Climate Confident

Tom Raftery
  • 5.0 (25)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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 Science Alone Won’t Deliver Climate Action

    6H AGO

    Why Science Alone Won’t Deliver Climate Action

    Send me a message What if the real barrier to climate action isn’t a lack of science, but a lack of pressure? And what happens when climate risk collides with political instability, fossil fuel dependence, and public anger in real time? In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Dana Fisher of American University, author of Saving Ourselves and one of the sharpest thinkers on climate activism, policy, and public mobilisation. We get into what she calls apocalyptic optimism: being brutally honest about the scale of the climate crisis, the democratic backsliding around it, and the need to act anyway. Because the stakes now are painfully clear. Emissions are still rising, climate impacts are becoming impossible to ignore, and the push for decarbonisation is being slowed by vested interests just as the cost of delay keeps rising. You’ll hear why Dana argues that science is necessary but insufficient for decision-making, and why public pressure is so often the real driver of climate policy, decarbonisation, and net zero progress. We dig into how repression can backfire, why climate shocks can shift public opinion, and why attempts to slow climate action may end up intensifying the response instead. We also explore why this conversation feels especially urgent now. As conflict, energy insecurity, and policy disruption expose the fragility of fossil fuel dependence, the case for clean energy starts to look less like idealism and more like common sense. From balcony solar to broader questions of power, protest, and public pressure, this episode looks at why the energy transition is about far more than technology. It’s about resilience, accountability, and who gets heard when the system is under strain. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Dana Fisher reframes climate action, public pressure, and the real forces that move decarbonisation forward. 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

    50 min
  2. Fashion’s 10% Emissions Problem, And the Utilisation Fix

    MAR 4

    Fashion’s 10% Emissions Problem, And the Utilisation Fix

    Send me a message What if the biggest climate lever in fashion isn’t better materials, but simply wearing clothes longer? The fashion industry accounts for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution. In this episode of Climate Confident, I’m joined by Phoebe Tan, co-founder of Taelor, a menswear rental subscription service using AI-driven styling and real-world garment data to rethink how we consume clothing. The challenge isn’t just fabric choice. It’s overproduction, underutilisation, and a system optimised for churn instead of longevity. We dig into how rental models can increase garment utilisation and reduce emissions by extending lifecycle wear. You’ll hear why durability data, wear rates, damage rates, wash cycles, may be more powerful than sustainability marketing. Phoebe explains how Taelor feeds performance insights back to brands, effectively becoming a live testing lab for quality and circularity. And we explore a hard truth: convenience often drives behaviour change faster than climate messaging ever will. If net zero requires rethinking consumption systems, fashion is a revealing case study. This isn’t about trends. It’s about utilisation density, supply chain feedback loops, and whether circular fashion can scale beyond a niche audience. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Phoebe Tan and Taelor are challenging overproduction and pushing practical decarbonisation in climate tech and 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

    31 min
  3. You Can’t Photograph CO₂

    FEB 25

    You Can’t Photograph CO₂

    Send me a message Coal produces 4,000–8,000x more waste per MWh than wind. But you can’t take a photo of CO₂, so we ignore it. In this episode, I’m joined by climate futurist and long-term decarbonisation modeller Michael Barnard. We cut through headlines to examine where the energy transition is actually heading - from electrification and maritime shipping to mass timber, industrial relocation, and grid efficiency. The stakes? Whether we build a cheaper, cleaner energy system, or cling to fossil-era assumptions. You’ll hear why electrifying everything could cut primary energy demand by up to half. We dig into how 40% of global shipping may simply disappear as fossil fuel trade declines. And you might be shocked to learn why solar panels and wind turbines create thousands of times less waste per MWh than coal, yet attract far more outrage. We also explore how cheap renewables are reshaping industrial geography, why Spain’s sunshine could outcompete former gas hubs, and how making electricity cheaper than fossil fuels changes everything. Interestingly, Seville’s iconic wooden “Setas” isn’t just architecture, it’s proof that mass timber can replace steel and concrete at scale, locking carbon into buildings instead of the atmosphere. This is climate tech grounded in physics, economics, and human behaviour, not hype. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how Michael Barnard reframes decarbonisation, net zero, and the real trajectory 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

    45 min
  4. AI Energy Demand, Grid Constraints & Decarbonisation

    FEB 18

    AI Energy Demand, Grid Constraints & Decarbonisation

    Send me a message AI’s energy demand isn’t a future problem. It’s straining grids today. And most companies aren’t ready. In this episode, I’m joined by Beatrice Clark, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Turtle and Hughes, a North American electrical distributor and systems integrator working at the sharp edge of the energy transition. We unpack what surging AI and data centre growth means for infrastructure, resilience, and real-world decarbonisation - not in theory, but on the ground. You’ll hear why energy demand from AI is now “on the tip of everybody’s tongue”, and how utilities and independent producers are scrambling to keep up. We dig into the tension between diesel reliability and microgrid ambition, and why hybrid redundancy may be the uncomfortable truth of the transition. You might be surprised to learn how fleet electrification looks when you’re moving heavy loads across unpredictable routes. It’s not ideology. It’s maths, logistics, and physics. We also explore double materiality, Scope 3 collaboration, and why sustainability only works when it strengthens operational performance. Net zero isn’t achieved in PowerPoint. It’s delivered through infrastructure, policy, and accountability across the value chain. If you care about climate tech, grid transformation, emissions reduction, and what decarbonisation actually looks like inside energy-intensive businesses, this conversation cuts through the noise. Listen now to hear how Beatrice Clark and Turtle and Hughes are navigating the hard realities 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

    46 min
  5. Designing Buildings for a Climate That No Longer Exists

    FEB 11

    Designing Buildings for a Climate That No Longer Exists

    Send me a message What if the biggest mistake in climate action is that we’re still designing buildings for a climate that no longer exists? In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I’m joined by David Sellers, principal architect at Hawaii Offgrid Architecture & Engineering. David designs net-zero and off-grid buildings on Maui, not as an experiment, but because the climate he’s designing for is already shifting. Faster than most regulations, models, or assumptions can keep up. Buildings account for a huge share of global emissions, energy demand, and climate risk. Get the design wrong today, and we lock in higher emissions, higher costs, and lower resilience for decades. This conversation is about how to stop doing that. We dig into why designing with historical climate data is quietly undermining net zero goals, and why buildings completed today will spend most of their lives in a climate no human has experienced before. David explains how shifting wind patterns, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and fire risk are already breaking “best practice” design rules. You’ll hear why off-grid no longer means uncomfortable or compromised, and how advances in solar, batteries, heat pumps, and building envelopes have changed the economics completely. We also talk about fire-resistant construction after the Lahaina fires, reusing waste surfboard foam to create ultra-insulated building blocks, and why resilience that only the wealthy can afford isn’t resilience at all. This is a grounded, experience-driven look at climate tech, decarbonisation, and the energy transition, without the fantasy timelines or glossy nonsense. 🎙️ Listen now to hear how David Sellers is rethinking buildings for a future climate we can no longer ignore. 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
  • 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
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Climate Confident
  • Show Website
    Climate Confident

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