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Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

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Jul 14, 2021 • 46min

Beyond Net Zero - Ep50: Lord John Browne

Lord Browne is a Senior Advisor at General Atlantic on climate and Net Zero, providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies.  He served as Group Chief Executive of BP from 1995 to 2007, after having joined the company in 1966 as a university apprentice.In 2007, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of the world’s largest renewable energy private equity fund until 2015. He is currently Chairman of Wintershall Dea, Europe’s largest independent oil and gas company. He is independent co-Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art, and a past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.  Lord Browne was the UK Government’s Lead Non-Executive Board Member from 2010 to 2015. He was knighted in 1998 and made a life peer in 2001. Lord Browne is the author of five books.Further reading:Lord Browne joins General Atlantic as Senior Advisor[Official Bio] (April 2021)https://www.generalatlantic.com/media-article/lord-browne-joins-general-atlantic-as-senior-advisor-focused-on-climate-and-net-zero/Saving the planet needs faith and science (May 2021)https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/saving-the-planet-needs-faith-and-science-v2bzrl28zMake, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilisation (2019)https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1526605716?ie=UTF8&tag=finantimes-21&camp=1634&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=1526605716
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Jul 7, 2021 • 52min

Pushing Planetary Boundaries - Ep49: Johan Rockström

Johan Rockström is Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Professor in Earth System Science at the University of Potsdam.He is an internationally recognized scientist on global sustainability issues, most known for developing the Planetary Boundaries framework for human development. Professor Rockström is a leading scientist on global water resources, with more than 25 years’ experience in applied water research in tropical regions, and more than 150 research publications in fields ranging from applied land and water management to global sustainability.  Apart from that, Professor Rockström is a member of European Commission expert group: Mission Board for adaptation to climate change including societal transformation, chair of the Earth Commission and an elected member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Between 2004 and 2012 he led the Stockholm Environment Institute, in 2007 he co-founded the Stockholm Resilience Centre.Professor Rockström wrote not just scientific papers: together with Sir David Attenborough he’s working on a Netflix series ‘Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet’  but also co-authored a cookbook with recipes healthy for people and the planet.Further reading: Official Bio https://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/johanroTED Talk “10 years to transform the future of humanity or destabilize the planet” (October 2020) https://www.ted.com/talks/johan\_rockstrom\_10\_years\_to\_transform\_the\_future\_of\_humanity\_or\_destabilize\_the\_planetJohan Rockström: ‘We need bankers as well as activists… we have 10 years to cut emissions by half’ (May 2021) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/29/johan-rockstrom-interview-breaking-boundaries-attenborough-bidenStanding Up for a Sustainable World: Voices of Change (2020)https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Up-Sustainable-World-Voices/dp/1800371799
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Jun 30, 2021 • 48min

Planetary Crisis? Call an Economist! - Ep48: Nick Stern

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern is the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, Chair of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and Head of the India Observatory at the London School of Economics.Professor Stern led the Grantham Research Institute since its establishment in 2008. Between 2013 and 2017 he was the President of the British Academy. His academic career took him all over the world: he held appointments at, inter alia, Oxford University, MIT, Collège de France, the Indian Statistical Institute and the People’s University of China in Beijing. Professor Stern was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014.Apart from his academic career, he worked for international institutions like the World Bank and the EBRD and for the British government. In that capacity, he led the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change in 2006, a pioneering work looking into long-term costs of climate change and long-term benefits of urgent and aggressive climate action.Professor Stern was knighted for services to economics in 2004, was made a cross-bench life peer in 2007 and appointed Companion of Honour for services to economics, international relations and tackling climate change in 2017. Professor Stern holds 13 honorary degrees and numerous prizes. Official Biohttps://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/profile/nicholas-stern/Stern Review (2006)https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100407172811/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/stern_review_report.htmThe Investment Imperative for the G7 (June 2021)https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/g7-summit-economic-recovery-investment-priority-by-nicholas-stern-2021-06G7 leadership for sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic recovery and growth - summary report (May 2021)https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/publication/g7-leadership-for-sustainable-resilient-and-inclusive-economic-recovery-and-growth-summary-report/WHO Air Polluton datahttps://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1Why Are We Waiting? The Logic, Urgency and Promise of Tackling Climate Change (2015)https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/why-are-we-waiting 
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Jun 23, 2021 • 56min

Open to Innovation - Ep47: Gina Domanig

Gina Domanig is the Managing Partner and founder of Emerald Technology Ventures, the first independent cleantech venture capital fund in Europe.  Gina currently serves on the boards of the following portfolio companies: GeoDigital International Inc, a geo-spatial intelligence provider for electric utilities, Spear Power Systems Inc, a battery management solutions provider for aerospace and marine and Urgently Inc, a digital platform for roadside assistanceIn addition to Emerald activities Gina is a board member of Die Mobiliar, SolarPack Corporacion Tecnologica S.A., u-blox AG and Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy Foundation. She is a member of the advisory boards of the Institute on the Environment of the University of Minnesota, and the PRIME Impact Fund.  Gina has over 35 years of experience in the area of finance, banking and venture capital – before founding Emerald in 2000 she was vice president at Sulzer, responsible for M&A.Gina holds a Bachelor Degree in Finance from Arizona State University as well as MBA degrees from Thunderbird in Arizona and ESADE in Barcelona. Further reading:Official bio:https://emerald-ventures.com/team/emerald-team/?tx_emeraldteam_renderer%5Bmember%5D=1&tx_emeraldteam_renderer%5Baction%5D=show&tx_emeraldteam_renderer%5Bcontroller%5D=Member&cHash=58a351934015e61ab3c7c10313c410c0The start-up ecosystem during COVID-19: A talk with Gina Domanig (March 2020)https://www.startup-energy-transition.com/the-start-up-ecosystem-during-covid-19-a-talk-with-gina-domanig/Venture capital pioneer Gina Domanig: Swiss start-ups “could achieve a lot more” (April 2019)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55KbjZmVOB8
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Jun 16, 2021 • 53min

California's Clean Energy Dream - Ep46: Angelina Galiteva

Angelina Galiteva has been appointed Chair of the California Independent System Operator’s Board of Governors in 2020, after a decade spent on the Board as a member.  Angelina is the founder & Chair of the Board of Renewables 100 Policy Institute. She is also a Renewable Energy Expert Speaker at the US Department of State.Angelina’s carer in energy started in 1994 when she was a Power Services Analyst at the New York Power Authority. In 1997 she became an Executive Director at the LA Department of Water and Power. Angelina has experience in private sector as well - in 2003 she founded NEOoptions, a renewable energy and new technology product design firm.Angelina is a lawyer by education: she holds a J.D. and LLM Degrees, with a specialization in Environmental and Energy Law Further reading:Angelina’s LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/angelina-galiteva-51b92/Convo: Angelina Galiteva, Chair of Board of Governors of California Independent System Operator (April 2021)https://ecomotion.us/podcast/convo-angelina-galiteva-chair-of-board-of-governors-of-california-independent-system-operator-4-21/Angelina Galiteva - 100% Renewables - SC-RISE Solar Valley Complement Video Series (September 2020)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqnr7jTrBjc            ReEnergy Africahttps://www.reenergyafrica.com/
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Jun 9, 2021 • 58min

Powering Canada Past Coal - Ep45: Catherine McKenna

Canadian politician Catherine McKenna discusses the clean energy transition and infrastructure investments for economic growth. Topics include implementing a carbon price policy, empowering women in climate action, and navigating political strategies for climate initiatives. McKenna also shares insights on overcoming sexism in advocacy and the hopeful prospects for environmental leadership at COP26.
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Jun 2, 2021 • 1h 3min

Enforcing the Laws of Nature - Ep44: James Thornton

James Thornton is the CEO and founder of ClientEarth, a leading environmental law organisation in Europe. Since its establishment in 2007, ClientEarth tackled world’s most pressing environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and toxic chemicals using advocacy, litigation and research. ClientEarth now operates globally with offices in London, Brussels, Warsaw, New York and Beijing.  Before this, he was a Senior Lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Los Angeles for 9 years. His role involved setting up the citizens' enforcement project specifically working on the Clean Water Act under the Reagan Administration. In 6 months he successfully won 60 cases in federal courts.  Named by the New Statesman as one of the top 10 people who could change the world and one of the top 100 lawyers practising in the UK, James is at the forefront of utilising the legal system and advocacy to create real climate action. In 2016, The Financial Times awarded him its Special Achievement Award at the Innovative Lawyer Awards.James Thornton is a Zen Bhuddist and started a meditation organisation for environmental activists called Positive Futures. James was born in New York and studied at Yale University Further reading:Wikipedia page:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James\_Thornton (environmentalist)  ClientEarth launches major climate change movement (April 2021)https://shots.net/news/view/clientearth-launches-major-climate-change-movement  A Conversation With James Thornton, Founder of ClientEarth – One of the World’s Most Ambitious Environmental Organisations (December 2020)https://thoughteconomics.com/james-thornton/  Michael Liebreich: Climate Lawsuits – An Existential Risk to Fossil Fuel Firms? (September 2019)https://about.bnef.com/blog/liebreich-climate-lawsuits-existential-risk-fossil-fuel-firms/
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May 26, 2021 • 50min

Racing to Zero - Ep43: Nigel Topping

Nigel Topping was appointed UK High Level Champion for Climate Action in January 2020. His role involves bringing together different stakeholders in the #racetozero. His vision is to create a bigger role for non-state actors within the climate conversation, which he successfully managed in the Paris Agreements.  Between 2015 and 2019 Nigel was the CEO of We Mean Business, a coalition of businesses working to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon economy. He has also held leadership positions at CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) for 7 years.  Before focusing on climate action, he worked in the private sector for over 20 years in manufacturing and supply chain. His career has taken him all over the world, including emerging economies like Brazil, India, and China.  Nigel holds a BA in Mathematics from Cambridge University and an MSc in Holistic Science from Schumacher College. Further reading:Nigel Topping’s Official Biohttps://unfccc.int/climate-action/marrakech-partnership/actors/meet-the-championsNigel Topping appointed UK High Level Climate Action Champion (January 2020)https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nigel-topping-appointed-uk-high-level-climate-action-championWe need to green the economy while restarting it – Nigel Topping’s Ted Talk (June 2020)https://www.ted.com/talks/nigel_topping_we_need_to_green_the_economy_while_restarting_itHow to turn climate ambitions into reality: Q&A with Nigel Topping (January 2021)https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/how-to-turn-climate-ambitions-into-reality-qa-with-nigel-topping/Race to Zero Campaignhttps://racetozero.unfccc.int/
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May 19, 2021 • 45min

Pumping Heat - Ep42: Thomas Nowak

Thomas Nowak is the Secretary General of the European Heat Pump Association  - he’s an expert on heating and electricity. Thomas is a man who walks the talk – he’s a proud owner of a heat pump and a solar power plant.In 2006, Thomas Nowak was appointed as the Secretary General of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). His role in Brussels involves promoting heat pump technology as a viable and efficient tool for the future. EHPA achieves this goal by producing reports with key data as well as representing the industry to the European institutions and stakeholders.As an expert in the industry, Thomas has presented his research in articles and conferences in international and European conferences. They have largely been about the integration of heat pumps in the energy market. Moreover, he has contributed to the IEA energy technology perspectives and the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report.  Thomas holds a degree in business administration and economics from Paderborn University. Further reading Official Biohttps://www.ehpa.org/about/team/brussels-secretariat/thomas-nowak/ DecarbHeat – an European Initiative for Decarbonisation of the Heating (November 2017) https://heatpumpingtechnologies.org/publications/decarbheat-an-european-initiative-for-decarbonisation-of-the-heating/ Heat pumps only for new buildings? (January 2020) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heat-pumps-only-new-buildings-thomas-nowak/Cooling demand is increasing? So what! (June 2019)https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cooling-demand-increasing-so-what-thomas-nowak/White Paper Heat Pumps https://www.ehpa.org/fileadmin/user\_upload/White\_Paper\_Heat\_pumps.pdf
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May 12, 2021 • 1h

Just Transition or Just Talk? - Ep41: Sharan Burrow

Further reading: Official Bio https://www.ituc-csi.org/sharan-burrow-6329?lang=en How to fix a broken labour market (March 2021) https://www.top1000funds.com/2021/03/how-to-fix-a-broken-labour-market/As the World Economic Forum convenes this week will people and their environment be centre stage? (January 2021)https://sharanburrow.medium.com/as-the-world-economic-forum-convenes-this-week-will-people-and-their-environment-be-centre-stage-80ee39612d96Summary of the debate between Max Roser and Jason Hickel (December 2019) https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/2/12/18215534/bill-gates-global-poverty-chartThe ILO Centenary Declaration https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed\_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms\_711674.pdf

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