S2: Sustainably Speaking Beyond the Classroom

Welcome to Season 4 of Sustainably Speaking: Beyond the Classroom! We are studying at the International Institute for Industrial and Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University; and we will be the 32nd graduating class of this program. This podcast is a space for us to explore topics related to our studies outside of the classroom setting. We’ll do this through conversations with each other as students from interdisciplinary backgrounds and lived experiences across the world and with interviews from professionals in the field.

https://www.iiiee.lu.se/about-iiiee-communication/podcasts/student-podcast-sustainably-speaking-beyond-aula

In the fourth episode of the season 3, Andres and Lotte joined Carl Eneroth to comment on his 4-part documentary “Stand with Courage”, discussing themes such as the courage to resist and speak up for the (unrighteously) unspoken. Thus, in the context of sustainability, it makes natural sense to draw attention to the fact that our understanding about our environment has never been so big – yet our action remains so little. Constructed narratives play a central role in how we perceive the current state of environmental (un)protection. How much more time will it take for us to finally take up decisive action in our home, workplace and as a collective society? 
Carl Eneroth graduated from IIIEE in 1996 and has navigated since then through academia, business, and activism. He has made himself a name in the film industry, producing over 400 short films on democracy, sustainability and climate solutions. His mission is bringing people together through words and stories, where emotions, facts, and conflicts entangle.

In the third episode of season 3, Marianna Pilecka invites Jakob Gamrot, Global Sustainability Strategy Advisor at Grundfos, to unpack the often-overlooked connection between water and climate change. Together, they explore why most climate impacts are expressed through water, how water management can accelerate or slow down emissions, and what this means for climate action. Using Poland’s drained wetlands and peatlands as a concrete case, the conversation moves from local water changes to regional and global climate effects, before closing with practical solutions, from nature-based restoration to smart water technologies and business models.

In the second episode of season 3, Yookyung Oh invites Aaron Juarez from WWF Sweden to talk about WWF’s sustainable food initiatives along with challenges and strategies for urban food system transformation. Aaron has a background in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation, he worked in Umeå city as Climate and Sustainability Projects Coordinator and is now working as Food and Cities programme lead at WWF Sweden.

In advance of an upcoming session at the 2025 IIIEE Alumni Conference, this episode offers background and food for thought on the ongoing discussions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion at the IIIEE. Specifically, it foregrounds perspectives from the Global South at the Institute and the implications for sustainability of working in diverse international contexts. Host, Ari Ronai-Durning is joined by Patricia Pasaribu and Daniela Alfaro Valle from Batch 29 of the EMP program.

In the first episode of season 3, Sofie invites Pia Heidenmark Cook to talk about sustainability transformations and her (almost) newly published book ‘Embedding sustainability: How to drive organizational transformation’ (2024). Pia graduated from IIIEE in 1997 and has since made a name for herself in the sustainability scene, including as former CSO of IKEA. After almost 30 years in the field, Pia shares her thoughts on where we are today inviting listeners to stay hopeful and to look for the positive stories.

Welcome to the third season of Sustainably Speaking: Beyond the Aula, the IIIEE’s very own student-led podcast tackling sustainability topics within our community and abroad! Join us as we bridge the gap between students and researchers, sharing Alumni success stories and uncovering diverse career paths in the world of sustainability.

In this pilot episode we want to highlight a change of speakers. Your new hosts are eight current students: María, Marianna, Nana, Nicole, Rasmus, Simon, Sofie and Yookyoung all from the EMP program at The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics.

Get ready for a monthly dose of inspiration. Our first episodes will explore how to embed sustainability into organizations and share diverse perspectives and narratives around sustainability.

Subscribe now, and join us as we embark on a journey to take sustainability beyond the classroom!

In this episode, Justine sat down with Lea Levy to discuss the "Climate Fresk" and other "serious games" designed to tackle complex global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil health. Lea shares how she’s used the Climate Fresk tool with a variety of audiences—from students and teachers to corporate teams—and how these tools help simplify intricate topics, foster collective intelligence, and build a sense of community and action. This episode explores the value of these tools in education and how they can inspire collaboration and drive real change in the fight against climate change. 

On this episode, we receive a IIIEE guest Emma Johnson, and we will dive into the topic of inner resilience and how to channel your energy to create outward change. She talks about the event she is organising with another researcher, Gustav Osberg, during the Sustainability Week in Lund. Their event is called “Yoga for Climate Anxiety and Building Inner Resiliency to Tackle Sustainability Challenges”.  Emma will tell us more about her research, her relation to yoga and what will be discussed during the event.

Find the link here to register to Emma’s and Gustav’s event: https://www.hallbarhet.lu.se/evenemang/yoga-climate-anxiety-and-building-inner-resiliency-tackle-sustainability-challenges 

You can find more information here about the Sustainability Week in Lund: https://www.sustainability.lu.se/sustainabilityweek 

Feel free to check out our first episode on a roundtable about eco-anxiety as well as to our episode recorder with Gustav and Björn about Inner Sustainable Development: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FGBpsUncqACzvD8QYGs6K?si=9c118818bbb848a4 

The increase in global temperature brought with it extreme weather events and shifts in seasons across the globe. In developing countries, there is a demand for 10-18 times more Climate Adaptation and Resilience (A&R) finance compared to current international public adaptation finance flows.

This episode discovers how the private sector can play a pivotal role within the A&R sector both as a solution and a finance provider. Your host, Marleen (EMP Batch 29), along with two guests, Rashmi Rawahar (UNIDO) and Helene Robert (E Co. and EMP Batch 21), will provide answers to the following guiding questions:

• What is climate adaptation and resilience? 
• What are concrete examples of solutions provided by the private sector? 
• What are the challenges and barriers to secure funding for private sector projects? 

Sources used in the episode:

• Climate Policy Initiative (2023) - Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2023
• Financial Times (2024) - Critical 1.5C threshold breached over 12-month period for first time
• UNEP (2023) - Adaptation Gap Report 2023
• World Resources Institute (2023) - What It Takes to Attract Private Investment to Climate Adaptation

Further readings: 

• Catalyst Fund (2023) - Investing in Climate Techn Innovation in Africa 
• Gari (2024) - Investing in Climate Resilience: Unlocking a Growing Market of Adaptation Solutions
• GSMA (2023) - Emerging Trends in Climate-tech Innovations: GSMA Innovation Fund for Adaptation & Resilience
• IDB (2020) - Private Markets for Climate Resilience: Global Report
• World Bank and GFDRR (2021) - Enabling private investment in climate adaptation and resilience