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Carbon removal: miracle fix or a dangerous distraction? Both takes miss what the science is actually telling us. We sit down with Christopher Neidl, Carbon Removal Lead for the Climate High Level Champions and co-founder of OpenAir, to pin down what carbon dioxide removal is, what it is not, and why it is an important part of the IPCC pathways.

We unpack where CDR fits in the wider climate action toolkit alongside emissions reduction and adaptation, and why removals become a “gap-closer” for hard-to-abate sectors as the carbon budget tightens. Christopher shares how his early work in solar shaped his view of scale, timelines, and the “surprises” that happen when policy, markets, and innovation suddenly align. That perspective feeds into CDR 2030, an initiative designed to use the next five years to prove maturity, build momentum, and make progress visible through the COP Action Agenda, not just in reports but in real projects, standards, and governance.

We also get honest about communications: why CDR is often confused with carbon capture, why some climate voices fear it will be used to delay systemic change, and how to build trust through evidence, salience, and relevance. 

And finally, we explore a place-based approach where cities can plug carbon removal into local strategies, turning community liabilities and assets such as waste streams and wastewater systems into practical climate solutions.

Listen in, to GoodGeist! 

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If sustainability means working in Europe while other regions pay the price, is it really sustainability at all? We sit down with Suzanne Geisler, founder of the SERA Institute in Vienna, to connect the dots between sustainable construction, energy efficiency, and the global systems that quietly keep our lifestyles up and running. 

We talk about why the building sector is such a high-impact place to intervene, and why measuring performance is only useful if it drives real renovations and better decisions. 

From there, the conversation widens into sufficiency: not just cleaner energy, but less energy and fewer raw materials demanded in the first place. That idea sounds like common sense, yet it grates against an economic model built on consumption, VAT receipts, and the promise of endless growth. 

Suzanne challenges the logic of “external costs” and asks what fossil fuels and mined materials would cost if we counted lost lives, poisoned ecosystems, and forced migration. If you care about the circular economy, clean production, resource efficiency, and a just transition that is actually just, this conversation will stay with you. Enjoy! 

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In this episode we sit down with Göker AvcI, founder of Alalëa Social to get a clear view on what serious carbon management looks like when you move beyond the headlines of a press release or linkedIN post. 

If you work in sustainability, communications, procurement or finance, you will recognise the problem straight away: targets are rising fast, yet only a small share of organisations can prove they are on track.

We dig into why the hardest part of corporate climate action is Scope Three emissions across the value chain, and why a net zero claim that ignores Scope Three simply does not hold up. Göker explains how he pulls fragmented carbon and regulatory data out of the noise and turns it into a living programme that works at board level and on the factory floor, linking decisions to market access, ratings and green finance. 

We also talk about the changing climate narrative, where greenwashing is being squeezed by tighter standards and enforcement, but greenhushing is emerging as a new failure mode.

And then off that wasn't enough we go deep on carbon dioxide removal (CDR), clearing up the confusion with carbon capture and laying out nature-based versus engineered approaches like direct air capture, ocean alkaline enhancement and biochar. 

Listen in to our conversation with Göker and look at the carbon story from setting targets, to actual delivery of emissions reductions. 

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A greener city is not just about planting more trees. It is about making nature easy to reach, hard to ignore, and emotionally meaningful in everyday life. 

In this episode we chat to ecologist and horticulturalist Jacques Sognon, former director of Green Spaces and Environment for the City of Nantes and vice president of France’s Conservatoire for Special Plant Collections.

We explore how Nantes evolved from “a city of a hundred gardens” into “the city in the garden”, building a connected network of parks and routes through a major green master plan. Jacques shares why continuity, patient delivery, and opening up connections between green spaces can shift a whole city’s identity, and how public participation grows when green infrastructure feels like a shared cultural project.

We also get practical with the biophilic cities 3-30-300 rule, tree canopy cover targets, and the case for cutting back unnecessary hard surfaces. From heatwaves to the hidden lessons a snowfall can reveal, we talk climate adaptation, urban biodiversity, and nature-based solutions that improve health, comfort, and everyday movement.

Listen in to our story of the city in the garden! 

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Nature is infrastructure, and we keep paying the price for forgetting it. In this episode we’re joined by Professor Anusha Shah of Plan for Earth, as she launches the Nature Is Growth campaign, a rallying cry for the built environment, to stop treating nature as a constraint and start treating it as an engine of climate resilience, public health and long-term prosperity.

We get practical about what changes minds: measurement, money and proof. Why do we fund highways without debate, yet hesitate to fund wetlands, trees and healthy catchments that reduce flood risk and cool cities? We talk natural capital accounting, biodiversity net gain and the Dasgupta Review, plus the need for economic models that go beyond GDP and take ecological tipping points seriously. Just as importantly, we explore how evidence and stories must travel together if policymakers, investors and industry leaders are going to act at speed.

Then Anusha helps us  tour the places already showing what nature-positive infrastructure looks like at scale: Singapore’s shift to a “city in nature”, Rotterdam’s climate-adaptive water squares, Scandinavian parks designed for extreme rainfall, and the UK’s Eden Project as proof that regeneration can drive jobs and tourism. 

It's a world tour exploring how #NatureIsGrowth so please do have a listen! 

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In this episode we're chatting to Gamze Çelikyılmaz, Vice Chair of Climate Academy Global and a long-time climate change policy specialist, to make sense of where the global energy transition actually stands and why the picture is so uneven across regions. 

With Gamze we go from the big global picture to the local human reality of a just transition. For communities built around coal mines, power plants, oil and gas, the challenge is not only replacing jobs but also protecting health, preserving dignity, and rebuilding tax bases, institutions and social networks. Gamze explains why there is no such thing as a 100% just transition, yet also why delaying change is not fair either, and how practical measures like reskilling, upskilling, worker protections and long-term governance can keep the process as just as possible. 

Along the way we dig into examples that show what works in practice: Germany’s Ruhr region and Spain’s Bilbao, plus reflections on the UK’s own history and the emerging energy transition zone in Aberdeen. A recurring theme is storytelling, because successful transitions create a new identity that people can own, not just a list of projects on a spreadsheet. 

So if you care about climate action, climate policy, fossil fuel phase-out, clean energy jobs and what a fair transition really means for real places, listen in!

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Has the public has “moved on” from climate change as some commentators might like us to believe? The data tells a different story. We sit down with Dr Susie Wang, climate and environmental psychologist and co-founder of Climate Barometer, to unpack what UK voters and MPs actually think about net zero, renewable energy, and climate action, when you track attitudes over time instead of chasing one-off headlines.

Susie tells us that at worst climate concern is plateauing, not plummeting and that there exists a major perception gap, with both the public and politicians underestimating how much backing exists for net zero and for local clean energy projects like onshore wind and solar, plus the grid upgrades needed to make them work.

We also explore why “NIMBYism” is often overstated, what eco-populism can look like in Green politics, and how a focus on fairness, trust, and everyday local issues can strengthen climate communication without constantly shouting about climate targets. Well worth a listen if you want to tune into where people's heads are at on climate! 

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Is your balcony the most overlooked piece of green space in your life? It might also be the easiest place to start changing how you feel, day to day. We sit down with Manchester garden designer Jason Williams, known online as The Cloud Gardener, who lives in an 18th floor apartment and turned a glass-fronted, south-facing balcony into an oasis that’s part pantry, part wildlife stopover and part mental health reset.

Jason shares the  learning curve of balcony gardening and container growing: why “normal” gardening tips often fail in high-rise microclimates, how heat build-up can push temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above street level, and how choosing plants for your space stops the cycle of disappointment. We get into what he grows, how flowers affect yield, why flies can be underrated pollinators, and how small ecosystem thinking, right down to balcony ponds and organic feeding, makes a big difference.

We also explore the National Trust's Sky Gardening Challenge, now open across the UK, including the One Pot Power category that helps complete beginners start with a single container and build confidence. Jason explains why simple, positive communication matters when climate headlines feel bleak, and how balcony gardens become deeply personal spaces where people reconnect with nature at home. 

Listen in, and picture yourself in Jason's balcony oasis! 

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Wildflowers can feel like a “nice extra” until you see what they do to a street, a skyline, and the way strangers talk to each other. In this episode we’re joined by Polly Moseley and Richard Scott from Scouse Flowerhouse, to explore how Liverpool’s wildflower gateways and brownfield meadows create real, measurable change: more biodiversity, stronger pollinator corridors, and a renewed sense of pride in places once written off as derelict.

We unpack the Northern Flowerhouse vision for the North of England, rooted in collaboration between community groups, gardeners, artists, academics, and land practitioners. Along the way we share the principles that keep this work human and repeatable: create curiosity, deal in beauty, bring science and arts into unlikely places, and treat gatherings as moments of celebration rather than meetings to endure. It’s sustainability communication in the most direct form, because people protect what they help make.

AND we find out about their plans for a Northern Flowerhouse Assembly, due to land in Liverpool on 18 June 2026. 

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A new global day is being launched for something no city or region could  function without: public transport. We sit down with Mohammed Mezgani, Secretary General of UITP, to unpack the story behind World Public Transport Day on 17 April 2026 and why a simple celebration can become a serious lever for sustainable transport and better urban mobility.

Mohammed takes us from his childhood in Tunisia, where the bus to school meant friendship and freedom, to decades of public transport advocacy across more than 70 countries. Along the way, we get practical about what drives real modal shift. 

It is not about blaming people for choosing cars or taxis. It is about political will, investment, and systems that feel effortless: dense networks, frequent and reliable service, integrated modes, and a user experience that works for occasional riders as well as daily commuters. 

And above all, it's about connecting people to each other, and to the places that give them joy. A world, of public transport. 

So if you care about sustainable cities, public transport policy, and how to make everyday travel happier and cleaner, this positive and progressive conversation is for you. 

Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review. Thanks! 

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