richard Sulley, who spoke to future Net Zero Editor Jonny Bairstow about why it is so important for all businesses to consider their journey towards net zero and how to start working to make it a reality.
Governments and regulators will play a key role in enabling the transition to cleaner fuels, said Xing Wang, SVP of Global Technology at Centrica Business Solutions. Speaking to future Net Zero about how the global economy can reach a stage of being fully decarbonised, he noted that the simplest pathway to emissions reductions in the long term for many organisations is switching from fossil fuels to alternative, cleaner fuels such as hydrogen.
Most businesses have poorer data than they need to be able to take action on net zero.
That’s the suggestion from Simon Alsbury, Managing Director of Energise, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow in the fifth of a series of podcasts titled ‘Counting Carbon’ - he explained the three main steps that companies can implement now to kickstart their decarbonisation journey and begin driving down emissions while maintaining economic success.
Despite many businesses having a real desire and strategic drive to decarbonise, many are coming up against the stumbling block of accessing the financing needed to pay for it.
That's the suggestion from Bill Rees, Commercial Director at Centrica Business Solutions, who told future Net Zero about the financial challenges that are commonly faced by companies as they work towards decarbonisation and explained how he and his team work to help businesses overcome these issues on their pathway to 2050.
That’s the suggestion from Simon Alsbury, Managing Director of Energise, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow in the fourth of a series of podcasts titled ‘Counting Carbon’
Businesses must be responsible and work together to reduce emissions - you can change someone else's carbon footprint with your own behaviour.
That’s the suggestion from Simon Alsbury, Managing Director of Energise, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow in the third of a series of podcasts titled ‘Counting Carbon’ - in a discussion centring around Scope 3 downstream emissions, he emphasised that what one person does has a material impact on how other people perform.
Businesses are becoming increasingly aware that decarbonisation and cost reduction go hand-in-hand as part of a joined-up approach.
That's the suggestion from John Hartley, Director of Product Management at Centrica Business Solutions, who spoke to future Net Zero about the obstacles and opportunities that businesses around the world will face on their journeys towards net zero, and how Centrica Business Solutions can help them develop a successful decarbonisation strategy to thrive in the lead-up towards 2050.
In order to successfully decarbonise, it's vital to make sure you are working with the right data from the start of your net zero journey.
That's the suggestion from Simon Alsbury, Managing Director of Energise, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow in the second of a series of podcasts titled 'Counting Carbon'.
The pathway to net zero can be broken down into four simple steps - Review, Reduce, Renew, Rebalance.
That's the suggestion from Simon Alsbury, Managing Director of Energise, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow in the first of a series of podcasts titled 'Counting Carbon'.
Muntons is a family run business, established in 1921 and Group Managing Director, Mark Tyldesley told me what makes the Suffolk based maltsters so special: “We’re a malt and malt ingredients business. Essentially, we buy barley, turn it into malt and then sell it to brewing and distilling industries and the food sector. We’re in beers like BrewDog and lots of confectionary; it’s a fabulous business that many consumers will be familiar with, but they just don’t know it.”
Clean energy strategies must be holistically integrated with wider commercial objectives.
That's the suggestion from Stuart Duncan, Distributed Energy Strategic Sales Manager at Centrica Business Solutions, who explained how the firm is helping customers manage the challenge of aligning business objectives to an overarching energy strategy.
To make any real progress on tackling Scope 1 emissions, businesses need to start decarbonising heat.
That's the suggestion from Stuart Reid, Managing Director of Projects at AMP Clean Energy, who told future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose that a "very interesting time" is fast approaching as businesses' journeys towards net zero begin in earnest.
Customers need to be offered the right solutions at the right time in order to effectively and practically decarbonise the UK's heat networks.
That's the suggestion from Ian Cameron, Head of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks, who in a conversation with future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose, noted heat is the single biggest source of carbon emissions across the country and outlined the practical steps that need to be taken to start moving towards changing this.
In the penultimate episode we discuss how the planet could reap revenge on us if we continue to harm the biosphere
UPS is working towards electrifying its fleet and UK Power Networks Services is helping them on that journey.
future Net Zero's Jonny Bairstow spoke to Claire Thompson-Sage, Sustainable Development Co-ordinator at UPS, and Alan Thompson, Head of Energy Technology Consulting at UK Power Networks Services, to find out more about the obstacles faced along the way and how they are being overcome.
Listen to the full podcast to find out more...
www.futurenetzero.com
It makes no sense to talk about hydrogen without talking about ramping up renewable energy generation.
That was the statement underlined by Kaiserwetter's Rene Mono in a recent interview with future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose, who stressed clean energy technologies such as wind and solar power "must go hand-in-hand" with the use of the gas as a tool for decarbonisation.
Smart sensors in forests could help give us a picture of their health and ability to capture carbon, says foldAI
Listen as former Obama advisor Allyson Anderson Book, explains why the fossil fuel industries have a role to play in net zero
Thanks as ever for listening in to our new series “Gaia Says No!” – exploring the nature of human activities on the planet.
In this episode environmental campaigner Angus Forbes, analyst Alex Milward and I are joined by Pawel Kisielewski, who is CEO of CCm Technologies which is working on an incredible process for capturing CO2 and turning it into fertiliser!
The big tipping point now is that the personal business case for investing in an electric vehicle (EV) has been reached, with net zero credentials following closely in second place.
That's the suggestion from Andrew Hurdle, Head of EV Charging and Growth Transformation at British Gas Business, who spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow about how EVs were changing both the energy and transport landscapes, particularly during the time of the coronavirus crisis.
Listen to the full podcast to find out more about how EVs could help your business cut costs and drive down emissions...
UK Power Networks is a key facilitator of delivering net zero on a local level across the UK. That's the verdict from Colin Nicholl, Head of Planning at the distribution network operator (DNO), who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about the role the organisation aims to play on the country's journey towards decarbonisation by 2050.
He noted it would play a key role in facilitating the decarbonisation of transport by enabling electric vehicles (EVs) to be adopted onto the network and use its distribution future energy scenarios to work closely with local authorities on their climate emergency plans.
Listen to the full podcast to find out more...
Philip Heathcote, Head of Markets at UK Power Networks services, joined me for a conversation all about the challenges to decarbonise our transport sector.
We started with trains - Philip tackled the two-pronged approach most recognise facing the rail networks.
Listen to the full podcast to hear what he had to say...
Does money really make the world go round and if it does, why isn’t it doing enough to save our planet?
Reaching net zero by 2050 needs clear regulations and rules to support sustainable capital investments.
That's the verdict from Hanno Schoklitsch, CEO and Founder of Kaiserwetter, who told future Net Zero founder Sumit Bose about the urgency of harnessing a "growing appetite" to build back greener in the UK and Europe following the coronavirus pandemic and get the economy back on track in a more sustainable way.
Listen to the full podcast to find out more...
Low voltage flexibility from households is a vital part of the solution needed to reach net zero by 2050.
That's the suggestion from Sotiris Georgiopoulos, Head of Smart Grid Development at UK Power Networks, who spoke to future Net Zero's Jonny Bairstow about grid flexibility, customer costs and the role of electric vehicles (EVs) and other technologies.
Listen to the full interview to find out more...
Is it possible that we ignore the greatest human driver of change when it comes to the climate debate? We always talk about science or politics or money but what about God?
In this special edition of our hit podcast series, Sir Jonathon Porritt joins me for a one to one conversation, looking at our options over the next decade
Thanks as ever for listening in to our new series “Gaia Says No!” – exploring the nature of human activities on the planet.
In the fifth episode environmental campaigner Angus Forbes, analyst Alex Milward and I are joined by a very special guest, Cindy Forde. She’s an educationalist, UN advisor, campaigner and rebel! Following last week’s episode we continue the disussion around the creation of an authority to help protect our planet.
‘If we don’t deliver net zero we are looking at a fundamentally different world’.
That’s the suggestion from Alex Goody, CEO of Gemserv, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about why the professional services firm has become a future Net Zero partner, and as its boss, what he thought about the 2050 target.
In this episode we ask if we are facing a global problem of biosphere destruction, shouldn’t we have a global body which has power over all nations to safeguard our planet? Can we the public get together and make this happen?
Almost 90% of energy professionals say the UK is currently off track for net zero by 2050 - but Steve Holliday, President of the Energy Institute is here to tell us what needs to happen to turn this around.
The former CEO of National Grid spoke to future Net Zero News Editor Jonny Bairstow following the release of the Energy Institute’s latest Energy Barometer report, which surveyed more than 350 UK professionals from across the sector.
Listen to the full podcast to find out more...
Listen to episode 3 – The Nexus. We have reached the point where humans are in the driving seat with Mother Nature. So what direction will we take our planet?
In episode 2 of our new series Gaia Says No! The question being asked is have we reached the Tipping Point? Will we need to act now to save our future and does it matter if don’t? After all isn’t it a global problem?
In this podcast, Michael Gibilaro of Villa Nursery and Mark Tarry, CFO of AMP Clean Energy, explain how, through an energy supply agreement, the nursery benefits from discounted heat and power. The nursery grows Jolly Tom tomatoes for Tesco, as well as British salads and specialty peppers, all under glass.
In addition to cost and carbon benefits, Villa Nursery has become more competitive, providing environmentally friendly British produce to UK consumers. Only 30% of tomatoes sold in our supermarkets are grown in the UK with the rest being imports.
The first of a new series of podcasts exploring our effect on the planet in terms of energy, over consumption and downright negligence. Join future Net Zero founder Sumit Bose as he discusses our human effect on the Earth along with former banker turned environmentalist Angus Forbes and EY Partner and oil and gas expert Alex Milward.
Nigel Holden heads up Co-op’s Power division and he says the organisation’s goal is bold when it comes to net-zero.
Why? Because sustainability and ethics are at the heart of the Co-op’s values and history.
Kevin Brown, is a smooth talking American. We chat on zoom in a relaxed manner but the Senior VP of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power Division drops a bombshell at the start of our conversation.
“By 2040 edge computing alone might be 3200 TWh (Terawatt Hours) of energy consumption, that’s like 275 million households bigger than the US, so it’s massive challenge in managing the carbon footprint that’s coming,” he says.
British Gas Business remains totally committed to a net zero future and plans to power through the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus crisis to emerge stronger than ever before.
That’s the suggestion from Gab Barbaro, the energy giant’s Managing Director, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose to discuss the company’s commitment to entirely decarbonise by 2050 and to explore its vision of delivering net zero.
That’s the suggestion from Hanno Schoklitsch, CEO and Founder of Kaiserwetter, who spoke to future Net Zero about the effects of Covid-19 and how it would be likely to affect global decarbonisation efforts
Net zero solutions must not only be green but also prove economically sustainable to ensure fast-paced and effective decarbonisation.
That’s the suggestion from Nikki Flanders, Managing Director of Energy Customer Solutions at SSE, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about the global mission to reach net zero by 2050 and how it can be achieved.
In the post-coronavirus era, big business will increasingly seek the aid of professional firms to help finance heat decarbonisation projects, rather than funding them themselves.
That's the suggestion from Richard Burrell, CEO of AMP Clean Energy, who spoke to future Net Zero about the UK's journey to net zero and what he thinks will happen next.
It is vital to build new social and economic structures that are more in tune with sustainability to enable longer and healthier human lives.
That’s the suggestion from Mike Hughes, UK & Ireland Zone President at Schneider Electric, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose last week.
One word can be used to sum up the global energy sector in the face of the ongoing coronavirus crisis – resilience.
That’s the verdict from Louise Kingham OBE FEI, Chief Executive of the Energy Institute, who stressed the importance of recognising the vital work being carried out by the sector’s workers every day.
Small scale local distributed energy networks, community energy schemes and off-grid storage has a cruicial role to play in getting us to net zero but only if the government has a rethink on regulations.
That’s the opinion of leading energy analyst Peter King, Head of Energy and Utilities at Capgemini Invent.
The global carbon market will grow rapidly in the next decade.
That’s the suggestion from Vaughan Lindsay, CEO of ClimateCare, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about the development of corporate integrated carbon strategies and the ‘inevitable’ steps that every business will have to follow in the near future.
Fossil fuels will continue to need to be used in the future.
That’s the suggestion from Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of Uniper SE, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about the issue of decarbonisation.
‘Uncertainty is the new normal in the energy sector.’
That’s the suggestion from Suleman Alli, Director of Strategy and Customer Service at UK Power Networks, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose earlier this week
The electricity network will need to be flexible enough to deliver choice for consumers in the future.
That’s the view of Basil Scarsella, the CEO of UK Power Networks, who told Shravan Joshi from the City of London, the challenges of future power are not about one particular energy source.
The potential ‘big wins’ possible when cutting emissions from the building sector lie with the retrofitting of existing structures rather than relying solely on more sustainable methods of construction.
That’s the suggestion from Paul Sheffield, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, who spoke to future Net Zero Founder Sumit Bose about the role of the organisation in helping green the built environment sector.