Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

This week: At Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Toby Webb spoke with Talha Khan, chief executive of Pakistan Environment Trust. They spoke about barriers to delivering bottom-up initiatives and financing the cleaner energy transition in Pakistan.    Following the conference, Toby spoke with Karimah Hudda, founder of illumine.earth. They discussed circulari...

Rejane Souza, senior vice-president for global innovation at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the rise and rise of regenerative agriculture. They discuss the role of companies across the value chain in enabling technology and innovation, and the importance of taking a farmer-centric approach.

In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for from World Water Week. This year's focus is to develop innovative water solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty. They also discuss Brazil's upcoming carbon market legislation with emissions caps for high-emitting companies. The legislation is designed to protect indigen...

This week: At this year's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York City, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb talked with Krishna Manda, vice-president for sustainability at Lenzing, about the key discussion points from the supply chain decarbonisation panel session. They discuss the need for collaborative action and the rise of blended finance approaches in agriculture to drive resilience...

Barbara Dunin, director of ESG, marketing and communications at Beontag, talks with Ian Welsh about the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for product traceability in supply chains across the apparel sector and beyond. They discuss how tags can help build recycling and circular models and how business can benefit from the technology, for example through carbon footprint mea...

In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson reflect on a year of the US Inflation Reduction Act, which has directed almost $400bn in federal funding in the US to reduce carbon emissions and reach climate targets. They discuss the success in greater clean energy provision, solar power supply and EV sales, but also discuss where there has been less progress, in areas such...

This week: after joining the future of food conference in Minneapolis, JoDee Haala, director of public affairs at pork farmers Christensen Farms, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about what is hindering development for more sustainable practices within food value chains, and how we can overcome them.   Plus: quick fire insights from Innovation Forum's Toby Webb and Bank & Vogue's Steven...

On-the-spot reflections from Innovation Forum's Toby Webb and Olam Agri's Jordan Lea talking at Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York in June. They discuss the increasing interest in building sustainable apparel supply chains from business and consumers, and the emerging trends of regenerative farming, traceability and transparency and more sustainable sourcing...

In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the role of International Day of Indigenous Peoples on 9th August in raising awareness on indigenous peoples' right to self-determination, and role in climate action, with particular focus on indigenous youth this year. The topic of youth continues on the 12th with International Youth Day; Ian and...

This week: Rejane Souza, senior vice-president for global innovation, at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about how to get to grips with regenerative agriculture. They discuss the value chain that can enable technology and innovation, and the importance of taking a farmer-centric approach.   Plus: Incoming sustainability reporting standards for EU businesses...

During his recent trip to Cambodia, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with Charles Bedford, chief impact officer at Carbon Growth Partners about the characteristics of a good carbon project and what buyers should look for in REDD+ forest projects. They discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration with active engagement and ownership from all parties, particularly from local communiti...

In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about Earth Overshoot Day – this year on 2nd August – when human's annual natural resource use exceeds Earth's ability to regenerate. They also discuss the first African Women and Children Conference in Ghana this week, which will consider the impact of climate change on women and children, acting as a...

This week: Barbara Dunin, director of ESG, marketing and communications at Beontag, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of product traceability using radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology. They discuss the benefit of improving logistical processes and how this can tackle overproduction, ultimately enabling businesses to be closer to achieving their corporate sust...

This week: Deepika Mishra, global sustainability consultant at U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and farmer Mead Hardwick from Hardwick Planting talks with Ian Welsh about the growing potential for regenerative agriculture within the cotton sector. They discuss the current trends of data gathering in resource use and greenhouse gas emissions, and note the importance of resource efficiency alongside the t...

Matt Inbusch, senior manager at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Mike Nemeth, senior adviser for agriculture and environmental sustainability at fertiliser business Nutrien talk with Ian Welsh about how nature's role in the global economy is increasingly being valued. They discuss WBCSD's nature-positive roadmaps and navigating the challenges and opportunities of nature-p...

This week: On a recent trip to Cambodia, Ian Welsh spoke to Kong Bunchhean, a smallholder farmer living in Sovanna Baitong village in the country’s Southern Cardamom region. Kong reflects on how his and his family’s lives have benefitted from the region’s Redd+ carbon project. This is part of Innovation Forum’s ongoing 'From the Forest Front-line' series in partnership with Everland. And, at Innov...

Marco Albani, CEO of Chloris Geospatial, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of remote sensing data in supporting nature-positive approaches, and how the business case for nature conservation is evolving. They also discuss best practices for reliable carbon accounting.  

In this week’s preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, with the theme of accelerating recovery from the coronavirus disease. They also discuss World Population Day, and the implications of rapid population rise. Plus, Ian shares some information about Innovation Forum’s Autumn conference se...

This week: Matt Inbusch, senior manager at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Mike Nemeth, senior adviser for agriculture and environmental sustainability at fertiliser business Nutrien, talk with Ian Welsh about the growing potential for nature-positive approaches across agricultural value chains. They talk about some helpful guidance – including roadmaps from WBCSD – to...

Europe’s agriculture industry, and the farmers at its heart, are under pressure. The challenges faced by farmers are numerous. From the stresses of climate change, rising energy and input prices, as well as the costs associated with the regenerative transition, to the ever-decreasing number of young farmers entering an industry already stretched for both brains and brawn over the coming decades. I...

Rikke Kyllenstjerna, senior vice-president, food chains, at Norway-based fertiliser business Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of different value chain actors in achieving food sector resilience. They discuss the importance of farmer incentives for carbon reduction and precision agriculture, and the need to develop a sustainable food supply business model through carbon prici...

In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the UN Human Rights Council panel on the adverse impacts of climate change on the right to food. They also discuss the global Plastic Free July movement, which kicks off again this week. Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop provides a first look at what to expect from the Future of Climate Action...

This week: Charles Bedford, chief impact officer at Carbon Growth Partners, talks with Ian Welsh about what differentiates a good carbon project and, in particular, what buyers should look for in REDD+ forest projects. And, at Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Toby Webb, Cotton Connect’s Alison Ward and Visionspring’s Ramona Hendel-Bejema reflect on...

At Innovation Forum’s recent Future of Food EU conference, Ian Welsh asks Dom de Ville from the Wine Society, Hanne Søndergaard from Arla Foods, Owen Bethell from Nestlé and Paulig Group’s Lea Rankinen to elaborate on some of the key sustainability issues and innovations that came up at the conference. These quick-fire discussions range in topic from innovative packaging solutions, to net-zero st...

In this week’s preview, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the agenda for London’s fifth Climate Action Week, focusing on themes of accelerating the global clean economy, and delivering a fair, inclusive and just climate transition. They also discuss the task of setting up a global biodiversity framework fund, at the 64th Global Environment Facility Council meeting in Brazil...