SPILL THE (GREEN) TEA: How to talk about sustainability without getting called out

Sangeeta Waldron


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In this episode, Katie & Malin speak with Sangeeta Waldron, an author and award-winning communications specialist who helps organisations navigate the intersection of purpose, influence, and responsibility with a particular focus on climate change and decision-making under uncertainty.

Sangeeta is the founder of Serendipity PR & Media, a Climate Reality Leader trained by Al Gore, and the global contributing editor for the India CSR Network. She has advised senior government officials and some of the world’s most influential organisations on ethical, effective, and culturally intelligent communication, and is a regular guest lecturer at UK universities.

She is the author of three books, including What Will Your Legacy Be?, which was presented at Davos 2025, and Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, shortlisted for the UK Business Book Awards in 2022. As a keynote speaker and moderator, Sangeeta is known for bringing warmth, clarity, and deeply practical insight to complex conversations.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The power of honest, values-led communication in a polarised climate conversation
  • How storytelling (not statistics alone) builds trust, engagement, and hope
  • The danger of jargon, acronyms, and over-complicated language in sustainability messaging
  • Why diversity of voices is essential in climate storytelling
  • What companies get wrong about CSR when it’s driven by PR rather than values
  • Greenhushing, greenwashing, and why silence can be just as damaging as spin
  • Why admitting mistakes can strengthen credibility rather than undermine it
  • This episode is a candid, hopeful conversation about how honesty, storytelling, and imperfect action can rebuild trust and move sustainability forward without fear or false perfection.

     

    More from Sangeeta

    Websitehttp://www.serendipitypr.co.uk/

    LinkedIn: @sangeetawaldron

    Instagram: @sangeeta.waldron

    Book: What will your legacy be?Corporate Social Responsibility is Not Public Relations

     

    Resources mentioned:

    What’s Your Dream by Simon Squibb

    Podcast: The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart

    Project Drawdown®

     

    More from Katie

    • Green, Not Greenwashed: Get the clarity and confidence you need to talk about your eco-efforts without the fear of greenwashing.
    • Follow Katie on Instagram @katietreggiden.1

    More from Malin

    • Greenwashing 101: Green or Greenwashed? Essential insights for sales and marketing professionals to make sense of sustainability and avoid falling into greenwashing's trap.
    • Follow Malin on LinkedIn @malin-cunningham

    PS Looking for Brackish? That has a new home at https://brackishbykatietreggiden.substack.com/t/podcast

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    SPILL THE (GREEN) TEA: How to talk about sustainability without getting called outBy Katie Treggiden, Malin Cunningham

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