Shaken Not Burned

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 brea...

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, esp...

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...

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 alternativ...

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 sh...

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  Scandals have emerged over how carbon credits are estimated and assessed, much of which stems from outdated or flawed methodologies.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...

In our current economic system, a company director's primary responsibility is widely considered to be to maximise profits for its shareholders. Their interests take precedence over those of other stakeholders – such as employees, communities, and customers – but this comes at a cost.  When the return on investment is prioritised, the consequences are socialised: for example, air pollution ca...

Agriculture is responsible for around a quarter of global emissions, yet the environmental impact isn’t reflected in the cost of food. The food industry faces the challenge of balancing supply and demand in a world of finite resources, alongside the externalities that modern food production has created – from biodiversity loss to rising health concerns linked to ultra-processed foods. This week Fe...

The energy transition is firmly part of the mainstream discourse: politicians and companies often talk about it but, at times, it can feel like an abstract concept. Maybe our lives don't look much different at the moment – sure, there are more electric vehicles on the road and solar panels on roofs – but there is a huge amount of work going on in policy and industry to decarbonise our energy...

Climate resilience is essential to protect communities in vulnerable regions against extreme weather events. But the volume of funding for adaptation in the Global South, which bears the brunt of climate change, remains far smaller than that for mitigation, which is driving communities to find their own homegrown solutions. Richer nations, which contribute the majority of emissions, must be held a...

In order to transition the global economy to a more sustainable basis, we have to reshape economic systems to balance growth with environmental protection and social equity – and that means putting people at the heart of that transformation. The just transition is about ensuring that nobody is left behind; it's about upholding human rights, minimising negative impacts on workers, and boosting...

Multilateral treaties underpin so much of what's needed to achieve climate and sustainability goals, but few understand the complexities of international treaties or the real challenges of global cooperation. Nearly 200 nations with different economic and geopolitical interests have to negotiate emissions cuts, financial responsibilities, commitments and strategies for how to achieve their go...

Biodiversity is the foundation of nature’s ability to function, yet it’s vanishing at an alarming rate; so much so that experts call it the sixth mass extinction . With over half of the world’s GDP relying on nature, businesses ignoring this crisis risk major disruptions: biodiversity loss, largely driven by resource extraction and industrial activity, already has major effects on global supply ch...

An effective sustainability strategy is now a necessity, but sometimes it can feel like yet another task to add to the pile. In times of uncertainty, however, sustainability isn’t just another chore – it’s the foundation for resilience, competitive advantage, and long-term survival.  In this episode, Giulia interviews Mike Penrose , co-founder of sustainability management and reporting ecosystem S...

Climate change is a super wicked problem: time is running out to address it; the same people who caused the problem are also the ones responsible for fixing it, from governments to the fossil fuel industry; and there's no central body or authority to turn to. On top of this, policymakers are in the habit of discounting the future, meaning they look at short-term wins rather than long-term sol...

Sustainability has become a business imperative. What years ago may have been dismissed as “hippie, tree-hugging” talk in the boardroom is now being seriously demanded by investors, customers, and consumers. But how did we get here? In the first episode of the fourth season, Shaken Not Burned co-host and co-founder Felicia Jackson takes the guest seat, interviewed by fellow co-host and co-founder...

Season 4 of Shaken Not Burned is about to start! Our new iteration is all about providing the tools to build sustainability literacy. Many professionals are being thrust into a world they are not familiar with, having to learn new jargon or come up with strategies to keep up with what's going on in their industry and beyond. We have compiled a list of topics that are ever-present and ever-cha...

Eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, averaging to about 22,000 metric tons per day – roughly equivalent to dumping one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute. That plastic ruins rivers and shorelines, affects fish, birds and corals, and harms ecosystems and communities. We need both upstream (design, reduction) and downstream (collection, recycling) solution...

Did you know that the Internet and communication technology (ICT) sector is estimated to account for 1.5% and 4% of the world’s carbon emissions? In comparison, aviation represented 2% of the global carbon footprint in 2022. This figure doesn’t even take into account the use of water to cool down data centres, or the extraction and processing of materials to produce our devices, which have conside...

Businesses face challenges and opportunities in adapting to climate change regulations and sustainability reporting. Linking sustainability strategies to performance and progress is a crucial aspect of this journey. In this episode, Felicia talks to Stuart McLachlan , chief executive of sustainability firm Anthesis , about the shift from traditional business models to sustainable practices, emphas...

In this week's episode, Felicia talks to Pablo Fernandez , chief executive of global climate solutions company EcoSecurities . The carbon markets are a contentious, but effective, tool for leveraging finance for action on climate change. Carbon offsets, an important tool within these markets, allow companies to invest in emissions reduction projects, often in developing countries, as a cost-e...

This week, Giulia interviews Helen Clements, director, innovation & behaviour change lead at GoUnpackaged , a UK-based consultancy that helps retailers switch to refill systems. It’s not just about the individual piece of packaging that ends in the hands of the consumer: there is a whole supply chain behind it to revolutionise.  GoUnpackaged is behind the Refill Coalition , an initiative to cr...

The world is grappling with numerous environmental challenges and, while COP29 (the world’s most important gathering on the environment) is expected to focus on climate finance, we need solutions that benefit everyone – especially the most vulnerable. We need to revolutionise agriculture, including how we use soil. Indeed, soil plays a crucial role in combating climate change, ensuring food securi...

Giulia speaks to Alisa Murphy, a coach helping purpose-driven professionals build careers rooted in nature, climate, and community. They talk about her journey to regenerative work, what regenerative means, and what questions people should ask themselves when they feel ready to change their work lives – or to spot corporate greenwashing. It can be scary to leave the corporate world, but we need ev...

Felicia interviews Chris Hocknell , founder of sustainability consultancy Eight Versa on the complex and evolving topic of carbon neutrality and its significance for businesses in the context of climate change.  We explore the difference between carbon neutral and net zero, and why Chris is advocating for the use of the term "carbon neutral" as a pragmatic step for business today. Join u...