Sustainability Forward

Wrishi Sutradhar and Carmine Fiume

"Sustainability Forward," hosted by Wrishi and Carmine, is a podcast exploring the multifaceted world of sustainability. Each episode delves into critical areas like technology, policy, and finance, catering to both beginners and experts. We bring clarity to complex topics, featuring discussions with thought leaders and innovators in the field. Available on Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts, join us in understanding and shaping a sustainable future.

  1. Sep 1

    S4E14: The Forgotten Father of Modern Wind Power: The William Heronemus Story

    Today, wind power is a mainstream part of the global energy system. But in the early 1970s, it was widely dismissed as outdated, impractical and incapable of producing electricity at scale. One man saw a very different future. William Heronemus was a decorated U.S. Navy engineer who helped design and build nuclear submarines before becoming one of the earliest champions of modern wind power. In 1972, he was already imagining vast offshore wind farms, floating platforms, multirotor turbines and wind-powered electrolysers producing hydrogen for use when the wind stopped blowing. In this episode of Sustainability Forward, award-winning science journalist Peter Fairley joins Wrishi and Carmine to tell the remarkable and largely forgotten story of Heronemus. They explore the early history of wind energy, Denmark’s experiments with wind-produced hydrogen, the rise of the California wind industry, and why consistent policy helped Europe move ahead while the United States repeatedly lost momentum. The conversation also looks forward to floating offshore wind, offshore hydrogen production, multirotor turbines and the climate technologies that may appear unrealistic today—but obvious in the future. A story about engineering, energy policy, persistence and the people who see industries before they exist. Peter Fairley recently profiled Heronemus' innovation and impact for IEEE Spectrum magazine: https://spectrum.ieee.org/william-heronemus-wind-energy

    S4E14: The Forgotten Father of Modern Wind Power: The William Heronemus Story

  2. Aug 18

    S4E13: Sustainability After the Backlash - Mike Barry on What Serious Businesses Do Next

    Are we simply moving from the easy phase of corporate sustainability into a harder, more realistic era where companies have to prove they were serious in the first place? In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we sit down with Mike Barry, one of the pioneers of business sustainability in the UK. Best known for his time at Marks & Spencer, where he helped develop and lead the groundbreaking 'Plan A', Mike shares his insights on the current state of the sustainability movement, the realities of corporate transition plans, and why the social dimension of our future can no longer be ignored. What You’ll Discover - Moving Beyond the Press Release: Why ambitious net-zero targets are worthless without a unique, actionable transition plan and how the era of easy sustainability is officially over. - The Legacy of Plan A: How Marks & Spencer successfully turned sustainability into a core business strategy by redefining "quality" for the 21st century and saving £750 million in the process. - The Emerging Social Dimension: Why the future of sustainability must focus on human connection, trust, and community resilience in the face of rapid AI disruption and global food system challenges. Building a meaningful, sustainable business requires a balance of short-term survival instincts and long-term vision. By focusing on core values and remaining transparent, you can create an organisation built to last for decades. If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of corporate sustainability or if you just need a dose of optimism about our collective future - this conversation is for you.

    S4E13: Sustainability After the Backlash - Mike Barry on What Serious Businesses Do Next

  3. Jul 7

    S4E12: Canicule - Europe’s Heatwave Wake-Up Call

    Europe has just lived through another extreme heatwave — and this one felt different. In this episode of Sustainability Forward, Wrishi and Carmine unpack “Canicule” - Europe’s Heatwave Wake-Up Call: what happened, why temperatures became so extreme, and what this tells us about the climate reality Europe is now facing. We look at the human impact of the heatwave, from health risks and school closures to pressure on hospitals, farms, rivers and infrastructure. We also explain the science behind the event — the role of hot air masses, high-pressure systems, warming seas, and the way climate change is shifting the odds of extreme heat. But this episode is also about what comes next. How do cities stay liveable when summers become more dangerous? What does adaptation really mean for homes, hospitals, transport, energy grids and vulnerable communities? And why do we need to cut emissions faster while also preparing for the heat that is already here? This is a conversation about climate change as a present-day reality, and about the practical choices Europe now has to make.

    S4E12: Canicule - Europe’s Heatwave Wake-Up Call

  4. Jun 16

    S4E11: The World Cup’s Climate Problem - Can Football Go Global Without Burning the Planet?

    The 2026 World Cup has kicked off - bigger than ever, more global than ever, and possibly more carbon-intensive than ever. With 48 teams, 104 matches and host cities spread across the US, Canada and Mexico, this tournament is a celebration of football’s global reach. But it also raises an uncomfortable sustainability question: can the world’s biggest sporting event keep expanding in a warming world? In this episode of Sustainability Forward, Wrishi and Carmine look beyond the pitch to explore the climate and energy story behind World Cup 2026. We discuss why fan travel is likely to dominate the tournament’s carbon footprint, why using existing stadiums is positive but not enough, how extreme heat and humidity could affect players and fans, and whether FIFA’s sustainability strategy goes far enough. We also ask what a genuinely sustainable World Cup would look like — from regional scheduling and transparent carbon accounting to heat-aware match planning, public transport, credible offsets and host-city legacy. This is not an episode about feeling guilty for watching football. It is about asking whether the world’s game can adapt to the world it is played in. Listen now for a practical, human and analytical look at football, climate risk and the future of global sport.

    S4E11: The World Cup’s Climate Problem - Can Football Go Global Without Burning the Planet?

  5. Jun 2

    S4E10: The Week London Couldn’t Breathe

    In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we introduce a new type of content: a story-led sustainability deep dive. Instead of our usual conversation format, we step back into one defining moment in environmental history: the Great Smog of London. For five days in December 1952, London was trapped under a thick, toxic blanket of coal smoke and fog. Streets disappeared. Transport stopped. Hospitals filled. Thousands of people died. And eventually, the disaster helped force a political and social reckoning that led to the UK’s Clean Air Act. But this is not just a story about air pollution in the past. It is a story about what happens when environmental harm becomes normalised. It is about systems that appear to work until their hidden costs become impossible to ignore. And it is about the role of policy, public pressure and leadership in changing what society is willing to tolerate. As cities, companies and governments today confront climate change, air pollution, water stress, biodiversity loss and other sustainability challenges, the Great Smog offers a powerful reminder: sustainability failures rarely arrive out of nowhere. They build slowly, often in plain sight. This episode asks a simple but urgent question: what are we breathing in today without noticing?

    S4E10: The Week London Couldn’t Breathe

  6. May 19

    S4E9: Can Electricity Ever Be 100% Clean?

    Electricity is becoming the backbone of the modern economy — powering transport, heating, industry, cooling, digital infrastructure and increasingly, AI. But as demand grows, can we really build a power system that is 100% decarbonised? In this episode of Sustainability Forward, Wrishi and Carmine explore what “100% clean electricity” actually means, and why the final stretch of decarbonisation is often the hardest. They discuss the role of wind and solar, storage, grid expansion, demand flexibility, firm clean power, geothermal, market design and public acceptance. The conversation also looks at real-world examples, including Uruguay’s near-100% renewable electricity system and South Australia’s rapid shift towards high levels of wind and solar. The episode opens with a striking comparison between a proposed 9 GW AI data centre campus in Utah, the Boeing Everett factory, and the electricity consumption of the entire state of Utah — a reminder that the clean power challenge is not just about today’s grid, but the much larger grid of the future. A practical, accessible conversation on whether 100% decarbonised electricity is possible — and what it would actually take to get there.

    S4E9: Can Electricity Ever Be 100% Clean?

  7. May 5

    S4E8: Change in Motion with Jennifer Motles

    In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we speak with Jennifer Motles, Chief Sustainability Officer at Philip Morris International, about what sustainability leadership looks like inside a complex global business undergoing transformation. Jennifer shares her journey into sustainability leadership and explains how she sees the role of a CSO: not as a side function, but as a driver of long-term value creation, resilience, and business transformation. The conversation explores why sustainability must start with a company’s most material impacts, how systems change requires action far beyond one company alone, and why transformation should be understood not as a project with a clear end point, but as continuous “change in motion.” We also discuss what it takes to drive change across a large organisation, how senior leadership alignment shapes progress, and why credibility comes from outcomes, evidence, and transparency around both achievements and limitations. Jennifer offers a candid perspective on trade-offs, accountability, and the realities of working on difficult sustainability challenges where change is often slower and messier than outside observers expect. This episode will be especially relevant for sustainability professionals, business leaders, and anyone interested in how real transformation happens inside large organisations. Topics covered: Jennifer Motles’ journey into sustainability leadership Why sustainability matters in the context of business transformation Systems change and the role of business in tackling complex challenges How to drive change across strategy, operations, and leadership Credibility, accountability, and evidence in sustainability Why transparency about trade-offs and limitations matters Advice for people trying to create meaningful change inside complex organisations A thoughtful episode on leadership, realism, and why the hard work of sustainability happens from within.

    S4E8: Change in Motion with Jennifer Motles

  8. Apr 21

    S4E7: Retrofitting the Future

    In this episode of Sustainability Forward, we turn our attention to one of the most practical — and often underestimated — parts of the climate challenge: buildings. After previously exploring the carbon footprint of individuals, we saw that while transport dominates, the home is not far behind. And unlike transport, buildings are one area where change can happen now. To help us unpack the challenge, we are joined by Ascanio Vitale, a sustainability science expert with more than 30 years of experience in environmental advocacy and decarbonisation. With a background spanning engineering, policy, and consulting, Ascanio has worked with Greenpeace, WWF, the European Commission, and now leads Stop CO2, where he advises on sustainability and ultra-efficient buildings. Together, we explore why building retrofit is still moving too slowly, what households can do first to reduce energy use and bills, why commercial buildings struggle with split incentives, whether current grants and subsidies are working, and which technologies are genuinely promising. This is a conversation about more than carbon. It is about comfort, health, resilience, affordability, and how better buildings can become a real part of the transition.

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About

"Sustainability Forward," hosted by Wrishi and Carmine, is a podcast exploring the multifaceted world of sustainability. Each episode delves into critical areas like technology, policy, and finance, catering to both beginners and experts. We bring clarity to complex topics, featuring discussions with thought leaders and innovators in the field. Available on Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts, join us in understanding and shaping a sustainable future.

Information

  • Creator
    Wrishi Sutradhar and Carmine Fiume
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Wrishi Sutradhar and Carmine Fiume
  • Show Website
    Sustainability Forward