Sustainability and Climate Podcast

What if the money sitting in your bank account could help finance a cleaner economy and strengthen underserved communities at the same time? In this episode of the Sustainability & Climate Podcast , Labake and Tobi sit down with David Reiling, CEO of Sunrise Banks , to explore the thinking behind the Net Zero Deposit Fund and a bigger question at the heart of finance: who gets access to capital? David shares lessons from community banking, the relationship between deposits and lending, and how financial institutions can direct capital towards communities and businesses that have historically struggled to access it. The conversation explores whether doing good and doing well really have to be competing ideas, how banks can connect climate action with community impact, and what it takes to rethink the role money can play in building a more inclusive and sustainable economy. In this episode: community banking, access to capital, the Net Zero Deposit Fund, climate finance, sustainable banking, financial inclusion, impact investing and the future of responsible finance. Featuring: David Reiling, CEO, Sunrise Banks Hosted by: Labake Ajiboye-Richard & Tobi Aigbogun

No guests this week, just Tobi and Labake talking through the extreme weather events defining 2026 so far: wildfires and drought across Europe, record flash flooding in Japan, an intensifying typhoon season across Asia, and the flooding that hits Lagos every rainy season without fail. We get into the numbers: 600,494 hectares burned across the EU since January; June 2026 ranking as the second-warmest month on record for combined land and ocean temperatures; and $12 billion in US weather and climate disasters in just the first six months of the year. We also talk about why the same events hit Global South countries harder, even when Global North headlines get the coverage. But we wanted this one to be personal too. What's actually changed in our day-to-day, from water meters to AC decisions to the small routines that used to feel seasonal and now feel constant. And we close on the question we keep coming back to: what can each of us actually do differently before next summer? Follow the show for new episodes every and find us on all socials @sustclimatepodcast to keep the conversation going.

Nearly 40% of global emissions come from buildings, more than every car, plane and truck combined. Tobi and Labake sit down with Scott Tew of Trane Technologies to unpack why that number stays invisible, what's really slowing deployment when the technology already exists, and how AI is now optimising over 16,000 buildings in real time. Plus: the one policy change Scott says would move the needle faster than anything else on the table, and his advice for the next generation of CEOs.

Dirk Voeste, Chief Sustainability Officer at Volkswagen Group, trained as a biologist and worked in space science before this, running a closed biological system experiment (an aquarium tank with fish and snails) to study how ecosystems survive on limited resources. That's the lens he brings to running sustainability across 650,000 employees and 12 brands. We get into why Volkswagen decided zero impact wasn't good enough and built "regenerate+" around the idea of giving back more than the business takes, the €100 billion used-parts market VW is calling an untapped profit pool, and the CSO's actual playbook for getting a workforce that size to care: anchor it in board pay, fund employee-led projects (up to €20 million a year), and repeat the story until it sticks. His rule for other CSOs facing internal resistance: come with a tool, not a stick. Hosted by Oluwatobi Emmanuel Aigbogun and Labake Ajiboye-Richard.

Helen Clarkson has spent two decades building the coalitions that turn corporate climate pledges into actual procurement, and her argument in this conversation is blunt: the economics have already shifted, and politics has no choice but to catch up. We get into how to tell a company that genuinely means its climate commitments from one just following the crowd, and why the gap between signing up to something like RE100 and actually buying clean energy is where most companies quietly fall short. She breaks down why energy security, not conscience, is now the argument moving boardrooms, why policy keeps lagging behind, what business has already figured out, and why she still insists on saying the word climate even when it has become politically inconvenient to say it. There's also a genuinely surprising story about a rooftop solar boom in Pakistan, built entirely from the bottom up, that cut diesel sales by more than a third in a single year. Helen Clarkson is CEO of The Climate Group and holds an OBE for her work supporting the UK's COP26 presidency. Before any of that, she spent years doing humanitarian fieldwork with Médecins Sans Frontières across conflict zones in Congo, Sudan, Burundi, Pakistan and Nigeria. #SustainabilityAndClimatePodcast #ClimateLeadership #TheClimateGroup #RE100 #NetZero #EnergySecurity #COP26

Nobody talks about ammonia. But it feeds half the world, it is the most credible zero-carbon maritime fuel on the planet, and the process used to make it has been largely unchanged for a century. Karen Baert, co-founder and CEO of Ammobia, is changing that. Her company has built a modular reactor that cuts production costs by up to 50 per cent, runs at a fraction of conventional pressure, and can be deployed anywhere, including close to the farmers and ports that need it most. In this episode, Tobi and Labake sit down with Karen to explore why cost is the real climate battleground, what decentralised ammonia means for African food security, and why this overlooked molecule might be the most consequential material in the energy transition. Read Karen's blog post referenced in this episode: https://www.ammobia.co/news-and-press/low-carbon-ammonia-just-hit-cost-parity-with-fossil-fueled-ammonia-will-it-last Find Ammobia at www.ammobia.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ammobia-inc/

Solar and wind are now cheaper than fossil fuels, but the transition has a problem nobody has fully solved: storage. The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow, and we still can't bank clean energy at the scale the grid needs. That gap is the defining challenge of this decade. This episode looks at Fourth Power, a Boston company storing energy as heat in carbon blocks heated to 2,400 degrees Celsius, then converting it back to electricity at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion. Backed by Bill Gates, Munich Re, and DCVC, the company is bringing its first demonstration system online this year. We dig into why storage is the real bottleneck, what makes a new technology bankable, and what it takes to get a breakthrough out of the lab and onto the grid. Our Guest is Christina Belsito, Head of Corporate Growth at Fourth Power.

The next great risk in global finance is not climate. It is nature. In February 2026, the landmark IPBES Business and Biodiversity Report revealed that more than $7 trillion in global financial flows harm nature each year, while fewer than 1% of public companies disclose their biodiversity impacts. The regulatory window is closing fast. CSRD is in force. TNFD is the new global standard. GRI 101 came into effect this year. And almost no business is ready. Megan Pillsbury is the Founder and CEO of Dunya Analytics, the science-based nature risk analytics platform reshaping how companies measure, manage, and act on biodiversity. A former fintech leader at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, she helped drive the acquisition of The Climate Service by S&P Global before building Dunya as a public benefit corporation. In this conversation, she unpacks why biodiversity risk differs from carbon risk, where hidden exposures sit within global supply chains, what the nature-positive economy actually looks like, and the single first step every CFO, board, and sustainability leader should take in the next 30 days. A great episode for anyone working in sustainability, ESG, climate finance, supply chain strategy, or corporate sustainability leadership in 2026 and beyond. Learn more: dunya-analytics.com #Biodiversity #NatureRisk #TNFD #CSRD #ESG #SustainableFinance #ClimateTech #IPBES #DunyaAnalytics

What does it actually take to force climate action from a political system that was never built to deliver it? In this episode, we sit down with Fatima Ibrahim, co-founder and co-director of ⁨@GNDRising⁩ (Green New Deal UK and Green New Deal Rising. One of the most compelling and uncompromising voices in the global climate justice movement today. Fatima co-founded the UK hub of the Green New Deal in 2019 to organise and amplify a generation frustrated by the prioritisation of capitalism over climate concerns. Since then, she has helped lead one of the most tactically sophisticated youth climate campaigns in British political history, bringing innovative electoral strategies and organising young people to break through and win the change we need in climate campaigning. We go deep on what a people-powered Green New Deal really looks like, why climate justice and economic justice are inseparable, and what it takes to build a movement that translates street power into political power. We talked about the Labour government's energy transition, the North Sea oil field controversy, the fight for green jobs, and whether the UK is serious about leading on climate or just performing it. As Fatima said when she won the 2020 Global Citizen Prize UK Hero Award: "Climate science tells us that we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the future, but time is running out." This conversation is for everyone who refuses to let that window close. Guest: Fatima Ibrahim — Co-Director, Green New Deal UK & Green New Deal Rising Website: gndrising.org Instagram: @gndrising — instagram.com/gndrising

Most organisations have the data. Most have set the targets. The harder, more uncomfortable question is why so few are actually changing their behaviour. Gunther Rothermel is one of the most credible voices at the intersection of enterprise technology and climate action. With over two decades at SAP building sustainability products used by some of the world’s largest companies, he has developed a rare and unsentimental clarity about where progress actually comes from. It does not come from better dashboards or sharper ESG reports. It comes from leaders who are willing to treat sustainability as the strategic core of how they run their business, not a compliance obligation bolted on at the end. In this episode, Tobi Aigbogun and Labake Ajiboye-Richard press Gunther on the questions that rarely get asked in polished conference settings: Who specifically is failing to act and why? What does a genuine C-suite mindset shift look like, and how do you tell it apart from performance? Where is AI in sustainability creating real leverage, and where is it just expensive noise? And for the sustainability leader who has been pushing hard without getting traction, what is the single most important move to make right now? Our co-host Labake Ajiboye-Richard is also the Editor of the Africa Sustainability Magazine by The AR Initiative. Read the latest volume: https://www.arinitiative.org/magazines/africa-sustainability-magazine-volume-vi

In 2017, Santiago Lefebvre started ChangeNOW with a hundred climate solutions and one room. Nine editions later, he opens the Grand Palais in Paris to 40,000 people from 140 countries. But here is the thing he told us that we cannot stop thinking about: the solutions to our planetary crisis already exist. Every single one of them. What the world is missing is not the ideas. It is the ecosystem to deploy them at scale. That conviction is what led Santiago to found ChangeNOW which is now the world’s largest climate solutions summit, bringing together 1,000 sustainable innovations and more than 1,200 impact investors under one roof. Last year alone, nearly 1,400 investor-founder meetings were arranged through its Dealflow Lounge, making it one of the most powerful platforms for climate action and green investment in the world. In this episode, we sit down with Santiago just days before ChangeNOW 2026 opens in Paris. We explore what it takes to build a climate ecosystem rather than just an event, why brilliant clean technology innovations fail to scale, what impact investors keep getting wrong, and why the cultural transition may be the hardest and most important part of the sustainability transition. Whether you are a climate entrepreneur, impact investor, sustainability leader, or someone who simply believes the world can be fixed, this conversation is for you. This is a conversation about infrastructure. About courage. About the room where change actually happens. Watch, Like, Share and Subscribe!!

Can the world’s most connected airport cut its carbon footprint and build a brand new runway at the same time? Buckle up. Because Heathrow is doing exactly that, and this episode is where it gets real. In the Season 4 premiere of the Sustainability and Climate Podcast, Tobi Aigbogun and Labake Ajiboye-Richard go deep with Nigel Milton, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Heathrow Airport, one of the most influential voices in sustainable aviation today. We’re talking SAF, Scope 3, net zero targets, the third runway, and what honest climate leadership actually sounds like when the whole world is watching your every move. Flight carbon at Heathrow is already 7% below 2019 levels. The airport has committed £80 million to boost Sustainable Aviation Fuel uptake in 2026, targeting 5.6% of all fuel used, two full percentage points above the UK government mandate. Heathrow’s 2030 goal is a 15% carbon reduction. That is not a press release. That is a programme with teeth. And then there’s the third runway. The £49 billion expansion that would increase capacity by 88%. Far from being a contradiction, Heathrow’s case is that a modern, expanded airport, built with SAF infrastructure embedded from day one and the cleanest aircraft in the fleet, puts the UK in position to lead global aviation decarbonisation rather than watch it happen from the sidelines. Connectivity and climate do not have to be enemies. Nigel tells us why. We recorded this episode while Middle East airspace was being rerouted around military strikes, forcing hundreds of long-haul flights onto longer, dirtier paths. Weeks of progress, undone in 48 hours by geopolitics nobody could control. It is the perfect illustration of why infrastructure, strategy, and political will all have to move together. From SAF policy and the UK SAF Bill to Scope 3 influence, greenwashing accusations, and the 2050 net zero commitment for aviation, this conversation goes to the places most people in the sector are still afraid to go. Openly. Honestly. With data. Read the data behind this episode: Heathrow 2025 Sustainability Performance Data Book: https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/heathrow-2-0-sustainability/reports/2025/2025_Sustainability_Performance_Data_Book.pdf Heathrow Sustainability Strategy (Connecting People and Planet): https://www.heathrow.com/company/about-heathrow/heathrow-sustainability-strategy/sustainability-strategy​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The sports industry generates $2.3 trillion a year. Climate change could wipe out $1.6 trillion of it. In this episode, we sit down with the man who saw it coming before almost anyone else did. Dr. Allen Hershkowitz is an environmental scientist, and Founding Chairman of Sport and Sustainability International. He co-founded the Green Sports Alliance, served as Environmental Science Advisor to the New York Yankees, the first role of its kind in professional sports, and built sustainability programmes for the NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and USTA. He greened the Oscars. He greened the Grammys. He greened Broadway. Sports Business Journal named him one of the fifty most influential people in sports. They call him The Godfather of Greening. In this conversation, we explore why sport has become one of the most powerful platforms for climate communication on Earth, what it actually took to walk into league boardrooms and make powerful people care, the $1.6 trillion financial threat now facing the global sports economy, why the 2026 FIFA World Cup is projected to be the most polluting tournament in history, the growing gap between climate pledges and real accountability in sport, and what meaningful climate communication looks like when political leadership goes quiet. This is not a conversation about recycling bins and solar panels. This is a conversation about the future of sport, the future of the planet, and the extraordinary power of one person refusing to stay comfortable. The game is bigger than the scoreboard. ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Allen Hershkowitz: Environmental Scientist | Founding Chairman, Sport and Sustainability International | Co-Founder, Green Sports Alliance | Environmental Science Advisor, New York Yankees Sport and Sustainability International: https://www.sasustainability.com Green Sports Alliance: https://www.greensportsalliance.org EcoAthletes Profile: https://www.ecoathletes.org/news/dr-allen-hershkowitz-green-sports-founding-father-latestluminary-to-support-ecoathletes

What does a truly circular carbon economy look like, and how close are we to actually getting there? In this episode of the Sustainability and Climate Podcast, we sit down with Dr Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, one of the most innovative clean technology companies in the world.LanzaTech has pioneered a process that captures carbon emissions from industrial sources and recycles them into sustainable aviation fuel, chemicals, and other products. Rather than simply reducing emissions, their technology puts carbon back to work, creating a circular system that challenges everything we thought we knew about waste and energy.This is one of the most important conversations we have had on this podcast. Whether you work in energy, aviation, policy, or sustainability, this episode will change how you think about carbon.Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.About Our GuestDr. Jennifer Holmgren — Chairman & CEO, LanzaTech | Chair, LanzaJet Board of Directors | Member, National Academy of Engineering | 50+ US PatentsLanzaTech: https://lanzatech.comLanzaJet: https://lanzajet.comInvestor Relations: https://investor.lanzatech.com

China is not waiting for the world to catch up. While global leaders debate timelines and targets, China has quietly become the undisputed powerhouse of clean energy, manufacturing over 80% of the world’s solar panels, dominating the EV market, and investing trillions in green infrastructure. In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most consequential stories of our time. How China became the world’s clean energy superpower, what it means for the Global South, Western economies, and climate targets, and why every leader, activist, and changemaker needs to be paying attention right now. This is not just an energy story. It is a story about power, geopolitics, and the future of our planet. What you will take away from this episode: How China came to dominate solar, wind, and electric vehicle technology on a global scale. The geopolitical ripple effects for developing nations, Europe, and the United States. What net zero commitments really mean in a world where one country controls the supply chain. The opportunities hiding inside China’s clean energy rise for businesses, investors, and policymakers. A honest look at what the rest of the world must do to respond. Whether you are a student, a business leader, a policymaker, or simply someone who cares about the future of this planet, this episode will challenge how you think about the clean energy transition. Listen now. Share with someone who needs to hear this.

Season 4 is HERE and we’re not holding back! Tobi and Labake return with the hard-hitting climate and sustainability analysis you’ve been waiting for. This isn’t just another news roundup - this is the insider perspective on what’s ACTUALLY happening in sustainability right now. From groundbreaking climate innovations to controversial policy shifts, from inspiring grassroots movements to corporate greenwashing exposed. We are bringing you the stories that matter, told with the insight and authenticity. Perfect for your commute, workout, or whenever you need a reality check on where we stand in the fight for our planet’s future. The conversation starts here. The action starts with YOU. Hit subscribe and never miss an episode of the award-winning Sustainability and Climate Podcast. #ClimateAction #Sustainability

From climate activists to corporate CEOs, from grassroots movements to boardroom decisions, we’ve brought you the unfiltered truth about sustainability and climate action. In Season 4, We’re taking it to another level. Here’s what’s coming: ∙ Conversations that challenge everything you think you know about climate solutions ∙ Leaders who are betting their careers on a sustainable future ∙ Stories that will make you angry, hopeful, and ready to act The real question is: What do YOU want us to tackle next? Drop your topic ideas in the comments and the best ones might just become full episodes. Subscribe now so you don’t miss when Season 4 drops. Trust us, you’ll want to be early on this one. Let’s climb higher, together.

In this episode, we sit down with Sandhya Sabapathy; sustainability strategist, global impact leader, advocate for inclusion, and now author to explore what it really means to build climate strategies that last. This is not just a conversation about climate targets or corporate commitments. It’s about people. It’s about the voices we amplify. It’s about the courage to burn bright without burning out, and the discipline to build slow, build intentionally, and build for impact. We discuss: • What designing a credible and future-proof net-zero strategy looks like in today’s world • How global companies can decarbonize while still driving innovation and growth • Why inclusion is not a CSR add-on but the backbone of resilient sustainability leadership • And how we, as individuals and organisations, can take meaningful action today Sandhya reminds us that sustainability is not just about carbon, it is human work. And exciting news! Sandhya’s new book Burn Bright, Build Slow is officially available for pre-order! This book is for everyone who wants to make impact without losing themselves in the process. Pre-order here: book.kaleidoscope.earth/preorder (Trust us, you’ll want this on your shelf.)

How can the tech industry go beyond innovation to become a true force for climate action? In this inspiring conversation, we sit down with Yogesh Chauhan, Director of Sustainability at HubSpot and former sustainability leader at the BBC and Tata Consultancy Services, to explore how digital-first companies can lead responsibly in the fight against climate change. From decarbonizing operations in a cloud-based business to optimizing energy efficiency, Yogesh shares practical strategies for embedding sustainability into the very DNA of fast-moving tech organizations. He also opens up about the lessons he’s carried across industries, the importance of engaging global workforces in sustainable thinking, and the intersection of technology, equity, and climate impact. Key Themes & Takeaways: • Why the tech sector has a unique responsibility and opportunity to accelerate climate action • How SaaS companies can reduce their carbon footprint and optimize energy use • Strategies for embedding sustainability across entire organisations and not just in one team • The link between community, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility • One powerful action every tech company should take today If you care about climate change, sustainability leadership, or the future of responsible tech, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Tune in now and join thousands of listeners across 100+ countries amplifying earth’s voice for change. #Sustainability #ClimateAction #TechForGood #DigitalSustainability #ClimateLeadership #HubSpot #GreenTech #ClimatePodcast

Urgency and Hope: The Future of Climate Justice with Jonathon Porritt In this episode of the Sustainability & Climate Podcast , we sit down with Jonathon Porritt CBE , leading environmentalist, co-founder of Forum for the Future , and one of the most influential voices in the global sustainability movement. With over 30 years of experience advising governments, businesses, and civil society, Jonathon shares his perspective on how we can face the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis with both urgency and hope. This conversation dives deep into the heart of climate justice and explores: How sustainability has evolved from the margins to the mainstream. The urgent link between the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis . Why hope in climate change action and intergenerational justice are essential for progress. The role of youth climate movements and how older generations can step up. What separates purpose-driven companies from ESG “box tickers.” How net zero accountability and systems change can accelerate a just transition. If you care about the future of our planet, this episode will challenge and inspire you. Whether you’re a policymaker, climate activist, sustainability leader, or simply passionate about the environment, Jonathon’s insights will leave you with clarity, courage, and a renewed call to action. Listen now to “Urgency and Hope: The Future of Climate Justice” and join us in amplifying Earth’s voice.