Second Nature

What if nature had a balance sheet—and we finally learned how to read it? Can private investment be the key to restoring our planet’s most fragile ecosystems? And what does the future of biodiversity markets look like? Alicia Gibson, Director at Finance Earth, joins us to explore the cutting edge of natural capital investment and its role in driving real change for our planet. Alicia takes us on a...

John Elkington has spent over four decades shaping the global sustainability movement. Dubbed the “Godfather of Sustainability”, he has advised some of the world’s largest companies, coined influential terms like the Triple Bottom Line, and continuously pushed businesses to think beyond profit. John sits down with Rich Stockdale in our Shoot Room Sessions on tour, for a thought-provoking conversat...

Shoot Room Sessions has officially hit triple digits—and we’re celebrating in style with a very special guest. For our 100th episode, we’re joined by OC’s own Rich Stockdale, a transformative leader, environmental pioneer, and the founder of Oxygen Conservation. Rich takes us on a deeply personal journey, from his early struggles in the north of England to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur, he sh...

In this explosive episode of The Shoot Room Sessions , we tackle one of the most urgent issues of our time—how food is the key to fixing our broken health and environment. We can’t keep ignoring the fact that our food choices shape everything from our mental health to the future of the planet. Joining us to dive deep into this conversation is Harriet Bell, the Regenerative Farming Lead at Riverfor...

What happens when a troubled youth, corporate disillusionment, and a deep love for nature collide? You get James Wallace, Chief Executive of River Action—a driving force in the fight to save Britain's rivers. In this episode of The Shoot Room Sessions, James shares his powerful journey to leading a national charity dedicated to tackling the freshwater emergency. He reveals hard truths about a...

In this episode, Rich Stockdale sits down with Flora Harley, Head of ESG Research at Knight Frank, to explore how climate risk, regulation, and investment trends are reshaping real estate. The property market is shifting fast. Buildings that don’t meet modern sustainability and efficiency standards are becoming stranded assets, and investors who ignore ESG are falling behind. With over a decade of...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions, we sit down with Caroline Hopper, lead consultant at Quietroom and a leading voice in responsible investment. From her early career in publishing and marketing to shaping how the financial world talks about pensions, Caroline shares how communication—and a clearer understanding of our money—can drive real change. We dive deep into the £5 trillion power of UK...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions, we sit down with Kevin Cox, former Chair of the RSPB and a lifelong advocate for nature conservation. From his early days fishing in West London to leading one of the UK’s most influential conservation organizations, Kevin shares how his personal experiences shaped his career in publishing, governance, and land management. We dive deep into the state of UK c...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions, we sit down with Peter Harker, partner at Saffery and head of their Natural Capital team. From his early days exploring the wild landscapes of Northumberland to his passion for kayaking and his unexpected journey into accounting, Peter shares how his personal experiences have shaped his career in natural capital. We dive deep into the evolving landscape of n...

What does it take to drive real change for nature? In this episode, Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, shares his journey from a bird-watching childhood in Birmingham to shaping some of the UK’s most important environmental policies.   Richard dives into the highs and challenges of securing legally binding targets for nature, why public money must be used for public good, and h...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions, we sit down with Matt Walpole, Chief Executive of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, to explore his extraordinary career in conservation. From growing up on a smallholding in Cornwall to traveling the world and working in over 70 countries, Matt shares insights from his journey, including his PhD on nature-based tourism in Komodo National Park and his work address...

This week, we sit down with Sylvain, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Mozaic Earth, to explore how technology, community, and a deep respect for nature are converging to fix the human-nature relationship. By combining cutting-edge tech with large-scale community engagement, Mozaic Earth delivers highly accessible and low-cost ‘ground-truth’ nature data to the companies that need it most. With o...

In this engaging episode of The Shoot Room Sessions, we sit down with James Farrell, Partner at Knight Frank and Head of Rural, to celebrate Knight Frank becoming official sponsor of the Shoot Room Sessions Podcast. We delve into the transformative potential of the natural capital market, exploring how it can create sustainable income streams, jobs, and thriving rural communities. James offers ins...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions, we explore Ed’s journey to founding Great Yellow. Before launching his venture, Ed spent five impactful years at Grosvenor, where he led asset financing and sustainable debt initiatives, eventually helping to manage their carbon credit procurement program. His work there reflects a deep commitment to sustainability and the evolving carbon markets. Ed’s caree...

George Eustice was a Minister in DEFRA for nine years including almost three years in Cabinet.  He brought into law the Agriculture Act 2020, the Environment Act 2021 and the Fisheries Act 2020 which together established the main policy frameworks for the post EU era.  He also developed most of the policies under the Future Agriculture Programme including the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Land...

In this episode of Shoot Room Sessions , Rich sits down with George Pawley, General Counsel at Oxygen Conservation, to discuss the exciting acquisition of the 15,000-acre Dorback Estate in the Cairngorms. This landmark purchase connects half a million acres for nature, marking a significant achievement for the team. George shares behind-the-scenes insights into the 9-month acquisition process, inv...

Grant Moir has served as Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority since March 2013. A graduate of Aberdeen University, Grant previously spent seven years at the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, where he held the role of Director of Conservation and Visitor Experience. Earlier in his career, he worked with the Rural Affairs Department of the Scottish Executive...

Roxanne is Head of Responsible Business at UK independent law firm Burges Salmon. The firm has been rated as one of the leading ESG focused law firms across the UK, US and Canada and is in the top 10% of businesses globally in terms of sustainability performance. Roxy is responsible for framing and driving the firm’s responsible business agenda and contributing to the firm’s work on ESG, net-zero...

As Burges Salmon’s Managing Partner, Roger works with the Senior Partner, Strategic Board and wider partnership to set the firm’s direction and ensure its successful implementation. Roger is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and innovative environment that drives the firm’s growth and success.   Roger’s leadership is pivotal to delivering Burges Salmon’s purpose, which is to help its people,...

Ben Sharples heads up the Natural Capital Team at Michelmores and brings his dual qualifications as a surveyor and solicitor to assist clients engaging in the market for environmental services.  As one of the first lawyers to engage with emergent policy on natural capital, having already completed numerous deals in this space and having been the architect in several novel and ground breaking natur...

Gil Martin is the Director of Estates and Natural Capital at Belmont, a regenerative organisation on a mission to inspire community connection, restore biodiversity, and tackle climate change through ambitious nature-recovery projects, a nature connection program, natural capital solutions, and outdoor shared experiences.   Gil is a passionate naturalist with a focus on ecosystem ecology and the d...

Joss Ford is the founder of Enviral, a purpose-driven agency that consults, creates and communicates organisations’ social and environmental stories. He believes that communications plays one of the most important roles in solving our global challenges. A graduate of The School of Earth and Environment at Leeds University and CISL (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership), Joss helps com...

Debbie Tann MBE is the Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.  From humble beginnings and an unconventional background, she has carved out a remarkable career in ecology and nature conservation.  During her 25-years with the Trust, she's grown the charity into one of the largest of the county wildlife trusts in the UK, now with 150 staff and assets of £25 million.   Sh...

Ben Goldsmith is a British financier, philanthropist, and lifelong nature lover who has been at the forefront of rewilding campaigns across Britain, Europe and beyond. He founded and chairs Conservation Collective, a leading nature restoration charity supporting 20 locally-focused foundations around the world. Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Menhaden, a London-listed, sustainability-themed i...

Luke Baldwin is CEO of Nature Broking which he co-founded in March 2023 to channel more private and public finance into climate and nature.  Nature Broking builds unique, personalised carbon credit and nature portfolios for corporations enabling them to maximise their impact on climate and wildlife. Nature Broking’s high impact projects in the UK and round the world reduce and remove emissions whi...