Sustainable Matters is a show for anyone interested in sustainability, hosted by former BBC environment correspondent Sarah Mukherjee.
Sarah is now CEO of ISEP , the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.
Experts in the fields of: technology, food production, climate change and conservation talk to Sarah about their big ideas, their career challenges and their hopes for a more sustainable future.
Each expert will also nominate a hero who has inspired them - and we will chat to them, too.
Sustainable Matters, a podcast from ISEP the global membership body for people working, studying or interested in environment and sustainability.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sustainable Matters is a show for anyone interested in sustainability, hosted by former BBC environment correspondent Sarah Mukherjee.
Sarah is now CEO of ISEP , the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.
Experts in the fields of: technology, food production, climate change and conservation talk to Sarah about their big ideas, their career challenges and their hopes for a more sustainable future.
Each expert will also nominate a hero who has inspired them - and we will chat to them, too.
Sustainable Matters, a podcast from ISEP the global membership body for people working, studying or interested in environment and sustainability.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alexandra Rickham is a double paralympic bronze medalist and five-time world champion in sailing.
When she was 13, she was paralysed in a diving accident in Jamaica. Later, after years of rehab, she was offered sailing training which she says appealed to her competitive spirit.
You can see Alexandra in action here, with her sailing partner Niki Birrell at the 2016 Paralympics.
She’s now retired from professional sailing competition, but remains very connected to the sport, through her work as the director of sustainability for World Sailing - the sport's international governing body.
The organisation is renowned for leading the way in promoting voluntary climate action at every stage of the sport. Alexandra's mission is to make the sport more inclusive and sustainable.
In this episode, she talks about her accident, competing professionally, and about how sport is such a useful way to enthuse people about sustainability.
Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Gary Punter is something of a guru when it comes to factories, and has become the go to expert for advising companies on working towards an agile and waste-free factory future.
He is also visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, where he leads research into the future of circular business models.
Gary was nominated to appear on the show by Tim Minshall, who was the guest on episode 14 of Sustainable Matters. Gary's work at Wissington sugar factory is detailed in Tim's recent book Your Life is Manufactured.
In this episode, Gary talks about working as a market trader, being a technologist at heart and why the idea of sustainability has become over complicated.
For more on Gary's work in factories, head to The Cambridge Sustainability Improvement Method - (also known as Sustain8). It provides a foundation for sustainable transformation by engaging front-line factory workers in improvements and has been successfully employed in 35 factories across many sectors and is proven to deliver 15-30% improvements in energy, waste, materials and water.
Sustainable Matters … a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future
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Professor Tim Minshall heads up the Institute for Manufacturing and Management at the University of Cambridge. The department’s aim is simple: to “help manufacture a better world”. And so Tim has spent hours fostering links between engineering students and companies to help put their new ideas into practice.
He’s recently published the book Your Life is Manufactured which takes a deep dive into the world of manufacturing. He argues that the systems that make things in our modern world are extraordinarily fragile, almost invisible to us and that has worrying consequences.
Tim studied at Cambridge as a PhD student before leaving in 1993 to work at the St John’s Innovation Centre - a business incubator in Cambridge for tech startups. He rejoined the university in 2002 and was named the very first endowed chair in innovation in 2017.
He talks to Sarah about the critical need for industrial sustainability in manufacturing processes and how some of the incredible systems we’ve built are also destroying the planet.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Solitaire Townsend is the 'Chief Solutionist' at Futerra, the organisation she founded.
Futerra helps companies work towards a sustainable future. Solitaire gave herself that job title because she says if she’s “not serving solutions every day, by default that means she’s serving destruction.”
Solitaire became involved in sustainability action aged thirteen, when she saw a flyer on her school bus saying a nuclear processing company was planning to build near her hometown. After a successful local opposition campaign, she was converted to the business of change making.
In this episode she talks to Sarah about working with the world's largest bakery, helping F1 make a commitment to Net Zero and the challenges she faced at the start of her career.
She also talks about how crucial storytelling is to her work, ahead of the publication of her first novel Godstorm, described as a ‘gladiatrix adventure’ set in a petrol-fuelled Roman Empire.
Solitaire has already published The Happy Hero – a book about how to feel good by doing good – and The Solutionists – a handbook for businesses to help create a more sustainable society.
Sustainable Matters is a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP): transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maria Zeb Benjamin lives and works in Cumbria, where she strives to bring farming, nature and ethical business together.
Her partner is a sixth generation farmer, and together they run Dodgson Wood, the farm’s diversification business that makes the most of what they produce in an ethical and sustainable way.
They make Jersey cow’s milk soap under the brand The Soap Dairy, they co-founded The Wool Library to promote British wool breeds and established Lake District Tweed. Maria also oversees the farm’s off-grid eco holiday accommodation. .
'Maria tells Sarah her story, starting in Scotland, a spell at art school, making films in London and eventually the Lake District.
You can find out more about the work done at Dodgon Wood here https://dodgsonwood.co.uk/'
Maria Zeb Benjamin was nominated for the show by our previous guest, the fashion educator and TikTok star Andrea Cheong.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lord Turner chairs the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of companies, NGOs and experts working to achieve a net zero economy by 2040.
In this episode, he talks about: giving up his ambition to get into the cabinet when he realised he wasn’t prepared to play party loyalty games: the influence and encouragement of his intellectually curious mother; his fears about what Trump's presidency will mean for the Paris Accord, and his belief that the technical solutions for climate change already exist.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
BIO
Lord Turner was appointed as an independent peer to the House of Lords in 2005 and is also an honorary fellow of the Royal Society (the UK academy dedicated to promoting science excellence). He became a Trustee Emeritus of the British Museum after serving on its board of directors from 2013 until 2020.
Lord Turner advises regularly climate and government bodies - including the COP Presidency and ministers in the EU, UK, China and Australia, and is often featured in global media as an expert on the energy transition, including in the Financial Times, Economist, BBC, CNN and Bloomberg.
He holds several roles in industry: he is the Chairman of insurer group Chubb Europe; Chairman of UK bank Oaknorth Ltd.; and on the Board of AESC Japan, the manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. More recently he was appointed adviser to Watershed Technologies Inc.
During his public policy career, Lord Turner chaired the Financial Services Authority (2008- 2013) where he played a lead role in the redesign of global banking and shadow banking regulation. From 2008 to 2012 he chaired the Climate Change Committee, an independent body advising and overseeing the UK’s government on their path to a zero-carbon economy. The recommendations set out in their first report "Building a low-carbon economy” were adopted by the UK government in full. Between 2002 and 2006 he chaired the UK Pensions Commission and recommended the creation of a system of defined contribution pensions which included an ‘opt-out’ element that proved transformative. He also chaired the Low Pay Commission (2002-2006) and was Director General of the Confederation of British Industry
(1995-2000).
Lord Turner is the author of “Between Debt and the Devil” (Princeton 2015), and Economics after the Crisis (MIT 2012).
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Andrea Cheong is a fashion educator who thinks her work dovetails with sustainability activists.
She hosts the podcast Fashion Our Future, has written a book called Why Don't I Have Anything To Wear? and created the viral Mindful Monday Method.
Through all these, she hopes to encourage people to shop more responsibly and minimise their impact on the planet.
In this episode she talks to Sarah about how she accidentally became an influencer, how learning to sew can transform your relationship to fashion and nominates a shepherdess as her sustainability hero!
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Professor Sir Jim Skea has spent over forty years working in climate science research and was once referred to as “the most important scientist no one’s ever heard of.”
Since 2023 has chaired the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or the IPCC). The panel’s work is described as a “code red for humanity”.
Sir Jim is also Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London, hosted by the International Institute of Environment and Development.
In this episode, ahead of UN COP29 Climate Summit, he talks to Sarah about the art of getting global agreement and the importance of sharing the results, as well as why he has grounds for optimism.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr Tony Juniper CBE has devoted his entire life to campaigning for nature and has been described by journalists as “the most effective of Britain’s eco-warriors”.
Tony began his career as an ornithologist and went on to join Friends of the Earth, initially leading the tropical rainforest campaign and later appointed as Executive Director and Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International. Now he is Chair of Natural England and a prolific writer. His books about the rainforest, parrots, climate change and the ecological economy all place nature at their centre. And he can even credit King Charles as one of his co-authors.
Tony was nominated to be on the podcast by Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts.
Sarah Mukherjee caught up with him at UN COP16 Biodiversity Summit, in the Colombian city of Cali in South American. They talked about his career, being consistent and encouraging diversity in sustainability - so that campaigners can include 'the whole world' in the important conversations about nature, "without which we are nothing."
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
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Craig is Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts. He has been described as “one of the country’s top environmental campaigners”, by The Guardian as “the very model of a modern eco-general”.
In 2021, was included in The Sunday Times Green Power List of the UK’s top 20 environmentalists.
He and Sarah talk the episode which inspired Craig to get into all things 'green' , how COP summits really work and what needs to be done now to make real change to our planet.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Martin Lines is a third generation farmer from Cambridgeshire, who takes his role as custodian of the land very seriously.
He is also CEO of The Nature Friendly Farming Network which advocates for sustainable food and farming in the UK.
Martin was nominated for the podcast by the food writer and campaigner Henry Dimbleby, who says he loves the way Martin 'shows' rather than 'tells' when he talks about things that work.
You can see Martin in action on YouTube, where he gives detailed accounts of the things he has tried on his farm.
In this episode, Martin talks about his school days and his ambitions for the future as well as the challenges he had pivoting the farm away from older production techniques.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Henry is the author of the National Food Strategy, co-author of The School Food Plan, founder of the Chefs in Schools and the restaurant chain Leon.
He is also the author of a new book called Ravenous - described as a “jaw dropping guide to the modern food system”. He wrote the book with his wife, Jemima Lewis.
In this interview we talk about Henry’s love of food which ranges from cooking it, selling it, studying it and helping us to make better choices about it: As individuals and ( he hopes) as a country.
He also nominates Martin Lines as the next guest in the series, as someone who is full of good ideas about making food production more sustainable.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Polly Billington, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for East Thanet at the next election.
She worked as a reporter for the BBC for many years, before leaving to become a special advisor to Ed Miliband - she was the media director for his successful bid to lead the Labour party in 2010.
In 2016, she founded UK100, a network of local government leaders in the UK, who have committed to ambitious action on climate, clean energy and clean air. She was the CEO until 2022.
Polly was nominated for the podcast by Rachel Kyte, whose interview was episode 3 in our podcast series.
In this episode she talks about being practical, realistic and joined up in effecting change for communities in the UK. She also reflects on her career in the media and her new job working in politics.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rachel Kyte was named by Time magazine as one of the 15 women leading climate action. She is an extremely accomplished and experienced leader, with an appetite to keep on learning.
She has worked at the UN and with the World Bank, was the Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All, and was the 14th dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University until June 2023.
In this episode she talks about the influence her dad and the Girl guides had on her, and she reminisces about growing up in the East of England.
She is optimistic about the next generation and hopeful that change can happen if people work in community.
Her TED talk on sustainable cooling mentioned in the show is here.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Abadesi Osunsade is the founder of Hustle Crew which exists to make workplaces fairer. She says her childhood spent overseas as the daughter of a diplomat, plus the tragic loss of her sister helped to make her curious about the world and determined to do what she could to make it better.
Sarah talks to Abadesi about why inclusion matters for sustainability and how her upbringing taught her to see and acknowledge the differences we face in life.
Abasedi Osunsade was nominated by Anne Marie Imafidon who said she wanted more people to know about Hustle Crew.
You can find out more about THINGTESTING and Heata which Abasedi mentioned in her interview by clicking these links.
At the end of the episode, we asked Abasedi to nominate her hero. She named Guppi Bola founder of decolonising economics.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA, the global professional body for professionals, transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is a maths whizz - famously passing her maths A level at 11 years old.
Ten years ago, she founded the Stemettes, a social enterprise working to inspire and support girls, young women and non-binary people in STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) careers.
She passionately believes that technology can help with the sustainability mission if we invite everyone in to think about how.
Anne Marie is president of the British Science Association and was voted the most influential woman in tech in the UK in 2020. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her work as a renowned champion and inspiration for women in the world STEM.
Anne Marie's book is called She's in CTRL
As part of her episode, Anne-Marie nominates her hero. She chose Abadesi Osunsade of the Hustle Crew who will appear in the next episode.
Sustainable Matters … A podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by IEMA: transforming the world to sustainability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sustainable Matters is a show for anyone interested in sustainability, hosted by former BBC environment correspondent Sarah Mukherjee. Sarah is now CEO of IEMA, the worldwide alliance of environment and sustainability professionals.
Experts in the fields of: technology, food production, climate change and conservation talk to Sarah about their big ideas, their career challenges and their hopes for a more sustainable future. Follow the show to hear from guests including: Anne-Marie Imafidon, Henry Dimbleby and Rachel Kyte.
Each expert will also nominate a hero who has inspired them - and we will chat to them, too.
Sustainable Matters: a podcast from IEMA, the global membership body for people working, studying or interested in environment and sustainability.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
