Greta's Generation

In this episode I have the pleasure to speak with Dr. Ashley Lloyd, Senior Lecturer in Information Management at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He has a truly unique story about working on big data, climate transitions, business competitiveness, innovation, and consumer behavior. In some parts of the episode, we get into some very technical conversations, but if you stay tuned, Dr. Lloyd does a wonderful job explaining the difficult subjects and concepts.

Dr. Soheil Shayegh has an immensely colourful background. Born in Iran, having worked in Africa, the US, and now in Italy, his life journey is incredibly interesting. In this episode we trace his development from an engineer, to a start-up founder, to working with developing countries, and finally his realization that an academic career made the most sense for him. Listen in to how he has found success: it is not just about talent and hard work. As he describes, there were many instances where he sent 'cold-call-type' emails to preeminent academics, which occasionally led to important connections. This is a key take away from this episode: if you are dedicated, it shows, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there because people take notice of your commitment and tenacity, and you will be rewarded in due time.

Ajay has a unique story to tell. He did not, when he was younger, plan on being a Climate Leader. Instead, he did what many other well-educated young people do—he got into business and finance, and made some good money. But, as he explains on the show, something was missing.

Ajay discusses his circuitous career path—his transition from industry, to government, and finally to academia—where he is starting to feel at home. His research and understanding of climate change economics and policy is high-level to say the least. He is widely published in top academic journals, on topics as diverse as: renewable energy, energy storage, China’s de-carbonization, as well as critiques about climate-energy modelling.

In this episode, Dr. Maria Carvalho talks about transitioning out of academia in  order to participate directly with on-the-ground climate-change solutions. As a pure  researcher, in academia, she felt her actions were not leading  to measurable results. She wanted to become more involved in driving the  transition to a no-carbon world. 

Maria is an expert in global carbon  trading markets, green growth, low-carbon transitions, green-growth and  competitiveness. She will give you a no-frills explanation of what  carbon pricing is, where it came from, and who the actors are that use it (or control it). As a bonus, she also tells us what it’s like to be  young and indecisive on your career: follow your heart, but have a  vision

Dr. Sovacool is a prominent academic, consultant, and climate policy leader. Currently, he is one of the leading authors of the IPCC’s latest Assessment Report.  He has written over 300 peer-reviewed articles and 18 books. His  research comprises energy transitions, green technology procurement and  innovation, as well as social and economic impacts of climate change. In  this episode, we discuss his latest work as well as some of his most highly cited papers (he has nearly 30,000 total citations). He is also divulges some wonderful advice to young listeners out there keen on joining the climate change movement.

In this episode, Keith describes how he successfully scaled-up two start up companies, one dealing with renewable energy infrastructure and data, and the other focused on water scarcity issues. Originally from the U.S., Keith has lived in Barcelona for 20 years.  He shows that following your passion, dreaming big, and taking on difficult problems can lead to lucrative business successes while also helping fight climate change.

Beyond his successes in business, however, he also shows how following your heart can lead to great success while doing good for the planet. This is an important lesson, and is not highlighted enough in today’s world. If you’re passionate about something, and it is clearly doing good for humanity, go for it! Don’t let anyone, even that tiny voice in your head, or voices in your head (I just have one), steer you away from that.

Gunnar has led the International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE), an Environmental NGO (ENGO) based in Aarhus, Denmark, for almost thirty years.  He coordinates action for over 150 ENGOs working on climate change worldwide. In this episode, Gunnar details his career as a practitioner in climate change at local, regional, and global levels. He speaks fluently about policies, technologies, politics, and solutions. 

INFORSE was the first organization to promote 100% renewable energy solutions, while others thought it a complete fiction. RE-100 is a new non-profit that now supports these solutions, but failed to recognize that it was INFORSE that spearheaded the idea and created the first models. He also speaks about how Denmark, one of the tiniest countries in the world, became a global leader in renewable energy development, policy, and innovation. His story is both informative and inspiring; it is clear and focused on the vision of 100% clean energy.

There are some out there, many of them leaders of large corporations, countries, and other organizations, who take on a “doing good” persona of driving down carbon emissions, while they do nothing. Talk is cheap, as they say. Greta Thunberg, a Climate Activist, calls this out for what it is:

How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just "business as usual" and some technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than eight and a half years (UN Climate Summit, NY).

In many ways, she is spot on. How dare we leave this mess for our descendants, for our children to clean up? In eight years, her generation will be in their mid twenties, with little to look forward to but a life of cleaning up other’s mess. It is more than embarrassing; it’s appalling. The science has been clear since at least the 1980s  (in fact, suggested since 1898): Climate Change is real. To solve it, we must undertake a massive societal reorganization.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or the IPCC, was set up in 1987 with the sole purpose to solidify the science (see: 2019 report; all other IPCC reports).  The IPCC is comprised of hundreds of the world’s top economists, engineers, systems and social scientists. These scientists come from many different countries. Can science be wrong? Sure. Scientific debate and uncertainty are welcomed in scientific research. Yet, it indicates something that hundreds of scientists from nearly every corner of the globe have come to a consensus, based on troves of data, modelling, and evidence, that this thing is real. And that many scientists, with careers dependent on external funding, have a much higher incentive to produce good research than to lie. Indeed, there has never been a more expansive scientific report in the history of humankind. The overwhelming scientific evidence suggests: “Houston, we’ve got a problem”.

Yet this scientific evidence, growing stronger each year, has not resulted in many real actions. In a speech among the world’s elite, Greta adds: “Well I’m here to tell you that unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight…Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour”. Many are complacent.

To come to a tentative conclusion, before the real leaders are introduced, let me say one more thing. In this space, on this podcast, and throughout this community that I hope will blossom, let us not get clouded by inter-generational inequity, but instead come together. I am well aware that the name, Greta’s Generation, might seem like intergenerational inequities are a theme here. But that is not the purpose of the show’s name. Rather, the purpose is to bring all generations together to learn, to be inspired, and to take actions. We can all do this. And, if we want to see benefits to our shared planet, we will all have to take actions.