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In this episode, we welcome Simon Dawes, a driving force behind the Environment Agency's push towards sustainability, with over two decades of experience in the environmental sector.

Currently, Simon is the Head of Sustainable Business Strategy, where he led the development and integration of a Net Zero delivery plan for a complex £1.3bn organisation.


He also spearheaded the creation of an expansive Carbon Literacy training program for 11,000 staff, fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability at every level.

Simon is a key player in the UK's journey to Net Zero, representing the Environment Agency on task forces and acting as a Sustainability Ambassador.

Beyond his sustainability role, Simon is driven by a zest for adventure and challenge. A keen snowboarder and supporter of protecting our winters. His passion has led him to conquer the towering summits of Europe's Mt. Blanc and Africa's Kilimanjaro, alongside testing his endurance in triathlons at the Olympic distance.

Simon's story is one of passion, leadership, and a relentless pursuit of a better future for all.

We explore:

🌱 Simon’s vision for the future of the UK

🌱 The role of a regulator and how to be inclusive and progressive

🌱 How to accelerate change through collaboration in the construction sector

🌱 The business reasons to embracing the circular economy


🌱 That the circular economy and net zero are intrinsically interlinked

🌱 Water, rivers, pollution and Climate adaptation

🌱 …and the projects Simon is working on as part of the UK environment agency

Listen to the end to hear about Simon's campaigning passion with Protect Our Winters and the role sports can play in creating a better world for all.

You can read the action takeaways from this episode, comment, co-create future episodes and connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit https://www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

Let's get into it.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode, we welcome Andres Roberts, Founding Partner for the Bio-Leadership Project. A place where a new story of leadership is growing, working with the rules of life: cycles, connection, regeneration, reciprocity and love.


The vision for the Bio-Leadership Project is to help a global ecosystem of people to grow this new story all over the world.


Five kinds of Bio-Leadership stories are redefining human progress. The work is about helping these stories connect up and grow.

🌱 New forms of purpose and progress connected to nature.

🌱 New organisational forms that work like nature.

🌱 New ways of working as ecosystems, inspired by nature.

🌱 New, regenerative models of organisation and society.

🌱 New cultures that reconnect to nature and the web of life.

Andres, Ella and Javi believe that to grow new forms of leadership, we need to grow new forms of knowledge.

And to navigate complex and urgent times, we need to cultivate human capacities for resilience, connection, adaptability, systemic awareness, and care for things greater than ourselves.

Bio-Leadership is about working with nature to grow these qualities as individuals, communities, businesses and society.

This is a rich and emotive conversation. Listen to the end to hear an exploration of nature and a desire to rekindle that worldview of nature's our home as well.

Let’s get into this.

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Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode, we welcome Vibhati Bhatia, the founder of South Asians for Sustainability and managing consultant for social sustainability at Energise.


She is also the co-partner of Race Report UK-- part of Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS)-- and advisory board for Catalyse Change, which focuses on helping 18 to 25 females or non-binary people getting into sustainability.

This is a heart opening adventure through inequality, injustice, and the inspiring story of how a pioneering pro activist is intentionally doing something about it.

Together we explore:

🌱 How a family experience of the Punjab floods deepened her empathy and emboldened her to act with greater intention and intensity

🌱 The community of South Asians for Sustainability which Vibhati founded

🌱 The transformation we need to see in diversity and inclusion, climate adaptation, and the loss and damage fund

And so much more…


Listen to the end to hear ideas on how we can co-create a more empathetic and connected approach to how we transform our organisations, our roles in them and the communities and projects that we support.

You can read the action takeaways from this episode, comment, co-create future episodes and connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

Lets get into it.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode of the Future Planet Podcast, we adventure with Hermione Taylor, the visionary founder and CEO of Do Nation. Hermione is an early pioneer in promoting sustainable actions and living.

Her journey began in 2009 with an inspiring cycling trip from London to Morocco, a challenge not just for her but for those around her. Instead of seeking financial support, Hermione urged her friends and family to commit to sustainable actions.

What started as a personal challenge quickly transformed into a global movement.

Under Hermione's leadership, Do Nation has collaborated with over 500 organizations in 100 countries. Nearly 60,000 individuals have made pledges, collectively saving an astounding 16,500 tonnes of CO2 annually.

This achievement is equivalent to offsetting over 42,500 flights from London to Morocco, a testament to the power of collective action. And no, that doesn’t mean that we can now take those winter holidays without careful thought about our personal carbon budget.

In this episode you will hear:

🌱 Hermione's pioneering journey to empower everyday actions

🌱 How COP and CSRD are creating urgency and driving change

🌱 Collaboration, when it works, where its edges are and the opportunities it creates

We also explore how the movement has changed. And how with more people joining and creating solutions, which is wonderful, that also creates a need to evolve.

Listen to the end to hear us explore:

• the very real challenge of money, finance and allocation of resources to supporting the people and solving the challenges we face

• a curious link to how our approach could be different if we adopted the successes of a pilot project that helped people into work

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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Brad Vanstone is the Founder of Willicroft, a plant‑based cheese producer making planet‑proof cheese for dairy cheese lovers. Inspired by Brad’s family's dairy farming roots dating back to 1957, Willicroft was re‑imagined as a plant‑based cheese company in Amsterdam in 2018.

This is a journey of an inspiring story of passion, tenacity and commitment to doing the right thing.


In this episode, we hear the story of how Brad:

🌱 Grew up in his Grandparents' dairy farm

🌱 Started from humble beginnings experimenting with recipes in a flat, where he had an attic full of hundreds of kilos of nuts and various other ingredients.

🌱 Had to completely rebuild the product and business, as they discovered that the original recipe nuts had a higher impact than the legumes that they now use. A brave example of commitment to planet -first innovation

🌱 Put Mother Nature as CEO, to place the planet's future front and centre behind every decision they make.

Listen to the end to hear us explore regenerative farming financing, subsidies, taxes as incentivisation - and disincentivization - and some of the blockers and solutions to truly transforming farming and food.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign or sign up.

Let's get into it.

About Brad Vanstone


Fuelled by concerns about the future of our planet, Brad Vanstone began eating a mainly plant-based diet on moving to Amsterdam. He found the transition easier than he’d imagine with the exception of cheese. Unable to find many plant-based cheese alternatives in the supermarket, Brad started making it at home. Months of experimentation later, and with some basic knowledge of dairy cheese making from time spent growing up on his Grandparents’ dairy farm, Brad founded Willicroft in 2018.

The name originates from Willicroft Farm in Devon founded by his grandparents in 1957. Brad is reimagining how we consume cheese combining age-old techniques with a more planet-friendly ingredient base. With Mother Nature as their CEO, Willicroft is placing the planet's future front and centre behind every decision they make.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode, we adventure with the pioneer of zero waste, Catherine Conway. Catherine's is an inspiring story of persistence, commitment, and resilience – values that all founders need.

Catherine's instincts lead her to be truly collaborative and, like all great impact pioneers, she prioritizes impact and doing the right thing.

We adventure through circular economy behavior change, collaboration, and policy. We tackle short-termism and explore the need for longer-term thinking.

Together we explore:

• the journey of Catherine's early career
• her path through working with Planet Organic and pioneering zero-waste in-store
• working with Waitrose and then setting up The Refill Coalition, a mission to transform our retail ecosystem to be zero-waste

Listen to the end to hear Catherine's big dream and where she wants to impact next.

You can read the action takeaways from this episode, comment, co-create future episodes, connect with fellow changemakers, and join us on the journey.

You can visit futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up. Let's get into it.



Who is Catherine Conway


Catherine has always been at the heart of blending business with social responsibility. Her journey through both the private and Third Sectors has been dedicated to this harmony.

With nearly two decades in Corporate Social Responsibility, Catherine saw the plastic problem early on.

Visionary in her approach, Catherine launched Unpackaged in 2006 — the world's first modern zero-waste shop. This was long before the zero waste and circular economy movements gained traction.

Unpackaged hasn't just been a store; it's revolutionized sustainable, desirable retail. Catherine's drive to develop refill and reuse systems has helped countless businesses make a meaningful difference.

Her passion bridges the corporate and policy-making worlds, tirelessly working to establish reuse projects and shape policies for a thriving reuse economy.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode, we welcome human rights activist and environmentalist Kumi Naidoo.

Kumi was the International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (from 2009 through 2016) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2018 to 2020).

Kumi served as the Secretary-General of CIVICUS, an international alliance for citizen participation, from 1998 to 2008.

He’s also the author of the deeply moving book ‘Letters to My Mother: The Making of a Troublemaker’ and ‘Can Citizen Action Save the World’.

Together we will explore:


- Kumi's love for artivism, the synergy between arts, culture, and activism

- the elements of his tireless campaigning for economic justice, gender justice, environmental justice, and climate justice

- intersectionality, indigenous rights, and youth rights

- how do movements become mainstream

- what Kumi's message is for a good activist, leader, and changemaker



You can read the action takeaways from this episode, comment, co-create future episodes, connect with fellow changemakers and join us on the journey. You can visit futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up. Let's get into it.

Who is Kumi Naidoo


Kumi Naidoo proudly stands as the Founding Chair at Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity.

Born in 1965, Kumi's commitment to justice took root early. At just 15, he joined the Helping Hands Youth Organisation, making strides in South Africa's freedom journey.


However, his activism drew the government's eye, leading to arrests and forcing him into hiding. Seeking safety, he moved to the UK in 1987.

While in exile, Kumi thrived as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, earning a doctorate in political sociology.

Upon Mandela’s historic release in 1990, Kumi returned home, fervently working to legitimize the African National Congress.

Between 1998 and 2008, Kumi led the global initiative CIVICUS, fortifying citizen action worldwide. He co-chaired the Global Call to Action Against Poverty from its start in 2003.

His leadership further shone at Greenpeace International (2009-2016) and Amnesty International (2018-2020).

Currently, Kumi imparts wisdom as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University's Thunderbird School. He is also a cherished fellow at the University of Oxford and Magdalen College, inspiring many with his journey.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.

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In this episode, we welcome the inspirational Adam Read, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer for SUEZ UK, a leading global provider of environmental solutions.

Adam is a policy expert, pioneer and influencer for positive change in an industry that is connected to everything we do and our whole way of life. Themes include cross-value chain collaboration, circular economy, green skills, policy frameworks, politics, social value and systemic levers.

Together we will explore:


- Adam's view on where the waste management industry and our world need to get to and how we will get there

- what reducing our consumption means in practice

- how resource efficiency is a core part of the SUEZ’s business

- Adam's views on where we are with UK legislation



You can read the action takeaways from this episode, comment, co create future episodes, connect with fellow changemakers and join us on the journey. You can visit futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up. Let's get into it.

Related resources:

• Number of planet Earths we need to provide resources and absorb our waste (link)
  
  
  
• Since August 3, we have been consuming resources more than what the Earth can regenerate this year (link)
  
  
  
• Interactive charts about the global waste challenge and waste management (link)

Who is Adam Read

Adam is a key player at Suez UK, handling external relations, communications, and sustainability. His journey with Suez spans 6 years, following an impressive 30-year career in academia, local governance, and environmental consulting. His PhD delved deep into the intricacies of UK waste policy.

In recent years, Adam has been instrumental in shaping the UK Government's new Resources & Waste Strategy, leading discussions around vital subjects like EPR, DRS, Plastic Tax, and more. His leadership as President of the CIWM been pivotal in refining these policies and fostering the level of collaboration required to lay the ground for implementing them.

Beyond this, Adam heads the ESA Resource Strategy & Policy group, a hub for innovative policy ideas. His past role as CIWM's president saw him advocating for green skills in an evolving industry. Adam's commitment to mentorship is clear, always eager to guide the next generation of resource managers.

He holds several industry roles, including being a CIWM Trustee and a member of CIWM's Policy & Innovation Forum. Recently, his impact was recognized when he was named the 7th most influential figure in the Resource Hot 100.

Where shall we go next, what questions shall we ask? To co-create the podcast with us, connect with fellow change makers in the FuturePlanet community of action, visit www.futureplanet.love to sign in or sign up.