Sustainability Forward

Are we actually changing the financial system to save the planet, or are we just reordering bits of it?In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we sit down with James Vaccaro, a leading voice in systems innovation and regenerative business. James shares his 25-year journey from shaping strategy at Triodos Bank to helping design the UN Principles for Responsible Banking. We dive deep into why current ESG and impact investing models fall short, the vital difference between sustainable and regenerative finance, and why the financial system must reconnect with the real world to drive true change.What You’ll Discover- Moving Beyond the Spreadsheet: Why the modern financial system has become dangerously separated from the real world, and how returning to relationship-based trust can unlock true impact.- The Rise of Systemic Investing: How shifting from isolated "green" projects to funding entire system transformations can push us past positive tipping points.- Regenerative vs. Sustainable Finance: Why simply "doing no harm" is no longer enough, and what it actually looks like to build an economy that restores nature and communities.Building a truly regenerative economy requires more than just ticking boxes on a voluntary framework. It demands a relentless curiosity, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the courage to ask whether our current models are actually fit for purpose. If you have ever wondered what lies beyond standard ESG metrics, this conversation is for you.

What if the key to unlocking the next phase of the energy transition isn't about building more wind and solar, but about completely rethinking how we use industrial heat?In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we are joined by James Macnaghten, the founder and CEO of Caldera. James shares his journey from leading early grid-scale energy storage at Isentropic to tackling one of the most invisible yet critical sectors of global emissions: industrial steam. We explore why low-temperature industrial heat is actually much easier to decarbonise than the headlines suggest, and how electric thermal storage can bridge the gap between surplus renewable energy and factory floors.What You’ll Discover- The Invisible 10% of Global Emissions: Why low-temperature industrial steam used in food, drink, and pharmaceuticals accounts for more emissions than every car on the road combined, and why it has been left until last.- The Power of Hybridisation: How factories can seamlessly switch between gas and electric storage boilers to take advantage of cheap, surplus renewable energy without disrupting their daily operations.- Surviving the Hardware Valley of Death: The realities of building a climate-tech hardware business, why minimum viable products rarely work in heavy industry, and why perfect timing beats genius every time.Building a sustainable future requires us to look beyond the obvious solutions and tackle the hidden infrastructure of our modern world. By redesigning industrial demand to match our clean energy supply, we can make massive strides toward net zero without waiting for a miracle.

Today, wind power is a mainstream part of the global energy system. But in the early 1970s, it was widely dismissed as outdated, impractical and incapable of producing electricity at scale.One man saw a very different future.William Heronemus was a decorated U.S. Navy engineer who helped design and build nuclear submarines before becoming one of the earliest champions of modern wind power. In 1972, he was already imagining vast offshore wind farms, floating platforms, multirotor turbines and wind-powered electrolysers producing hydrogen for use when the wind stopped blowing.In this episode of Sustainability Forward, award-winning science journalist Peter Fairley joins Wrishi and Carmine to tell the remarkable and largely forgotten story of Heronemus.They explore the early history of wind energy, Denmark’s experiments with wind-produced hydrogen, the rise of the California wind industry, and why consistent policy helped Europe move ahead while the United States repeatedly lost momentum.The conversation also looks forward to floating offshore wind, offshore hydrogen production, multirotor turbines and the climate technologies that may appear unrealistic today—but obvious in the future.A story about engineering, energy policy, persistence and the people who see industries before they exist.Peter Fairley recently profiled Heronemus' innovation and impact for IEEE Spectrum magazine: https://spectrum.ieee.org/william-heronemus-wind-energy

Are we simply moving from the easy phase of corporate sustainability into a harder, more realistic era where companies have to prove they were serious in the first place?In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we sit down with Mike Barry, one of the pioneers of business sustainability in the UK. Best known for his time at Marks & Spencer, where he helped develop and lead the groundbreaking 'Plan A', Mike shares his insights on the current state of the sustainability movement, the realities of corporate transition plans, and why the social dimension of our future can no longer be ignored.What You’ll Discover- Moving Beyond the Press Release: Why ambitious net-zero targets are worthless without a unique, actionable transition plan and how the era of easy sustainability is officially over.- The Legacy of Plan A: How Marks & Spencer successfully turned sustainability into a core business strategy by redefining "quality" for the 21st century and saving £750 million in the process.- The Emerging Social Dimension: Why the future of sustainability must focus on human connection, trust, and community resilience in the face of rapid AI disruption and global food system challenges.Building a meaningful, sustainable business requires a balance of short-term survival instincts and long-term vision. By focusing on core values and remaining transparent, you can create an organisation built to last for decades.If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of corporate sustainability or if you just need a dose of optimism about our collective future - this conversation is for you.

Europe has just lived through another extreme heatwave — and this one felt different.In this episode of Sustainability Forward, Wrishi and Carmine unpack “Canicule” - Europe’s Heatwave Wake-Up Call: what happened, why temperatures became so extreme, and what this tells us about the climate reality Europe is now facing.We look at the human impact of the heatwave, from health risks and school closures to pressure on hospitals, farms, rivers and infrastructure. We also explain the science behind the event — the role of hot air masses, high-pressure systems, warming seas, and the way climate change is shifting the odds of extreme heat.But this episode is also about what comes next.How do cities stay liveable when summers become more dangerous? What does adaptation really mean for homes, hospitals, transport, energy grids and vulnerable communities? And why do we need to cut emissions faster while also preparing for the heat that is already here?This is a conversation about climate change as a present-day reality, and about the practical choices Europe now has to make.