This positive news story has been inspired by one of the world’s most tragic situations: the war in Ukraine.

“We in Ukraine are becoming a pilot site for diverse sustainable pilots, experiments and innovations. We have to leapfrog and build a society, buildings and processes that are inclusive, that are beautiful and that are sustainable. That’s our vision.” Roman Pushko

Rebuilding Ukraine safely, sustainably and swiftly – courtesy of S3RoU

A consortium of individuals, universities and entities in Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands has come together to create a solution that will not only help rebuild Ukraine but could be used in other places that have been affected by wars or extreme weather events.

In layperson’s terms, rubble from the war in Ukraine will go through processes so it can be used to rebuild Ukraine swiftly, safely and sustainably. Discover more about the consortium who are involved in this rebuilding Ukraine project.

Rebuilding Uktraine S3 University of Leeds team

The conversation explores the innovative S3 project, which aims at sustainable reconstruction in Ukraine, focusing on the circular economy, community involvement, and the importance of decentralisation.

Experts discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the project, emphasising the need for collaboration and inclusivity in rebuilding efforts. The discussion highlights the potential legacy of the project in shaping future construction practices and addressing the impacts of conflict and disaster.

“Concrete is made up of cement, sand, gravel and water – and we can theoretically get them all back. My vision is to decentralise it, prove it can work, and show people – through real demonstrations – that this is doable.” Professor Theodore Hanein

Rebuilding Ukraine S3RoU consortium

• You’re a civil engineer, architect, urban planner or contractor interested in circular materials and real-world pilots.

• You’re working on post-conflict or post-disaster reconstruction and want scalable, community-centred models.

• You’re engaged in climate, energy or development policy and want to understand how embodied carbon and ci...

In this episode, Ciara sits down with Jessica Gill and Aoibhínn Nevin-Ginnetty, two passionate youth advocates from Plan International Ireland’s Youth Advisory Panel who took their COP28 experience and turned it into local action.

Fresh from representing youth voices at COP28 in Dubai, Jessica and Aoibhínn came home determined not to let the momentum fade. Together, they designed and delivered “Feminist Voices for Climate Justice” – a youth-led Dublin event that combined a powerful panel discussion on gender and climate justice with a hands-on upcycling workshop, where attendees turned donated t-shirts into tote bags.

The result? A hopeful, practical space where young people could explore climate justice through a feminist lens, pick up real advocacy skills, and literally make something together. In this conversation, Jessica and Aoibhínn open up about what it really takes to organise a community-level climate event – the nerves, the logistics, the safeguarding, the storm on the day – and the joy of seeing people leave more confident and fired up than when they arrived.

How attending COP28 as youth delegates with Plan International Ireland inspired Jessica and Aoibhínn to bring their learnings back to Irish communities – with a focus on the intersection of gender equality and the climate crisis.

Why they chose a gendered lens on climate justice, how they selected speakers, and what it was like to host the event at the Carmelite Community Centre in Dublin on 6 April 2024. Panelists included:

Vanessa Conroy – National Women’s Council, Feminist Communities for Climate Justice

Jennifer (Jenny) Salmon – Ireland’s climate youth delegate 2023–2024

Kiera Carney – host of The Book of Leaves podcast, bringing the arts and storytelling into climate conversations.

The importance of talking about everyday issues like rubbish on the beach, public transport or fast fashion, instead of always framing everything as “climate change” – and how that simple shift can invite more people into the conversation instead of scaring them off.

The tote bag workshop: climate action with scissors and string
How donated t-shirts from Change Clothes Crumlin became upcycled tote bags – and why a creative, hands-on activity helped break the ice, build connection, and give attendees a skill they could take home and repeat.

The very real challenges of organising a social justice event when you’re also studying, working and volunteering:

• Safeguarding and risk assessm...

In this episode of Constructive Voices, Jackie is joined again by Tim Christophersen, Vice President of Climate Action at Salesforce and author of Generation Restoration. Fresh back from COP30 in Belém, Tim shares why – out of roughly 15 COPs he has attended – this one felt like a genuine turning point for climate, nature, and the emerging bioeconomy.

"The Blue Zone in Belem: A long way to go, but the direction is clear!" Photo by Tim Christophersen

Drawing on decades of experience inside the UN system and now in the private sector, Tim takes us behind the headlines – beyond disappointment over the lack of fossil fuel phase-out language – into the real energy that’s building around solutions, especially in and around the Amazon.

He talks about dawn boat rides past parrots and agroforestry plots, industrial-scale ecosystem restoration on degraded pastureland, and the quiet revolution happening in food, finance, and cities. At the heart of it all is one simple shift: treating nature as core infrastructure, not decoration.

“For the first time at a COP, I had the feeling that the excitement about building something new is bigger than the anxiety about dismantling the old, extractive, unsustainable economy.” Tim Christophersen

Photo credit: Deposit Photos

• Why COP30 in Belém, Brazil, felt different from previous climate summits – and why Tim sees it as a pivot point rather than just “another COP”.
• How Brazil used the location – right in the Amazon – to showcase a new kind of bioeconomy, from deforestation-free cattle to forest-based products and restoration concessions.
• What the new long-term forest finance facilities, including the Tropical Forests Forever concept, could mean for paying countries to keep forests standing.
• The rise of ecopreneurs and large-scale restoration projects turning degraded pasture into thriving forests – powered by carbon markets and better tech.
• Why Tim believes the real story now is building something new, not just fighting the old fossil-fuel system.
• How cities like Paris and Singapore are quietly proving that climate action can make daily life better – cleaner air, more green space, healthier people.
• What it means to see food and regenerative agriculture as the frontline of the bioeconomy, from Amazonian superfoods to local, seasonal diets in Europ...

Public transport advocate and Dublin City Councillor Feljin Jose joins interviewer Ciara to unpack how streets, housing and rail policy shape daily life—and climate action.

We connect DART+, MetroLink and better buses to the built environment: denser homes near stations, safer walking and cycling, revived main streets, and public spaces that welcome everyone.

Feljin also reflects on Irish climate advocacy—what’s working, what isn’t—and how these lessons scale into global city solutions.

“Housing policy is transport policy.”

1. A clear, human explainer of how infrastructure + planning drive emissions down and quality of life up.
2. Concrete links between transit corridors and housing supply, vacancy fixes, and public realm design.
3. First-hand insights from Irish climate advocacy with takeaways for other

The built environment and of course, the environment in general, are inextricably linked to our health and well-being. With so much media coverage on climate change and biodiversity loss, it is hard to ignore these facts.

Places and people are also connected in various ways. The people who live in nature-blessed places have a higher chance of good health than those whose homes are in concrete jungles with little or no nature. We have investigated these topics in earlier episodes with guests such as Dr. Nadina Galle and Jane Findlay.

But did it ever occur to you that when a health issue affects you, your treatment may be bad for the environment?

“Healthcare is the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter.”

In this Youth Month special, Plan International’s Chief Programme Officer Damien Queally joins youth host Ciara O’Brien to unpack what truly locally led, gender-responsive programming looks like—especially where climate shocks meet the built environment.

“If you’re not bringing young voices in, you’re making decisions with your eyes closed.”

From safe, climate-resilient schools and health centres to inclusive streets, water systems, and shelters that protect girls, Damien makes the case for community-owned solutions that put young people—particularly girls—at the centre of how we design, govern, and maintain the places we live.

Tune into Plan International Chief Programmes Officer, Damien Queally, and Plan International Global Young Influencer, Ciara O’Brien, as they discuss their work with Plan International, a global organisation focused on improving the lives of girls and women in the developing world in a sustainable and equitable way. Their conversation focuses around their approach to this work, youth leadership within the organisation, and current affairs.

“We shouldn’t be in a community for 30 or 40 years—our job is to help build self-reliance and shift ownership locally.”

As Plan International focuses on International Day of the Girl 2025, we dive into the campaign in more detail. The launch of the 2025 State of the World Girls Report has caused a stir in the international community. Damien and Ciara explore the specifics of the research and the gl...

"Generation Restoration wonderfully weaves together the most important ingredients of how we can heal ourselves and the planet. The book is the culmination of Tim’s last twenty-nine years of work and life experience.

Experience that has included leading parts of the United Nations’ Environment Programmes to his current role as VP of Climate Action at Salesforce.

It is hard to imagine anyone better placed to illustrate to the human race how restoration is the key to health, wealth and happiness. We are nature. When we restore nature, we restore ourselves.

Read Generation Restoration to find out how.” Jackie De Burca

What if the next step in human evolution is learning to restore rather than extract?

In this episode, Jackie de Burca speaks with first-time author and renowned nature leader Tim Christophersen to explore his new book, Generation Restoration (launching 14 October 2025).

From East Africa’s shrinking migrations to a small Danish farm buzzing back to life, Tim makes the case that restoration at planetary scale is not only possible—it’s already underway.

In this episode of Constructive Voices, Jackie De Burca interviews Dr. Brian MacSharry from the European Environment Agency to discuss the concept of nature credits, their significance in the context of biodiversity, and how they differ from carbon credits.

Brian shares insights from his extensive career in environmental policy, emphasising the importance of recognising the role of biodiversity in our economy and society.

The conversation explores the challenges of measuring biodiversity, the roadmap for implementing nature credits, and the potential for incentivising private sector involvement in conservation efforts. Brian concludes with actionable steps for individuals and businesses to support biodiversity.

• The difference between carbon credits and nature credits, and why biodiversity is harder to measure.

• How businesses and economies are far more dependent on nature than most people realise.

• Why the European Union’s roadmap for nature credits is both ambitious and full of open questions.

• How pilot projects across Europe are already testing new models of valuing biodiversity.

• Practical ways individuals, businesses, and policymakers can support biodiversity today.