Sustainable Transformation

Nova Podcasts

In the Sustainable Transformation Podcast, we bring you honest conversations about the challenges and triumphs of sustainability transformations in business. Join us fortnightly as we unpack the ideas that drive change, decode the jargon and meet the visionary leaders reshaping their organisations for the better. 

  1. How sustainable is the tuna on your shelf? | Simplot Australia’s Phoebe Dowling

    16 FEB

    How sustainable is the tuna on your shelf? | Simplot Australia’s Phoebe Dowling

    What’s hot right now? Traceability. Transparency. Tinned tuna (seriously). Kiarne sits down with Phoebe Dowling, Director of Global Food Sustainability at Simplot. The powerhouse behind brands like John West, Bird’s Eye and Edgell to unpack what sits behind certification, fishing methods and the labels we rely on at the supermarket. Overfishing is a global challenge. A third of global fish stocks are overfished, and demand continues to rise. Phoebe explains what MSC certification is designed to safeguard, why 96% of John West products carry the blue tick, and why the remaining 4% is more complex than it first appears. You’ll hear why species matters, why fishing methods matter just as much and how something that sounds simple can have so much nuance. This conversation moves beyond shelf claims to explore traceability, trade-offs and what responsible sourcing really requires inside a global food business. What you'll hear: What “FAD-free” actually means The truth about pole & line fishing, certifications and overfished species like yellowfin Why traceability is becoming a non-negotiable in food supply chains Simplot’s practical (and refreshingly honest) approach to balancing sustainability with business viability What Phoebe wishes every sustainability leader knew about trade-offs, investment and making the financial case for ESG This episode will leave you thinking differently about what ends up on your plate… and what your organisation puts on its labels.   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Phoebe Dowling Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min
  2. Circularity only works if it pays | Big Bag Recovery’s Stephen Richards

    9 FEB

    Circularity only works if it pays | Big Bag Recovery’s Stephen Richards

    What does it really take to make circular economy systems work at scale — beyond the theory and good intentions? In this episode of The Sustainable Transformation Podcast, Kiarne Treacy sits down with Stephen Richards, Founder and Managing Director of Big Bag Recovery, to unpack the hard, practical work behind building circular infrastructure in Australia. Stephen shares how Big Bag Recovery began in Far North Queensland solving fertiliser bag waste, why circular systems must be commercially viable to survive, and what happens when businesses are willing to pay to solve their own waste problems. The conversation covers traceability, funding realities, why collaboration across competitors is essential, and how Big Bag Recovery built technology from day one to prove outcomes and build trust. They also dig into what went wrong with REDcycle, why single-polymer systems matter, how recycled materials can be turned back into required products, and why environmental sustainability only works when commercial sustainability comes first. This is a practical, no-nonsense look at what real circularity actually requires.   You’ll hear and learn: Why circular economy systems must be commercially viable to last How industry-wide collaboration enables circular solutions competitors can’t build alone Why traceability and data are critical for trust, reporting and scale What went wrong with multi-polymer recycling systems like REDcycle How circularity works best when recycled materials replace required products, not novelty items   This episode is a must-listen for sustainability leaders, packaging and procurement teams, and anyone trying to make circular economy solutions work commercially, at scale and in the real world.   MENTIONS: Circular Communities Australia Australia Post APCO Product Stewardship reMADE in Australia Big Bag Recovery brand involved Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s advice on taking responsibility for our packaging   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Stephen Richards Guest Company: Big Bag Recovery Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  3. Inside the 1% Model | Kate Williams, 1% for the Planet

    2 FEB

    Inside the 1% Model | Kate Williams, 1% for the Planet

    What does credible environmental giving look like when it’s built into the way a business operates, year after year? In this episode of the Sustainable Transformation Podcast, Kiarne Treacy is joined by Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, to unpack how the 1% model works in practice — and why accountability, choice and long-term commitment sit at the centre of its impact. Kate explains why 1% for the Planet isn’t a foundation, how direct relationships between businesses and environmental partners strengthen trust, and why giving people choice leads to more durable commitments. The conversation also explores why climate philanthropy is stalling in some regions, how confusion and fear of being called out can slow action, and why breaking climate work into tangible, human-centred impact areas helps people move forward. They discuss why progress matters more than perfection, how verification supports credibility, and why engaging more businesses — not pushing existing ones to give more — is key to scaling impact. This is a practical conversation for anyone navigating purpose, credibility and responsibility inside a business.   You’ll hear and learn: How the 1% for the Planet model actually works, including verification and accountability Why choice in giving leads to longer-term, more committed impact How direct partnerships between businesses and nonprofits change engagement Why climate philanthropy is slowing and what’s causing hesitation How breaking climate work into human, place-based actions helps people act   This episode is a must listen for business leaders, sustainability professionals, founders and anyone curious about how credible environmental commitments work in practice, and how businesses can turn values into verified, long-term impact.   MENTIONS: 1% for the Planet 1% for the Planet Member Directory 1% for the Planet - How to become a member   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Kate Williams Guest Company: 1% for the Planet Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    47 min
  4. The Clean Up that changed Australia | Clean Up Australia’s Pip Kiernan

    26 JAN

    The Clean Up that changed Australia | Clean Up Australia’s Pip Kiernan

    What started as one person refusing to look away has become one of Australia’s most enduring community movements. Kiarne Treacy sits down with Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia, to reflect on the legacy of a movement that has mobilised 23 million Australians over 35 years… and why the work is far from done. Pip shares the origin story behind Clean Up Australia, sparked when her father Ian Kiernan encountered severe plastic pollution in the Sargasso Sea and returned home determined to act. After being formally told a community clean-up of Sydney Harbour “couldn’t be done”, he did it anyway. Gathering 40,000 volunteers even before social media existed. The conversation explores how litter has changed over time, what waste tells us about our consumption habits and why prevention is the next frontier. From cigarette butts and vapes to packaging design and regulation, Pip unpacks the systems that keep waste circulating, and what it will take to finally break the cycle. You’ll hear and learn: How Clean Up Australia began What 23 million volunteers reveal about Australia’s relationship with waste How regulation has reduced items like plastic straws, and what remains the most common litter item today What the growing environmental problems really are in rubbish How clean-ups change behaviour long after the rubbish is gone Why waste prevention and product design matter more than end-of-life fixes Pip’s advice for anyone worried about an issue but unsure where to start   This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how community action becomes national impact… and what 35 years of clean ups reveal about waste, behaviour and systems change in Australia.   MENTIONS: Clean Up Australia Clean Up Australia Day Clean Up Australia’s Annual Litter Report Clean Up Australia’s Waste Challenges   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Pip Kiernan Guest Company: Clean Up Australia Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min
  5. Decarbonising Australia Post: fleet, facilities and 65,000 people

    19 JAN

    Decarbonising Australia Post: fleet, facilities and 65,000 people

    What does meaningful sustainability look like when you operate in every community across Australia? In this episode of the Sustainable Transformation Podcast, Kiarne Treacy sits down with Richard Pittard, Chief Sustainability Officer at Australia Post, to unpack what real transformation looks like inside one of the country’s largest and most complex organisations. With more than 25 years in sustainability and climate leadership, Richard shares why Australia Post is prioritising real decarbonisation over offsets, with a strong focus on fleet electrification, renewable energy, energy-efficient infrastructure and long-term asset planning. You’ll hear how the organisation exceeded key targets under its 2025 sustainability roadmap, why the next phase requires sharper focus, and how sustainability leaders can influence change across a workforce of 65,000 people. The conversation also explores Australia Post’s role in circularity, including its RM Williams pilot, which uses logistics and data to support textile recovery and reusable packaging — showing how existing systems can become vehicles for impact.   You’ll hear and learn: Why Australia Post is focusing on structural emissions reduction, not offsets How fleet electrification and renewable energy fit into long-term infrastructure planning What it takes to deliver sustainability across 65,000 team members How exceeding 2025 targets set the foundation for a more focused strategy Why sustainability must make commercial sense to scale How the RM Williams circular packaging and textile recovery pilot works, and why logistics and data matter Why influence, pragmatism and resilience matter more than perfection for sustainability leaders   This episode is a must-listen for: Sustainability leaders, ESG professionals, operations and logistics teams, policy makers, and anyone curious about how a familiar Australian organisation is making sustainability moves across the country. MENTIONS: Australia Post Electric delivery vehicles (EDVs) & Sustainability at Australia Post RM Williams Circular Clothing Service (Watch the video here)   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Richard Pittard Guest Company: Australia Post   Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min
  6. Cutting down trees is a good thing... Wait what? | Responsible Wood’s Matt de Jongh

    15/12/2025

    Cutting down trees is a good thing... Wait what? | Responsible Wood’s Matt de Jongh

    Most of us grew up being told cutting down trees is bad. But what if the story is far more complex and in Australia’s case, completely misunderstood? In this episode, Kiarne Treacy sits down with Matt De Jongh, Sustainability Manager at Responsible Wood, Director at Forestry Australia, and a registered forestry professional with more than 25 years in the sector. Matt unpacks what sustainable forestry actually looks like in Australia, and why certified forests, young regrowth, Indigenous fire management and strict regulation all play a critical role in climate mitigation. He explains how forest certification works, how chain of custody tracking traces wood from forest to shelf, and why Australia has some of the world’s most stringent forestry laws. You’ll also hear surprising facts about carbon storage in timber, misconceptions about paper use, why young forests absorb more carbon than old ones and why only 10% of the world’s forests are certified. From the Tiwi Islands’ Indigenous-owned certified forest to the challenges of illegal logging, international regulations and Australia’s growing reliance on imported timber, this conversation reframes almost everything you thought you knew about forestry, climate and circularity. You’ll hear and learn: How chain of custody protects product integrity from forest to store shelf.  Why certified forestry is not deforestation, and how certification was created to halt deforestation globally. How Australia became one of the most forested countries in the world. Why young, regrowing forests absorb more carbon than old ones, and what this means for climate mitigation. Why paper guilt is misplaced, and why using certified timber and paper can actually support forest regeneration and carbon storage. How wood stores carbon for the life of the product, and why architects love building with timber for wellbeing and emissions reasons   This episode is a must-listen for ESG leaders, procurement teams, packaging and circularity specialists, sustainability managers, architects, designers, regulators and anyone who wants a science-based explanation of forestry beyond the noise of social media.     MENTIONS: Responsible Wood Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) The Ultimate Renewable Tiwi Plantations Corporation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change findings on forest carbon Australian Government State of the Forests Report Australia’s illegal logging law reforms EU regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR)   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Matt de Jongh Guest Company: Responsible Wood Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  7. What a 120-year-old bakery can teach us about sustainability | Ferguson Plarre’s Steve Plarre

    08/12/2025

    What a 120-year-old bakery can teach us about sustainability | Ferguson Plarre’s Steve Plarre

    What happens when a 120-year-old company bakes in sustainability for the next hundred years? In this episode of the Sustainable Transformation Podcast, Kiarne Treacy sits down with Steve Plarre, CEO and Director of Plarre Foods, home to the Aussie icon Ferguson Plarre’s Bakehouses. With a history dating back to 1901, the business has survived two world wars, the Great Depression, two pandemics, and fed tens of millions of Australians (including the Queen and the President of the United States). But today’s story is about something different: how a family bakery became a quiet sustainability innovator long before most of the industry caught up.  Steve shares how being a multi-generational family business completely reshapes decision-making, because every choice today affects the children and grandchildren who may one day take the reins. That long view has led Ferguson Plarre to rethink energy, waste, supply chains, plant-based innovation and even the way pies are made. You’ll hear and learn: How a 120-year family bakery approaches sustainability with a “next 50–100 years” mindset Why waste was always about dollars… and why it’s now also environmental responsibility How heat recovery works in a bakery (and why it’s so ahead of its time) What customers actually care about in a pie shop and why sustainability still matters The surprising process behind their plant-based pies (and the taste test tradies didn’t see coming) Why green-hushing is hurting progress and why businesses need to tell their sustainability stories   They did all of this while keeping the beloved classics that defined generations. From refrigerant motors that heat water for free, to vegan sausage rolls that fooled tradies on a construction site, this conversation reveals how sustainability shows up when curiosity, commercial reality and a century-long legacy meet. This episode is a must-listen for all Aussies, business owners, food manufacturers, sustainability leads and anyone curious about what true long-term thinking looks like inside a beloved Australian brand.   MENTIONS: Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse Salvation Army Project 614 40,000 Tree Ferguson Plarre Forest   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Steve Plarre Guest Company: Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  8. Travel that changes places and people | Intrepid

    01/12/2025

    Travel that changes places and people | Intrepid

    What if travel could restore the places we visit instead of harming them? In this episode of The Sustainable Transformation Podcast, Kiarne Treacy sits down with Sara King, General Manager of Purpose at Intrepid Travel, one of the world’s largest B Corp travel companies and a global leader in responsible tourism.  Sara shares what “responsible travel” actually looks like on the ground, from plastic-free Machu Picchu treks and Everest waste clean-ups to women-run rickshaw collectives in India and decarbonisation programs supporting thousands of small suppliers around the world. She also unpacks the realities of leading sustainability at scale in a business with 10,000 suppliers and 95% of emissions sitting in Scope 3, and why Intrepid swapped carbon offsets for a supplier-focused decarbonisation fund years before the rest of the industry. You’ll hear and learn: Why responsible tourism is much more than emissions, and why Intrepid treats travel as a lever for economic development How a team in Peru created eco-bricks from waste collected on the Machu Picchu trek Why travellers in Nepal now help remove waste on the Everest route (and why they love it) How immersive women’s expeditions in India offer a window into local life and support social enterprise How Intrepid manages emissions across 10,000 suppliers and 900 trips Why they replaced carbon offsets with a decarbonisation fund supporting small operators What COVID taught Intrepid about resilience, regeneration and the delicate balance of overtourism  This episode is a must-listen for sustainability leaders, tourism professionals, global development practitioners, and anyone curious about how travel can become a force for regeneration, not extraction.   MENTIONS: Intrepid B Corp Certification by B Lab Australia and New Zealand Pink City Rickshaw Co. Intrepid Foundation Intrepid’s efforts with Maritza Chacacanta and Robert Franco to reduce plastic waste on the Inca Trail Sagarmatha Next removing waste in the Everest region   LINKS: Learn more about SustainabilityTracker.com Learn more about The Sustainable Transformation Podcast Follow The Sustainable Choice Group on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind-the-scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial   CREDITS: Host: Kiarne Treacy Guest: Sara King Guest Company: Intrepid Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we produced this podcast, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
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In the Sustainable Transformation Podcast, we bring you honest conversations about the challenges and triumphs of sustainability transformations in business. Join us fortnightly as we unpack the ideas that drive change, decode the jargon and meet the visionary leaders reshaping their organisations for the better. 

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