Navigating Net Zero: Dr. Lea Borkenhagen’s Playbook from Nike to Nonprofits & Reasons for Optimism

Navigating Net Zero: Season 1 Highlights & Reflections

After a year of conversations with the people shaping climate action, Navigating Net Zero’s host Alexia Kelly steps back to reflect on what she's learned. This isn't a collection of Season One highlights. It's a thoughtful exploration of the ideas that surfaced again and again across thirteen remarkable conversations: why climate action is ultimately about people before policy; why today's accounting rules are struggling to keep pace with tomorrow's ambition; why markets, trust and transparency remain essential to scaling solutions; why meaningful progress depends on engaging across political, corporate and ideological divides; and why taking care of ourselves may be just as important as our work. Throughout its first season, Navigating Net Zero has looked beyond headlines and net zero pledges to examine where real decisions are made—in boardrooms, supply chains, finance teams and communities. In this closing episode, Alexia draws those conversations together into something more enduring: a field guide for navigating complexity with curiosity, humility and hope. As the first season comes to a close, Alexia reflects on why, despite the scale of the challenge, she remains optimistic—not because the road ahead is easy, but because of the extraordinary people committed to walking it.

Navigating Net Zero: Richard Lawrence on Getting It Right in Carbon Markets & Climate Philanthropy

Host Alexia Kelly sits down with Richard Lawrence, founder of Overlook Investments Group and co-founder of multiple climate-focused organizations, to discuss carbon markets, climate philanthropy, and what has driven his work in both over the decades. Richard shares how a medical mission to Honduras transformed into a 20-year journey of installing more than 400,000 fuel-efficient cookstoves and how high-integrity carbon finance makes it possible. Key Topics Discussed: * The Origin of Proyecto Mirador: How an 11-year-old girl identified a public health crisis that led to a massive climate solution. * Continuous Improvement: Why technical innovation—like a simple $1 ash wiper—is the key to project durability. * The "Top of the Pyramid": Comparing high-performance investment portfolios to high-integrity carbon projects. * The Future of the Market: The role of transparency, the ICVCM, and transitioning from "voluntary" to "verified" carbon markets. * Tripling Down on Climate Philanthropy: Why the ultra-wealthy need to increase their payout ratios to address the climate crisis.

Navigating Net Zero: Kalee Kreider on Climate Communications (and How to Fix Them)

Let’s be honest—climate messaging isn’t landing the way it needs to. In this episode, Alexia Kelly is joined by Kalee Kreider, one of the world’s leading climate communicators, to talk about why… and what we can do about it. From working with Al Gore on An Inconvenient Truth to advising global organizations, Kalee has spent decades figuring out what actually connects with people—and what completely misses the mark. They dive into: * Why your climate message probably isn’t reaching the people you think it is * The danger of “smart-sounding” language (and how to simplify without dumbing down) * How methane went from overlooked to a “climate moment” * Why people need hope + solutions—not just data * The surprising real reason An Inconvenient Truth resonated * How TikTok, LinkedIn, and AI are changing the game * Why even experts need communication training Plus, Kalee shares her top 3 tips for becoming a better climate communicator—no matter your role. If you work in or are passionate about climate, this episode is a must-listen.

Navigating Net Zero: Dr. Lea Borkenhagen’s Playbook from Nike to Nonprofits & Reasons for Optimism

Alexia Kelly interviews Dr. Lea Borkenhagen, SVP at Environmental Defense Fund, about her career spanning economics, NGOs and corporate sustainability. Dr. Borkenhagen traces her path from studying orangutans in Borneo to exploring how markets shape resource use, then working with WWF and earning a PhD before joining Oxfam to help launch the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. They discuss Dr. Borkenhagen’s experience at Nike, and what it really takes to “win hearts and minds” as a sustainability professional.  Dr. Borkenhagen’s work at EDF focuses on sustainability as a driver of business value—and she shares her expert perspective on how emerging topics like CBAM, climate impacts on supply chains, innovation, methane action, and more are reasons for hope in corporate climate progress, despite political headwind.

Navigating Net Zero: Tisha Schuller on Real Climate Progress and the Messy Middle

In this episode of Navigating Net Zero, host Alexia Kelly is joined by Tisha Schuller, founder of Adamantine Energy and strategic advisor to Stanford's Natural Gas Initiative. She’s the author of four books: Accidentally Adamant (2018); The Game Changers Playbook: How Oil and Gas Leaders Thrive in an Era of Continuous Disruption (2020); Real Decarbonization: How Oil and Gas Companies Are Seizing the Low-Carbon Future; and The Myth in the Moment: From Polarization to Progress in the New Energy Landscape. Tisha shares her journey from environmental activism to environmental leadership in the oil and gas industry, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and pragmatism in achieving net zero. They discuss the challenges of the energy transition, the polarized climate debate, and the crucial role oil and gas companies are playing and should continue to play in reducing global carbon intensity. Tisha outlines the need for engagement, innovation, and incrementalism, urging the climate community to work constructively with the oil and gas sector. This dialogue highlights the complexities and opportunities in driving forward a sustainable energy future.