Five Years On – Navigating an Unpredictable World with Lord John Browne

Feb 2, 2026

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In this episode of Sustainability Talks, host and Managing Partner of ETF Partners Patrick Sheehan welcomes back a very special guest, Lord John Browne, Co-Founder and Chairman of BeyondNetZero, Senior adviser to General Atlantic and former CEO of BP. When we launched the Sustainability Talks podcast in 2021, Lord Browne was our very first guest. At that time the world looked very different, with President Trump’s term ending, the US pulling out of Iraq and before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Now, Patrick and Lord Browne reunite to dissect the seismic shifts in geopolitics, climate and energy—offering a candid masterclass on how to lead, innovate, and find opportunity in a profoundly unpredictable environment.

Tune in for a powerful, pragmatic and ultimately optimistic discussion on how to navigate the complex trade-offs facing business and politics today and secure a sustainable future.

Chapters:

00:00 The Evolution of Energy Perspectives

08:59 Navigating Uncertainty in Energy Markets

15:57 The Role of Technology in Energy Transition

21:52 Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Energy

28:48 Cultivating Courage and Leadership in Business

About The Guest: Lord John Browne

Lord Browne is the co-Founder and Chairman of BeyondNetZero, General Atlantic’s climate growth equity fund. The fund’s strategy is to invest in companies that contribute to the energy transition by reducing end-to-end costs; improving operational efficiency; reducing strategic risks and improving resilience; and enabling the development of new energy sources.

He currently serves as Chairman of Avathon, an artificial intelligence technology company, and Chairman of Carbonplace, a global carbon credit transaction network. He also serves on the board of Venterra, an offshore wind energy services company which is part of BeyondNetZero’s investment portfolio.

After retiring from BP in 2007, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of a $3.4 billion renewable energy private equity fund, the world’s largest at the time. He was subsequently Executive Chairman of L1 Energy.

He has previously served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, Intel, SmithKline Beecham, and DaimlerChrysler.

From 2010 to 2015 he served as the UK Government first lead Non-Executive Director, working with Secretaries of State to appoint Non-Executive Directors to the board of each government department. In 2010, the report of an independent inquiry headed by Lord Browne was published under the title Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education, making recommendations for a more sustainable system of higher education funding.