Net Hero Podcast – With Sumit Bose

The bugs that will grow clothes made from thin air!

Imagine having tea, in a cup, while sitting on a table, wearing trainers, that are all made from greenhouse gases!
Bonkers, right? Well maybe that's around the corner. This week's guest is Mark Herrema from a company called Newlight Technologies, which has taken carbon capture into a whole new dimension, by using bacteria to absorb carbon emissions and convert them into a plastic like material.
They call the process Air Carbon and have used it to make products like cups, straws and plates so far but the possibilities, are endless. The team have discovered bacteria that like to 'eat' methane and CO2, absorbing it from the air and convert it into an amazing array of products.
It's taken two decades of science but they are finally ready to start making things at scale. I loved it! Hope you will find the story as fascinating as I did, listen or watch now.
Net Hero Podcast Episode 107

Money, money, money in a net zero world

Time to cough up? If we want to get to net zero we really need to get the money side of it sorted. Join my chat with leading economist Vicky Pryce as we talk cash!
This week, as COP28 continues we discuss the central issue in the whole net zero debate…. money.
Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, told me net zero will require significant investment and that’s the central issue. Who will pay? How will it be funded, by states or by companies?
Is carbon taxation the only route to ensuring there is an equitable market, where poorer nations are not suffering while richer nations use loopholes to appear cleaner than they are?
I chat through all these issues with Vicky. Listen in and please comment and share your thoughts on social media.

Every breath we take!

Chris Skidmore continues his mission

This week I spoke to Chris Skidmore MP, the man with our Net Zero plan.
As Energy Minister back in 2019 he actually wrote into law our 2050 target and it has been his passion ever since. In autumn of 2022 he set out Mission Zero his 129 recommendations for the government as a pathway to net zero.
Chris will be leaving parliament at the next election to concentrate on promoting his roadmap to net zero for both business and individuals and has written a book 'Misson Zero' to explain his ideas. I caught up with him just before he heads to COP28 to talk about the book, the current policy landscape and of course his reportcard on our progress to net zero so far.
Listen to our conversation it's honest and revealing and if you are a futurenetzero reader you can order a copy of the book at a discounted price.

We need a just net zero for all

Can net zero be a just transition for the whole world?
That's the big debating point this week on the podcast. I am joined by Anders Wijkman, Co-president of Club of Rome, a thinktank set up in the 1970s to look at the effects of business on the planet.
It published a report back then asking society, politicians and businesses to think about their actions on the planet's ecosystem. Anders has held a variety of roles from being a politician elected to the Swedish Parliament, to running the Swedish Red Cross, to heading up circular economic research during his 50+ years looking at environmental issues.
Most recently he published a critical outlook paper called "Come On – Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet”.
I asked him if he felt there was any way we can have a just transition, based on the progress so far and the lack of action when it comes to developing nations getting involved. His answers are quite revealing.

Is net zero a global or local ambition?

This week's podcast is about the global view of net zero, through the prism of a tech company working with graphene.
Now we've covered graphene many times on the podcast, it's a form of carbon that many have backed to be the conduit for the net zero transition; it conducts a current, it's super strong, it can be moulded into objects and clothing and it's incredibly light.
But this week I discuss the wider uses of it in technology and the broader, more difficult topic of net zero territoriality. Graphene can transform battery use but it's greatest deposits are in China, which already has a stranglehold on microchips, PV and much more.
In the US tech companies have been boosted by President Biden's policies to go big on net zero investment, yet is that really about their own energy security, rather than net zero? And is there a bigger issue, that net zero can only be championed in the richer nations, whilst the developing world is just trying to provide their people the basics.
Join me as I explore all these themes with John DeMaio CEO of the Graphex Group, it was a challenging and insightful discussion, please listen or watch and remember to subscribe!

“Even the best businesses can do more on energy efficiency”

Monitoring data is key for businesses starting their sustainability journey.
This is what John Hyde, Centrica’s Head of Sales told us.
He said: ‘I think for people at the start of their sustainability journey, they should look at their data. Monitor it, identify the hotspots and the emissions and then look at what kind of new technologies would have the most impact.
‘After that, it's about getting the right balance for the strategy. There's some quick wins like energy efficiency.
‘There are fabric upgrades, green supply contracts and they can unlock cost savings and you can reinvest them into bigger capex projects like heat pumps, upgrading a CHP system to run on hydrogen or solar.
‘And then finally, what I'd really urge people to do is to not wait around for government or regulations to force you.
‘[Legislation is] constantly changing but sustainable practises help business, it's good for business and it can be a differentiator for your customers too. So don't wait, just put these things into practise.’
He emphasised on the importance of using all available climate technologies to reach our net zero goals.
He said: ‘You've got different technology arms competing for the prize, where actually there's no silver bullet. All these different technologies will work together for a future better system.’
John told us that it’s important businesses embrace sustainable technology.
He said: ‘Things like heat pumps, solar, they're known quantities but people were previously hesitant to deploy them. [But] generating your own onsite energy protects you, protects against the volatility that we've seen in the market.’
But businesses are struggling to fund net zero projects, so what can be done?
‘We do a lot of research and over half of businesses we see are finding it difficult now to access funding to invest in these ways.
‘So we put our money where our mouth is. We support that kind of Opex financing and it's our own cash we're using, so there's no third parties, no banks, so people are getting a very good deal there.
‘But it's harder to quantify the cost of inaction, the opportunity cost, the people who are hesitant and sitting on the fence. But we're helping in that way with funding.’

Sky high sustainability!

I've heard many interesting tales over the course of the last two years on this podcast, yet this week's one is a corker!
What if you replanted forests by seed bombing?
That's right, dropping seeds like little bombs, from the undercarriage of drones, with each seed wrapped in a protective package so it doesn't smash to bits when it hits the ground.
That's what a company called Morfo is doing across parts of depleted South American rainforest. They have been using the drones to help reforestation projects in areas that have been over used or completely cleared, with remarkable results. In one project in French Guiana they've helped a forest go from 0.3 to 42% cover in just a year!
Listen or watch my chat with Adrien Pages, one of the founders of this sky high agri-business. Remember to like and subscribe!

“We need to act to make sure we have a better future for ourselves and those around us”

We spoke to Justin Jacober, Managing Director of Centrica Business Solutions about enabling net zero 
Sustainability has been put on the back burner. 
This is what Justin Jacober, Managing Director at Centrica Business Solutions told us. 
He said: ‘I think some companies are just focused on survival.  
‘Even if you’re still focused on how [you’re] going to make payroll, you still don’t want to lose sight of what the net impact to the environment, in which you are operating, is going to be. 
‘It’ll take all of us and it’ll take actions right now. And we all need to act.  
‘It’s a matter of if we all take significant steps towards decarbonising our heat and energy networks. That’s the key.’ 
Business that don’t have the time and resources to think about sustainability can outsource sustainability to energy partners to help them with the transition. 
Justin said: ‘What we should as an industry do is let you get on with what you’re good at. So you need to run your business, you need to focus on taking care of your employees and your customers. What we need to do is take care of that for you. 
‘[We] come in with you, assess your unique roadmap to get to net zero and I can take it off your plate.   
‘In five years you can make a pretty significant impact. So you decarbonise your heat networks, your energy networks, while you save a bunch of money. 
‘It’s my job to help companies decarbonise, to leverage how we build, own, operate decarbonised solutions. But it’s everyone’s job to make sure that they're asking the right questions at the right time, to get people like me and others into the organisation to help out.’ 
Mr Jacober emphasises on the importance of engaging with sustainability, without which businesses will likely be penalised by stakeholders. 
He said: ‘I think it’ll be a license that will be removed from them, either through investors or customers choosing someone different. So I think it’s kind of at your peril but the time to act is now. 
‘I can’t imagine why, if you can save some money while you’re [decarbonising], why you wouldn’t do it today.’ 
Watch the full episode to find out how Centrica Business Solutions can help your business reach net zero. 
 

100th episode special with the Queen of Energy!

WOW. One hundred! A Century. A TON!
Thanks so, so much for listening, as we celebrate the 100th Net Hero Podcast! When I started this a couple of years ago, I didn't think there would be such a response, yet here we are, one hundred different voices, people from all over the world and 28,000 downloads and counting!
To mark the occasion, I've been chatting to a young woman whom I first met at the start of her career as a graduate engineer, who I can firmly attest really is a net zero hero, Juliette Sanders now Director of Strategic Comms at Energy UK. Jules is an energy and sustainability geek in the truest form, she loves it!
She's worked across the energy sector and does more to make it relevant to the public than anyone else I know; from giving talks to youngsters, launching a range of sustainable energy jewellery, to dressing as a turbine at festivals, Jules has done it all.
Why? Because she believes the energy sector has a vital role to play in enabling society to change.
So, join us for an entertaining and informative chat. Keep subscribing and please help spread the word that the Net Hero Podcast is the one to listen to!