Shaken Not Burned

In this week’s episode Felicia Jackson talks to Phil Korbel, co-founder and director of advocacy at The Carbon Literacy Project, about what it truly means to move beyond awareness into action.Too often, climate conversations are filled with well-meaning phrases and distant threats. We hear about melting ice caps, rising seas, and catastrophic futures—but what do these really mean for our daily lives, our work, and our ability to shape the world around us?We dive into what carbon literacy actually is: not another layer of theory, but a practical framework that helps individuals and organisations understand their carbon impact and, crucially, do something about it.Phil shares stories of real people, from corporate executives to shop floor staff, who have shifted not just how they think, but how they act. Whether it’s changing how a company sets its net-zero targets, or how a single employee reimagines waste in a retail store, these are stories of measurable, empowering change.If you’re interested in learning more about carbon literacy for your organisation, or for yourselves, you can find out more at www.carbonliteracy.com. Or if this is something you’d be interested in us delivering for you, let us know at Shaken Not Burned and we'll see what we can deliver - reach out to info@shakennotburned.com.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

With extreme weather disrupting harvests, food prices spiking, and soil health declining globally, regenerative agriculture is emerging as a compelling solution – not just for farmers, but for everyone who eats. This week, Felicia talks to Andrew Voysey, chief impact officer at Soil Capital, about why regenerative agriculture matters to farmers, industry and individuals.Regenerative agriculture isn’t just about greener farms: it’s about the resilience of our food system in the face of increasingly volatile weather. But while data shows how broken soil leads to broken supply chains and higher prices at the checkout, the public conversation hasn’t caught up. We talk about climate and food prices as if they're distinct – but they're not. We have headlines about drought, and headlines about inflation, but no understanding of how the two are connected. We’re not just talking about emissions or yields; we’re talking about the very resilience of our food system. And resilience is now a business, cost-of-living, and national security issue.We assume change will cost more. But staying the same is already costing us. We need to reframe the conversation – urgently.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

There are many ways to take climate action: one of these involves going to court. An increasing number of groups worldwide are driving change through legal means, in a process commonly known as climate litigation. Climate litigation matters because it brings climate responsibility into the legal arena, where science, rights, and accountability can meet enforceable action. It's not just about winning court cases—it's about creating leverage for systemic transformation. The strategic use of law has an important role to play in the sustainable transition. Some landmark cases have led to policy reforms or court-ordered emissions reductions, influencing broader societal and economic change. Even if courts rule against environmentalists’ claims, bringing a climate case to court raises awareness among the public and can set precedents for future lawsuits. But what does it mean for companies? We explore this topic in this week’s episode with Zaneta Sedilekova, director of climate and nature risk at Planet Law Lab. In conversation with co-host Giulia Bottaro, they unpack the definition of climate litigation, how this trend has grown in the last few years, and the role of citizens in keeping governments and corporations accountable.  The conversation also touches on high-profile cases – one of which, Saúl Luciano Lliuya vs RWE, is due a decision imminently. This landmark case is the first one where an individual, a Peruvian farmer named Saúl Luciano Lliuya, is claiming damages against the German energy giant RWE for historical emissions, which in turn are behind the risk of floods in his town.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Not long ago, climate ambition was peaking: companies were racing to make net zero pledges and get approvals by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). But now, the mood has shifted.While most businesses haven’t completely walked away from climate action, many of them are rethinking their plans, moving deadlines forward or cutting their targets. Unfortunately, some are abandoning their initiatives altogether. In this week’s episode, which was our first-ever live recording, co-host Felicia Jackson interviews Chris Hocknell, director of Eight Versa, to explore whether corporate decarbonisation is dead, or just due for a rethink.Their conversation – which is followed by a Q&A with the audience – delves into the challenges companies face in achieving net zero targets, the complexities of supply chains, and the economic pressures impacting sustainability efforts. Chris talks about the evolution of carbon neutral compared to net zero, the credibility of carbon offsetting, and the role of nature-based solutions. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

It's a turbulent time for the global economy, which is leading some companies to row back on their sustainability commitments and focus their efforts on what is deemed essential spending. However, environmental impacts go both ways: a company can create environmental damage, for example by polluting the air or water, but it can also be at the receiving end of this damage, when ecosystem breakdown leads to flooding or wildfires. Last week we introduced the concept of climate risk, what it is and why it matters. At this point, preventing and managing climate risk becomes essential spending. But how can companies prioritise it in times of economic crisis? In our latest episode, co-host Giulia Bottaro goes into more depth on how to address this challenge with Dave Jones, former California insurance commissioner and director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.Dave explains how evaluating climate risk is no longer a “nice to have”, especially as climate disclosure requirements are becoming a regulatory obligation globally. The discussion also delves into the role of insurance in managing climate risk, the importance of nature-based solutions, and the need for transparency and proactive measures in corporate practices.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Extreme weather is here. Supply chains are vulnerable. Insurance costs are rising. And whether or not governments pull funding for climate science or roll back disclosure rules, businesses, economies, and insurers still have to grapple with the very real impacts. Insurers can’t afford to ignore mounting losses, and companies can’t afford to ignore their exposure. Risk still needs to be priced, especially in a world where the costs are only going up.In the latest episode of Shaken Not Burned, host Felicia Jackson sits down with Tom Sabbatelli-Goodyer, VP of climate risk at FIS, to unpack one of the biggest threats to modern business: climate risk.Recorded before the latest wave of political shifts – including the US election, the roiling tariff trauma and pushback on climate and ESG, as well as the EU’s delay on CSRD – the conversation feels more relevant than ever. While regulation may stall, and ESG becomes a political football, the physical reality underpinning climate risk remains unchanged.Tom and Felicia explore what climate risk really means today – from acute shocks like floods and wildfires, to chronic pressures like sea-level rise and declining productivity. They break down how businesses can move from awareness to action, with smarter scenario planning, better data, and tools designed to make resilience a strategic advantage, not just a compliance box.This is not just another climate conversation. It’s a wake-up call for decision-makers navigating a world where climate is no longer a future problem - its a financial one happening now.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Our economic system is based on extracting as much value as possible from natural resources, without taking into consideration the principles and processes that power our ecosystems.Somehow, as humans, we have come to believe that we are not part of the natural world in an “us and them” situation. But, really, we are all the same. How can we survive without the Earth?Keeping our planet liveable means integrating our activities with nature, protecting and serving ecosystems, rather than exploiting them. If we focused on regeneration, rather than extraction, we could create a new balance.In our latest episode, Giulia talks about the regenerative economy with Erinch Sahan, business & enterprise lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL). They cover the concept of biomimicry, how companies can adopt a regenerative approach, and the benefits it will bring to society, from an environmental but also a social perspective.DEAL’s tools for businesses If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Cement might not be sexy, but it is responsible for 8% of global emissions – and it's in everything from critical infrastructure to homes. It's fundamental to development and its decarbonisation is critical to net zero success.This week, Felicia dives into the future of construction with Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technologies, the largest supplier of low-carbon cement alternatives in North America.They unpack how industrial waste like coal ash and steel slag are being transformed into sustainable building materials, why AI is reshaping power and construction demands, and how policy and carbon tariffs are influencing the green building revolution.Tune in to learn:How blended cements are taking over the marketWhy AI data centres are changing how we buildWhat carbon tariffs mean for the future of materialsAnd how cost-efficiency and sustainability can finally alignIt’s not just about reducing emissions – it’s about rethinking what we build with, for generations to come.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Welcome to another week of Shaken Not Burned!If you live in today's world, you may be inclined to think that capitalism is the only viable way for our economies to exist. After all, it's been like that for centuries, but this system is not serving the vast majority of people, and certainly not the environment.Most companies today have the main goal of growth: expanding their market share, increasing revenue and profits, boosting returns to shareholders. However, we live on a planet that has finite resources – endless growth is just not possible.The concept of degrowth has emerged as an alternative to the current extractive system, proposing that economic activity focuses on human needs and well-being. In this week’s episode, Giulia interviews Sara Mahdi, degrowth scholar at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, to unpack the meaning of degrowth and how it can be applied in practice.Further reading:What is degrowth?Degrowth can work — here’s how science can helpStakeholder capitalism: A brief history of GDP and its useOur episode on stakeholder capitalismDegrowth lessons from CubaIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?

Over the last couple of years forest carbon credits have become an increasingly contentious solution to the climate challenge because of questions around additionality, permanence and leakage. Scandals have emerged over how carbon credits are estimated and assessed, much of which stems from outdated or flawed methodologies. The risk of greenwashing is a core concern, that credits have been used by companies to appear climate-friendly without delivering real impact.With advancing technology, stronger regulation and the introduction of dynamic baselines however, nature-based solutions like forest conservation and reforestation are critical to the capture and storage of CO2 in natural ecosystems. The market is evolving quickly, offering significant opportunities as it matures.In this episode, Felicia Jackson sits down with Lisett Luik, co-founder of Arbonics, to dive into the challenges and potential of nature-based carbon removal, from using satellite data and LiDAR to build a “digital twin” of forests, to navigating the complexities of carbon markets, trust, and transparency. The conversation also explores how companies like Microsoft are evolving their carbon removal strategies, highlighting the spectrum of approaches available—from avoidance and forest conservation to cutting-edge technological removals. It examines what makes forest carbon credits either valuable or controversial, and emphasizes the essential role nature-based solutions will play over the next 30 to 50 years, even if their impacts aren't always permanent.And for those of you interested in the articles discussed on the podcast, or want some further reading:Measuring Forest Carbon (remembering allometric equations)Realigning Climate Finance: Is It Time We Move From Oil to Soil?We won't achieve gigatonne carbon removalCarbon Removal’s Wrong TurnThe Frontier Coalition for Carbon Dioxide Removal (technical)The Symbiosis Coalition for Nature Based Carbon RemovalsIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – and why not spread the word with your friends and colleagues?