The Elephant in the Room

Shownotes Against the mounting backdrop of rising global temperatures, record-breaking extreme weather, and the UK's wettest winter on record in 2024, governments and major corporations are increasingly retreating from climate commitments. The EU reported concerning rise in greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, the UK has postponed key net zero targets, Germany has scaled back renewable investments, (...

Show Notes: On the 140th episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast my guest was Sangeeta Waldron an industry veteran with over 3 decades of experience. Sangeeta's story is shaped by both personal and professional transitions, including navigating a recession and shifting her aspirations from advertising to government communications. Her bold decision to leave the security of a civil service role...

Show Notes: As a small business owner what does it mean to run a sustainability brand? Is it true that sustainability brands rooted in demonstrable solutions are generally more successful than those that use vague or superficial eco-friendly messaging? And how useful are authenticity and a genuine commitment to addressing environmental and social problems to building consumer trust? What is their...

Show Notes:  Shifting political priorities and economic pressures over the past couple of years have seen several countries scale back climate commitments contributing to the growing gap between climate pledges and real-world emissions (still rising). What does this mean for a ‘Just Transition’ and Net Zero? While there is no silver bullet, IUCN and UNEP emphasise Nature based Solutions (NbS)...

Show Notes: Black and Ethnic Minority representation in leadership positions in the UK PR Industry leaves much to be desired and is well below FTSE 100 @11% and FTSE 250 @9% (Parker Review 2025). However, I am an optimist and do believe that direction of travel has been set by advocates and agencies… Collective progress may be slow, but equity & inclusion is mainstream and there are more role...

Show Notes: The global climate movement/industry is not very inclusive; amongst other things it struggles with gender gap. This is especially true in a country like India where the climate industry, particularly the clean energy sector, suffers from a significant gender gap, with women severely underrepresented in technical and leadership roles. While women disproportionately bear the burden of cl...

Shownotes: 5 years post COVID I continue to ask the question – Do organisations need to have a business purpose? And what does having a business purpose mean in practice? For the 136th episode of The 🐘 in the Room podcast I spoke with Shikhar Aggarwal, the Joint Managing Director of BLS International one of the world’s largest global service delivery company (visa, passport, consular, and citizen...

Show notes: Are there people who inspire you, make you want to be better and do better? I have been fortunate to meet with amazing and inspirational people from all walks of life through my podcast The Elephant in the Room. Individuals who refuse to be defined by their circumstances or the challenges they encounter in life.   Akashdeep Bansal, CEO of SaralX, and my guest for the 134th episode...

There is research to show that climate washing is on the uptick along with a growing trend by companies worldwide to utilise carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions. The trend (carbon offsetting) is driven largely by companies making net-zero pledges. However in the absence of standardised frameworks and regulations claims of greenwashing can undermine the credibility of carbon mitigatio...

Show notes: Did you know that ultra processed foods (UPFs) make 57% of the average British diet and up to 80% when it comes to children and people with lower incomes. And that the major food and drink companies lobbied to block the UK government’s efforts pushing for discounts on healthier and minimally processed products  In the Indian sub-continent meanwhile, an average household derives more c...

 Show Notes: The current negative sentiment and noise around equity and inclusion can feel overwhelming. At such times it makes sense to step back and celebrate the work of organisations steadfast in their vision (there are many of them around). The Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF) is one such organisation dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the communications industry that...

Shownotes: The businesses most likely to succeed are those that are born to solve real life problems. Would you agree? For Sakshi Mittal, a Wharton educated, investor at Softbank, a health crisis during her first pregnancy was the trigger to her entrepreneurial journey. The result was Foodhak – a physical and digital ecosystem that challenges the food industry and makes 'food as medicine' accessib...

Shownotes: 2018, was a defining year for me career wise, it was also the year when I was able to live up to my aspiration to contribute a percentage of my time pro-bono to the third sector. I had the opportunity to align and engage with PRADAN, a leading Indian charity working in the livelihoods space. This opened the door for some wonderful collaborations and strategic work with the organisation...

Shownotes: As a podcast host one of my biggest joys is celebrating incredible people making a difference. People who I know through my work or because of my podcast or from my networks who have raised the bar either in their personal or professional life. My guest on the 129th episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast is Ashima Tyagi, our lives intersected briefly in the late 2000s when we worke...

Show notes Throughout history, there have been genuine supporters and sceptics of equity and inclusion. We can all see how the current political climate in the US has deepened the divide fuelling anti-ESG/DEIB rhetoric, leading many organizations, including prominent ones like Target, Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, Ford, Harley Davidson etc. to reduce or cease their initiatives. However, there is...

Show notes: What role can technology play in breaking down barriers and building inclusion? Can AI be a force for good? There is sufficient research to show that assistive technology can be a game changer for people with disabilities enabling them to be more independent(self-care) and improving their participation in social interactions, education, employment etc. So, when I came across an article...

Show Notes: There are some brilliant leaders doing amazing work to promote equity & inclusion in the UK. Would you agree? There are not enough superlatives to describe the hard work and commitment of these advocates. Christina Brooks, Founder and CEO Ruebik is one such leader. Along with her day job she is a trustee for an alternative provision school in Tottenham, a Trustee for pioneering Soc...

Shownotes: Reams have been written recently about SDGs, climate change, just transition…… what does it mean in practice?  India's National Action Plan on Climate Change emphasises the need for inclusive and sustainable development to ensure it does not fail millions on the margins or without a voice. It would not be presumptuous to say that most people in world are aware of India’s...

Show notes: The ESG backlash is real, and it is polarising. The rhetoric around it exacerbated because of roll backs by corporates and governments on climate/energy commitments. According to a leading ESG publication, Trump’s victory in the world’s second largest democracy, is likely to result in roll backs on climate and ESG regulation in the country and retreat from the global stage. Despite all...

Shownotes: Not many people in the western world have heard of Hansen’s disease or Leprosy – for most who are familiar with it arouses fear and aversion. It is a tropical disease that occurs in more than 120 countries, has been referenced in the bible and Victoria Hislop wrote The Island inspired by a visit to Spinalonga, the abandoned Greek leprosy colony, which sold over a million copies. My earl...

Shownotes: Disclaimer: All views expressed in the podcast are Sakshi Bansal’s personal views and do not represent or reflect the views of Arup Ltd. Excited to share the latest episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast featuring Sakshi Bansal FRSA ChMC ! 🎙️ Sakshi, a recipient of The Diana Award , the world’s first UNESCO Kindness leader and Founder of Project LEAP, dives deep into the 'S' in ESG...

Shownotes: Being an advocate for equity and inclusion requires a certain level of self-awareness, humility and an appetite to be a lifelong learner. Especially considering that the vocabulary around DEIB/DEIBA or whatever you choose to call it is constantly evolving, there is more we don’t know than we know. My chance encounter with Caroline Collier, CEO Inclusion Barnet happened over a LinkedIn r...

Show notes: We all need our cheerleaders, the people, who stand by us through thick and thin, who inspire and bring us joy.  The friends who are like family or better. I am lucky to have a few friends like that. One amongst them is @SabianaAnandaraj, whom I have known since my first job in PR over 30 years ago when I was a young mom to two toddlers in Mumbai, and she was the young, independe...

  Shownotes: In the past couple of years, there have been a lot of discussions, debates, articles around how PR practitioners can combat misinformation. It is often cited as one of the bigger challenges along with AI (advanced technology) facing the PR industry. The Elephant in the Room is the role of PR professionals in the dissemination and amplification of misinformation and fake news. How...

Shownotes: Most people would agree that sustainability is a much-abused word. It has become a catch call phrase for individuals and businesses keen on asserting their ‘good for society/good for planet credentials’. As we hurtle towards 2030, the reality is that the private sector has a pivotal role to play in helping to meet the SDGs. Cynicism aside, behind the rhetoric and noise, there is serious...