Episodes

This week, Michael Liebreich is joined by Professor Jim Skea from Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy and the co-author of the seminal IPCC 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C. Bio Jim Skea is a Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London and the co-author of the IPCC 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C. He’s still involved in the works of the IPCC, currently co-chairing the Working Group III (focused on climate change mitigation) contribution to AR6. Between 2012 and 2017 Professor Skea was an Energy Strategy Fellow at the Research Councils UK. Meanwhile, he was also the President of the Energy Institute between 2015 and 2017. He led the UK Energy Research Centre and worked on UK’s energy transition scenarios from 2004-2012. Born in Scotland, Jim Skea read Mathematical Physics at Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD in Physics at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory. After completing his PhD, Jim Skea…

This week our guest on Cleaning Up is Kate Hampton, the CEO of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation and a long-time expert in sustainable finance and the carbon markets. Bio Kate Hampton has been the CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) since March 2016. Before that, she was in charge of the CIFF’s Climate Change team, since 2009. Her policy expertise has led her to a variety of advisory roles. Currently, these include the Observer Research Foundation (India) and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), the China Advisory Group on Global Climate Governance, the Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (University of Oxford), We Protect Global Alliance, Friend of COP26, and Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan Advisory Council. Kate has had an incredible career spanning from roles in finance to government. She was Head of Policy at Climate Change Capi…

This week, Kristian Ruby, the Secretary-General of Eurelectric since 2017, will be joining us for a conversation. Eurelectric is a pan-European organisation with the aim of representing the common interests of the electricity industry. He was also once part of the Danish government in the Ministries of Climate and Energy as well as Environment. Bio Kristian Ruby has been the Secretary-General of Eurelectric, a pan-European organisation with the aim of representing the common interests of the electricity industry since 2017. Prior to this role, Kristian was Chief Policy Officer at WindEurope between 2015 and 2016. This involved producing political strategies as well as leading the political advocacy work. From 2014 to 2015, he was Chief Advisor/Manager at Operate A/S who work closely with corporations, ministries, and government agencies with PR campaigns concerning climate and the environment. Kristian has political experience as well. Between 2010 and 2014 he was w…

Today is International Women’s Day. We want to take the time to highlight some of the incredible women who are leading the world’s pivot to net-zero. From politics to finance and diplomacy, these women are vital to climate action on an international level. Each episode is available in full at www.cleaningup.live Name of each episode with their link Episode 2: Rachel Kyte 'Investing in Climate Leadership' https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-2-rachel-kyte Episode 4: Barbara Buchner ‘Counting the Climate Cash’ https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-4-barbara-buchner Episode 5: Kirsty Gogan ‘Fighting for Nuclear’ https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-5-kirsty-gogan Episode 6: Christiana Figueres ‘To Paris & Beyond’ https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-6-christiana-figureres Episode 10: Angela Francis ‘A Green Deal without the Yellow Vests’ https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-10-angela-francis Episode 18: Nancy Pfund ‘Women Backing Winners’ https://www.cleaningup.live/episod…

From the core of British politics, Amber Rudd joins Michael Liebreich for a conversation. She is the former MP for Hastings and Rye representing the Conservative party, the Home Secretary for 2 years from 2016, and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2018 to 2019. Bio Amber Rudd is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Group for Equinor, a major Norwegian energy company. Amber Rudd is also an advisor for several firms in the security and communication space. She is also a trustee of the Climate Group, an international non-profit focusing on climate and energy. Prior to this work, she was at the core of British politics. She was an MP for Hastings and Rye between 2010 and 2019. She held numerous ministerial posts: the Home Secretary between 2016-2018. She led the response to the tragic 2017 London Bridge terrorist attack. From 2015-2016, she was the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, representing the UK during the triumphant Pa…

Joining Cleaning Up today is start-up legend, Greg Jackson. Greg is CEO and founder of Octopus Energy whose mission is to bring ‘power to the people’ by supplying their customers with 100% green electricity at fair prices. Bio Greg Jackson is the CEO and founder of Octopus Energy, the new renewable energy provider that started in the UK and is now expanding globally. Greg has built one of the fastest growing energy firms – Octopus, with just under 2 million clients is on track to join the group of the Big Six utility providers. The key to company’s success is “elec-tech” software allowing customers to use electricity at the lowest rates possible – and once actually paying consumers to use electricity when renewables generation reached record highs. Greg believes electricity is becoming a tech sector – and his company is at the forefront of the ‘digital revolution’ in the energy space. Before founding Octopus Energy, Greg has been active in the start-up world both as …

Emma Howard Boyd is one of the leading voices in the UK’s Environment scene. As the Chair of the Environment Agency, she is at the forefront of the current environment agenda. This week, Michael and Emma will discuss everything from recent flooding in the UK to the unique UWC schooling experience. Bio Emma Howard Boyd has been the chair of the UK’s Environment Agency since 2016. The Agency is a public body responsible for the protection and enhancement of the environment in England. She’s also the UK Commissioner to the Global Commission on Adaptation, an Ex officio board member of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and an Advisor to the Board of Trade. Emma, with a background in finance, is a board member or advisor to many companies which include The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project, the European Climate Foundation, and Menhaden PLC. Before becoming the Chair of the Agency in September 2016, she served as its Board member since …

Having first met in Business School in Harvard, Claire Perry O'Neill and Michael Liebreich go back a long way. However, he has never been surprised at how much she's achieved since then. From finance to politics and now to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, she has been behind some of the key implementations in the UK’s fight to Net-Zero. Bio Claire Perry O'Neill is a Managing Director responsible for Climate & Energy at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Claire is also a board member of Ikigai, a sustainable investment consultancy. Claire was the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth in Theresa May’s government between 2017 and 2019. She was responsible for the UK’s first clean growth plan, launching the Powering Past Coal Alliance, preparing the legislation for the UK to become the first major economy to target net-zero emissions by 2050, and for leading the bid to make Glasgow the location for COP26. Her political care…

This week, we welcome Steven Chu, Professor of Physics and Physiology at Stanford University, and the 1997 co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics to Cleaning Up. Professor Chu was was the first of two Secretaries of Energy during President’s Obama term as president, the second being Ernie Moniz, my guest on Episode 17 of Cleaning Up. He is now the Chair of the Board of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This week, we have also made it into the Top 10 Climate Change Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/climate_change_podcasts/ Bio Professor Steven Chu is currently William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. He is also the Chair of the Board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a non-profit organisation defending scientific freedom and encouraging a collaborative approach in order to serve humanity as a whole. Professor Steven Chu served …

Named one of the most influential people in the energy sector by the Forbes magazine and the energy personality of the year by the Financial Times in 2017, Fatih Birol is one of the most important voices in the energy world. He is the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, leading it for the second four-year-term now. Dr Fatih Birol has been instrumental in its modernisation process. He is also one of the few heads of an international organisation who have worked their way up through the ranks. Bio Dr Fatih Birol is the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. He was first appointed in 2015 and re-elected in 2018 for the second term.  During his time in office, he modernised the Agency, focusing his efforts on involving major emerging economies in the Agency’s works, broadening IEA’s security mandate and making the IEA the hub for clean energy technologies and energy efficiency. Before becoming the Executive Director, Fatih Birol worked his way t…

Beverley Gower-Jones is the leading figure in the cleantech start-up world. She is the Managing Partner at the Clean Growth Fund which invests in the UK's most promising early-stage, clean growth ventures. She’s also the CEO and founder of Carbon Limiting Technologies, helping companies to commercialize new, innovative technologies. Bio Beverley Gower-Jones is the Managing Partner at the Clean Growth Fund, which is backed by, amongst others, the UK Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. The Fund, with a mandate of £40million (and aim to get to £100 million in 2021), invests in the UK's most promising early-stage, clean growth ventures.  Beverley has also co-founded Carbon Limiting Technologies in 2006 and run it ever since. The company’s aim is to support companies in new technologies and clean energy. Before that she worked for 20 years at Shell in various roles – from Production Geologist in Scotland, Brunei, and Egypt through well engineering all th…

More than any other single person, Zac Goldsmith - or The Right Honourable Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park as he is properly known – is responsible for the UK Conservative Party’s relatively recent conversion to the cause of the environment. Bio Zac Goldsmith has devoted his entire professional life to the environment – first as editor of the Ecologist magazine, then as an MP and London Mayoral candidate, and now as a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords, where he serves as Minister for Pacific and the Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As Minister of State, Zac Goldsmith is responsible for forestry and biodiversity, biodiversity and climate and illegal wildlife trade as well as the Pacific region. As Minister of DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Goldsmith is currently working on getting COP15 on Biodiversity and COP26 closer. He recently formed…

How do we get climate at the forefront of politics? How can we good data influence the climate transition? In the first episode of the second season of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich speaks to Bryony Worthington: a crossbench member of the House of Lords, founder of Ember, and the lead author of the 2008 UK Climate Change Act. Bio: Baroness Bryony Worthington is a Crossbench member of the House of Lords, who has spent her career working on conservation, energy and climate change issues. Bryony Worthington was appointed as a Life Peer in 2011. Her current roles include co-chairing the cross-party caucus Peers for the Planet in the House of Lords and Co-Director of the Quadrature Climate Foundation. Her opus magnum is the 2008 Climate Change Act which she wrote as the lead author. She piloted the efforts on this landmark legislation – from the Friends of the Earth’s ‘Big Ask’ campaign all the way through to the parliamentary works. This crucial legislation requires the UK to reduce …

2020 has been a strange and difficult year. In the midst of the global pandemic, Michael decided to reach out to some familiar faces in global climate leadership not only to catch up but also to discuss how the world can move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. In this Holiday Special, we look back at some of the most insightful, revealing, and humorous moments from Series 1 of Cleaning Up. Michael talks to guests including Professor Ernest Moniz, former US Secretary of Energy; Robin Chase, founder of Zip Car and expert on sustainable transportation; and Kandeh Yumkella, former Director-General of UNIDO. From the future of the energy system and inclusion to behind-the-scenes moments and personal philosophies. Enjoy our favourite moments, have a restful winter holiday, and a prosperous new year!

Last but not least, our concluding episode of 2020 is with James Cameron. No not the director, but he is doing radical things in a suit (this will make more sense once you press play). Find out why Tom Paine was an important inspiration for his career, what the WTO needs to do to progress and trade in post-Brexit UK. Bio James Cameron is a barrister, independent adviser and social entrepreneur, and a recognised leader of the global climate change community. He is an expert on sustainability and trade policy – and as you can imagine he’s very much in demand in Britain right now, not only with the post-Brexit negotiations, but also since he was appointed as a ‘Friend of the COP’ for COP26, advising the Presidency. James is a senior advisor for Pollination, a climate change advisory and investment firm, as well as System IQ, Tulchan Communications and AVAIA Capital. He also sits on the Advisory Board for Heathrow 2.0 and is a London Sustainable Development Commissioner. James was a…

What is the future of urban transportation in the world’s cities? Will autonomous cars revolutionize our lives? Meet the woman behind the world’s largest car sharing company, Robin Chase, the transport entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Zipcar, Veniam and now, co-founder of NUMO. She is also a public speaker, author and entrepreneur seeking to change the landscape of mobility on a global level. Bio/Introduction Robin Chase is a transport entrepreneur. She has co-founded Zipcar, Veniam and NUMO. She is also the author of the book ‘Peers Inc: How People and Platforms are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism’ about how technology has paved the way for a new collaborative economy in which companies are able to help solve large scale social problems. Her current occupation is working with cities to maximize the benefits mass rollout of self-driving cars and low-cost electric bikes can bring. She sits on the Boards of the World Resources Institute and Tu…

What happens behind the scenes of the EU Parliament? One of the leading figures in European politics, Claude Turmes, the Minister for Energy and Minister for Spatial Planning in Luxembourg, joins Michael Liebreich for episode 21. As a member of the European Green Party and a former Member of the European Parliament for 19 years, Claude has extensive experience representing the parliament in international climate change conferences. Bio/Introduction Claude Turmes has been the rapporteur of a large number of European directives, in particular on renewable energies, energy efficiency, the electricity market and climate plans, as well as on the European lobby register. He was the rapporteur on the EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28. From 2004 to 2018, he was the chairman of EUFORES (European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources), the Inter-parliamentary association for the promotion of renewable energies in Europe. Moreover, He represented the Parliament at the 2008 United Nations Clim…

As a 10 year old girl, Richenda Van Leeuwen saw a solar panel at the Centre of Alternative Technology on a rainy day in Wales. This would serve as her first point of inspiration for the career ahead of her. Now, she is the Executive Director of Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. In the 20th episode of Cleaning Up, Michael and Richenda cover gender balance in the energy sector, the crucial role electricity access plays in providing healthcare in the Global South as well as ways to ensure that local economies are the beneficiaries of growth in emerging markets. Bio Richenda joined the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) as Executive Director after serving as Managing Director for Empowering Clean Economies at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and previously chairing the International Institutions at the Global LPG Partnership where she led work on clean cooking energy solutions in developing economies. She was also a member of the World Bank’s Energy Program’s (ESM…

From CEO of Z Energy to founding the Climate Leaders Coalition, Mike Bennetts has had an immense impact on New Zealand’s position in reducing emissions in the country. Mike and Michael sit down from other sides of the world for the 19th episode of Cleaning Up. Mike Bennetts is presently the founding Chief Executive of Z Energy Ltd, the company that purchased the downstream (refining and marketing) business of Shell in New Zealand in April 2010 and Chevron in June 2016. As a result of an IPO in August 2013, Z is now dual listed on the ASX and NZX and ranks in the NZX10. He has accumulated 35 years of experience in the global energy industry with his expertise in supply, trading and marketing businesses covering both consumer and business to business segments. In 1983 he joined BP in New Zealand with his early roles being based in sales, marketing, information technology and finance. From 1992 to 2008 he served in various senior leadership roles in South Africa, China, Singapore and t…

How can venture capital be used to promote social change and environmental improvement? As a leading venture capitalist of her time and one of the early investors in Tesla, find out the drive behind Nancy Pfund’s incredible career, this week, on Cleaning Up. Nancy E. Pfund is Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Partners, a venture capital firm whose goal is to combine top-tier financial returns with meaningful social, environmental, and economic returns in the regions and sectors in which it invests. Nancy is also the Founder of DBL Investors. Ms. Pfund currently sponsors or sits on the board of directors of several companies, including; Farmers Business Network, The Muse, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Off-Grid Electric, Primus Power, and, prior to their public offerings, Tesla Motors and Pandora. She also served on the board of SolarCity from 2008 until its acquisition by Tesla in December 2016, on both the audit and compensation committees, and chairing its corporate govern…

What would Professor Ernest Moniz, 13th United States Secretary of Energy, say to the 16th Secretary who will be appointed in the coming months? Would he, as the architect of the JCPOA (known better as the Iran nuclear deal) agree with Donald Trump that it was “the worst deal ever negotiated? (Spoiler alert: no). What does he consider to be the most interesting innovations in the energy space? Listen to the special, 17th episode of Cleaning Up to find out! Bio/introduction While the US election votes are being counted, Ernie Moniz and Michael Liebreich sit down for Cleaning Up’s 17th episode. Ernie Moniz served as the U.S. Secretary Energy during President Barack Obama’s second term. He was the architect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (known better as the Iran nuclear deal). In addition to that he played a key role in negotiating the Paris Agreement and founding Mission Innovation at COP21. Currently he is the CEO of Energy Futures Initiative, a Washington based…

How did Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella impact the Sustainable Development Goals? How has he influenced energy's position in development? Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella – known as KKY in his native Sierra Leone - is a senior academic and politician. He joins Michael Liebreich this week to talk about his journey from being the Director-General at UNIDO to his political career in Sierra Leone. He is parliamentary leader of Sierra Leone’s National Grand Coalition and an MP representing Constituency 062 in Kambia District, where he was born. He is founder and CEO of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), a regional ecosystem hub for sustainable energy solutions. Dr Yumkella was Minister for Trade and Industry of Sierra Leone from 1994-1995. He joined the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in 1996, rising through the ranks and serving two four-year terms as Director General between 2005 and 2013. It was during this time that Dr Yumkella came to understand the vital role of energy access in …

How can we use data modelling to predict the future of zero-emission energy? This week, Auke Hoekstra discusses the SparkCity model, dealing with, adoption of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the effects the switch to EVs is going to have on the grid. Auke joins Michael for this week's episode from his self-designed energy positive house in the Netherlands. Not only is he a researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology but also the founder of Zenmo simulations and initiated NEON a research programme focusing on transport and sustainability. Auke debunks a few myths as well: electric cars do not emit more CO2 than ICE vehicles and trucks are actually electrifiable. They also discuss how the EIA’s and the IEA’s forecasts on solar cost and penetration have aged (spoiler: not well).

How much energy are data centres using worldwide? Why have lamps been a massive infrastructure revolution? From food waste in olive production in Spain to air pollution, Michael welcomes Jonathan Maxwell into his home for Cleaning Up’s 14th episode! Jonathan Maxwell is the CEO of Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL), an investment firm that set up the UK’s first listed investment trust investing exclusively in energy efficiency - Sustainable Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEEIT). Jonathan chairs the Trust’s Investment Committee. Jonathan has over two decades of experience in the financial sector – he spent early days of his career at HSBC Infrastructure and led the IPO process of HICL Infrastructure Company (formerly HSBC Infrastructure Company) – one of the biggest infrastructure funds listed on the London Stock Exchange. In 2007 he founded Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL), a boutique investment firm specializing in clean energy, energy efficiency and decentralised energ…