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Nuclear energy is one of the most controversial forms of alternative energy, and the least understood. Consumers can confuse a fear of nuclear weapons with nuclear energy, and naysayers cite plant explosions or the possibility of a terror attack employing misused nuclear energy materials. Yet advancements in safety measures, regulation and technology have made nuclear energy safer than ever. In this episode, listen to our expert panel break down what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to nuclear energy. Leslie Hook, the Environment and Clean Energy Correspondent for the Financial Times moderates a discussion between Dr Sama Bilbao y León, the Director General of the World Nuclear Association; Zion Lights, activist and Founder of the evidence-based, pro-nuclear energy climate activism group Emergency Reactor; Dr Douglas Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director at Greenpeace UK; and Dr Nina Skorupska, Chief Executive of the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology. 

Wales is distinct from the rest of the United Kingdom for its strong cultural identity. The Welsh language is spoken and taught across the country to this day, and 2021 marked over a century of Labour Party domination of Welsh politics. In this episode Guto Harri, communications consultant and political commentator, hosts a conversation with Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioners for Wales; Mymuna Soleman, spoken-word artist and Founder of the Privilege Café; Dan Tram, Chartered Civil Engineer and Alumnus of the Future Generations Leadership Academy; and Rebecca Williams, Assistant Director of Conservation at the National Trust Wales. They discuss the challenges posed by inequality and climate change; the evolution of diversity of Welsh society; Wales’s world class education and transport policies; and what their country might look like 10 years from now.

Lord Adair Turner, the chair of the Energy Transitions Commission talks with Marisa Drew, chief sustainability officer for Credit Suisse on tackling climate change and the challenges ahead. In this in-depth conversation, Adair answers the question: was COP26 a success or a failure? They discuss the role of policy makers, government and private sectors in this battle; and share the importance of individual consumer choices, and the changes Lord Turner has made to reduce his own carbon footprint.

Carbon offsetting as a solution to the climate crisis faces an inescapable barrier: time, or rather – the lack of it. Philippa Nuttall, environment and sustainability editor at the New Statesman leads this discussion on the role of carbon offsetting. On the panel is Rebekah Braswell, founding member and CCO of Land Life Company; Sabine Frank, executive director at Carbon Market Watch; Tariye Gbadegesin, co-chair, Voluntary Carbon Markets Initiative Steering Committee; Steve Oldham, CEO of Carbon Engineering, a carbon capture technology company; and Ariel Perez, managing partner at Vertree. Together they discuss whether carbon offsetting should have a central role in climate action; reflect on how this will work out in the long term, and share their thoughts on the action that should be taken to combat this globally.

This conversation is in partnership with Credit Suisse
Budgets vs biodiversity – how can we protect both as tensions rise in the crusade to defend our planet’s natural habitats? Simon Mundy, Moral Money editor at The Financial Times is joined by Sandra Guzman Luna, manager of the Climate Finance Programme at the Climate Policy Initiative; Jojo Mehta, co-founder of Stop Ecocide International; Dr David Obura, founding director of CORDIO East Africa; Oliver Withers, biodiversity lead within the Sustainability Strategy, advisory and finance group at Credit Suisse; and Ana Yang, executive director for the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator. They discuss how technology and innovation could help dying aspects of natural habitats; explore the issues with holding people to account for their environmental impact; and share the importance of criminal liability and how this “has the potential to change behaviour.”