Planet Possible

Jeannette Henderson, co-lead for Innovation at Ofwat shares some of the winners of the latest round of funding from the 5th Water Breakthrough Challenge. Hear some of the projects that are embracing drones, robotics and AI as Ofwat share £42m across 16 projects aiming to radically innovate within the water sector in England and Wales. Jeanette shares how Ofwat are working with other regulators to...

Main interview guest: Natalie Bennett - Green Party Peer, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Expert co-host: Michael Mattle - Head of Wastewater Technology at Holinger  We're exploring how biocides – human-made chemicals that we find in products like surface cleaners and toothpastes – are impacting the microbiomes in our bodies and our environmental systems. In 2025 Green Party Peer, Baroness Bennet...

In today's episode we’re focusing on water that’s used by businesses, which makes up 30% of all the water that’s supplied in England. Join Sarah McMath, CEO of MOSl as we explore the challenges of needing to deliver an extra 5 billion litres of water each day into supply by 2050 and the opportunities - and challenges - presented by commercial water demand. We explore... Smart metering for business...

25% of all the water that comes into our homes is flushed down the toilet. By 2050, we’re going to need an extra 5 billion litres of water a day - almost a third more - available in 25 years. This increased need for water is driven by a growing population, new homes and a water hungry economy and there's an opportunity to reduce our demand for the highest quality drinking water by using an alterna...

Welcome to our March MiniPod - a monthly update where we're joined by an expert guest & we react to current events in water, climate and nature - all in about 15 minutes. In this episode we're joined by Dave Slater, Regional Director for Natural England for the South West of England, and we explore... Whether beavers are a force for good after the news that  the UK Government has announced its com...

A circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.  The UK government wants to transition the UK to a circular economy and in  2024 established a circular economy taskforce to consider the policy pathways, interventions and targets make this happen.  We explore the circular economy in the UK and internationally and dig into a range of examples from both co...

Welcome to our February MiniPod - a monthly update where we're joined by an expert guest & we react to current events in water, climate and nature - all in about 15 minutes. In this episode we're joined by Dr Vera Jones,  Technical Director and Global Technical Authority for Water Quality at AtkinsRéalis, and we explore... How pet owners might be having an unexpectedly negative impact on the healt...

Interview guest - Bevis Watts (CEO of Triodos Bank UK, a leader in ethical and sustainable banking) Co-host - Ed Dick (CEO of Great Yellow, a company that sources long-term capital for nature restoration projects) We’re often joined by guests on Planet Possible who identify and look to take action to solve the challenges that we face in our water and environment. But we don’t often talk about how...

Welcome to our January MiniPod - a monthly update where we're joined by an expert guest & we react to current events in water, climate and nature - all in about 15 minutes. In this episode we're joined by Julie Foley,  Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation at the Environment Agency and we explore... The recently updated flood and coastal erosion risk information for England that me...

As we record this episode at the start of January, wherever you are in the world your news is likely to be filled with images of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, or temperatures well below freezing alongside flooding across much of the UK.  And whilst climate and it’s impact on weather might be making the headlines, we know that nature and the biodiversity crises are inexorably linked to...

In this episode we explore the recent flooding that has happened across the south of Spain, resulting in the tragic loss of 224 lives, and resulting in Spain mounting it’s biggest peacetime disaster recovery operation.   One of the consequences of a changing climate is more extreme weather and that’s what exactly what the Valencia region experienced in late October. You'll hear  what happened, wha...

Welcome to our December MiniPod - a monthly update where we're joined by an expert guest & we react to current events in water, climate and nature - all in about 15 minutes. In this episode we're joined by Will McBain, a Director of Water at Arup and we explore... 1. The UK Government review of partnership funding regime for Flood and coastal erosion risk management. 2. New figures that reveal tha...

November 2024 has been a busy month in the news for conversations about our changing climate – from flooding due to Storm Bert in the UK, the tragic floods in southern Spain and wildfires in South America. It’s against this backdrop, that we’re digging into what happened at the recent Climate COP in Baku, Azerbaijan; whether it went as experts expected and what it all means at all scales from inte...

Welcome to our November MiniPod! It's a monthly update where we’re joined by an expert guest and we react to current events in water, climate and nature - all in about 15 minutes. And in this episode hear from the CIWEM Junior President Peter Rook as we discuss- • What a Donald Trump Presidency means for climate and the environment. • The opportunities of planning reform in the UK. • How AI could...

Get Involved: Rivers Trust Big Riverwatch - https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch Earthwatch Europes Great Water Blitz - https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1Yy5BhD-ARIsAI0RbXbP0LGenvFditCly4FiZ6lMRAksO7qXflyKjQZNbyYkDu7ZiNIl8-waAoqyEALw_wcB Our 2024 season of Planet Possible is supported by Atkins Realis. Credits   Presented & Prod...

Find out more about The Water Report here: www.thewaterreport.co.uk Credits   Presented & Produced by Niki Roach Executive Producer Andy Taylor - Bwlb Limited With thanks to Alastair Chisholm Honorary Executive Producer Jane Boland 

Chris Packham spoke to Niki Roach in a special live recording of Planet Possible at ESS Expo (Environmental Services & Technology Solutions 2024) at the NEC in Birmingham. Credits   Presented & Produced by Niki Roach Executive Producer Andy Taylor - Bwlb Limited With thanks to Alastair Chisholm Honorary Executive Producer Jane Boland 

Green Social Prescribing study: https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-health-and-life-sciences/new-research-has-found-prescribing-nature-can-improve-happiness-and-reduce-anxiety/ Get involved in the Big River Watch here:  https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch Find out what’s happening in Hackney here: https://hackney.gov.uk/trees/   Credits   Presented & Produced by Ni...

Agriculture has a major role in determining water availability and quality, especially in a region like Yorkshire where a large amount of catchment water moves over and through farmland. In this episode, host Niki Roach visits the Biohub at Ings Farm near Harrogate to see a load of innovative farming practices being trialled. The aim is to increase biodiversity, enable sustainable and commercially...

Welcome to our MiniPod! It's an extra once-a-month update episode that will react to current events in water, climate and nature. It's a MiniPod because it'll only take about 15 minutes of your time.. and it means you get a Planet Possible episode every two weeks. Each mini pod you'll hear from an environmental expert guest and together we will discuss 3 key current talking points that will keep y...

Join Niki and her co-host Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Natural Adaptation at the Environment Agency in England to explore how to manage a moving coastline. With one of the fastest changing coastlines in Europe, we focus on North Norfolk and hear from Councillor Harry Blathwayt on how communities prepare for coastal erosion and the potential loss of their homes to the sea. This...

Welcome to our first MiniPod! It's an extra once-a-month update episode that will react to current events in water, climate and nature. It's a MiniPod because it'll only take about 15 minutes of your time.. and it means you get a Planet Possible episode every two weeks. Each mini pod I will be joined by an environmental expert guest and together we will discuss 3 key current talking points that wi...

What does the cleanliness of England's longest river say about the debate around river quality the role of the UK's biggest water company, Thames Water? This episode aims to find out by telling two sides of the story - what the campaigners say... and what the company itself says. We're joined by broadcaster and environmentalist, Steve Backshall and the CEO of River Action, James Wallace to hear th...

Everyone got a bit of a shock when a General Election was announced for July 4th. So, we know there is going to be a new government. Whoever ends up in power, what should they be doing - in the first 100 days and beyond - to do right by water and the environment? Host Niki Roach and CIWEM Director of Policy Al Chisholm pick their 3 wishes (they actually end up with 4) for the new incoming governme...

Can you be an activist and an environmental professional? How do we tackle eco-anxiety, especially for the next generation and is activism be something everyone can get involved in? In today’s episode we’re exploring the role that activism plays in driving positive environmental and                                                                    climate outcomes. Increasingly we’re seeing and h...