The Earth Set Podcast

Earth Set
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Earth Set brings together the people shaping a net positive future: founders, investors, scientists, and policymakers who are rethinking how we live, work, and grow on a changing planet. Each episode is recorded live at our monthly events in London, where big ideas collide and real collaborations begin. From clean energy and biodiversity to the future of work and regenerative business, Earth Set explores what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. Listen, get inspired, and be part of the movement toward a thriving planet for people and nature. Find upcoming events at www.earthset.co

  1. 1D AGO

    Slow Burn: Why We Can’t Quit Coal

    Coal feels like history. Steam engines. Sooty faces. Museums and memorial plaques. And yet it still generates around a third of the world’s electricity and accounts for roughly 37 percent of global carbon emissions. Every year, we burn close to one tonne of coal per person on Earth. In this live recording from Octopus Energy & Octopus EV HQ, Fiona Howarth unpacks why coal refuses to fade quietly into the past. Joining them are two exceptional guests: Lucy ShawEnergy investor and advisor. Founder of an energy and climate investment consultancy. Former infrastructure investor at Blackstone, Actis, Vena Energy and the IFC (World Bank Group). Former BCG consultant and ExxonMobil engineer. Fulbright Scholar with an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Lucy is currently writing a book titled Slow Burn on the global persistence of coal. Dr Sam GeallAssociate Fellow at Chatham House and Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Former CEO of Dialogue Earth (formerly China Dialogue). Specialist in China’s climate and energy transition, with a PhD in Social Anthropology and deep expertise on how energy, politics and industrial policy intersect in China. Together, they explore a question that sounds simple and turns out to be anything but: If coal is dirty, deadly and increasingly uneconomic, why are we still using so much of it? Why coal still supplies around one third of global electricity Why absolute coal use keeps rising, even as its share of the mix falls How coal contributes an estimated 37% of global carbon emissions Why China is simultaneously building record amounts of renewables and new coal capacity How energy security, industrial policy and political legitimacy shape China’s coal strategy What’s driving India’s continued expansion of coal Why coal has become a culture war issue in the US The role of jobs, identity and community in coal regions Whether the UK really has “moved on” from coal, or simply offshored it Why carbon capture is unlikely to rescue coal at scale What a just transition actually looks like, and why most countries are still struggling to deliver one Coal is declining in some regions. It is expanding in others. In many places, it is both shrinking and growing at the same time. One thread ran through the entire conversation: coal is not just an energy source. It is a social system. The question is not simply how to shut coal down. It is how to do so without hollowing out the places that built their lives around it. Lucy ShawFollow Lucy on Substack Dr Sam GeallChatham House – Environment & Society Centre Oxford Institute for Energy Studieshttps://www.oxfordenergy.org Dialogue Earthhttps://dialogue.earth Further reading on China’s energy transitionDialogue Earth – China energy coveragehttps://dialogue.earth/en/tag/china-in-the-world/ Earth Set is a growing community of founders, investors, policymakers and operators shaping the business of climate. We host monthly live events in London featuring people building the transition in real time. First Tuesday of every month.Find upcoming events and tickets at:👉 https://earthset.co Please consider: Leaving a five-star rating Writing a short review Sharing the episode with someone interested in energy, geopolitics or the future of climate policy It helps more people discover the show and join the conversation. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the next live event, or back here in your feed soon.

    1h 15m

  2. SEASON 2, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Season 2 Trailer

    Earth Set is back! Can you believe we're on season 2 already?! We can't! Season 1 started as an experiment. A few live conversations. A microphone in the room. A question about whether the climate transition could be discussed with more depth and less theatre. Ten episodes later, it became clear there was an appetite for honest conversations about how the green transition actually happens. Season 2 builds on that momentum. In this trailer, Fiona and Amy reflect on some of the standout moments from Season 1, from Jamie Arbib’s expansive vision of a world shaped by abundant clean energy and artificial labour  to sharp, data-led debates on net zero progress, geopolitics and environmental destruction. Then we look ahead. Season 2 opens with a hard look at coal. Despite progress in countries like the UK, coal still accounts for 37% of global carbon emissions . We unpack why China continues to rely on it, what that means for the global energy system, and why this conversation still matters. We dive into climate tech investing in 2025, hosted alongside Blue Earth and Zinc at the Blue Earth Investment Forum . Which sectors are attracting capital? Where is early stage funding tightening? What does the data suggest about 2026? We explore the politics of climate language and the surprising gap between public perception and reality. In the UK, people believe net zero will cost around 14,000% more than official estimates . At the same time, public concern about climate change remains strong. The challenge is clarity, cost and credibility. Coming up this season: ​ Susannah Fisher on global adaptation and what happens if 1.5°C slips out of reach• Henry Sanderson on critical minerals, geopolitics and the supply chains behind the energy transition• A live conversation on carbon removal and the funding pathways shaping its futureEarth Set brings together founders, investors, policymakers and thinkers working at the centre of climate and business. The aim is simple: understand what is working, what is not, and what needs to happen next. Season 2 launches on 16 February. Listen on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.Join us live in London - www.earthset.coAnd if you find value in these conversations, share them with someone building in this space.

    7 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    Green Crime: Why Environmental Destruction Is a Criminal Problem

    Environmental destruction is often framed as harm, oversight, or bad practice. But what if we started calling it what it really is. Crime. In this season finale of the Earth Set podcast, we are joined by Dr Julia Shaw, criminal psychologist, author, podcast host, and presenter, for a conversation that reframes how we think about crimes against the planet. Julia is the author of Green Crime, a global investigation into the psychology behind environmental crime. Drawing on cases from around the world, she explains why these crimes keep happening, who commits them, and why society consistently underestimates their severity. From corporate scandals like Dieselgate to illegal mining, poaching, and organised crime at sea, Julia shows how environmental crime is systemic, enabled by weak enforcement, social norms, and very human behaviour. In this episode you’ll learn: Why environmental crimes are treated as lesser crimes, and why that matters The six psychological drivers behind environmental crime How corporate and organised environmental crimes really operate Why enforcement and regulation are critical to accountability How psychology can help change behaviour, not just policy This episode marks the end of Season 1 of Earth Set. Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, and joined us so far. Season 2 and more live events are coming in the new year. 📚 Resources & Links Green Crime by Julia Shaw 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live Monthly live events in London.First Tuesday of every month.Tickets at earthset.co⭐ If you enjoyed this episodeSubscribe, leave a 5 star rating, and share it with someone who would enjoy it.

    46 min

  4. 12/15/2025 · BONUS

    Net Zero’s Breaking Point: The Talent Shortage

    In this episode we continue our Green Skills audio only series. Fiona speaks with Mat Ilic, CEO of Greenworkx, an organisation building the workforce needed to deliver the transition. Mat’s work sits at the intersection of industry, social impact and public policy, and he brings one of the clearest views on what the UK must do to avoid a skills bottleneck that could slow climate progress for years. The scale of the challenge is stark: around 4 million workers will need to retrain in the next five years if the UK is to stay on track for net zero. Some jobs will disappear. Others will transform. Entirely new sectors will emerge, from low carbon heating to home energy upgrades to the electro technical work that underpins everything from data centres to EV charging. This conversation dives into what it will take to build a workforce capable of meeting that moment. 🔍 In this episode you will learn: Why the workforce gap is becoming one of the biggest risks to net zeroWhy electrical skills sit at the heart of almost every part of the transitionThe real barriers stopping people from retraining, from cost to confidence to information gapsWhy employers need policy stability to hire and invest in skills at scaleWhat a fair and inclusive transition looks like for workers at every stage of their careerHow Greenworkx is creating new pathways into roles that did not exist a decade agoWhether you are an employer, policymaker, L and D leader, or someone exploring a move into the green economy, this is a practical and ambitious guide to one of the most urgent challenges of the transition. 📚 Resources and Links Explore Greenworkx:https://greenworkx.org 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, policy leaders and thinkers shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here:https://earthset.co ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode Please take a moment to: Leave 5 starsWrite a quick reviewShare it with someone interested in green careers or the future of workIt really helps more people discover the show. Thanks for listening, and see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

    37 min

  5. 12/08/2025

    The Pragmatic Climate Reset with Michael Liebreich

    In this live recorded episode, Amy sits down with Michael Liebreich — founder of New Energy Finance, CEO at Liebreich Associates, co-managing partner at EcoPragma Capital, adviser to governments and industry, and host of Cleaning Up — to explore his call for a Pragmatic Climate Reset. Michael argues that the climate conversation has drifted into extremes. Doom on one side. Techno-optimism on the other. His reset calls for something different: more realism, less noise, and a clearer focus on the solutions already working at scale. This conversation moves through politics, COP, UK energy strategy, grid bottlenecks, hydrogen hype, data centres, and the economics of electrification. Michael brings a rare mix of engineering logic, market insight and straight talking honesty — offering one of the clearest explanations of where the transition stands today. In this episode you’ll learn: Why the climate debate needs a reset What Michael means by a Pragmatic Climate Reset Why electrification becomes inevitable when you follow the economics Why the hard “4 percent problem” distracts from the easy “96 percent” How political narratives shape the pace of climate action Why locational pricing could avoid billions in grid waste What data centre growth really means for energy demand Why hydrogen has become a seductive distraction Why behaviour change and public sentiment now matter more than ever What a realistic, practical path to faster deployment looks like What Michael is genuinely optimistic about heading into 2026 📚 Resources & Links Michael Liebreich – Cleaning Up podcast The Pragmatic Climate Reset – Part 1 and Part 2 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, policy leaders and thinkers shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Tickets: earthset.co ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode: Leave 5 stars Write a quick review Share it with someone working on the transition

    1h 13m

  6. 12/01/2025 · BONUS

    4 Million Jobs: The Hidden Workforce Behind Net Zero

    What if the biggest story of the net zero transition isn’t technology, policy or investment, but jobs? Jobs that disappear, jobs that transform, and millions of jobs that don’t exist yet. In this episode, Fiona sits down with ⁠Julian Critchlow⁠, advisory partner at ⁠Bain & Company⁠, former Director General for Energy Transformation & Clean Growth in UK government, and one of the architects of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy. Julian’s work at Bain on green skills reveals something most people haven’t yet grasped: the transition to a clean economy is going to reshape around 4 million jobs across the UK. That includes roughly 1 million entirely new roles, and 3 million people who will need significant reskilling as industries electrify, retool and reinvent themselves. This conversation connects the dots between climate ambition, industrial strategy and the real human workforce behind the transition. In this episode you’ll learn: Why the UK is one of the most fossil-fuel-exposed economies in the worldThe surprising sectors where green jobs will appear — including finance, transport, construction and home energyHow electrification will transform everything from car servicing to grid engineeringWhy the biggest blockers to net zero may not be technology — but skills, training and workforce capacityWhat past transitions (like the decline of coal) teach us about avoiding social and regional disruptionHow employers can prepare for a future where their entire workforce requires new capabilitiesWhy retraining at scale will demand corporate-led learning, not just universities and collegesWhether you're an employer, policymaker, student, or someone thinking about your next career move, this is one of the clearest explanations of the real workforce implications of net zero you’ll hear. Resources & Links: ⁠Bain & Company – Green Skills Report⁠ Join Earth Set Live: We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, policy leaders and thinkers shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here: 👉 ⁠earthset.co⁠ If you enjoyed this episode: Please take a moment to: Leave 5 starsWrite a quick reviewSend it to someone interested in green careers or the future of work — it really helps more people discover the show.Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

    29 min

  7. 11/25/2025 · BONUS

    The Climate Diplomat: Why COP Still Matters

    In this bonus episode, we step behind the headlines of the latest UN climate talks with writer, editor, and climate activist Grace Pengelly — collaborator on the late Peter Betts’ remarkable book The Climate Diplomat: A Personal History of the COP Conferences. Recorded in the immediate aftermath of the most recent COP, this conversation digs into what really happened, why the negotiations felt particularly fraught, and what Pete’s decades of experience can teach us about multilateral climate diplomacy — even when it looks messy, slow, or “on life support.” Grace shares: How she came to work with Pete Betts during the final year of his life Why Pete believed COP — for all its flaws — is still the only global forum capable of delivering progress at scale What he might have made of the latest summit How “side processes” and quiet relationship-building often drive real breakthroughs Why reforming COP doesn’t mean abandoning it And the role civil society, media, finance, and long-term negotiators must play in what comes next If you’ve ever wondered whether the COP system is still fit for purpose — or why anyone keeps turning up — this is a thoughtful, human, and deeply grounded look inside the world of climate diplomacy. 📚 Resources & People Mentioned Follow Grace Pengelly’s Substack Forest & Climate Finance Initiative (Brazil’s ‘Forest Future Finance’ / TFF)🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London with founders, thinkers, policy leaders, and climate innovators. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here: 👉 https://www.earthset.co ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to: Give us 5 starsLeave a short reviewShare this episode with someone curious about climate politics

    38 min

  8. 11/17/2025

    The Fractured Age: What US–China Rivalry Means for the Planet

    In this powerful live episode filmed at Bain & Company London, Earth Set co-founder Fiona Howarth sits down with Neil Shearing, Group Chief Economist at Capital Economics and author of The Fractured Age, to unpack one of the biggest economic shifts of our time: the end of globalisation as we’ve known it. From the rise of China to the role of semiconductors, rare earths, green tech, and the geopolitical tug-of-war reshaping supply chains, Neil offers a clear-eyed look at how the world is dividing into competing blocs — and what that means for business, climate, and global security. Together, they explore: Why the last 30 years of global cooperation are over — and what replaces them China’s economic model, Belt & Road strategy, and dominance in green tech How the US is reshaping alliances, tariffs, and industrial policy📉 Why Taiwan is the global economy’s most vulnerable chokepoint The critical minerals race: cobalt, rare earths, aluminium, and EV supply chains How fracturing could reshape the energy transition — for better or worse What Western governments must do now to stay competitive Who the winners and losers could be in a world split in two Neil brings nuance, data, and clarity to a topic often dominated by headlines. If you want to understand the forces reshaping the global economy — and the future of climate action — this is essential listening. 🎧 Listen if you’re curious about: Economics, geopolitics, supply chains, China, the US, semiconductors, industrial strategy, climate tech, the energy transition, and how global politics will shape the next decade. 🎟 Join our live events Earth Set hosts monthly conversations in London with the people accelerating a net-positive future. Be part of the room where ideas collide and solutions emerge. Visit earthset.co for information and tickets

    1 hr
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Earth Set brings together the people shaping a net positive future: founders, investors, scientists, and policymakers who are rethinking how we live, work, and grow on a changing planet. Each episode is recorded live at our monthly events in London, where big ideas collide and real collaborations begin. From clean energy and biodiversity to the future of work and regenerative business, Earth Set explores what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. Listen, get inspired, and be part of the movement toward a thriving planet for people and nature. Find upcoming events at www.earthset.co

Information

  • Creator
    Earth Set
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Earth Set
  • Show Website
    The Earth Set Podcast