Straight Talking Sustainability

This special compilation episode is a celebration of midsummer and a chance to reflect on the journeys of impact-driven professionals working in sustainability. Hayley takes the helm, curating clips from three standout past guests whose insights, honesty, and approaches have inspired the podcast community. Whether on holiday, commuting, or simply in need of motivation, listeners are invited to rev...

R – Regulate E – Empathise S- Stay Curious E – Explore T – Take Boundaries In this episode, Emma shares hands-on advice for handling conversations with climate change deniers, especially in professional settings. Drawing on a real-life training experience with a group of engineers, she introduces her “RESET” model—a practical framework for navigating challenging interactions without losing your co...

In this episode, Emma sits down with Adam Bastock, founder of Small 99 and the grassroots movement People Planet Pint. The conversation dives into Adam Bastock's journey from digital marketing to sustainability, the origins and evolution of People Planet Pint, and the critical role of community-led action in making real, lasting change. Key Topics Adam Bastock's Background & Motivation Started...

In this special episode, the usual host Emma is interviewed by her colleague and co-founder of Not Sustainable, Rebecca Watson. The tables are turned as Emma shares her journey, expertise, and reflections on her 30-year career in sustainability. The conversation covers her background, the evolution of her work, her approach to training and advisory, and her motivation for supporting individuals an...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma welcomes Lucy Hawthorne, founder of Climate Play, to unpack how play—especially using LEGO—can be a powerful tool in making sustainability engagement more effective and enjoyable. They discuss the neuroscience of play, overcoming cynicism, and practical facilitation techniques to unlock creativity and connection in sustainability journeys. K...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma discusses the emotional and practical impacts of climate change amidst record-breaking heat in the UK. She dives into the ways misinformation and social media can fuel anxiety and helplessness, and highlights how the People's Emergency Briefing provides both vital information and a sense of community. Emma reflects on her own skepticism abou...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma welcomes longtime friend and experienced sustainability strategist Joss Tantram, Partner at Terrafiniti. Together, they dive into the evolution of corporate sustainability, the practical realities facing professionals in the field, and the challenges of driving real change within organizations. Joss Tantram, Partner, Terrafiniti Joss is a li...

This podcast tackles the often overwhelming world of sustainable practices with straightforward advice and relatable insight. Key Topics Covered Overwhelm and where to start with sustainability at work or at home The importance of mindset: "putting your green glasses on" Visible actions vs. invisible actions for sustainability How small changes shift social norms and influence others The underesti...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma welcomes Charly Cox, Executive Director of Climate Change Coaches and a pioneer in the field of climate coaching. Together, they explore the psychological aspects of driving sustainable change in organizations, the unique challenges faced by sustainability professionals, and practical strategies for overcoming barriers to effective climate a...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma explores the limitations of competitive mindsets in tackling systemic challenges like climate change. Drawing on the concept of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Emma illustrates how organizations acting in self-interest by hoarding knowledge or refusing to collaborate actually end up moving slower and increasing costs for themselves and the sector as...

In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma welcomes Annie Beavis to discuss navigating difficult conversations in sustainability, building resilience during economic turbulence, and supporting each other within the industry. The episode highlights the work of Not Sustainable, a collective focused on impact, and dives into the realities of driving change, especially in medium-siz...

In this solo episode, Emma discusses the importance of building capacity, capability, and resources—what she analogizes as "building an army"—to effectively drive sustainability initiatives in businesses and organizations. She shares her personal journey into carbon literacy training, the challenges of scaling training across large organizations, and the development of her “Train the Trainer” mode...

This week, Emma is joined by sustainability sector stalwart and optimist Mark Shayler for a deep dive into his book You Cant Make Money From a Dead Planet. Mark shares his career journey, the challenges and lessons of working in sustainability, and his recent personal health scare. The conversation tackles why businesses must embed sustainability at their core, the importance of systems thinking,...

Welcome to this week's episode of Straight Talking Sustainability! Host Emma Burlow takes inspiration from "The Gambler" song to explore when to push, pause, pivot, or fold your sustainability efforts within your business, particularly when sustainability is being deprioritised. Key Topics Covered Sustainability's Changing Environment The landscape for sustainability in business has shifted dramat...

In this practical product design episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Dr Vicky Lofthouse (industrial designer, sustainable innovation consultant working across aerospace to face cream) to explore why circularity remains frustratingly niche despite massive opportunities, how Triton Showers removed single-use plastic whilst reducing costs through unexpected se...

In this grounding and practical solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow tackles the frustrating value-action gap (why 80% of people care yet nothing changes), revealing that sustainability fails not because colleagues don't care but because systems don't support change, friction remains everywhere, and everything stays optional rather than default. Inspired by Outrage an...

In this revealing Speak Up Woman episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Joanna Yarrow , former IKEA sustainability leader now working on regenerative placemaking at Human Nature, to explore why urgency is rising whilst agency remains absent, why sustainability professionals (predominantly women) are burning out in unachievable roles, and why being told your pr...

In this intellectually stimulating solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow draws unexpected connections between Richard Dawkins' 1976 concept of memes from "The Selfish Gene," Professor Alice Roberts' book "Dominance" exploring Christianity's spread across the Roman Empire, and the historic Green Party by-election win in Manchester to explain why some workplace sustainab...

In this practical and inspiring episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Cathy Benwell , co-founder of A Good Thing, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that has created a matchmaking platform connecting 1,000 UK businesses donating surplus items with 3,500 charities and non-profits desperate for exactly those materials, from construction supplies and hotel beddi...

In this timely and practical solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow challenges decades of climate communication focused on warming, heat, and melting ice caps by asking a provocative question: should we be talking more about global wetting, given that people find it incredibly easy to talk about weather (especially rain) but remarkably difficult to discuss sustainabilit...

In this practical and liberating episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , Emma Burlow talks with Claire Osborne , accredited climate career coach with 15 years of sustainability experience and more than 2,000 hours coaching clients from organisations including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Amnesty International, Octopus Energy, and Unilever. Together they explore why experienced sustainabili...

In this practical and clarifying solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow cuts through net zero jargon by introducing the Five Pillars framework from the Race to Zero campaign's Exponential Business Playbook , giving listeners a step-by-step maturity model that reduces overwhelm, helps organisations identify where they actually sit on the journey (often further ahead than...

In this profound and paradigm-shifting episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Steffi Bednarek , Director of the Centre for Climate Psychology and author of Climate Psychology and Change , to challenge one of sustainability's most damaging narratives: that feeling anxious about climate change represents a disorder requiring treatment. Steffi flips this entirely...

In this essential and clarifying solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow demystifies one of sustainability's most intimidating concepts (system change) by walking listeners through a practical framework from Nigel Topping's Race to Zero TED Talk that has been stuck on her office wall for years. With three simple visual rules (ambition loops, exponential goals, and shared...

In this insightful and energising episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Crista Buznea , Head of Sustainability Marketing at Ecologi, to explore how effective communication can transform sustainability from a worthy burden into an engaging, dopamine-filled journey that drives real business action. With a background spanning tourism marketing at Heathrow and TU...