Sustainable Matters

Laura Elms is the VP of sustainability and Corporate affairs at Forest, which provides e bikes for commuters and tourists in London.

She joined the company when it started in 2020, embedding sustainability into plans for growth from day one.

Forest is the only shared e-bike operator to power its entire fleet - including service vehicles - with renewable energy from the outset. It is one of the world’s first micro-mobility companies to have B Corp accreditation and the only micro-mobility company to have achieved Verra validation.

Before joining Forest, Laura worked at Dataminr, where she managed financial institution accounts across EMEA. She began her career at FGS Global, advising leading FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies on corporate positioning and market engagement.

In this episode, she talks to Sarah about the challenges of the start-up world, including how to manage the logistics of an e-bike company across so many separate boroughs!

Website: https://www.forest.me/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/forestbike_uk/
See a video of the Forest team and their carbon offset tree planting project here

Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Helen Meech heads up The Climate Coalition, a membership organisation that lobbies for action on nature and climate.

The group was established in 2005 based on the core belief that people are powerful especially when they get together. So collective action is at the heart of all of their strategies. Every campaign, event and report they produce is designed to push our political leaders to act in making climate and nature a top priority.

Nature’s central to Helen’s CV, with a career working for the National Trust, RSPB, Rewilding Britain, Wildlife Trust and The Oak Project.

Now at The Climate Coalition Helen is involved in multiple campaigns to galvanize collective action like the Great Big Green Week held every summer. She says that people coming together to act for the future is “not just popular, it’s essential”.

In this episode, she talks about where her love of nature comes from, how she pushes leaders to make change and the importance of joy.

Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ajay Tegala is a conservationist, podcast and TV presenter and full-time National Trust ranger, whose love for the natural world started very young: he has clear memories as a toddler, of being into birds!

After doing a week's work experience at Wicken Fen National Trust Nature reserve in Cambridgeshire - aged just 15 - he decided to become a conservationist, and went on to do a degree in Nottingham Trent university in Countryside Management.

He now works full-time at Wicken Fen, and is passionate about safeguarding the Fenland landscapes, and says his job is to "talk positively" about things.

He is a passionate communicator, hosting the National Trust's podcast Wild Tales and has written two books, 'The Unique Life of a Ranger' (2022) and 'Wetland Diaries: Ranger Life and Rewilding on Wicken Fen' (2024) .

In this episode he talks to Sarah about all of that, plus the changes in nature and biodiversity as well as outcomes from COP30.

This special episode was recorded live for the first time for ISEP's 2025 Connect conference for members on 10th December.

Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Poole is the founder of Sport Positive, which she set up in 2018 to help the global sport industry place sustainability right at the heart of the sector.

Claire oversees massive projects like in-person events and data gathering through the Sport Positive Leagues - which highlight positive environmental initiatives at top level sports clubs.

She also organises the annual Sports Positive Summit which brings together hundreds of sports organisations focused on sustainability to meet in person, listen and connect.

In this episode she talks to Sarah about how athletes are the historical figures of our time and how being pragmatic and staying hopeful can help fight against greenlash.

She was nominated for the podcast by double Paralympian Alexandra Rickham, who you can hear talk to Sarah here.

Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra Rickham is a double paralympic bronze medalist and five-time world champion in sailing.

When she was 13, she was paralysed in a diving accident in Jamaica. Later, after years of rehab, she was offered sailing training which she says appealed to her competitive spirit.

You can see Alexandra in action here, with her sailing partner Niki Birrell at the 2016 Paralympics.

She’s now retired from professional sailing competition, but remains very connected to the sport, through her work as the director of sustainability for World Sailing - the sport's international governing body.

The organisation is renowned for leading the way in promoting voluntary climate action at every stage of the sport. Alexandra's mission is to make the sport more inclusive and sustainable.

In this episode, she talks about her accident, competing professionally, and about how sport is such a useful way to enthuse people about sustainability.

Sustainable Matters… a podcast series full of solutions and optimism for a more sustainable world, brought to you by ISEP: Transforming the world today for a sustainable future.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.