Climate Forward

Bart Langius explains why replacing fossil-based plastics is not just a chemistry challenge, but an industrial one. At Avantium, he is helping bring PEF, a polyester made from plant sugars, from pilot scale into the market. The conversation looks at Europe’s weakening petrochemical position and the real hurdles facing new materials: cost, scale, customer risk, and recycling systems. It is a practi...

Olivier Rolland is a chemist turned sustainability strategist working at the intersection of biology, business, and climate impact. Over two decades, he has worked on bio-based materials, sustainable aviation fuel, and large-scale supply systems across companies like Michelin, Total, Boeing, and now L’Oréal. He shares what it takes to bring sustainable technologies to market, why economic viabilit...

Palm Oil Isn’t the Problem: Land, Perception, and Supply Chain Reality with Caroline Westerik-Sikking​ and Jules Blom and Jules Blom from AAK challenge one of the most emotional debates in sustainability: palm oil. They argue the issue is not the crop itself, but how it is produced, and that replacing palm can increase pressure on land rather than reduce it. In this conversation, they show what su...

Lilian Cooper is an artist and European Climate Pact Ambassador whose work connects nature, science, and everyday places. For nearly three decades she has documented fragile coastlines, rising sea levels, and the quiet resilience of urban nature. She speaks about drawing disappearing shorelines, rehabilitating so-called weeds, working with scientists, and why careful observation can make climate c...

Tjebbe Boersma talks about climate action, his passion for Japan, and nematodes. 

Roberta Bosu is a European Climate Pact Ambassador. In her role as ambassador she focuses on ways to improve communication around climate change and make it more relatable.  Roberta also talks about her experience with the 30 days face challenge in Instagram, why she loves too good to go and her fascination with worm hotels in amsterdam.

Flora Späth talks about how the horticulture industry is working on replacing single use plastic trays. Flora is  a board member of Euro Plant Tray and an independent consultant for the horticulture industry.  In her role at Euro Plant Tray Flora is working towards replacing single-use plastic plant trays with a reusable pooling system, which is fully recyclable at end of life and can last for 10,...

Samira I. Ibrahim is a European Climate Pact Ambassador, a Clingendael Institute Alumni and part of the Springtij crew. Next to being an academic scholar, her passion is interdisciplinary work where she combines her expertise from water management, theology, and international studies. Together these can unlock potentials that can be a massive force for positive change and are easily overlooked.

Willem Grootonk talks about the importance of youth participation and the challenges that need to be overcome for a proper implementation of youth participation in policy making. Willem is a European Climate Pact Ambassador, a former e-sports commentator, and the former Chair of the Dutch Youth Environmental Council (Jongerenmilieuraad), where he is still active as member of the Advisory Board.

My guest in this episode is Thaddeus Anim-Somuah, a European Climate Pact Ambassador and a Board Member of the Future Energy Leaders of the World Energy Council.  In 2020 Thaddeus was listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe for Manufacturing & Industry. Climate Action is one of his passions. Thaddeus talks about his work at Cargill and previously Croda Performance Technologies where he was involve...

MPREIS MPREIS Hydrogen from Austria has implemented the complete technical and organizational hydrogen value chain. The project represents a practical implementation of the sector coupling electricity and mobility as well as electricity and process heat. An alkaline pressure electrolyzer with a power consumption of 3.2 MW produces around 1,300 kg of green hydrogen daily. It is used to generate CO2...

Meet the winners of the Energy Globe Award: Eco Panplas has developed a way to recycle plastic oil bottles without the use of water. Myco grows compostable packaging from mycelium.

Katarzyna Balucka talks about the European Climate Pact, the Green Deal, and why both are so important. Kasia is responsible for the European Climate Pact. She is a Policy Officer at the European Commission's Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA).

I talk to Alexander Frech about the role of effective water management for a more sustainable world.

An introduction to the European Climate Pact and its Ambassadors with my guest Fons Janssen.