Shailesh Vikram Singh, co-founder of Massive Mobility, is as passionate as they come about making an impact. He believes that sustainability & venture capital thinking go together and believes that the current climate tech space in India is roughly where the e-commerce industry was in 2006. The trajectory in India is going to be different from how this space has evolved in the US and China. His company Massive is one of the first funds entering the climate change sector in India. Massive measures itself only by returns, since the impact is evident in just the space itself they've chosen. More provocatively, he concludes that getting entrepreneurs to focus on "double bottom lines" just confuses them. His unconventional perspective on the role of policy is that "globally, innovation has always preceded policy, not the other way round". As for classic mistakes that he sees companies making? That they become activist in their approach while what's needed a hard-nosed business-focused approach. This and more gems in this podcast!

Starting with her career in journalism, Dharini has always had an interest in environmental issues. Part of Climate Action Network’s role has been to flag governments who don’t participate wholeheartedly in climate negotiations. The trick is to approach them using different strategies – through media, lobbying with negotiators by always pushing for stronger action. 'Climate activist' is a complicated word. Much before these words became part of the mainstream discourse, there were environmental defenders from areas like South America and Africa who have been front line defenders of nature. Local communities are on the front line of climate activism in Dharini's opinion. Dharini feels that the real battle is ending fossil fuel production. Dismantling fossil fuel companies is extremely key in our fight against the climate crisis. Social media allows people to tell their own stories without anyone mediating. People are telling their stories, using their language, in their way. Everyone can become a climate communicator which is a great way forward to deal with climate change.

Fifteen years ago, Ankit Singhvi took a detour to the energy sector. His company Mozev was the first company in the country to run commercial electric buses. The core proposition of Mozev is to make EV profitable for customers across the whole chain from start to finish. The name Mozev implies mobility across electric vehicles and Z is the Z factor. Fleets are early adopters. Buses seemed to be the viable solution, having a unique form factor as they provide point to point connectivity. Routes can be electrified. This is not possible for other form factors. As we know, 100% of the market is fleets and if we start focusing on utilization, then we can work on making it profitable for customers. When Mozev started, there was no government policy in place. 25 electric buses were deployed along our first route ie the Manali-Rohtang route. The demand since then has been quite strong and now intercity buses have started. By the end of 2020, he hopes that their buses will be running across major intercity routes in India. India started the National Mission For Electric Mobility Transmission launched in 2012-13 where their goal was to get seven million electric vehicles by 2020 in India. Ankit started the Electric Mobility Alliance which is a pan India NGO - all stakeholders like utilities, customers are involved. The focus was to reorient policy from vehicle level spend to look at lifetime spend and not just subsidies. He reckons that significant progress has happened in the last couple of years. Ankit estimates that by 2025, 100% of bus sales will become electric!! The technology and infrastructure involved will become better. As a whole, consumer experience is better in electric buses and it's a solution which is both reliable and profitable.

Arati has always wanted to tell stories. She realised that writing and storytelling was her passion. Whilst long-form journalism is important, social media is extremely important for outreach. Slow journalism is important - for eg - floods are a symptom of the problem. A quick social media post doesn't give us context. The climate change narrative in India needs to change drastically. #RiversAreNotPipes is pan India. Water cannot be just put into canals and fed across the plains. Slow walking with Paul Salopek was a fun yet challenging experience. Going to places that weren’t even on Google Maps was a fabulous adventure; seeing the country through Paul’s lens and even just absorbing the landscape gave Arati perspective.The Peepli Project was all about communities and ecosystems negotiating with each other within the frame of a large topic. The Indian audience needs to keep asking questions. Listening to scientists is extremely important. Arati’s last piece of advice is not to lose our connection with the earth. 

Harish Hande is a celebrated social entrepreneur who started SELCO, a solar lighting company in 1995. Along the way, he reinvented consumer finance for the poorest of the poor and the fundamental concept of building for the bottom of the pyramid. His empathy for his customers and humility in light of their knowledge is telling, and reflects in the meritocratic organization that SELCO is today. In this podcast, Harish comes out swinging against the hierarchical, resume obsessed and out of touch development sector. Let’s put it this way, a lot of thumping on the table involved in this episode. It’s a privilege to have Ramon Magsaysay awardee Harish Hande on Terra.do’s podcast on climate change in developing countries. Notes – 01:06 – The origin of SELCO and Harish’s early interest in solar energy 06:39 – SELCO Foundation and its future 13:39 – Asset building to get out of poverty 20:08 – SELCO’s strategies for asset building 25:26 – Pay As You Go solar - is it good? 34:34 – Politics, policy and our desire to preserve power structures 42:02 – Advice on how to get into social entrepreneurship

Vositha Wijenayake is an international lawyer specialising in public international law, with a focus on international environmental law & UN human rights law. Vositha presently works as the Executive Director of SLYCAN Trust and is also a member of the national expert committee on climate change of Sri Lanka. Having worked since 2009 on bridging youth and environmental activism, she has focused on engaging youth as a key stakeholder in climate change processes through capacity building and awareness creation. She has over a decade of experience in working on climate change, at both the national and international level. In this podcast, Vositha gives us a background in what drives Sri Lanka’s climate policy, how the media narrative is shaping up and whether Sri Lanka needs climate activism. Notes – 01:42 – Vositha’s interest in environment and climate change 04:17 – SYCAN Trust and their challenges 08:36 – Sri Lankan government and their climate change policies 13:56 – Media narrative in Sri Lanka regarding climate change 17:35 – Informed climate activism 27:21 – The way forward in Sri Lanka

Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist, illustrator, wildlife buff and creator of Green Humour, a series of comic strips about nature. He believes that there is always a funny side to the serious things in life. Green Humour is India's first comic strip to be syndicated internationally, and runs periodically in newspapers and magazines. Rohan has won awards by the UNDP, Sanctuary Asia, WWF International and the Royal Bank of Scotland for his work. He has authored two books- The Great Indian Nature Trail & Bird Business. In this podcast, Rohan tells us how he got started on his cartooning journey, the profound impact his work has been having and the future of cartooning in climate change. Notes – 01:27 – Rohan’s career arc and segue into Green Humour 04:59 – Breaking down complex pieces of information into visuals 06:15 – Direct impact of work on readers 10:15 – Social media and interactions 14:22 – Personalisation of content 16:35 – Future of cartooning and climate change

Gokul Halan, a hydrogeologist by training, is part of the team handling the Water Resources Programme of Keystone Foundation. He manages water-related projects in the Nilgiris. With a keen interest in community development, Gokul who belongs to the Badaga community is always looking for an opportunity to apply traditional wisdom to develop solutions to modern-day issues of water management. In this podcast, Gokul talks to us about water security issues in the Nilgiris, how indigenous tribal communities are truly dependent on water resources, and how it can take literally 14 years to establish a forest on degraded land! Notes – 00:58 – Gokul’s work at the Keystone Foundation 01:55 – The role of GIS 06:56 – Socio-economic impact of climate change in the Nilgiris 10:34 – Importance of water conservation for the indigenous communities 16:35 – Payment for Ecosystem services 20:47 – The three pillars of Keystone Foundation 29:56 – GoI’s Water policy 35:06 – Inevitability of climate change

Mahua Acharya is Asia Director for Climate Policy Initiative. She is responsible for leading CPI in Delhi and Jakarta, while also supporting high-level strategic planning and further build-up of the organization. She has extensive experience in green finance, renewables, and carbon markets. Mahua holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale University. She is a guest lecturer at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad & frequently contributes to the Mint. In this podcast, Mahua delves into the world of climate finance, including tools used, the biggest opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs and what the future holds for #climateaction in India. Notes – 01:21 – What is climate finance all about 07:19 – Challenges facing climate finance in India 09:40 – Tools of climate finance 13:40 – CPI’s role in climate finance 15:44 – Green bonds 18:18 – Renewable infrastructure 25:43 – The Lab at CPI and related projects 28:17 – Biggest opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs 30:32 – Future of climate action in India

Ryan Merrill is a recent Doctoral Research Fellow in Sustainability, Strategy and Innovation and an Adjunct Professor at Singapore Management University. He has spent 10 years in higher management in institutional finance, energy research, education, and consulting, and holds a PhD in Environmental Policy from the University of Southern California. Ryan is extremely passionate about the promise of mangrove forestry to lead the fight against climate change and is doing excellent work with his organisation The Global Mangrove Trust. In this podcast, Ryan talks to us about the importance of mangroves in the fight against #climatechange and the mission and basis for his organisation, Global Mangrove Trust. Notes – 02:24 – Global Mangrove Trust - mission and vision 05:16 – GROVE - an idea for The Lab 12:14 – Politics and policy 17:08 – The key role of mangroves 20:59 – Conservation awards for community stewardship of the forest 29:15 – Climate change narrative 32:57 – Ryan’s call to action

Dr Saleemul Huq is an expert on the links between climate change and sustainable development, particularly from the perspective of developing countries. He was the lead author of the chapter on Adaptation and Sustainable Development in the third assessment report of the IPCC. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – as a contributor to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. In the same year, he was also awarded the Burtoni Award for his contribution to capacity building in climate change negotiation of the developing countries. He is also the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh. In this podcast, Dr Huq talks about the keys issues facing Bangladesh in climate change, how the role of COP’s have evolved, the climate change narrative in Bangladesh and how an empowered citizenry is the best way forward in terms of #climateaction. Notes – 01:20 – Dr Huq’s starting point on his climate change journey 03:03 – Key issues in climate change faced by Bangladesh 06:30 – How the Bangladeshi government deals with climate change 11:06 – IPCC - role as an observer and COP’s 18:13 – Climate finance 21:21 – Climate change narrative 26:22 – How to tackle climate change

Sejal Mehta is currently the editor at Marine Life of Mumbai, the flagship project of Coastal Conservation Foundation. Her past work includes Lonely Planet Magazine India, National Geographic Traveller India amongst others. She is a published author of children's books and fiction. In this podcast, Sejal talks to us about the creatures that inhabit Mumbai’s beaches, how empowering citizenry with knowledge can increase their awareness about climate change and how important it is to think of Mumbai’s shorelines as a living, breathing thing. Notes – 01:07 – Marine Life of Mumbai 10:48 – Coastal Road project 17:38 – Social media and MLoM’s Instagram account 22:06 – Coastwise- an intertidal zone festival/celebration 26:06 – Outreach to the younger generation 28:31 – All about mangroves 31:29 – Cleaning up of beaches 33:58 – Media and spreading awareness

Abhilasha Purwar is an environmental entrepreneur heading Blue Sky Analytics, which is building a global environmental data stack using geospatial & IoT datasets. Abhilasha graduated with a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University in 2017. She is interested in energy and infrastructure finance (particularly in emerging economies). She is a certified yoga teacher and enjoys Acro Yoga, hiking, biking and backpacking In this podcast, Abhilasha talks to us about gender diversity in the startup world, all about Blue Sky Analytics, ageism and climate change, ESG investments and so much more. Notes – 00:59 – The onset of Abhilasha’s environmental journey 02:45 – Challenges of being a woman in the startup world 07:57 – Role of Blue Sky Analytics 12:55 – Ageism and climate change 20:10 – Tech and outdoor sports 23:13 – Politics and policy 26:45 – ESG investing 30:53 – Tech shaping the narrative of climate change 35:53 – Making environmentalism cool

Dr David Molden is Director General of ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the mountains and the people of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. He has been instrumental in the development Hindu Kush Himalayan Assessment, an IPCC like assessment that lays out policy options for sustainable development in the region. He is now formulating the HKH Science Policy-Forum to bring countries together to jointly address issues of mountain environments, livelihoods and regional cooperation. In this podcast, Dr Molden talks about the role of ICIMOD, the Hindu Kush Himalayan assessment report, the challenges the Hindu Kush mountain region faces and his vision of a climate resilient future. Notes – 01:04 – Dr Molden’s starting point on his climate change journey 10:04 – Role of ICIMOD 14:38 – Hindu Kush Himalayan Region feeding into future policy 16:39 – Examples of ICIMOD’s impact 23:37 – Nepali government’s policies about climate change 25:22 – Expectations about COP26 27:19 – Climate change narrative being presented by the media 29:36 – Informed climate activism 30:59 – Tackling climate change 34:05 – Call to action

Dr. Charles “Chip” Fletcher is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the City and County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission. His research focuses on Pacific paleo-sea level history, beach processes, and modeling the impacts of past, present, and future sea level rise on island environments and communities. The results of his work are used by government agencies for administering coastal policy, establishing construction guidelines, and planning resilient infrastructure projects. Learn about the latest in climate science. What do we know about climate change, how do we know it, how long do we have to act, what kinds of actions are needed, and what are the stakes?

Harini Nagendra is a Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University. Harini is an ecologist who uses methods from the natural and social sciences - satellite remote sensing, biodiversity studies, archival research, GIS, institutional analysis, and community interviews, to examine the sustainability of forests and cities in the global South. She has also been a Lead Author of the 5th IPCC Report - Working Group III. She is a recipient of numerous awards for her research, has authored two books, and over 150 peer reviewed publications, including in Nature, Nature Sustainability and Science. In this podcast, Harini talks to us about her career path, the future of the forests and how relentless the cycle of fight for nature can be. Notes – 01:19 – Harini’s career arc 14:31 – Nature nurtures cities versus urbanisation killing green pockets 18:59 – Covid19 within the frames of climate change 23:35 – Forests protected by state and national laws 29:44 – Work related to satellite remote sensing and technology for biodiversity assessment 32:40 – National Geographic Explorer experiences 34:22 – Books on Bengaluru 40:46 – Climate change narrative 43:05 – Call to action

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu grew up in an agricultural family where he learnt practical crops cultivation and livestock keeping first hand as a kid. Nnaemeka wears several hats - he is the Executive Director of The Smallholders Foundation, which uses community radio to educate farmers. He has also founded ColdHubs which provides solar-powered cooling systems that help farmers in off-grid areas in Nigeria to maintain and extend the life of their harvest. He has received more than 23 awards during his professional and academic career including an Ashoka Fellowship, Nigeria’s Young Person of the Year and has been a Yara Prize Laureate. In this podcast Nnaemeka talks about how he got started on his journey, the role his companies play in helping farmers, how social entrepreneurship is a challenge must one jump into headfirst and lastly he hopes that everyone can be a change agent. Notes: 01:22 — The onset of Nnaemeka’s environmental journey 06:03 — Challenges faced by farmers in the region 08:42 — Role of The Smallholders Foundation 13:19 — ColdHubs and how it helps smallholder farmers 16:04 — Food security in Nigeria and Coldhubs role 18:22 — Politics and policy 20:06 — Social entrepreneurship 21:25 — Perception about climate change in Nigeria 26:16 — Being a change agent

Fleur Newman has always been motivated to pursue a career where she can contribute to making our societies more sustainable. She currently leads the work on the Gender and Climate Change agenda item under the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and is the Gender Focal Point and the Focal Point for Women at the UNFCCC Secretariat. Her background is in climate change, sustainable development, energy and international law and in advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. In this podcast, Fleur talks to us about her role in the UNFCCC, opportunities to correct gender imbalance and how as a society we need to collectively push for this to happen in the near future. Notes – 01:04 – Fleur’s starting point on his climate change journey 02:14 – Describing the way the UNFCCC - Gender Function 07:58 – How are women affected by climate change 12:16 – Resilience in terms of gender and climate change 14:45 – Climate finance and women 18:54 – Expectations from COP26 23:36 – Acknowledging challenges as opportunities

Dr. Harish Hande is an engineer and renewable energy entrepreneur with over 23 years of grassroots experience in bringing clean energy services to off-grid, rural communities in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. He is the co-founder of SELCO Solar Light Pvt Ltd and is presently the CEO of SELCO Foundation. Today SELCO’s interventions have impacted more than 500,000 poor households across 6 Indian states, while focusing on Innovation and ecosystem building. In 2011, Harish was awarded the Magsaysay Award (widely regarded as the Asian Nobel Prize) in recognition of his dedicated service to the rural poor. Dr. Hande discusses the issues and opportunities for enhancing access to clean energy for billions of people around the world. He draws on his own experiences in extending clean energy access to millions across rural India over the last two decades.

Did you know that indigenous people manage 11% of the world’s forest lands yet are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change? Are they just being ‘seen’? Are political norms changing to give them a voice? ‍ Dr Heike Schroeder is Professor of Environmental Governance at the School of International Development, University of East Anglia. Her work focuses on global environmental politics, forest governance and REDD+, the role of non-nation state actors in the current post-2012 negotiating process and urban climate governance. She is also a member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research where she leads a long-term international research project on earth system governance.

We launched our AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with the hope that it provides fresh perspectives and helps the general public understand more about different themes in the climate space. Our first session was with Ian Bolliger. Ian works to provide decision-makers with quantitative, high-resolution projections of the socioeconomic impacts of climate change, focusing on damaging extreme events like tropical cyclones. His research blends dynamic modeling, large socio-environmental datasets, and emerging econometric and machine learning methods to quantify the complex interactions between society and a changing climate. You can find more detailed information on Ian Bolliger here. Ian shoots straight in this AMA which looks into the heart of big data, climate modelling, risks associated with conflicts and ends with an innate sense of optimism about the future of climate action.

Ezhil Subbian has completed her degree in Industrial Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai, and then went on to do a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Oregon Health & Sciences in Portland. 12 years in the Bay Area as part of the biotechnology industry led to her starting up her own company. She is the CEO of String Bio, a company that leverages methane, produced from waste or natural sources, to create next generation raw materials that are sustainable and traceable. In this podcast Ezhil talks about how she got started on his journey, how market ready String Bio is, what role politics and regulators play, how do we bridge the gap between law and technology and lastly her hope for a course correction towards a ‘new normal’. Notes: 00:58 — Ezhil’s career arc 04:46 — Details of work at String Bio 07:22 — Challenges that String Bio is facing 09:58 — Politics and policy 13:34 — Future of String Bio connected to food security 15:37 — Bridging the gap between law and technology 19:32 — Fundamental shift from agriculture to science to provide food 23:25 — Technology shaping the narrative of sustainability and food security 27:54 — Course correction for a ‘new normal’

Dr Phadke discusses pathways and policy options for cost-effective clean energy transitions for India, in both electricity and transport. His research is based on cutting-edge analysis as well as on insights gleaned from working closely with electricity sector regulators and planners in India. Dr. Amol Phadke is a Scientist, Lead of the India Research Program, and Deputy of the International Energy Analysis Department, Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research and technical support activities broadly focus on energy technology, economics, markets, and regulation. Currently, his work is focused on heavy-duty electric vehicles, energy in the India power sector, and appliance and equipment efficiency in several emerging economies. He currently leads LBNL’s support to a multi-country collaboration to accelerate appliance and equipment efficiency. He also leads LBNL’s collaboration with the Regulatory Assistance Project as a Global Best Practice Network on Power where most of LBNL’s efforts are focused on energy policies and programs in India.

Roxy Matthew Koll is a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. He is currently leading research on climate change—how it extends to the rapid warming in Indo-Pacific oceans—and impacts the global rainfall pattern, the monsoon and the marine ecosystem. He is a Co-Chair of the CLIVAR Indian Ocean Region Panel, and a Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. The Indian Meteorological Society felicitated him with the Young Scientist Award in 2016, for his research on the changes in the monsoon. In this podcast, Roxy talks how he got started on his climate journey, what climate change means in India, why monsoon predictability is so important, how India’s National Climate Change Plan needs to evolve and how best to tackle climate change as a country. Notes – 01:09 – Roxy’s climate change journey 03:14 – Climate change in India 10:56 – The lockdown in India affecting weather patterns 13:31 – Monsoon predictability 21:22 – Indian National Climate Change Plan 25:10 – Expectations about COP26 26:33 – Climate change narrative being presented by the media 28:56 – Scientific communications 30:26 – Tackling climate change

For the Climate Finance AMA, we invited Laura Canevari, Esther Shears and Archana Jayaraman. Laura Canevari is the Founder of ITACA Solutions in Panama City whilst also working with Acclimatise in the UK. Her background is in adaptation, climate finance and climate risk.Archana Jayaraman is a sustainability and urban resilience specialist, with experience in working across multilateral and bilateral organisations in Asia. She currently works as a Junior Sector Specialist- Sustainable Urban Development with KfW which is the German development bank & a bilateral funding agency under the German Development Corporation with India.Esther Shears is currently a PhD Student at University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests include sustainable finance, climate risk assessment, and environmental governance. 

Navroz K Dubash is a Professor at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He works on climate change policy and governance, the political economy of energy and water, and the regulatory state in the developing world. Widely published in these areas, Navroz serves on the IPCC as a Coordinating Lead Author, Government of India advisory committees on climate change, energy and water policy, and the editorial boards of several international journals. In 2015, he was conferred the 12th T N Khoshoo Memorial Award for his work on climate change policy In this podcast, Navroz takes us through some defining moments in his climate journey, gives us a taste on climate politics (both internationally and in the domestic sphere), talks us through the National and State Action plans, India and the COVID19 situation within the frames of climate change and leaves us with his hopes for a climate resilient India. Notes – 01:09 – Navroz’s climate change journey 04:10 – Climate change and Indian politics 17:01 – India’s CO2 emissions and connection to COVID lockdown 22:52 – India’s National & State level Action Plans 31:57 – Climate change and COVID 42:13 – Informed climate activism 46:22 – Expectations from COP 26 50:40 – Hopes for a climate resilient India

Micah Lang is Senior Green Building Planner with the City of Vancouver. He leads the development of deep carbon reduction policies & programs for existing buildings. He spoke about the framing of the green buildings, fossil gas, Passivhaus and the climate emergency in Vancouver.

For the Energy AMA, we invited Mandar Patil and Cecilia Han Springer. Mandar Patil is currently working as Senior Associate with Rocky Mountain Institute, India. He is working on the transport and mobility sector of India. He is involved in projects with a focus on clean, reliable and economically sustainable transport system for the Indian market. He is also working towards electrification of last mile delivery particularly in Delhi. Mandar has worked in the Research and Development department of commercial vehicles in Tata Motors for 31 months. During this tenure, he optimised vehicle ride parameters and KPIs for the auto major. Mandar has extensively worked on various modelling and optimising software such as ADAMS, MATLAB, ANSYS, Truck Sim, CREO, etc.Cecilia Han Springer is a Senior Researcher at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center, where she analyzes China’s overseas investments in the energy and resource sectors. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, a senior associate at Climate Advisers, and a Fulbright fellow in China. Cecilia also consults on industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization. She has a PhD in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley.

Tim entered the world of technology startups in 2009 while in graduate school earning his MBA. He has worked as a full-time employee, freelance consultant, mentor, advisor, independent board member, and friend to entrepreneurs building early- to growth-stage companies. "Community" defines Tim's profession: he specializes in devising community-oriented strategies and assembling and training teams to foster inclusive, diverse communities that support its members and the organizations that bring them together. Today, Tim is exploring new professional avenues and following his heart to focus his energy on climate action. In this case study and discussion, Tim shared a recent experience leading employee efforts to initiate conversations and spark progress toward a better organizational response to climate change. Along with a story about the process and outcomes, he shared a few products of his work, including a model that may support efforts to understand organizational carbon footprint.

Mitzi Jonelle Tan is 22 years old and she has been an activist since 2017. She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 2019. During her time in university, she was a student leader in several organizations and was also part of her college student council. Mitzi is the Convenor for Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) which is an alliance of individuals and youth formations that advocates for immediate climate action led by the youth. In this podcast, Mitzi gives us tangible examples of what’s happening in the Philippines with climate change. She talks about the work that YACAP is doing and more. She ends with the hope that youth led collective action is needed to give voices to those people who have been marginalised and affected by climate change. Notes – 01:12 – Mitzi’s climate change journey 05:19 – Climate change and the Philippines 06:36 – Governmental reaction to climate change 12:16 – Ordinary Filipinos and climate change 15:51 – Using social media to create an impact 19:33 – Covid19 and climate change 24:06 – Expectations from COP 26 27:40 – Call to action to unite together to combat climate change

Dr Maheswar Dhakal is Joint-Secretary and the Head of Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment in the Government of Nepal. He is also the UNFCCC Focal point for Nepal. He holds a Masters in Environmental Sciences and PhD in Forest Resources Economics from the University of Tsukuba, Japan. His research focuses on forest policy, economic valuation of forest products, protected area and conservation policies, and human-wildlife conflicts in Nepal. In this podcast, Dr Dhakal talks about the role the Nepali government is playing in its fight against climate change, the challenges around food security in Nepal, his expectations from COP 26 and the role of the media in presenting a climate change narrative to the people of Nepal. Notes – 01:05 – Dr Dhakal’s career arc 02:27 – Role of Nepali government in dealing with climate change 09:42 – Kathmandu and pollution 12:07 – Food security in Nepal 14:11 – Nepali government’s policies about wildlife crime 16:44 – Sagarmatha Sambaad 19:06 – Expectations from COP26 21:15 – Media and climate change narratives 22:42 – Call to action

What are the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on climate? Join in an international conversation on how the COVID crisis is playing out in the U.S, India, and Mozambique, led by panelists Zeke Hausfather (Director of Climate and Energy, The Breakthrough Institute) Harish Hande (founder of SELCO-India and CEO of SELCO Foundation) & Dipti Bhatnagar (Climate Justice and Energy Program Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International).

Chandra Bhushan is one of India’s foremost environment and climate change experts. He is the President & CEO of the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST). He was Deputy Director of Centre for Science and Environment from 2010-2019. He has researched, written and campaigned for issues ranging from climate change and energy transformation to rights of mining-affected people and industrial pollution. He was conferred with the ‘Ozone Partnership Award' for his contributions towards the framing of the Kigali Amendments to the Montreal Protocol by UNEP in 2017. In this podcast, Chandra Bhushan talks about his climate change journey, what the purpose behind starting iFOREST was, his personal involvement in the District Mineral Foundation, his thoughts about UNFCCC, COPs and the Montreal Protocol in international climate negotiations and how important it is to make a wholesale change to the economic system to tackle climate change. Notes – 01:12 – Chandra Bhushan’s climate change journey 04:42 – Climate change in India 10:18 – All about iFOREST 17:06 – EIA draft notification 21:17 – District Mineral Foundation 27:15 – BASIC group of countries and politics 31:31 – UNFCCC and failed processes 38:53 – Kigali Amendments to the Montreal Protocol 42:45 – Tackling climate change

Rohan Arthur is a senior scientist and founding trustee of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Karnataka, India. He heads NCF’s Oceans and Coasts program, an interdisciplinary group that works on a range of issues, including understanding human-wildlife interactions in aquatic environments. His research interests concern issues of conservation, particularly the implications of climate change for marine ecosystems, the rational management of marine systems and fisheries in India, and the interface between policy, traditional practices, and ecosystem management In this podcast, Rohan talks about how the Nature Conservation Foundation got started, the role of coastal ecosystems & how climate change is impacting them, his work in the Lakshadweep islands and how climate refugees are going to be a reality in the near future. Notes – 03:18 – How Nature Conservation Foundation got started 05:34 – Essential services provided by coastal ecosystems 10:27 – How climate change is affecting coastal ecosystems 16:18 – National and State level plans to deal with coastal issues 23:51 – Prediction of coral bleaching 27:18 – Work in the Lakshadweep islands 36:38 – Building resilience 42:50 – Empathy towards coastal communities 47:50 – The role of individual and collective action

Hydrogen “could be the solution to many of the hardest parts of the transition to net-zero”, like long-distance freight, shipping and heavy industry, according to the UK’s National Grid. If so, that would make hydrogen one of the largest-scale clean energy technologies. Now, hydrogen is not new. For over 40 years, H2 has been used in great quantities as an industrial chemical and as a fuel for space exploration. As a result, a whole infrastructure is already developed to produce, store, transport and utilize H2 safely. Unfortunately, this hydrogen is largely sourced from fossil fuels, and is the source of around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions today. So what’s new about this old molecule? Well, it turns out that H2 can also be made from waste biomatter or renewable electricity. This “green” hydrogen is one of the only renewable molecular fuels, and an extremely high powered one at that (think rocket ships!)

Dr. Charles “Chip” Fletcher is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Honolulu Climate Change Commission. Chip teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on Earth Science, Climate Change, Coastal Community Resiliency Paleoclimatology, and Sedimentology. He has received a number of teaching, research, and community service awards, and is globally recognized as a leading climate science expert. He frequently appears in Hawaii media discussing climate change.

Dr Debisi Araba is a public policy and strategy specialist and is currently the Managing Director at the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the premier catalytic, multi-partner platform for food and agriculture transformation in Africa. He is a recognized thought leader across the African agricultural sector. Prior to joining the AGRF, he led the International Center for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT’s work in Africa as the Africa Region Director. He holds a MSc in Clean Technology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a Doctorate degree from Imperial College London and a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. In this podcast, Debisi talks about his journey, his organisation Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the challenges posed by COVID19, the realities of climate-smart agriculture and what innovations we can expect in Africa in the near future. Notes – 01:31 – Debisi’s career arc and journey 08:08 – All about AGRF and the challenges it is facing 15:31 – Climate-smart agriculture 22:01 – The concept of ‘hidden hunger’ 26:02 – AGRF’s 10th Summit 29:44 – Women and agri businesses in Africa 32:51 – Politics and policy 35:36 – Covid19 and food security in Africa 39:00 – Africa and its innovations

Agnimitra Bachi graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Early in his education, he developed a taste for sustainability when he worked with the Center for Science and Environment on alternative building practices. His fascination for ‘simply beautiful’ designs took him to Sri Lanka where he worked with prominent Sri Lankan architect Anjalendran, in close proximity to Geoffrey Bawa’s works, to which he attributes much of his design sensibilities. Agnimitra is also a graphic designer, part time comedian, theatre enthusiast and co-founder of the BlackBox movement in Delhi. In this podcast, Agnimitra talks about his journey, his organisation Made in Earth, the challenges posed by COVID19, the importance of using earth in sustainable architecture and how to proactively engage in nurturing and adding to a green environment. Notes – 01:13 – Agnimitra’s career arc 04:08 – The basic tenets of Made in Earth and important projects 15:32 – COVID19 and challenges 19:49 – Younger generation’s interest in sustainable architecture 25:27 – The effect of the construction industry and emissions 28:52 – Green building certifications in India 31:49 – Green building practices 34:55 – Media’s representation of sustainable architecture 41:06 – Call to action - proactively engage in nurturing and adding to a green environment.

How do international climate ambition and strategies for decarbonization fit together? Our guest speaker Navroz Dubash shares his take on the future of international climate policy and a decarbonizing future. Dubash is a professor at the Center for Policy Research in India. And he has been actively engaged in global and national debates on climate change, air quality, energy, and water [for] over 25 years. And he's a coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC fifth assessment, and serves on the UNEP emissions gap report steering committee.

Louise Mabulo is an award-winning chef, farmer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of The Cacao Project, a social venture aimed at equipping farmers for sustainable success. She is a featured honouree for Forbes Asia Under 30, is a Young Champion of the Earth under the United Nations Environment Program, Outstanding Farmer of the Year 2018, and a Friend Of Humanity Awardee under the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. She has studied Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University, U.S.A. and the Watson Institute Philippines. In this podcast, Louise talks about her journey, the Cacao Project, the challenges posed by COVID19 to her community within the context of food security, climate-smart agriculture in the provinces of Philippines and so much more. Notes – 01:09 – Louise’s climate journey 03:23 – The Cacao Project 06:29 – Covid19’s impact 07:42 – Climate change in the Philippines 09:07 – Climate smart agriculture in the Philippines 12:24 – Food security in the local community 15:48 – Women in agriculture 21:01 – Using social media to spread awareness 22:47 – Politics and policy 24:08 – Building empathy towards farmers 26:29 – Call to action - ‘Be the person that makes the world a better place’

Pankaj Bhatia is the Global Director of GHG Protocol and Deputy Director of the Climate Program at the World Resources Institute. Pankaj is one of the leading experts on the GHG Protocol standards and tools, particularly in the areas of corporate, Scope 3, mitigation action, and city accounting. He launched and led the three-year global process that involved more than 2,300 stakeholders to develop the new global GHG Protocol Scope 3 and Product Standards released in October 2011. Currently, he is leading the GHG Protocol team working to develop new global standards in the land sector which are expected to be released by 2022. In addition, he also oversees and supports WRI’s National Climate Action teams working across all its international offices in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. In this podcast, Pankaj talks about his journey, his work pertaining to GHG protocols at the WRI, emissions inventory, connections between Covid19 and emissions and accomplishing carbon neutrality. Notes – 01:19 – Pankaj’s starting point on his climate change journey 03:03 – Pankaj’s role in developing GHG Protocol, Scope 3 and Product Standard 10:29 – Emissions inventory 19:01 – Expectations from COP 26 22:17 – 2050 Pathways Platform 24:45 – Covid19 & emissions 29:14 – WRI setting up new GHG protocols by 2022 36:24 – Carbon neutrality 41:06 – Call to action relates to political legacy of government leaderships

Faith and David are co-owners of Midnight's Farm, a regenerative farm on Lopez Island, WA that produces vegetables, grassfed beef, pastured pork, eggs and compost and sequesters carbon through sustainable practices. This #TerraTalk dives into regenerative agriculture, composting, and the process of building soil health.

This talk hosts Gopal Erinjippurath from Sust Global, Aaron Davitt from ClimateTRACE, and Anthony Atlas from Climate.Ai to discuss climate and AI technology. Their panel addresses applications of data science, specifically machine learning and artificial intelligence, to the climate challenge, sharing examples from three companies/projects leveraging data tools for climate solutions.

Akshay Makar is an experienced thought leader, innovator, and climate entrepreneur within the field of sustainability. Akshay is Founder and CEO of CLIMATENZA. Climatenza’s vision is to accelerate deployment of renewable energy technologies in industries to attain 100% clean future by 2050. Under his leadership, CLIMATENZA has become a global energy company with offices in India and Chile. The recipient of numerous awards, Akshay was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, as also one of the Top 25 Young Leaders by Young Sustainable Impact. Akshay is a 2019 Echoing Green Fellow and a One Young World #Lead2030 Challenge Winner. In this podcast, Akshay talks about his journey and passion for renewables, his company Climatenza, setting up shop in Chile and what the future holds for concentrated solar technologies in the renewable energy space. Notes – 01:12 – Akshay’s interest and passion for renewable energy 03:09 – About Climatenza 05:26 – The CST market 07:03 – Net zero concept 10:36 – Starting up in Chile 14:40 – Impacts of Climatenza 21:49 – Help from government 24:41 – Media awareness about CST 26:58 – Advice to entrepreneurs 29:00 – Call to action

Prasenjeet Yadav is a molecular ecologist turned National Geographic Photographer & Explorer. Prasenjeet is one of the very few photographers who integrates science deeply into his photo stories. His previous projects helped bring light on sensitive issues such as climate change and its effects on high elevation in the Himalayas. Similarly a project on how windmills affect surrounding ecosystems raised questions about how green is our green energy. He is a founder member of 'Shoot for Science' which is an initiative to train scientists in science communication. In this podcast, Prasenjeet talks about his journey and passion for science and communication & snow leopards changing his life. He also asks to become more aware and become part of the solution in the fight against climate change. Notes – 01:09 – Prasenjeet’s journey to becoming a storyteller 03:37 – Nat Geo grant and story on the Shola Sky Islands 06:35 – Challenges faced during the Shola Sky Islands story 09:46 – The snow leopards - conservation challenges, human impact and more 25:19 – Starting up ‘Shoot for Science’ 29:18 – Harnessing the power of social media 31:35 – Indian media and climate change 35:53 – Informed climate activism 37:42 – Call of action - become aware and be part of the solution

Magelan helps startups and tech companies to address climate change with a two-side approach: 1) providing open-source ressources to speed-up companies shift towards low-carbon models and 2) supporting companies at each step of their low-carbon shift - carbon footprint tracking, cultural change programs, low-carbon design, communication - through a lean & science-based methodology. One of the founders, Thomas (who will be giving this talk), leads awareness-raising talks and designs carefully crafted content to inspire people to take action. As a learning specialist, he has organized several training programs for citizens, politicians, employees and executives leaders. Prior to Magelan, Thomas was co-founder and Head of Product of the social startup Vendredi and has helped many projects in the social and solidarity economy.

Anu is Policy and Governance Lead for Acclimatise South Asia based in New Delhi. She formerly led a study on State Action Plans on Climate Change in India, and holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Change and Management from University of Oxford. Laura is CEO and Founder ITACA Solutions based in Panama City. ITACA is a technical assistance service provider committed to accelerating climate adaptation financing in the Caribbean, helping project developers and financial institutions building bankable adaptation and resilience projects. Laura holds a D.Phil. in Geography from King's College, London.

Terra.do founder Anshuman Bapna writes on the future of climate investments and how green tech could be this generation's fastest growing, and most unpredictable, investment opportunity. Looking at India as a case study, explore the hurdles and opportunities of climate conscious investment and how everyone can join this growing sector.

Dr Ana Maria Loboguerrero Rodriguez is Research Director of Climate Action for the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Head of Global Policy Research for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), based in Cali, Colombia. She holds a Master and a PhD in Economics from UCLA. She has more than 10 years’ experience of working on climate change challenges. She has used her experience working in the public sector to become a key partner of policy makers and planners in the region to find ways to make climate information practical for end-users. In this podcast, Ana Maria talks about her journey, her roles and responsibilities in her organisations, what climate change means to Colombia, the role of policies and how best to tackle climate change. Notes – 01:12 – Ana Maria’s starting point on her climate change journey 06:33 – Roles and responsibilities in CGIAR, CIAT and CCAFS 13:13 – What climate change means in Colombia 19:37 – Colombian government’s policies towards climate change 26:50 – Climate smart villages 29:56 – Food security in Colombia 33:10 – Women in agriculture in Colombia 36:22 – Governmental help to organisations 41:19 – Climate change narrative in Colombia 44:33 – Climate strikes in Colombia 47:51 – Call to action

Neelima Vallangi is a national award-winning photographer and well published travel writer. For the past one year she has been researching and covering the climate crisis for news media and other forms. She is currently working on a feature length documentary film tentatively titled "The Human Cost of Climate Crisis" set in Nepal, due to be released by December 2020. She was recently featured by India Climate Collaborative as one of the 40 young leaders to raise awareness and strengthen commitments with their solutions on climate and development. She is also working on an independent newsletter titled "Climate Matters". She continues to research and report for mainstream publications on the climate crisis, with a special focus on the Himalayas and South Asia. In this podcast, Neelima talks about her climate journey, filming her documentary “The Human Cost of Climate Crisis”, talking about climate grief on social media, youth activism and what needs to be done to solve the current climate crisis. Notes – 03:28 – Neelima’s climate journey 05:57 – The genesis of Neelima’s newsletter ‘Climate Matters’ 08:47 – More on Neelima’s documentary ‘The Human Cost of Climate Crisis’ 10:54 – India Climate Collaborative 12:21 – India and climate change 14:04 – Women and climate change 15:55 – Social media and climate grief 21:41 – Indian media and climate change 27:55 – Call of action - collective responsibility

Divya Sharma is the Executive Director at Climate Group’s India office. A thought leader, researcher, academician she comes with experience spanning nearly two-decades operating throughout India and internationally within the sustainable urban development and climate resilience space. Divya has a Doctorate in urban climate resilience and a Master’s in urban development planning. She has extensively worked with national, state, and municipal governments in India and abroad; regional, national, and international development agencies and foundations and international research community and academia. She has been on prestigious advisory positions on international and national networks for sustainable development and climate change internationally and at the national level. In this podcast, Divya talks about her climate journey, her work at The Climate Group, her passion for cities and the need to accelerate climate action. Notes – 01:17 – Divya’s climate journey 03:35 – The Climate Group and Divya’s role at the Climate Group India 08:46 – We Mean Business Coalition - a Climate Group initiative 11:31 – COVID, renewable energy and corporate sourcing of renewable energy in India 15:35 – Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network 20:23 – The Indian government's Smart Cities Initiative 25:12 – C40 Cities Finance Facility 31:03 – Call of action - need to accelerate climate action

Cedrick Tandong is the CEO of Three Wheels United. He has been working in India on the smart use of technology for over 10 years and holds a masters in systems and information management. He began his career as a business analyst at Tata Consultancy Services doing market research on fast moving consumer goods in France. Cedrick also previously founded a company in Cameroon in the e-commerce space. Cedrick is TWU’s mastermind when it comes to operationalizing the impossible as he loves organizing, coordinating and executing under unpredictable circumstances. He also holds a second graduate degree in business management and has lived and worked in four countries across three continents. In this podcast, Cedrick talks about his entrepreneurial journey, the vision and business model of Three Wheels United and its impacts whilst also giving us glimpses into the state of the EV market in India. Notes – 01:15 – Cedrick’s entrepreneurial journey 02:41 – The premise behind Three Wheels United 07:36 – Expansion plans of Three Wheels United 09:41 – Impacts of Three Wheels United 13:03 – Politics and policy 17:21 – Being a 2020 Henry Arnhold Fellow 18:34 – Experiencing India 19:50 – Advice to young entrepreneurs 21:13 – Call of action - support the EV ecosystem

Jonah Mwangi is the Founder and CEO of Green Nettle Textile. Jonah’s background is in biochemistry and he is a farmer by passion. He is an early stage social entrepreneur in the field of agribusiness helping out small farmers. He is an alumni of YALI Transformative Leaders program as also the ygap social changemakers program. Green Nettle was the first African winner of the prestigious Global Change Award presented by the H&M Foundation in 2019. In this podcast, Jonah talks passionately about the importance of the circular economy and fashion. His company Green Nettle Textile is innovating by converting nettle stalks into a linen-like fabric. Learn more about Jonah’s journey and his learnings with entrepreneurship so far… Notes – 01:01 – Jonah’s entrepreneurial journey 04:45 – The premise behind Green Nettle Textile 08:02 – COVID19 challenges 10:26 – Impact of winning the Global Change Award 12:08 – Climate change in Kenya and impacts on Jonah’s company 14:24 – Circular economy and fashion 18:11 – Politics and policy 22:28 – Social entrepreneurship and media awareness 21:13 – Call of action - always think about the impact of fashion

Niall O’Connor is the Asia Director of Stockholm Environment Institute in Bangkok, Thailand. Niall holds a BSc and a MSc in Forestry, both from University College Dublin, and a MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from Imperial College London. Niall comes to SEI from WWF, where he had served in leadership positions since 2008, and as regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa since 2011. Previously, he served as country director in Gambia and Senegal for Concern Universal, a UK-based international NGO. In this podcast, Niall talks about the wonderful work that the SEI Asia centre has been involved in giving particular emphasis to gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction, how business as usual is not going to help the world in a post-pandemic world and why inclusiveness is extremely important as we look towards the future. Notes – 01:02 – Niall’s environmental journey 03:37 – The role of SEI’s Asia Centre 09:45 – Organisational challenges 14:25 – SUMERNET - Sustainable Mekong Regional Network 17:40 – Examples of SEI’s work in connecting gender and climate change 30:59 – Climate refugees 35:17 – Informed climate activism in Thailand 39:01 – Call of action - personal responsibility and inclusiveness