Paul's guest in this episode is Caroline Casey. Caroline is the businesswoman and activist behind The Valuable 500, the world’s largest CEO collective and business move for disability inclusion. Caroline launched the movement at the World Economic Forum’s Davos Summit in 2019 and since then has signed up 500 multinational organisations with a combined revenue of over $8 trillion, employing 20 million people worldwide to radically transform the business system. The membership includes 36 of the FTSE 100 companies, 46 of the Fortune 500 and 28 of the Nikkei. Recently appointed President of the IAPB, Caroline also sits on several diversity and inclusion boards, including L’Oréal and Sky. She has also received an honorary doctorate as well as multiple awards and accolades for her work as a disability activist.

Welcome to The Conduit’s podcast series, Service Please. This series will be focusing on ethical and sustainable hospitality, engaging with a diverse range of industry experts and a variety of individuals across different sectors, disciplines, roles and levels. From supply chains to sourcing, waste management to wellbeing and welfare – what problems need tackling and what does the future of hospitality look like? In this episode, we are joined by Ellie Besley-Gould.  Ellie leads ‘purpose’ at Hawksmoor, which includes the strategic planning and delivery of sustainability. In 2021 they became the world’s first carbon neutral steak restaurant group, and have a commitment to ensuring sourcing the best produce they can get hold of. Hawksmoor has set the group an ambitious net zero target of 2030 and has already moved the whole UK company to green energy. Ellie is passionate about the impact businesses can have on achieving global sustainability goals and has been blown away by how much progress is already being seen in the hospitality sector. Prior to working at Hawksmoor, Ellie led climate change at various NGOs for over a decade and continues to chair the board at addiction charity Foundation for Change. With her own company, The Greenish, Ellie also consults with a wide range of hospitality businesses supporting them to become greener. 

Paul's guest in this episode is Tzeporah Berman. Tzeporah has been designing environmental campaigns and working on environmental policy in Canada and beyond for over thirty years. She is currently the International Program Director at Stand.earth and the Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. She is the Co-founder of the Global Gas & Oil Network, the former co-director of Greenpeace International's Global Climate and Energy Program, and the co-founder of ForestEthics (now Stand.earth). Tzeporah was one of the creators and lead negotiators of the Great Bear Rainforest agreement and the Canadian Boreal Forest Initiative. Her work has contributed to the protection of over 40 million hectares of old growth forests. In 2021, she was arrested for blockading the logging of thousand-year-old trees in Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island and she gave a widely-viewed TED Talk presenting the case for a global treaty to phase out fossil fuels. In this episode Paul and Tzeporah discuss how a Fossil Fuel Treaty could work and what a Fossil Fuel Exit Strategy might look like. 

Paul's guest in this episode is Isabel Hilton. Isabel is a London-based international journalist and broadcaster. She studied at the Beijing Foreign Language and Culture University and at Fudan University in Shanghai before taking up a career in written and broadcast journalism, working for The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and the New Yorker. In 1992 she became a presenter of the BBC’s flagship news program, “The World Tonight,” then BBC Radio Three’s cultural program “Night Waves.” Isabel is the author of several books and is founder and senior advisor of chinadialogue.net, a non-profit, fully bilingual online publication based in London, Beijing, and Delhi that focuses on the environment and climate change. Hilton holds two honorary doctorates and was awarded the OBE for her work in raising environmental awareness in China. In this episode Paul and Isabel discuss the current relationship between China and the US, China’s climate change policies and what we might be able to expect from COP27. 

The Global Wind Energy Council and The Conduit have partnered this year to drive the conversation ahead of COP27 in Egypt. We’ll look at the transversal issues facing those fighting to tackle climate change, and the topics that will be top of the agenda for world leaders in November. One of those key challenges will be ensuring a just transition; one that takes every region forward to a world powered by renewable energy, and one where everybody has left polluting fossil fuels behind.  The partnership’s fourth podcast looks at energy security, energy justice and net zero - a solutions based approach.  GWEC’s Reshmi Ladwa is joined by Miguel Viana, Head of IR and Sustainability at EDP and EDPR to discuss this topic using a solutions based approach. The conversation addresses the recent geopolitical conflicts as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and rising energy prices.  There is a window of opportunity for the renewables industry to provide a solution to these challenges. Join us as we take a solutions based approach to see how renewables can be a three stop solution to reaching net zero, energy security and energy justice.

Welcome to The Conduit’s podcast series on Humanising Investment. Inspired by Gillian Tett’s book, Anthrovision, this series will focus on inspiring the next generation of investors to recognise the value of responsible investing.  Hosted by Asha Lad, Chief Investment Officer at Conduit Capital, each episode will be talking to a leading responsible investor in the institutional responsible investing space, getting to grips with each of their stories, understanding what led towards a career in the space and how they feel we can begin to humanize the finance industry.  In this episode, Asha is joined by Gillian Tett. Gillian serves as the chair of the editorial board and editor-at-large, US of the Financial Times. She writes weekly columns, covering a range of economic, financial, political and social issues. She is also the co-founder of FT Moral Money, a twice weekly newsletter that tracks the ESG revolution in business and finance which has since grown to be a staple FT product. Her most recent book, Anthro-Vision, A New Way to See Life and Business has received multiple awards, including The Times and Financial Times Book of the Year. 

Welcome to The Conduit’s podcast series, Service Please. This series will be focusing on ethical and sustainable hospitality, engaging with a diverse range of industry experts and a variety of individuals across different sectors, disciplines, roles and levels. From supply chains to sourcing, waste management to wellbeing and welfare – what problems need tackling and what does the future of hospitality look like? In this episode, we are joined by Robin Sheppard. Robin has been an hotelier for over 40 years, winning multiple awards and significant recognition for his work in the industry.  In 2000 Robin co-founded Bespoke Hotels which has grown into the UK’s largest independent hotel group with over 200 properties. He has already won the Hotel Catey and then the Oxford Brookes award for Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry and most recently he won the AA Lifetime Achievement Award to the Industry. He is also the Government’s Hospitality Sector Champion for Disabled People. Despite all of these accolades, Robin’s greatest achievement has been to fight back from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a completely paralysing illness. His slow recovery inspired him to launch the Blue Badge Access Awards to encourage better design and empathy from architects, interior designers and hospitality professionals alike. Quick Fire Round: What does hospitality mean to you? It means anticipation and preparing for any guest’s arrival to be made to feel special, recognised, valued and cherished.  Desert Island Dish My death row dish would be a picnic in the hope that we might be able to have it outside and I could run away… But probably a delicious spaghetti Bolognese, I love Italian cooking. I’m told by Heston Blumenthal that by putting a little star anise into your Bolognese makes all of the difference.  Favourite season Spring, I love spring, flowers come into bloom, there’s a sense of hope. Newsagent confectionary of choice I’m very fond of Picnics… I did go through a terrible period of Jaffa Cake addiction, but I did get that under control. Favourite restaurant Bibendum, for the beauty of the light and the stained glass.  The Hilton, Park Lane, for the views across London. Dins by Santi Toura, Majorca, for his incredible food.  Three words to describe the future of hospitality Expanding, levelling, joyful. 

Welcome to UpStarts, a podcast series by The Conduit where we will focus on the stories of a diverse range of impact entrepreneurs, spanning industries, interests and influence. UpStarts will get to the heart of the journey of an impact entrepreneur, looking into how they built their companies, what problems they are trying to fix, their impact so far and their hopes for the future. What can we learn and action from their experience?   In this episode, Paul van Zyl, co-founder of The Conduit, is joined by Tom Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of 60 Decibels. Tom has held various leadership roles across the public, private and charitable sectors. Immediately before 60 Decibels Tom was the Chief Impact Officer at Acumen, and prior to that worked in Ethiopia and Nigeria for the Department for International Development. Tom has also worked for the Foreign Office, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and Credit Suisse. 60 Decibels is a Conduit Connect company, find out more about them on their website https://60decibels.com. 

Welcome to The Conduit’s podcast series, Service Please. This series will be focusing on ethical and sustainable hospitality, engaging with a diverse range of industry experts and a variety of individuals across different sectors, disciplines, roles and levels. From supply chains to sourcing, waste management to wellbeing and welfare – what problems need tackling and what does the future of hospitality look like? In this episode we are joined by Chantelle Nicholson. Chantelle is a multi-award winning chef, owner of Apricity Restaurant in Mayfair and former chef-owner of now-closed and much-loved Covent Garden restaurant Tredwells, which under Chantelle’s leadership was the recipient of a green Michelin star in 2021 for its commitment to sustainability. 

Welcome to UpStarts, a podcast series by The Conduit where we will focus on the stories of a diverse range of impact entrepreneurs, spanning industries, interests and influence. UpStarts will get to the heart of the journey of an impact entrepreneur, looking into how they built their companies, what problems they are trying to fix, their impact so far and their hopes for the future. What can we learn and action from their experience?   In this episode, Paul van Zyl, co-founder of The Conduit, is joined by Emma Shaw. Emma is the Co-Founder of Library of Things – a circular economy start-up tackling wasteful consumerism. Emma is an environmentalist and entrepreneur, having started her first business at school, she went onto study Natural Sciences at university in Cambridge and has been working in government and social innovation for the last 10 years. She received the coveted Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK last year for her work on innovative funding for impact businesses. Library of Things is a Conduit Connect company, find out more about them on their website www.libraryofthings.co.uk.