Carbon Clarity

#22: 3 things I'd tell every organisation kickstarting their Net Zero journey.

Episode 22: 3 Things I'd Tell Every Organisation Kickstarting Their Net Zero Journey Most organisations have someone responsible for net zero. Far fewer have someone genuinely accountable for it. And that gap — between good intentions and actual emissions reductions — is where years get lost. In this solo episode, host Kev Cooling steps back from the interview format to share the three things he'd tell any organisation that's serious about reducing its carbon footprint. Drawn from over 20 years in carbon management and distilled into his two free hackbooks on Governance and Leadership, these aren't the flashiest ideas in sustainability — but they are the most consistently overlooked. In this episode: * Why giving someone a job title isn't the same as making them accountable — and what genuine accountability actually looks like * The shadow leaders cast, and why one visible act of hypocrisy can undo months of hard work * Why trying to convert everyone in your organisation is one of the biggest energy drains in sustainability — and where to focus instead Whether your net zero programme has stalled or you're just getting it off the ground, this episode will give you a clearer sense of where to put your energy first. Free resources mentioned: * Governance Hackbook — www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk/] * Leadership Hackbook — www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk/] Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/] Music credits: March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io) Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet [https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet]

#21 The rulebook that could transform UK construction.

The Rule Book That Could Transform UK Construction. Until recently, anybody could say their building was net zero — and define what that meant in their own terms. The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard was created to change that. In this episode, Kev is joined by two people who know it inside out: Will Arnold, Head of Sustainable Materials at the Useful Simple Trust and the standard's technical author, and Apeksha Gupta, Principal Consultant in ESG and Net Zero at Greengage, who spent 2025 applying it to real buildings on behalf of real clients. Between them, they cover what 200+ pilot projects taught the steering group, why the data infrastructure you put in place today will define your ability to decarbonise tomorrow, and how a heritage-listed office in the City of London came within touching distance of net zero aligned status. Will also reveals what's new in version one — including a practical completion on-track check that could be a game-changer for speculative developers — and explains why a coalition of global investors managing trillions in real estate concluded this was the only standard in the world that did what they needed. If you work in the built environment, this is the episode to get you ready for version one. Things mentioned in the show: • UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (pilot version, launched late 2024; version one forthcoming): Pilot Version | UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard [https://www.nzcbuildings.co.uk/pilotversion] • UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) — research that led to the standard (2021): UKGBC - The UK Green Building Council [https://ukgbc.org/] • BREEAM / LEED / NABERS — certification schemes referenced in context: Certification for Sustainable Buildings | BREEAM [https://breeam.com/], LEED rating system | U.S. Green Building Council [https://www.usgbc.org/leed], About NABERS UK | CIBSE Certification [https://www.cibsecertification.co.uk/nabers-uk/about-nabers-uk/] • RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon — Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment [https://www.rics.org/profession-standards/rics-standards-and-guidance/sector-standards/construction-standards/whole-life-carbon-assessment] Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/] Music credits: March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io) Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet [https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet]

#20 The gap between media noise and boardroom action has never been bigger.

The gap between media noise and boardroom action has never been bigger. In this episode of Carbon Clarity, I'm joined by Will Symons, Deloitte's Asia Pacific Sustainability Leader, for a conversation that cuts through the headlines. We cover:  🌏 Why China's climate commitments matter more than you think  🔄 The shift from marketing departments to CFO desks  🤖 How AI could be climate's secret weapon (not its enemy)  🏗️ What Australia's rapid grid transformation teaches the world  📊 The real drivers behind corporate sustainability action Will's leading 1,500 sustainability practitioners across the region and has a unique view on what's actually happening versus what we're reading about. If you've been wondering whether the sustainability agenda is really slowing down, this conversation will give you a very different perspective. Stuff mentioned in the show: ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) - S1 & S2 [https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-sustainability-standards-navigator/] TNFD (Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) [https://tnfd.global/] IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards [https://www.ifrs.org/projects/completed-projects/2023/climate-related-disclosures/#about] Paris Climate Agreement (Paris Agreement/COP21) [https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement] NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) [https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs] NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) [https://www.nabers.gov.au/] NABERS UK [https://www.nabers.gov.au/nabers-uk] Green Steps Program (Monash University) [https://www.monash.edu/science/current-students/green-steps] #CarbonClarity #Sustainability #ClimateAction #AsiaPacific #Leadership Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/] Music credits: March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io) Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet [https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet]

#19: Building more than networks: How energy infrastructure creates social value AND saves carbon.

When you hear about half-billion-pound heat network projects, you probably think: carbon savings, right?  But what if I told you these massive energy infrastructure schemes are also creating apprenticeships, building local supply chains, and bringing serious inward investment to cities?  Kit Gillibrand from Hermetica Black has spent over a decade turning complex energy projects into reality – from Madagascar to Manchester. And he's got a powerful message: the best energy infrastructure projects don't just decarbonize cities, they transform them.  In this conversation, Kit explains how places like Greater Manchester are using long-term energy contracts to develop local skills, why removing government grants might actually force better decisions, and how energy infrastructure is becoming the foundation for development rather than a cost on top of it.  If you've ever wondered how these enormous projects actually get financed, built, and delivered – or why they're about so much more than just saving carbon – this episode is for you.  🎧 Listen to Carbon Clarity – wherever you get your podcasts. Things mentioned in the show: Find Kit on LinkedIn, here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kitgillibrand/]. Find Hermetica Black, here [https://hermeticablack.com/]. The Spark Gap - the difference in cost / kWh of gas and electricity. Useful article from the EcoExperts here [https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/news/spark-gap-electricity-gas-prices]. The HMT Green Book - guidance for evaluating project from .Gov. Explanation provided by Thornton & Lowe here [https://thorntonandlowe.com/green-book-value-for-money-and-procurement/]. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) - info from the Government here [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme]. Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/] Music credits: March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io) Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet [https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet]

#18 The strategy-reality gap: What's really happening in asset management.

We talk about sustainability strategies all day long... but why do so few of them actually work on the ground? I sat down with Mark Hingston from Cushman & Wakefield to explore one of the industry's biggest challenges: the gap between what we say we'll do and what actually happens in asset management. We dive into: * ✓ Why corporate sustainability plans fail at the operational level  * ✓ The criticality of data driving institutional investment decisions  * ✓ How embodied carbon is reshaping property portfolios  * ✓ Whether apprenticeships could solve our engineering skills crisis  * ✓ The surprising lessons sustainability can learn from health & safety If you've ever wondered why your organisation's net zero commitments aren't translating into real change, this conversation will resonate. The Strategy-Reality Gap: Mark Hingston on What's Really Happening in Asset Management is out now. 🎧 Listen to Carbon Clarity - wherever you get your podcasts. #Sustainability #AssetManagement #RealEstate #NetZero #CarbonClarity Things mentioned in the show: GRESB - International framework used by investors to evaluate and benchmark real estate assets. Find out more here [https://www.gresb.com/nl-en/]. UKGBC Whole Life Net Zero Carbon Roadmap - valuable study looking at what needs to happen to meet our Net Zero goals. Find it here [https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/whole-life-carbon-roadmap/]. NABERS UK - Energy rating scheme that was hugely successful in Australia where it was developed, now being used in the UK. Administered by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). Here [https://www.cibsecertification.co.uk/nabers-uk/]. TCFDs - Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Now replaced by the ISSB's IFRS1 & 2, the TCFDs remain important for UK -based companies. Find out about future plans in the UK here [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/climate-change-sustainable-finance/reporting-requirements] and the replacement requirements, here [https://www.ifrs.org/sustainability/knowledge-hub/making-the-transition-from-tcfd-to-issb/].   Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk [https://www.hut22.co.uk] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/] Music credits: March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io) Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet [https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet]