In recent years, sustainability has become more than a buzzword – it’s a movement reshaping how we interact, live and work with the planet. Since studying geography at university, I’ve always been interested in sustainability and understood the importance of how it shapes our everyday lives.
However, it’s a complex topic, and can be difficult to know where to start on keeping up-to-date on the ever-changing dialogue. I love podcasts, and find that sustainability podcasts offer an accessible way to keep abreast of all the hot topics. Here’s a list of some of my favourite sustainability podcasts:
This podcast is such a good one to give an overview of sustainability, and the small changes we can all make to be more eco-conscious. It makes a sustainable lifestyle seem achievable, and goes against the thinking that sustainability has to be an all-or-nothing venture.
It covers topics such as ethical consumption, COP, no-waste shopping and the importance of working with your community for sustainability. The tone of the podcast can be summed up by the episode titled ‘I feel so overwhelmed’, which is a feeling I think a lot of us feel when trying to learn more on the topic of sustainability!
HOST: Jen Gale
FREQUENCY: Weekly
2. TED CLIMATE
This podcast focuses on the innovative ideas and emerging technologies that are helping to reduce the climate crisis. It covers topics such as renewable energy, the Paris Agreement, and sustainable agriculture.
High profile guests, such as Bill Gates and Nicola Sturgeon discuss the future of sustainability, and what we can be doing to help. My favourite thing about this podcast is the format – each episode is about 15 minutes but still manages to fit in so much information, meaning it’s a very easy podcast to listen to on the way to work.
HOST: Dan Kwartler
FREQUENCY: Weekly
This podcast is hosted by Christiana Figueres, who is a former UN climate chief and played an important role in the Paris Agreement. She discusses the climate crisis with a number of guests in the sustainability space, with some names including Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough.
I really like this podcast because it talks about the need to act quickly, but it also reinstates the fact that change is still possible for us. The discussions are informative and inspiring, and are a great way to find out about the global efforts that are currently occurring to combat climate change.
FREQUENCY: Weekly
This podcast gives an overview of the pressing environmental issues, but it also talks about the emerging solutions we are seeing, as well as solutions that are already making a difference. It covers topics such as the intersectionality of gender and climate, renewable technologies and practical sustainable ways we can be making a difference.
An episode I particularly liked was the COP28 Recap episode, as it gives such a great overview of everything that went on, and all the outcomes that came out of it.
HOST: Labake Ajiboye-Richard and Oluwatobi Aigbogun
FREQUENCY: Monthly
For anyone looking to rethink their consumption habits, I would recommend Sustain This! The hosts, a sustainable stylist and a slow-fashion advocate, explore topics such as de-influencing, micro-trends, and mindful consumption, all with a focus on fashion.
It’s made me re-evaluate my own relationship with consumption and consider how much of it is driven by social media. I have found their tips very practical for anyone interested in adopting a more sustainable approach to fashion and life.
HOSTS: Alyssa Beltempo, Signe Hansen and Christina Mychas
FREQUENCY: Weekly
AND FINALLY…
I hope this has been a helpful overview of some of the best sustainability podcasts out there, from tips on how to live more sustainably to overviews on some of the most important discussions happening around climate change right now. There is no better time to get involved in the conversation about our planet’s future – one podcast at a time!
