Enthusiasm for low-carbon building is growing, and it's restructuring how we finance everything from small retrofits to major urban developments. What are the implications of this financial restructuring for property developers, investors and mortgages? Greg Clark, expert advisor to over 400 cities, shares illuminating insights in the 'Money Issue' podcast. We also hear from Folkhem, the leading wood-only property developers on their successful cooperation with banks to mortgage mass timber projects and Stora Enso on the latest legislation driving fossil fuel-free construction.

What will it take to build sustainable cities? We talked to Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, one of the largest networks leading the transformation to sustainable building, Alan Organschi, architect, Yale professor and Director, Innovation Lab at Bauhaus der Erde, along with Heinz Felder at Stora Enso, the renewable materials company.

Europe’s forests are getting bigger – here’s why!

Learn how the rise of mass timber construction directly supports the reforestation and expansion of European forests with timber scientist Maximilian Pramreiter and mathematician Dr. Galina Churkina in conversation with Stora Enso – the global company at the forefront of the renewable material transformation.

World leaders have agreed upon a framework to protect biodiversity across the planet after the UN Summit on biodiversity in Montreal. The framework is crucial for the planet’s survival and is going to change the way businesses and the financial community operates. In this episode you will find out how.

The switch from plastic to environmentally friendly materials is a complex challenge – particularly in the area of single-use items – and is not necessarily solved by one solution. In this podcast, we look at the differing views on single-use and multi-use, with a special focus on food service items, such as paper cups. How should brand owners think about how to serve food and beverage in coffee shops and quick-service restaurants? And can consumers continue to use takeaway cups with good conscience? At the heart of the discussion is the recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study by the European Paper Packaging Association (EPPA) on the topic of Single Use vs Multiple Use. Guesting the pod are: Emiliano Micalizio, Principal and Operation Manager, Ramboll, Veronika Abraham, Senior Consultant Sustainability, Ramboll, Antonio D'Amato, CEO of Seda International Packaging Group, and Maria Holopainen, Business Lead on Circular Economy, Packaging Materials, Stora Enso.

The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The plan is that the world will have achieved these goals by 2030. Companies can have a critical role in reaching the goals, but are they ambitious enough or are they just “rainbow washing” – using the SDGs as colorful logos with no meaningful action? Guesting the pod are: Anna Kruip, Manager Environment and Climate at UN Global Compact, Filippo Veglio, Managing Director at World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and Antti Marjokorpi, Head of Forests, Plantations, and Land use Sustainability at Stora Enso.

Adult incontinence is very common but the stigma around it means that there’s not so much talk about it. Why is that, and what consequences does this have for the development of better and more sustainable incontinence care products? Parts of the incontinence pads are already based on renewable materials, but parts are still made from fossil-based materials. What's going on in the research world, and will we ever see incontinence products made from 100% renewable materials? Listen to our latest podcast to find out what the experts say. Guesting the pod are: Katri Laatikainen, Academy researcher at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, and LAB University of Applied Science, Finland; Tiina Vaittinen, Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Tampere, Finland; Marianne König, Product Manager, Fluff Pulp, Stora Enso; and Stefan Klang, Vice President, Head of Fluff Pulp Segment, Stora Enso.

The life cycle of wood has other benefits besides sustainable use of materials: when wood is used for construction, wood can increase the well-being of people spending time in the surroundings. Biophilic building designs using wood enhance health and well-being in indoor environments, and it makes us feeling closer to nature.

What is the building industry doing today to enable and support biophilic design? Listen to our latest podcast to find out what the experts say. Guesting the pod are Stephen Richardson, Director - Europe, World Green Building Council, Antto Kauhanen, Business Development Manager, Stora Enso, Sari Raunio, Director of Real Estate, Varma, and Selina Anttinen, Architect at Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit Oy.

Business and human rights - a combination that has not always had a very positive cling to it. But the landscape is changing rapidly, with CEO's taking a stand for respecting human rights and encouraging their colleagues to do the same. At the same time, stakeholders such as investors are requiring evidence of the work done. But human rights work takes time and the indicators can be challenging to quantify. How can companies and stakeholders have a meaningful and long-term dialogue on these topics? Guesting the pod are Kitrhona Cerri, Director, Social Impact, WBCSD, Elena Espinoza, Manager, Social Issues, PRI, and Ylva Stiller, Director, Human Rights, Stora Enso.

11% of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions come from construction, an industry also struggling with material efficiency. Digitalisation and other technological innovations, along with wooden building materials, could help transform the industry into a circular and sustainable one. Guesting the pod are Ursula Hartenberger, Global Head of Sustainability, RICS, Ken Dooley, Technology Director, Granlund, and Matthew Linegar, Director R&D and Product Management, Building Solutions, Stora Enso.