Straight Talking Sustainability
Straight Talking Sustainability
Podcast Description
Welcome to Straight Talking Sustainability! I'm your host, Emma Burlow.
If you're feeling lost in all the sustainability talk or struggling to see real results in your business, this podcast is for you.
We’ll clear up the confusion and focus on practical, straightforward actions that actually work.
Join me as I talk with experts, share real-world stories, and tackle the common roadblocks that stop businesses from making progress.
This is all about making sustainability easier and sharing what truly makes a difference.
Let’s keep it simple, effective, and make sustainability stick!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a range of themes such as practical climate action, business sustainability strategies, and environmental consciousness, featuring episodes like 'Top 5 Things People Say to Avoid Taking Climate Action' and '52 Simple Sustainability Hacks for 2025' that provide actionable advice and explore common myths and barriers to sustainable practices.
Welcome to Straight Talking Sustainability! I’m your host, Emma Burlow.
If you’re feeling lost in all the sustainability talk or struggling to see real results in your business, this podcast is for you.
We’ll clear up the confusion and focus on practical, straightforward actions that actually work.
Join me as I talk with experts, share real-world stories, and tackle the common roadblocks that stop businesses from making progress.
This is all about making sustainability easier and sharing what truly makes a difference.
Let’s keep it simple, effective, and make sustainability stick!
In this special episode, the usual host Emma is interviewed by her colleague and co-founder of Not Sustainable, Rebecca Watson. The tables are turned as Emma shares her journey, expertise, and reflections on her 30-year career in sustainability. The conversation covers her background, the evolution of her work, her approach to training and advisory, and her motivation for supporting individuals and organisations in delivering meaningful sustainability action.
Highlights & Key Topics
Emma’s Background & Career Path
- Started in sustainability in 1997, with a degree in Environmental Science and early experience in conservation and compliance (01:08)
- Pivoted to work in climate and set up Lighthouse Sustainability, focusing on training and advisory work (01:55)
Approach to Training
- Majority of Lighthouse’s work is carbon literacy training, including workshops, short courses, and “train the trainer” programmes (04:00)
- Emphasis on building capacity in organisations by embedding skills internally (05:11)
Ideal Clients & Advisory Work
- Works with a variety of organisations, from SMEs to large corporates (e.g., B&Q, BT, Openreach) (07:02)
- Focused on helping organisations cut through complexity and set meaningful priorities (08:23)
Strategic Impact & Board-Level Support
- Helps organisations integrate sustainability strategically, not just as an add-on (10:24)
- Experience as a board member and strategic advisor, including roles such as CSO (13:13)
Hearts & Minds: The Importance of Motivation
- Sustainability training is about engaging people’s values and motivations, not just technical knowledge (22:38)
Advice for Listeners
- Don’t get stuck in the weeds: focus on what’s material and significant (32:02)
- Start where you are, leverage your influence, and don’t hesitate to seek external support or coaching (33:01)
Additional Resources
- Not Sustainable Not Sustainable
- The Carbon Literacy Project:carbonliteracy.com
Book a Power Hour with Emma
https://calendly.com/emma-lighthouse/power-hour
Connect with Emma
Disclaimer
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