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
What Are The 5 Pillars of Net Zero? A Simple Maturity Framework To Show Where You Are and What Comes Next
<p>In this practical and clarifying solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow cuts through net zero jargon by introducing the Five Pillars framework from the Race to Zero campaign's Exponential Business Playbook, giving listeners a step-by-step maturity model that reduces overwhelm, helps organisations identify where they actually sit on the journey (often further ahead than they realise, or sometimes not as advanced as assumed), and provides clear guidance on what comes next without getting lost in complexity.</p><p>This framework moves beyond operational emissions housekeeping to explore how net zero becomes genuine business opportunity through model...
Is Climate Anxiety Actually Healthy? Understanding Climate Psychology and Workplace Splitting with Steffi Bednarek
<p>In this profound and paradigm-shifting episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Steffi Bednarek, Director of the Centre for Climate Psychology and author of Climate Psychology and Change, to challenge one of sustainability's most damaging narratives: that feeling anxious about climate change represents a disorder requiring treatment.</p><p>Steffi flips this entirely, asking instead what is wrong with people who do not feel distressed, exploring workplace splitting that forces us to leave our values at the office door, and revealing how psychological frameworks can help sustainability professionals become "systems ninjas" rather than burnt-out martyrs...
How Does System Change Actually Work? The 3 Rules That Accelerate Net Zero
<p>In this essential and clarifying solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow demystifies one of sustainability's most intimidating concepts (system change) by walking listeners through a practical framework from Nigel Topping's Race to Zero TED Talk that has been stuck on her office wall for years.</p><p>With three simple visual rules (ambition loops, exponential goals, and shared action pathways), Emma transforms system change from an abstract scary concept into actionable strategy that helps businesses set appropriate ambition levels, plan for technological disruption properly, and avoid the painful trap of plowing their furrow solo whilst competitors...
How To Reach Thousands Of Businesses Through Authentic Sustainability Marketing
<p>In this insightful and energising episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Crista Buznea, Head of Sustainability Marketing at Ecologi, to explore how effective communication can transform sustainability from a worthy burden into an engaging, dopamine-filled journey that drives real business action.</p><p>With a background spanning tourism marketing at Heathrow and TUI before transitioning into sustainability leadership, Crista brings unique perspective on what actually works when trying to bring sustainability to the masses through authentic storytelling, strategic listening, and remarkably, the occasional use of negative messaging.</p><p>Crista's career transformation began during...
The Science of Friction-Free Sustainability Wins
<p>In this practical and uplifting solo episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow kicks off 2026 with a powerful reframe for sustainability professionals exhausted by negativity, what-aboutism, and constant battles over every small change. </p><p>Drawing on groundbreaking research published in Nature Food, Emma demonstrates how clever behind-the-scenes switches can deliver massive carbon reductions (30% in one study) without guilt, arguments, or removing anyone's choices. This episode is essential listening for anyone tired of making sustainability harder than it needs to be.</p><p>Emma introduces research by Flynn et al. titled "Dish swap across a weekly menu can...
Don't Waste Good Food: Fighting Food Insecurity and Climate Crisis in the Caribbean with Sian Cuffey-Young
<p>In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow sits down with Sian Cuffey-Young, founder of SAEL Environmental in Trinidad and Tobago, to explore the intersection of food waste, food security, and climate action in Caribbean island states.</p><p>With 20 years of experience in waste management and a mission statement that "waste is sexy," Sian brings infectious energy and unflinching honesty to one of the most overlooked sustainability challenges: the fact that our largest waste stream receives the least attention whilst people go hungry.</p><p>Sian's journey into food waste began with composting...
From Drained to Driven: A Year‑End Straight Talking Reset
<p>In this powerful year-end compilation episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, host Emma Burlow revisits the three solo episodes that resonated most strongly with listeners in 2025, addressing the thorniest challenges facing sustainability professionals today.</p><p>From navigating conversations with climate sceptics to avoiding the "evangelical trap" that alienates colleagues, to breaking free from the paralysis caused by knowing business-as-usual will not save us, these episodes tackle the psychological and practical barriers that prevent meaningful climate action.</p><p>After training over 800 people in carbon literacy and working in the sustainability sector for nearly 30 years, Emma knows that technical knowledge...
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...
