It has been a turbulent nine months for the world of sustainability – and for Transforming Tomorrow. So, what have we learned?

Paul and Jan look back over the series and discover themes that run through our guests’ thoughts on sustainability – whether they were with us to talk about plastics or biodiversity, Morecambe Bay or Malaysia.

It’s a chance to talk about how things have already changed since we talked to some guests and pick out our favourite moments from a packed series.

We consider the recognition of the importance of long-term resilience and determination to change and progress; realise just how wide a reach there is to the sustainability world; celebrate what once was theory being turned into practice; and place hope in the next generation.

Plus, we find the time to discuss which of our hosts is most likely to murder the other (and Jan’s possession of a new sword); give Luxembourg it’s due when it comes to asteroid mining; and lament Paul’s ice hockey tipping prowess.

Transforming Tomorrow will return for a third season in autumn 2025.

Episode Transcript

You might not see climate change on your doorstep every day, but you can see biodiversity loss.

Find out what businesses are doing to address biodiversity concerns, and how they can be helped to improve their actions.

Dr Michael Burgass is from Biodiversify, a consultancy company that uses cutting-edge science to develop biodiversity strategies for some of the world’s largest companies. He has long been interested in how people interact with their environment.

As businesses have become more interested and engaged with biodiversity, Michael is working with companies who are at the heart of some of the planet’s biggest issues. The mainstreaming of biodiversity into company planning means just about all organisations are becoming involved.

We learn about spatial science, physical risk and transition risk, look at action and implementation over discussion and policy, discuss why big companies are listening to external experts when it comes to biodiversity education, the impacts of biodiversity loss on supply chains, and how the Science Based Targets for Nature can help to validate company efforts.

Find out more about Biodiversify here: https://biodiversify.com/

And learn about the Science Based Targets for Nature here: https://sciencebasedtargetsnetwork.org/how-%20it-works/the-first-science-based-targets-for-nature/

Episode Transcript

Discover how you can embed sustainability across a Higher Education organisation.

Dr Alex Ryan, Director and Founder of Learning Energy, returns to her old Lancaster University haunts to tell us about her work inside and outside universities on the ‘great big gobbling monster’ of sustainability. Alex helps people and organisations address sustainability challenges: work is not always easy.

We discuss the evolution of understanding and action in universities over the last 20 years; the importance of changes to culture and strategy; how to place the common good ahead of self-interest when making changes; and how the university sector mirrors other areas of society and the economy when it comes to attitudes and behaviours around sustainability.

We discover how a positive mindset change across an organisation can help overcome ‘change humps’; the essential role of universities in brokering systems change; and how to think differently around reporting and numbers.

Plus, Jan questions her own knowledge and skills, we discover Paul and Alex’s differing experiences of Lancaster University Library and its fines system, the Great Vowel Shift gets belated publicity, and we consider becoming the Pentland Centre for Love and Justice in Business.

Read the Advance HE Measuring What Matters report here: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/measuring-what-matters

Episode Transcript