Climate Confident

Tom Raftery

Climate Confident is the podcast for business leaders, policy-makers, and climate tech professionals who want real, practical strategies for slashing emissions, fast. Every Wednesday at 7am CET, I sit down with the people doing the work, executives, engineers, scientists, innovators, to unpack how they’re driving measurable climate action across industries, from energy and transport to supply chains, agriculture, and beyond. This isn’t about vague pledges or greenwashing. It’s about what’s working, and what isn’t, so you can make smarter decisions, faster. We cover: Scalable solutions in energy, mobility, food, and financeThe politics and policies shaping the energy transitionTools and tech transforming climate accountability and riskHard truths, bold ideas, and real-world success stories 👉 Climate Confident+ subscribers get full access to the complete archive, 230+ episodes of deep, data-driven insights. 🎧 Not ready to subscribe? No worries, you’ll still get the most recent 30 days of episodes for free. Want to shape the conversation? I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line anytime at Tom@tomraftery.com - whether it’s feedback, a guest suggestion, or just a hello. Ready to stop doomscrolling and start climate-doing? Hit follow and let’s get to work.

Episodes

  1. Why Heat Pumps, Not Cars, Will Cut Urban Emissions Fastest

    1D AGO

    Why Heat Pumps, Not Cars, Will Cut Urban Emissions Fastest

    Send me a message Heating cities by opening windows is not a joke. It’s how many buildings still control temperature in winter, and it’s a climate disaster hiding in plain sight. In this episode, I’m joined by Drew Maggio, Technical Director at Highmark Building Efficiency, to unpack why buildings are one of the biggest, most underestimated levers in the climate transition, especially in dense cities like New York. Buildings account for roughly 70% of New York City’s emissions, yet much of the stock was designed for an era of cheap fossil fuels, crude controls, and worst-case thinking. Drew works at the sharp end of fixing that. We talk about what actually breaks when you try to electrify old buildings, and why bad assumptions, not bad technology, are slowing progress. You’ll hear why oversizing heat pumps for rare freezing days drives up costs and kills projects. We dig into how treating heat as a resource, not waste, unlocks massive gains, from wastewater heat recovery to capturing subway heat that currently just bakes tunnels to 100º F. And you might be surprised by how much energy can be recovered before it ever leaves a building. We also get into Local Law 97, New York’s landmark building emissions regulation, and why it’s forcing real-world change instead of glossy pledges. This is a grounded, practical conversation about decarbonisation, climate tech, policy, and the uncomfortable reality that many “heritage” systems are simply uncontrolled systems we’ve tolerated for too long. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how to turn building decarbonisation from a compliance headache into a genuine climate solution. Podcast subscribers I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

    44 min
  2. How Long-Duration Storage Makes Clean Energy Reliable

    JAN 28

    How Long-Duration Storage Makes Clean Energy Reliable

    Send me a message Europe is drowning in cheap clean power, and still wasting it. The problem isn’t renewables. It’s what happens when the grid can’t cope with abundance. In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I’m joined by Oonagh O’Grady, Vice President of International Origination at Hydrostor, a global leader in long-duration energy storage. We dig into one of the most under-discussed blockers of the energy transition: what happens after wind and solar scale, but before the grid is ready. Oonagh explains why short-duration batteries, while essential, aren’t enough once renewables reach 40–50% of the system. We unpack why grids are hitting curtailment, negative pricing, and instability, and why eight to twenty-four hours of long-duration energy storage is fast becoming the backbone of a reliable, net-zero power system. You’ll hear why advanced compressed air energy storage can deliver fossil-free, utility-scale flexibility for decades, how it compares with batteries and pumped hydro on cost and performance, and why inertia and grid stability are suddenly back in the spotlight after recent European outages. We also get into the policy side: what leading regions like California, Australia, and the UK are getting right, and what Europe must do now if it wants secure, affordable, decarbonised electricity in the 2030s. This is a grounded, evidence-led conversation about climate tech that actually works at scale - and a reminder that without long-duration storage, the energy transition stalls just when it should be accelerating. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Hydrostor and long-duration energy storage can unlock the next phase of the energy transition. Podcast subscribers I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

    41 min
  3. Solar Isn’t Breaking the Grid. Our Grid Is Breaking Solar.

    JAN 21

    Solar Isn’t Breaking the Grid. Our Grid Is Breaking Solar.

    Send me a message Europe doesn’t have a clean energy problem. It has a grid problem. Solar is cheap. Batteries are scaling. Demand is exploding. The system in the middle is cracking. In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Stait, Managing Director of Alight’s behind-the-meter business, to unpack why the energy transition is now being held back less by technology and more by infrastructure, regulation, and outdated thinking. Alight develops and owns onsite solar and battery systems for large energy users across Europe, using long-term PPAs to lock in savings, cut emissions, and build resilience. We dig into why waiting for cheaper solar or batteries is often the wrong call, and why businesses that move early gain a structural advantage. You’ll hear how behind-the-meter solar and battery storage bypass grid bottlenecks entirely, why blaming renewables for blackouts misses the real issue, and how decentralised generation is reshaping energy security, affordability, and decarbonisation all at once. We also explore the uncomfortable reality facing Europe’s grids, the growing role of data centres and electrification, and why microgrids are starting to look less like an edge case and more like the logical endgame of the energy transition. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech that works, emissions reduction that scales, and why net zero will be built through economics as much as policy. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Rob Stait and Alight Energy are helping turn clean energy from a grid liability into a competitive advantage. Podcast subscribers I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

    43 min
  4. Decarbonising Concrete With Carbon-Neutral Materials

    JAN 14

    Decarbonising Concrete With Carbon-Neutral Materials

    Send me a message 8% of global emissions come from the material we barely talk about. Concrete. Cement. The literal foundations of modern life, and one of the hardest climate problems we face. In this episode, I’m joined by Ana Luisa Vaz, VP of Product at Paebbl, to unpack why construction is such a stubborn emissions hotspot, and what it would take to genuinely change that. Ana explains why cement emits CO₂ by design, not by accident. Half its emissions come from chemistry, not fuel. You can electrify kilns and still be stuck with the carbon. That’s why Paebbl is taking a different path: using accelerated mineralisation to turn captured CO₂ into a cement substitute, permanently locking carbon into concrete itself. We dig into what “permanence” really means in carbon removal, why performance matters more than good intentions, and how conservative industries like construction can adopt new materials without compromising safety. You’ll hear how Paebbl can already replace up to 30% of cement today, why cost curves matter more than green premiums, and how digital tools, sensors, and models are accelerating learning in an industry that usually moves at a glacial pace. We also explore the role of policy, public procurement, and cities, the uncomfortable changes the sector needs to unlearn, and whether carbon-negative construction is a realistic goal this century, or just another climate promise that collapses under scrutiny. This is a conversation about climate tech that lives in the physical world. Hard to abate. Harder to ignore. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Ana Luisa Vaz and Paebbl are rethinking concrete, permanence, and what real decarbonisation looks like at scale. Podcast subscribers I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

    39 min
  5. LEED v5, Embodied Carbon, and Real Emissions Cuts

    JAN 7

    LEED v5, Embodied Carbon, and Real Emissions Cuts

    Send me a message What if the biggest barrier to decarbonising buildings isn’t technology, cost, or ambition - but sheer complexity? The built environment produces nearly 40% of global emissions, yet we still make low-carbon construction harder than it needs to be. In this episode, I’m joined by Tommy Linstroth, founder of Green Badger, to unpack why construction remains one of the most overlooked climate battlegrounds, and why that’s a mistake. We dig into LEED v5, embodied carbon, and the growing gap between climate ambition and what actually happens on building sites. The stakes are huge: buildings lock in emissions for decades, sometimes centuries. You’ll hear why builders aren’t resisting sustainability, they’re drowning in shifting standards, paperwork, and fragmented data. We explore how LEED has evolved, why carbon now sits at the centre of green building standards, and how decisions made at the design stage quietly determine emissions for the next 100 years. Tommy also explains why third-party verification matters, how “build to code” often means “barely legal”, and why retrofitting existing buildings may be the hardest climate challenge nobody likes talking about. We also dig into where genuine momentum is emerging - from falling renewable costs to better data and smarter software, and how climate tech, including AI, could finally make the low-carbon choice the easy choice. If net zero, emissions reduction, and the energy transition are serious goals, then construction can’t stay a side quest. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Tommy Linstroth and Green Badger are helping turn sustainable building from a compliance headache into real-world climate action. Kismet: Golf tournaments can book venues out to 2049, yet many organisations still can’t map a credible path to 2040 climate targets. The problem isn’t foresight, it’s priorities. Podcast subscribers I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

    41 min
  • 5 Episodes

5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Climate Confident is the podcast for business leaders, policy-makers, and climate tech professionals who want real, practical strategies for slashing emissions, fast. Every Wednesday at 7am CET, I sit down with the people doing the work, executives, engineers, scientists, innovators, to unpack how they’re driving measurable climate action across industries, from energy and transport to supply chains, agriculture, and beyond. This isn’t about vague pledges or greenwashing. It’s about what’s working, and what isn’t, so you can make smarter decisions, faster. We cover: Scalable solutions in energy, mobility, food, and financeThe politics and policies shaping the energy transitionTools and tech transforming climate accountability and riskHard truths, bold ideas, and real-world success stories 👉 Climate Confident+ subscribers get full access to the complete archive, 230+ episodes of deep, data-driven insights. 🎧 Not ready to subscribe? No worries, you’ll still get the most recent 30 days of episodes for free. Want to shape the conversation? I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line anytime at Tom@tomraftery.com - whether it’s feedback, a guest suggestion, or just a hello. Ready to stop doomscrolling and start climate-doing? Hit follow and let’s get to work.

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Raftery
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Climate Confident
  • Show Website
    Climate Confident

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