Climate Confident

Drew Maggio, Technical Director at Highmark Building Efficiency who specializes in building electrification and heat pump solutions. He explains why aging urban buildings are the biggest emissions lever. Conversations cover oversized heat pumps, treating heat as a resource, wastewater and subway heat recovery, Local Law 97’s market impact, and practical retrofit roadmaps for dense cities.

Send me a messageEurope is drowning in cheap clean power, and still wasting it.The problem isn’t renewables. It’s what happens when the grid can’t cope with abundance.In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I’m joined by Oonagh O’Grady, Vice President of International Origination at Hydrostor, a global leader in long-duration energy storage. We dig into one of the most under-discussed blockers of the energy transition: what happens after wind and solar scale, but before the grid is ready.Oonagh explains why short-duration batteries, while essential, aren’t enough once renewables reach 40–50% of the system. We unpack why grids are hitting curtailment, negative pricing, and instability, and why eight to twenty-four hours of long-duration energy storage is fast becoming the backbone of a reliable, net-zero power system.You’ll hear why advanced compressed air energy storage can deliver fossil-free, utility-scale flexibility for decades, how it compares with batteries and pumped hydro on cost and performance, and why inertia and grid stability are suddenly back in the spotlight after recent European outages. We also get into the policy side: what leading regions like California, Australia, and the UK are getting right, and what Europe must do now if it wants secure, affordable, decarbonised electricity in the 2030s.This is a grounded, evidence-led conversation about climate tech that actually works at scale - and a reminder that without long-duration storage, the energy transition stalls just when it should be accelerating.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Hydrostor and long-duration energy storage can unlock the next phase of the energy transition.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageEurope doesn’t have a clean energy problem. It has a grid problem.Solar is cheap. Batteries are scaling. Demand is exploding. The system in the middle is cracking.In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Stait, Managing Director of Alight’s behind-the-meter business, to unpack why the energy transition is now being held back less by technology and more by infrastructure, regulation, and outdated thinking. Alight develops and owns onsite solar and battery systems for large energy users across Europe, using long-term PPAs to lock in savings, cut emissions, and build resilience.We dig into why waiting for cheaper solar or batteries is often the wrong call, and why businesses that move early gain a structural advantage. You’ll hear how behind-the-meter solar and battery storage bypass grid bottlenecks entirely, why blaming renewables for blackouts misses the real issue, and how decentralised generation is reshaping energy security, affordability, and decarbonisation all at once.We also explore the uncomfortable reality facing Europe’s grids, the growing role of data centres and electrification, and why microgrids are starting to look less like an edge case and more like the logical endgame of the energy transition. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech that works, emissions reduction that scales, and why net zero will be built through economics as much as policy.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Rob Stait and Alight Energy are helping turn clean energy from a grid liability into a competitive advantage.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a message8% of global emissions come from the material we barely talk about.Concrete. Cement. The literal foundations of modern life, and one of the hardest climate problems we face.In this episode, I’m joined by Ana Luisa Vaz, VP of Product at Paebbl, to unpack why construction is such a stubborn emissions hotspot, and what it would take to genuinely change that.Ana explains why cement emits CO₂ by design, not by accident. Half its emissions come from chemistry, not fuel. You can electrify kilns and still be stuck with the carbon. That’s why Paebbl is taking a different path: using accelerated mineralisation to turn captured CO₂ into a cement substitute, permanently locking carbon into concrete itself.We dig into what “permanence” really means in carbon removal, why performance matters more than good intentions, and how conservative industries like construction can adopt new materials without compromising safety. You’ll hear how Paebbl can already replace up to 30% of cement today, why cost curves matter more than green premiums, and how digital tools, sensors, and models are accelerating learning in an industry that usually moves at a glacial pace.We also explore the role of policy, public procurement, and cities, the uncomfortable changes the sector needs to unlearn, and whether carbon-negative construction is a realistic goal this century, or just another climate promise that collapses under scrutiny.This is a conversation about climate tech that lives in the physical world. Hard to abate. Harder to ignore.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Ana Luisa Vaz and Paebbl are rethinking concrete, permanence, and what real decarbonisation looks like at scale.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageWhat if the biggest barrier to decarbonising buildings isn’t technology, cost, or ambition - but sheer complexity?The built environment produces nearly 40% of global emissions, yet we still make low-carbon construction harder than it needs to be.In this episode, I’m joined by Tommy Linstroth, founder of Green Badger, to unpack why construction remains one of the most overlooked climate battlegrounds, and why that’s a mistake. We dig into LEED v5, embodied carbon, and the growing gap between climate ambition and what actually happens on building sites. The stakes are huge: buildings lock in emissions for decades, sometimes centuries.You’ll hear why builders aren’t resisting sustainability, they’re drowning in shifting standards, paperwork, and fragmented data. We explore how LEED has evolved, why carbon now sits at the centre of green building standards, and how decisions made at the design stage quietly determine emissions for the next 100 years. Tommy also explains why third-party verification matters, how “build to code” often means “barely legal”, and why retrofitting existing buildings may be the hardest climate challenge nobody likes talking about.We also dig into where genuine momentum is emerging - from falling renewable costs to better data and smarter software, and how climate tech, including AI, could finally make the low-carbon choice the easy choice. If net zero, emissions reduction, and the energy transition are serious goals, then construction can’t stay a side quest.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Tommy Linstroth and Green Badger are helping turn sustainable building from a compliance headache into real-world climate action.Kismet: Golf tournaments can book venues out to 2049, yet many organisations still can’t map a credible path to 2040 climate targets. The problem isn’t foresight, it’s priorities.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageMost companies say they’re tackling Scope 3. Then they rely on averages and hope for the best. That’s not decarbonisation. That’s denial with spreadsheets.In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Byrnes, CEO of Mavarick AI, to dig into one of the most stubborn blockers to real emissions reduction: bad data across global supply chains. Paul brings a rare mix to the table. Deep manufacturing roots, serious machine learning expertise, and a refreshingly low tolerance for AI theatre. We focus squarely on the climate challenge that keeps executives awake at night. How to cut Scope 3 emissions when suppliers are overloaded, data is unreliable, and margins are thin.You’ll hear why most Scope 3 programmes stall before they deliver a single tonne of abatement. We dig into how spend-based accounting can introduce error rates of up to 40%, masking risk instead of revealing it. And why primary supplier data is fast becoming table stakes for any credible net zero strategy.We also unpack where AI genuinely helps emissions reduction, and where it doesn’t. From cleaning contaminated data sets, to identifying real decarbonisation levers with financial and environmental ROI, this conversation is about using technology to move from reporting to action.You might be surprised to learn why supplier engagement only works when there’s a clear win for suppliers themselves, and why emissions reduction scales fastest when it also improves cost, efficiency, or resilience. No greenwash. No magic bullets. Just physics, data, and incentives aligned.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Paul Byrnes and Mavarick AI are helping manufacturers turn Scope 3 ambition into real, measurable emissions reduction.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageWhat if the biggest lever for food-system decarbonisation isn’t factories or fleets, but soil you’ll never see on a corporate balance sheet?In this episode, I’m joined by Rhyannon Galea and Kristjan Luha from eAgronom to unpack one of the hardest climate problems to solve: Scope 3 emissions in food and agriculture.This conversation was originally recorded for my Resilient Supply Chain podcast and I’m republishing it here because it cuts straight to the heart of real-world climate action. Most food companies have 70–95% of their emissions sitting on farms they don’t own or control, while those same farms are increasingly exposed to climate shocks. The stakes couldn’t be higher.You’ll hear why regenerative agriculture is less about ideology and more about resilience, profitability, and physics. We dig into how practices like reduced tillage and cover cropping can rebuild soil carbon, improve water retention, and cut emissions without wrecking yields.We also get into the messy reality of data. Why averages and estimates won’t get companies to net zero, and how credible primary farm data changes everything. From satellite verification to machine-level data capture, this episode explores what trustworthy emissions data actually looks like on the ground.You might be surprised by the incentive structures that work best with farmers, and why carbon credits alone are often the wrong starting point. We talk knowledge transfer, practice-based payments, and why 2030 is only “five harvests away” if you’re serious about emissions reduction in food systems.🎙️ Listen now to hear how eAgronom is helping turn Scope 3 ambition into measurable climate action across Europe’s farms.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageWhat if the fastest way to decarbonise shipping isn’t a shiny new fuel, but the waste it’s already throwing away?Shipping moves 90% of global trade, yet it’s still one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. In this episode, I’m joined by Nicholas Ball, CEO and founder of XFuel, to unpack why cost, physics, and adoption matter more than climate theatre when cutting emissions at scale.Nicholas leads a company turning difficult waste streams, including oily residues from ships themselves, into fully compliant drop-in fuels for shipping and aviation. These fuels work in existing engines, use existing infrastructure, and can deliver up to 85% lifecycle emissions reductions without charging shipowners three to five times more than fossil fuels. That last point matters. A lot.We dig into why shipping is so price-sensitive, why infrastructure uncertainty is paralysing fuel decisions, and why waiting for perfect solutions risks locking in higher emissions for decades. You’ll hear why XFuel focuses on waste-based and recycled carbon fuels, how lifecycle emissions are verified under EU rules, and why “drop-in” isn’t a marketing term, it’s the difference between pilots and adoption.We also tackle hydrogen head-on. Why it’s massively inefficient as a fuel. Why scarce renewable electricity should be used to decarbonise grids and industry first. And why electrification should happen everywhere it can, with fuels reserved for sectors that genuinely have no alternative.If you care about climate tech that actually scales, real-world decarbonisation, and cutting emissions in sectors that don’t have easy answers, this conversation matters.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Nicholas Ball and XFuel are pushing practical climate solutions into one of the toughest corners of the energy transition.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageWhat if the clean energy transition depended on potato-sized rocks four miles under the Pacific, and we’ve barely started talking about it?In this episode I’m joined by Oliver Gunasekara, CEO and co-founder of Impossible Metals, to tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in climate tech: there is no net zero without mining. We dig into how deep sea polymetallic nodules, AI-driven underwater robots and smarter policy could reshape the energy transition, emissions reduction, and even the geopolitical balance with China.You’ll hear why 84% of global mining today is still for fossil fuels – and what happens to decarbonisation when ore grades on land collapse to 0.2% while nodules sit at the 4% level. We get into how autonomous robots can hover above the seabed, detect and avoid life, and selectively collect nodules, and why the choice of mining technology matters as much as the decision to mine at all.We also explore the hard politics: critical minerals as a strategic vulnerability, the West’s dependence on Chinese processing, and why delaying decisions on deep sea mining could mean more rainforest lost, higher battery prices, and a slower energy transition. Kismet: the market for nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese is on track to hit $1 trillion a year by 2035 – and we’re still arguing about whether mining “counts” as climate tech.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Oliver and Impossible Metals are trying to square the circle: scaling climate tech and critical minerals without trashing the planet in the process.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Send me a messageWhat happens when solar stops being just “cheap” and becomes game-changingly efficient as well, pushing past 30% and reshaping global power economics?In this episode, I sit down with Aaron Thurlow, a 25-year solar veteran and commercial lead at Caelux, to unpack how perovskite-silicon tandem modules could transform not just clean energy - but the resilience, cost base, and strategic footing of every organisation betting on electrification. With AI, manufacturing, and data centres driving power demand through the roof, the timing couldn’t be more critical.You’ll hear how silicon, after 50 years of slow gains, is suddenly getting a step-change boost - not from exotic space tech, but from a thin layer of perovskites that can add 5–6 efficiency points in a single leap. We break down why this matters for utility-scale projects, residential economics, and global supply chain risk as manufacturing begins to regionalise.You might be surprised to learn how close this is to reality: Caelux has already shipped its first commercial product, with more deployments planned in 2026. And Aaron explains why this shift could help companies bridge policy uncertainty, lower project costs, and even change the global balance of energy independence.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Caelux is redefining the future of efficient, resilient, sustainable energy systems — and why it matters for your supply chain.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.