“Resilience is not a slogan — it’s practice.”

In this episode, Phil talks with Lina Liakou, Co‑Founder and Global Director for City Engagement & Practice at the Resilient Cities Network, about the Resilient Cities Forum in December and two major outputs: the Solutions Map and the Call to Scale Urban Resilience. Together, they take stock of a decade of urban resilience practice, unpack what really works in cities (governance, finance, data and community), and tackle the hard questions of how to move from inspiring pilots — community resilience hubs, green schoolyards, integrated capital planning — to durable, citywide systems. Lina explains common barriers (siloed funding, lack of evaluation, political turnover) and why collective action, skills-building and institutional buy‑in are essential.

An insightful conversation for city leaders, planners, funders, resilience practitioners and community organisers looking for practical routes to scale proven resilience solutions.

Find out more and join the Call to Scale Urban Resilience here.

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For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

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In this episode, Phil sits down with John O’Brien MBE, founder of Anthropy, to explore how a cross-sector gathering at the Eden Project is shaping a more resilient, prosperous Britain. John explains why Anthropy — framed around people, place, prosperity and global perspective — is designed as a hands-on “gathering” (not a conference), why delegates are asked to “leave their ego and silo at the door,” and how mixing business leaders, artists, social entrepreneurs and young voices sparks new solutions.

Listen for a lively conversation on the role of civic engagement, the power of business for good, and the importance of emerging leaders in building a resilient future. 

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In this episode, Phil is joined by Met Office fellow in Weather & Climate Extremes and Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde, Dr Emily Wallace. Together they explore how forecasting, climate projections, and cross-sector partnerships, including work with National Energy System Operator (NESO), are shaping UK resilience — with a particular focus on the energy transition, emerging hazards such as “wind drought,” and new modelling and supercomputing advances.

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For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

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When science meets storytelling, something magical happens.

Climate science can often feel abstract, complex, or inaccessible. But when those same ideas are translated through stories and art, they become personal and relatable. From a picture book to a film, creative storytelling evokes emotion — a universal language that connects people of all ages and backgrounds.

In this episode, Phil sits down with award-winning children’s author and poet Sophie Kirtley to discuss her recent collaboration with JBA and how creativity and the arts can be a powerful tool for engaging people with climate resilience.

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For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
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Innovation isn’t just about shiny new tech—it’s about people, culture, and those small, everyday changes that add up to big impact. In this episode of the Climate Resilience Podcast, Phil sits down with Nick Law, who leads the commercial side of JBA Labs, our in-house innovation accelerator programme, and Richard Beardsley from Affinity Water to unpack what innovation really means in the face of climate change.

From building a culture that embraces failure to groundbreaking projects like JSat, JBA’s spectral analysis tool, and Resilient Studio, the trio explores how fresh ideas, bold experiments, and even small tweaks can transform how we adapt to a fast-changing world.

Tune in for insights on risk-taking, creativity, and the future of resilient places, systems, and communities.

*Please note: There are some minor audio issues in this episode. While they do not affect the overall clarity of the discussion, we appreciate your understanding and patience. Enjoy the episode!

Thank you for listening to this episode.

For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

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The Climate Resilience Podcast turns one! To celebrate our birthday, host Phil Emonson is joined by three returning guests: Kat Cornfield (Environment Agency), Lucy Formoy (JBA Consulting), and Karl Astbury (Resilient Cities Network).

Together, they revisit and build on two of our most impactful discussions so far: the role of social value in creating resilient communities (Episode 7) and the importance of a whole-society approach to climate resilience (Episode 9).

In this episode, we explore:

• How to avoid “engagement fatigue” while ensuring communities’ voices are heard
• Why local stories matter - lessons from cross-sector and international collaborations on resilience
• The challenges of navigating political cycles when building climate-ready places
• A case study from JBA’s CoastWise project and what it teaches us about adaptation

Join us as we reflect on what we’ve learned over the past year and look ahead to how whole-society collaboration can drive meaningful, lasting climate resilience.

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For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
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As part of our 30th anniversary celebrations, in this episode of The Climate Resilience Podcast, we look back at JBA’s journey – from its beginnings three decades ago to the milestones and defining moments that have shaped who we are as an organisation today. Phil is joined by JBA’s Executive Chair and Founder, Jeremy Benn, and Richard Maltby, Director of Maltby Land Surveys Ltd – one of our first ever partners – as they reflect on the headlines, highlights, and lessons learned along the way, while exploring what it truly means for an organisation to be resilient. We also look ahead to the next 30 years: the challenges, opportunities, and the role resilience will play in navigating an uncertain future.

Thank you for listening to this episode.

For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
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In this powerful special episode of The Climate Resilience Podcast, host Phil Emonson is joined by Mannan Donoghoe, a Fellow at The Brookings Institution’s Centre for Community Uplift and co-author of the recently published New Orleans Index at Twenty report.

Together, Phil and Mannan unpack the report, which is a comprehensive look at how the city has rebounded, reimagined, and rebuilt in the two decades since Hurricane Katrina. This conversation examines both the measurable progress and the ongoing challenges of building a city that can withstand the storms of the future. Mannan’s insights, grounded in rigorous social science and informed by global climate justice and environmental policy experience, shed light on how New Orleans has become a living laboratory for urban resilience.

Whether you’re a policymaker, a resilience practitioner, or simply inspired by stories of recovery and transformation, this episode offers a rare blend of data, lived experience, and forward-thinking vision for building stronger, more equitable cities in the face of climate change.

Thank you for listening to this episode.

For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
or follow us on LinkedIn JBA Consulting | LinkedIn

In this episode of the Climate Resilience Podcast, host Phil Emonson is joined by Steve Maslen (JBA Consulting) and Rob Gardner (CEO and Co-Founder of Rebalance Earth) for an inspiring conversation about the power and potential of nature-based solutions (NbS).

Together, they explore how working with nature—not against it—can build climate resilience across landscapes, cities, and communities. From the role of healthy soils and peatlands to the innovative use of pension fund capital, the discussion highlights the urgent need to scale NbS and the financial tools that can help us get there. With real-world examples from Manchester to the Yorkshire Dales, this episode explores innovation, finance, and impact, proving that investing in nature is not just good for the planet, but essential for our future.

Thank you for listening to this episode.

For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
or follow us on LinkedIn JBA Consulting | LinkedIn

What does climate resilience really mean when the land beneath you is being washed away?

In this riveting episode of the Climate Resilience Podcast, host Phil Emonson is joined by one of the UK’s most influential voices in ethical agriculture — Guy Singh-Watson, founder and CEO of Riverford Organic Farmers. Sharing raw insights from the field - from soil loss and water stress to the power of collaboration and honest storytelling - Guy and Phil explore the realities of farming in a changing climate - and what true resilience looks like beyond the buzzwords.

Tune in as we explore:

• The cost of climate unpredictability on real farms
• How cooperation — not competition — can drive true resilience
• And the critical role of trust and transparency in the food system

A must-listen for anyone passionate about food, farming, and the future of our landscapes.

Thank you for listening to this episode.

For any comments, questions or insights please contact [email protected].

Visit our website jbaconsulting.com
or follow us on LinkedIn JBA Consulting | LinkedIn