Plastics Without Borders: Inside Us

Plastics Without Borders: Inside Us

This week’s bonus episode comes from South by Southwest London, where Earth Set and the Blue Earth Summit hosted a live discussion exploring one of the most overlooked dimensions of the plastics crisis: human health. Guest names: Sian Sutherland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-sutherland-33485b10/] - Host, Founder of A Plastic Planet Saabira Chaudhuri [https://www.linkedin.com/in/saabira/] - Author of Consumed Laura Harnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-harnett/] - Founder, Seep Amir Afshar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirafshar/] - Founder, Shellworks Professor Richard Lea - University of Nottingham  The conversation moves beyond familiar debates about litter, recycling and ocean pollution to examine what happens when plastic becomes part of our bodies. From declining fertility and endocrine-disrupting chemicals to the history of single-use plastics and the challenge of building viable alternatives, the discussion brings together scientists, entrepreneurs, campaigners and journalists to ask a difficult question: if the evidence around plastic’s health impacts continues to grow, what will it take for business, policymakers and consumers to respond? Along the way, the panel explores how plastics became embedded in modern life, why recycling is not the answer to solving the crisis, and whether a new generation of materials and business models can reduce our dependence on fossil-fuel-based plastics without creating new problems of their own. In This Episode You'll Learn: • How endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics can interfere with the body’s hormonal systems and reproductive health • Why scientists are increasingly concerned about declining fertility rates, falling sperm counts and rising reproductive disorders • How exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy may affect health outcomes later in life • The surprising history of how plastics transformed consumer behaviour, packaging and modern convenience • Why plastic production continues to grow despite decades of recycling campaigns and public awareness efforts • What critics argue is wrong with today’s recycling system — and why many believe reduction and reuse must play a larger role • How entrepreneurs are developing alternative materials designed to replicate the benefits of plastic without creating persistent waste • Why regulation, economics and consumer expectations remain major barriers to scaling plastic-free solutions • Whether human health concerns could become the catalyst that finally accelerates action on plastic pollution and chemical safety 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here: 👉 ⁠earthset.co⁠⁠ [https://earthset.co] If you enjoyed this episode Please take a moment to: • Leave 5 stars • Write a quick review • Share the episode with someone interested in climate technology, innovation or industrial strategy It helps more people discover the show. Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

Decarbonise or Deindustrialise? Is This Really the Choice Facing Britain?

This week’s episode comes from Octopus Energy HQ where Amy Rennison [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rennison-409680106/] is joined by Phil Cohen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-cohen-511b6147/], Patrick Matthewson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-matthewson-4808b4128/], Rachel Fletcher [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-f-1027635/], and Aruna Ramsamy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aruna-ramsamy-646a072/]. The conversation explores a growing tension at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy: the push to decarbonise heavy industry is running directly into some of the highest industrial electricity prices in the OECD. Across steel, chemicals, manufacturing and energy-intensive production, the technologies for deep decarbonisation increasingly exist — but the economics, infrastructure and policy frameworks are not yet aligned to deploy them at scale. What emerges is not a simple trade-off between climate ambition and industrial survival, but a more complex systems problem: fragmented policy design, high energy system costs, and weak demand signals are all shaping investment decisions in ways that risk slowing both electrification and industrial renewal. Against this backdrop, international examples like Sweden’s H2 Green Steel highlight how low-cost power, coordinated policy and long-term offtake agreements can unlock entirely new industrial ecosystems. The central question becomes whether the UK can correct these structural issues quickly enough to prevent a gradual erosion of its industrial base while still pursuing net zero. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why UK industrial electricity prices are among the highest in Europe and how policy costs, network investment and market design contribute to them • How energy-intensive sectors like steel, chemicals and glass are already experiencing output declines linked to the energy crisis • Why electrification is widely seen as the main route to industrial decarbonisation, despite technical limits in some high-temperature processes • How fragmented policy between energy, industrial strategy and regulation is slowing investment and creating uncertainty for manufacturers • Why compensation schemes and exemptions only partially offset high costs and fail to address structural competitiveness issues • How projects like H2 Green Steel in Sweden demonstrate the importance of low-cost electricity, carbon pricing and coordinated demand for enabling new industrial investment • Why investors and manufacturers are increasingly calling for deeper market reform, including connection reform, flexibility markets and removal of policy costs from electricity bills 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠ [https://earthset.co] If you enjoyed this episode Please take a moment to: • Leave 5 stars • Write a quick review • Share the episode with someone interested in climate technology, innovation or industrial strategy It helps more people discover the show. Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

Earth Set Q1 Climate Review: What Just Happened

This week’s episode takes a step back from individual topics to look at the bigger picture: a Q1 2026 review of the climate and energy stories that have defined the year so far — and what they mean for what comes next. Hosted by Amy Rennison [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rennison-409680106/], the conversation brings together three returning perspectives spanning analysis, politics and capital. Lucy Shaw [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyfionashaw?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios], energy analyst and advisor, breaks down the system-level dynamics shaping energy markets and infrastructure. Luke Shore [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-shore-97467358?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios], from Project Tempo, explores how these shifts are landing politically, and how voters are responding. And Max Bray [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxbray?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios], partner at Kindred Capital, offers a view from the investment side, tracking where capital is flowing and where confidence is changing. Across five fast-moving topics, from AI-driven energy demand to US climate policy, capital flows, the Iran crisis, and UK energy strategy, the discussion builds a picture of a system under pressure from multiple directions at once. What emerges is a transition no longer defined by a single narrative. Instead, it’s shaped by competing forces: rapid demand growth, geopolitical instability, political backlash, and uneven progress across technologies and regions. At the centre is a familiar tension, now more visible than ever: the need to move quickly, and the growing risk that rising costs, infrastructure constraints, and political resistance could slow things down. If the transition is no longer just about decarbonisation, but about affordability, security and public consent, the question becomes: can the system adapt fast enough to hold all three together? In this episode you’ll learn: * Why AI has rapidly shifted from a tech story to an energy and infrastructure story * How Europe’s economic fundamentals are affecting its ability to scale climate technologies * Whether we are actually on track for net zero — and how that depends on how you define “on track” * Why electrification — not just clean power — is now the critical missing piece * How the Iran crisis is affecting global energy markets, supply chains and pricing * How high energy prices are affecting UK industry — from steel to ceramics * Why delivery — not just policy — is now the key challenge for governments * How crises like today’s energy shock compare to historical moments like the 1970s oil crisis * Why moments of disruption can either accelerate change — or be missed entirely Resources & Links Project Tempo [https://projecttempo.com/] – Research on public attitudes to climate and energy policyKindred Capital [https://kindredcapital.vc/] – Early-stage investment across deep tech and energyCornish Lithium [https://cornishlithium.com/] – UK-based lithium extraction and geothermal developmentGridserve [https://www.gridserve.com/] – UK EV charging and renewable energy infrastructureFuse Energy [https://www.fuseenergy.com/] – Vertically integrated energy company model 🎟️ Join Earth Set LiveWe host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here:👉 earthset.co If you enjoyed this episode Please take a moment to: * Leave 5 stars * Write a quick review * Share the episode with someone interested in climate, energy or public policy It helps more people discover the show. Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

The Just Transition: Making it Work

This week’s episode comes from Octopus Energy HQ, where Amy Rennison [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rennison-409680106/] hosts a live Earth Set conversation on one of the most contested — and least clearly defined — ideas in the transition: the “just transition”. She’s joined by three perspectives spanning community, policy and capital. David Powell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-powell-99b36548/] from the Local Storytelling Exchange [https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-storytelling-exchange/] brings a grounded view from communities across the UK, exploring how people actually experience change — often in ways that never show up in policy. Grace Millman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-millman-67aa7b130/], working on just transitions and community energy at Regen [https://www.linkedin.com/company/regen-sw/], looks at how fairness, participation and regional inequality shape the way net zero lands in real places. And Jordan Fletcher [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-fletcher/], investor at Future Impact Ventures, [https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-impact-ventures/] shares how capital can be deployed not just to decarbonise, but to create broader social and economic value from the start. The conversation moves beyond theory into the lived reality of the transition: rising energy bills, contested infrastructure, uneven access to new technologies, and the growing sense among many communities that change is happening to them, not with them. Together, they unpack a central tension: the need to move fast — and the risk that moving fast without fairness ultimately slows everything down. If the transition is as much about trust, perception and lived experience as it is about technology, the question becomes this: how do we design a system that people actually feel is working for them? In this episode you’ll learn: * Why the “just transition” means different things to different people — and why that ambiguity matters * How feelings of fairness, pride and dignity shape public support for climate action * Why most people don’t talk about “climate” — but do care about their homes, bills and communities * How storytelling reveals the gap between policy design and lived experience * The role of trust — and why people are more likely to act on advice from someone they know than from institutions * Why speed vs fairness is a false trade-off — and how unfair transitions often stal * How infrastructure projects like grid expansion are creating tension in local communities * Why energy bills remain the dominant lens through which people experience the transition Resources & Links * Local Storytelling Exchange [https://localstoryexchange.org/] – Community-led climate storytelling across the UK * Check out the video mentioned at the start of the episode from the Local Storytelling Exchange [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxHMS806LIM] that gives the real stories of the green transition * Future Impact Ventures [https://futureimpact.ventures/]– Investment in the just transition at the intersection of climate, community and capital * Community Energy England [https://communityenergyengland.org/]– Network supporting local energy projects and ownership models 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.First Tuesday of every month.Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠ [http://earthset.co] If you enjoyed this episode Please take a moment to: * Leave 5 stars * Write a quick review * Share the episode with someone interested in climate, energy or public policy It helps more people discover the show.Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.

What the UK Is Getting Right: Geothermal Energy and Future-Focused Policy

This week’s episode comes from the Eden Project in Cornwall, where Amy Rennison [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rennison-409680106/] and Fiona Howarth [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-howarth/] speak to two very different — but equally important — voices in the transition. First, Augusta Grand [https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusta-grand-72014555/], CEO of Eden Geothermal, shares the story of bringing geothermal energy to the UK — from early resistance to wind power through to the realities of drilling, financing and scaling a new energy source. The conversation explores why geothermal has long been overlooked, how rapidly the technology is advancing, and why it could play a critical role in both electricity and heat. Then, Amy speaks with Jane Davidson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-davidson-24070337/], former Welsh minister and architect of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act — one of the most ambitious pieces of sustainability legislation in the world. They discuss how the Act came to life, what it has changed, and how it is now shaping Wales’ approach to long-term decision making and net zero. Together, these conversations explore two sides of the same challenge: how we move from ambition to delivery — whether that’s building new energy infrastructure or redesigning the systems that govern it. If the transition depends on both technology and institutions, the real question becomes this: how do we align innovation, policy and people to actually deliver change at scale? In this episode you’ll learn: * What geothermal energy is and why it has been underutilised in the UK * How advances in drilling technology are rapidly improving the economics of geothermal * The difference between geothermal for electricity and geothermal for heat — and why heat matters most * Why countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands are ahead on geothermal deployment * The role of government policy, funding and market design in unlocking new energy technologies * How local energy systems, data centres and grid constraints are shaping future infrastructure decisions * What the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act is and why it is unique globally * The shift from a “duty to promote” to a “duty to deliver” in public policy * How long-term thinking is embedded into Welsh governance across all public institutions * Real-world examples of how the Act has influenced procurement, planning and community outcomes * Why political systems struggle with long-term decision making — and how this can change * How Wales is approaching net zero through a delivery-focused, system-wide plan * The importance of making climate policy tangible, practical and accessible to the public Resources & Links Eden Geothermal – Project and research on geothermal energy in the UK Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) – Framework for long-term, sustainable governance. 🎟️ Join Earth Set Live We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy. First Tuesday of every month. Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠ [https://earthset.co] If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment to: * Leave 5 stars * Write a quick review * Share the episode with someone interested in climate technology, innovation or industrial strategy It helps more people discover the show. Thanks for listening — see you at the next live event or in your feed soon.