Straight Talking Sustainability
Welcome to Straight Talking Sustainability! I'm your host, Emma Burlow. If you're feeling lost in all the sustainability talk or struggling to see real results in your business, this podcast is for you. We’ll clear up the confusion and focus on practical, straightforward actions that actually work. Join me as I talk with experts, share real-world stories, and tackle the common roadblocks that stop businesses from making progress. This is all about making sustainability easier and sharing what truly makes a difference. Let’s keep it simple, effective, and make sustainability stick!
10
Inside B&Q's Net Zero Transformation: From Plant Pots to Supplier Collaboration, How to Make Sustainability Stick
<p>In this practical and inspiring episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Sanita Garley, Net Zero Transition Plan Lead at B&Q, to explore the often-discussed but rarely-demonstrated journey from setting net zero targets to actually implementing change across a major retail organisation. </p><p>With over 20 years in buying and product development before transitioning into sustainability three years ago, Sanita brings a refreshingly commercial perspective to the sustainability challenge, proving that expertise in carbon science matters far less than understanding how to get things done within business realities.</p><p>Sanita's transition into sustainability...
Top 5 Carbon-Cutting Switches: Simple Actions That Slash Your Carbon Footprint (Plus £332 in Savings and Bonuses)
<p>In this action-packed solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow delivers exactly what sustainability-conscious listeners have been asking for: five straightforward switches that make the biggest dent in your personal carbon footprint, complete with referral codes, money-off promotions, and practical bonus links worth £332 to remove every excuse for inaction.</p><h1>Top 5 Carbon‑Cutting Hacks</h1><h2>1. Switch Bank 💰🌍</h2><p>One of the biggest instant switches you can make - though it’s rarely included in carbon footprint tools!</p>£10k saved in a high‑street bank (e.g. HSBC, Barclays) = over 2 tonnes CO₂The same amount with Nati...
Building a Career in Sustainability: Why Mastery Beats Passion and How to Navigate the Skills Gap with Nick Valenzia
<p>In this career-focused episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Nick Valenzia, co-founder of Leafr (the world's largest marketplace for sustainability skills), to unpack the brutal realities facing sustainability professionals today: unclear career pathways, exhausting job searches, and the dangerous myth that passion alone will get you ahead.</p><p>Nick reveals how Leafr was born from his own frustrating experience trying to freelance in sustainability after his master's degree, unable to find a single platform connecting independent consultants with companies needing short-term expertise. </p><p>Despite launching with an "embarrassing website" (his words), the...
The 80-25 Rule: Why You Only Need to Activate 25% of Your Workforce to Transform Sustainability Culture
<p>In this game-changing solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow reveals the counterintuitive strategy that's transforming how organisations achieve climate action: forget trying to convince everyone and focus on activating just 25% of your workforce to create unstoppable momentum.</p><p>Emma unpacks the frustrating paradox facing sustainability professionals everywhere: if 80% of UK adults care about climate change (DESNZ 2025) and 73% of businesses say they're prioritising net zero (Net Zero Business Census 2025), why does driving action feel so impossibly difficult? </p><p>The answer lies in understanding tipping points, social norming, and the critical mass needed to shift organisational...
The Untapped Power of Volunteering: How Community Action Transforms Climate Anxiety into Local Impact with Ben Luger
<p>In this inspiring and deeply personal episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Ben Luger, Marketing Project Specialist at Ecosurety, to explore how volunteering can be the secret weapon for engaging people in climate action whilst simultaneously improving mental health and building stronger communities. </p><p>Ben's journey from delivering carbon literacy training to establishing a thriving community tree nursery in just 12 months demonstrates how individual action, when channelled through community organising, creates exponential impact without the overwhelming time and energy drain that most people fear.</p><p>Ben traces his volunteering journey back to...
One Year of Straight Talking Sustainability: Anniversary Special Featuring the Most Powerful Insights from Nicola Jones, Briony Pete, Andy Middleton, Jen Gale, and Phil Korbel
<p>In this landmark anniversary episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow celebrates one year of the podcast by revisiting the most impactful moments from five extraordinary guests who have shared their hard-earned wisdom over the past 12 months. </p><p>After nearly 30 years in the sustainability sector, Emma knows that we simply do not have time to keep knowledge locked away, which is why she launched this podcast to democratise sustainability expertise and make connections across industries, backgrounds, and experience levels.</p><p>This bumper compilation episode features powerful excerpts from conversations with industry leaders, changemakers, and thought leaders...
Carbon Reporting for the Missing Middle: How Medium-Sized Companies Can Navigate Supply Chain Pressure Without Breaking the Bank
<p>In this practical and reassuring episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow reconnects with long-time colleague Kirsteen Harrison from Not Sustainable to tackle the carbon reporting challenges facing what they call "the missing middle" (companies with 250 to 1,000 employees). </p><p>These businesses face intense supply chain pressure to report emissions but often lack the dedicated sustainability teams and resources of larger corporations, creating a perfect storm of fear, confusion, and questionnaire paralysis.</p><p>Kirsteen brings over 20 years of experience working with SMEs and medium-sized businesses on waste, energy, compliance, and carbon reporting. She reveals a troubling pattern...
Mind the Gap: How to Close the Target Action Gap and Turn Your Workforce Into Net Zero Champions
<p>In this powerful and practical solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow tackles the most frustrating challenge facing corporate sustainability teams today: the target action gap. </p><p>Companies have set ambitious net-zero targets, invested heavily in reporting and data collection, yet most employees remain disengaged and the sustainability team feels isolated, pushing a rock uphill alone.</p><p>Drawing from her experience training over 1,500 people across major organisations, including BT, B&Q, Silent Night, Kenwood, and Openreach, Emma reveals why traditional sustainability engagement approaches (lunchtime webinars, team days, or brief e-learning modules) fail to create lasting...
How Corporate Sustainability Leaders Can Stop Spinning Their Wheels and Drive Real Change with Julia Vol
<p>In this insightful and practical episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Julia Vol, an independent sustainability consultant who helps organisations move beyond sustainability theatre to genuine impact. </p><p>With experience spanning corporate roles at major companies like Sainsbury's and Decathlon, plus expertise in sustainable packaging and circular economy, Julia brings a refreshingly honest perspective on what actually works in corporate sustainability.</p><p>Julia opens the conversation by addressing a problem many sustainability professionals recognise but rarely discuss openly: the endless cycle of strategy documents, materiality assessments, and stakeholder engagement that never quite...
Dismantling the China Excuse: Eight Powerful Responses to "But What About China?" in Climate Conversations
<p>In this passionate and fact-packed solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow tackles one of the most common conversation stoppers in climate action discussions: "There's no point in us doing anything because we're only 2% of global emissions. What about China?" This excuse appears everywhere, from boardrooms to living rooms, and Emma has had enough of watching it derail progress.</p><p>Drawing on historical data, trade realities, and competitive intelligence, Emma delivers eight comprehensive counter-arguments that sustainability professionals can keep in their back pockets for when this excuse inevitably surfaces. Rather than getting angry or defensive, she...
