Podcast
The Elephant in the Room
Hosted by Sudha Singh · EN
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is a curated safe space to have uncomfortable conversations about the pervasive inequalities in society and our workplaces.
The idea of the podcast was born from my sense of conflict about identity, self and the concept of privilege and fuelled by my own need to understand how my overlapping identities and experiences had impacted and would continue to impact my life chances.
Two years ago I decided to ‘opt out’ to find my own purpose and focus on passion projects including learning about the systemic biases that are endemic in business and society. The Podcast is my very own listening project, a step towards being more intentional in my learning.
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is for people who want to be a part of the change, for those who want to step up & speak out, for those who want to learn more about biases, barriers and best practice, for business leaders and for individuals, anyone who is interested in a fairer, more inclusive and compassionate society and workplace.
Each week I will interview inspiring speakers from across the world on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream including(but not limited to) systemic and institutionalised racism, discrimination based on further eight protected characteristics, poverty, mental health, climate change. The podcast will also talk about cognitive inclusion, culture, purpose, ethics and the importance of empathy, cultural intelligence and how conversations on identity and disadvantage would be incomplete without considering intersectionality.
With the podcast I hope to share stories of people with lived experiences, stories that may have never been told, stories that galvanise us to take action for change and keep the conversations alive by raising the decibel on issues of inequity, inequality in our search for a fairer and more inclusive world.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
142: Social Justice, sustainability and innovative pathways for climate action: A conversation with Ashok Sinha
Jan 1600:39:24Tap to summarizeShownotesAgainst the mounting backdrop of rising global temperatures, record-breaking extreme weather, and the UK's wettest winter on record in 2024, governments and major corporations are increasingly retreating from climate commitments. The EU reported concerning rise in greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, the UK has postponed key net zero targets, Germany has scaled back renewable investments, (let’s not talk about the US) and fossil fuel giants such as Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies have revised or deferred climate pledges and clean energy projects, citing economic pressures and regulatory uncertainty. As we witness the global momentum on climate action wane — particularly in the West, where initiatives have been de-prioritised and progress has slowed — the urgency for innovation and collaboration has never been greater.In the latest episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast, I explore the evolving landscape of climate justice with Ashok Sinha, a prominent climate and social justice activist and current CEO of Ashden - a climate solutions charity. Ashok co-founded the UK Make Poverty History campaign; was a key figure in the Jubilee Debt Campaign; a Director at Stop Climate Chaos (now the Climate Coalition) – playing a pivotal role in securing UK’s Climate Change Act 2008; he was also the CEO of the London Cycling Campaign.Ashok brings critical insights from his extensive experience at the forefront of landmark campaigns and policy change, offering a pragmatic perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead for climate action worldwide. We also spoke about👉🏾 The urgent need for collective action, and the importance of partnerships and coalitions in driving impact👉🏾 The role of the private sector in accelerating and deepening change and the need for regulatory frameworks that encourage investment and innovation👉🏾 The significance of storytelling in climate advocacy and how personal narratives can galvanise support for sustainable practices and policies👉🏾 Climate misinformation/disinformation👉🏾 AI as a risk or an enabler for the sector; Climate fatigue; Skills shortage in the sectorWe also spoke about Just Transition - advocating for equitable opportunities for marginalised communities affected by climate policies and changes. Ashok ended the conversation with an unwavering belief in humanity’s capacity to overcome adversity and foster positive change through collective effort and resilience.#Collaboration #Inspiration #ClimateAction #Sustainability #SocialJustice #ClimateInnovation #JustTransition #ClimateLeadership #ClimateSolutions #Ashden#ClimateJustice #ZeroCarbonEpisode Transcript: Sudha Singh: Good morning, Ashok. Thank you for being a guest on the Elephant in the Room podcast today.Ashok Sinha: My pleasure entirely Sudha. Thank you so much for inviting me.Sudha Singh: Let's start with a quick introduction. Who is Ashok Sinha? How would you describe yourself as a climate activist, evangelist or campaigner?You do have a great track record for leading some great campaigns including Make Poverty History, Climate Coalition, London Cycling Campaign. Wow.Ashok Sinha: Well, that's kind of you to say.I have done a lot of different things, so I, find it quite hard to categorize myself and it's not something I normally try to do actually. I'm not sure how sensible or useful it is.It all started with me because I loved science and I studied physics and did a Ph.D. in, energy systems modelling and then climate change research and then went into policy and advocacy. So it's a range of activities but focused around energy, climate and broad, more broadly sustainability.I'll use that term it's a highly interpretable term but at the same time in, in my own personal life, I've always been very concerned about what contribution I can make to you could call it social justice for want of a better word. It started when I was in sixth form and I, I, I volunteered in our local hospital. I just wanted to make a contribution and so I've always volunteered, served on board like Amnesty UK and, and so on. Currently on the board of Friends of the Earth Charitable Trust.When I get up in the morning, I just want to do something useful, I want to make a contribution and so, chairing the London Sustainable Development Commission as well, broadening out the whole issue around, environmental sustainability connected with, improving people's well-being and increasing the level of equity and happiness and quality of life for people. So I guess, what would I say? I guess science led worker for advocate for sustainability.Sudha Singh: We tried to put everything into one word. It's really difficult considering your vast experience and like you said, I think stressing on the science based is very, very.Ashok SinhaCritical in today's, that's really important to me.Ashok Sinha: It comes to the social justice side of the, of the, the work that we all do. Evidence, data.Sudha Singh: So, moving from there, tell me about your current role in Ashden and what its priorities are.Ashok Sinha: Well, it's a, it's a very great privilege to, to lead Ashden. Ashden was founded 25 years ago this year by a woman called Sarah Butler Sloss and she's one of the group of philanthropists that come together within an umbrella organisation called the Sainsbury's Family Charitable Trust. So there's a variety of organizations there, most of them are philanthropic. Ashden itself started as a grant giver but then it split into two organizations. The grant making was retained in an organization called Aurora Trust. And we, we have to raise our own money to go out and do work in the world.But it started as an awards ceremony, an annual awards program. And at that point 25 years ago it was based on shining a spotlight and it still is. The awards shining a spotlight on unseen innovators who are tackling the climate emergency. Then it was innovators in the global south, the global majority working on clean cooking and solar in particular.But over the 25 years the awards and Ashden itself have broadened out to look at clean energy and renewables, nature-based solutions and the ways in which they can be promoted. It could be financial mechanisms; it could be ways of organizing for profit and not for profit. We look at those sorts of organizations and we give them awards and we give them support.Yes, but we also have programmatic work now and the biggest program is our schools program called ‘Let's Go Zero’, which is across the whole of the UK but in England in particular. We have advisors across the England working directly with schools to help them decarbonize by 2030, and other programs in the UK working with community energy organizations, supporting local and community groups who are finding their way, towards creating new nature-based solutions to help adapt their local communities to the level of climate change that is coming through the system.Sub Saharan Africa, a big program on clean energy access, a new program that we have working to help indigenous peoples and local community groups raise livelihoods as a means of protecting tropical forests. So it's a range of activity that has been spawned from the initial annual award. But the theme essentially is reducing carbon, adapting to the climate change.It's already locked in but doing it in a way that delivers for communities, for local people, for local areas especially taking an area-based approach to put it all together. And the final point, I would say is we know that we're not going to change the world by ourselves. We're not going to try. We wouldn't have that level of hubris. So it's incredibly important. Ultimately, we're storytellers fundamentally to tell those stories to people who have the hands on the levers of power, whether it's finance, whether it's policy, whether it's regulation, politicians to say, look, this stuff works.Ashok Sinha: You can liberate this innovation, you can bring the different components of systemic change together and you can scale and accelerate those solutions. You know, there's great people doing stuff, great stuff out there, but to hit our targets, you've got to support them, and this is how you need to support them.Ashok Sinha: And we work very collaboratively with others. So lots of organizations who are good at political engagement, good at community engagement.And so we don't, we don't, we don't try to do everything, but our contribution is, is the great stories.Sudha Singh: And are there any campaigns that you're particularly proud of?I tell you what, there's a couple of things that I am really proud of. So going back to 2005, I was, I was appointed as the direc...
Transcribe →140: The Role of Communications in Sustainability: Insights from Sangeeta Waldron, Author - What will your legacy be?
Oct 3000:32:17Tap to summarizeShow Notes: On the 140th episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast my guest was Sangeeta Waldron an industry veteran with over 3 decades of experience. Sangeeta's story is shaped by both personal and professional transitions, including navigating a recession and shifting her aspirations from advertising to government communications. Her bold decision to leave the security of a civil service role for a not-for-profit organisation working with the developing South marks a pivotal moment in her career, reflecting her commitment to meaningful work aligned with her heritage and values.In the episode our conversation delves into how these early experiences shaped Sangeeta’s perspective on identity, inclusion and sustainability communications 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾- Her resilience in overcoming challenges as a British Indian woman in a predominantly white industry- The current state of inclusivity within the public relations highlighting the persistent underrepresentation of diverse voices- 'What Will Your Legacy Be?' Sangeeta’s latest book where she explores climate change and the role of businesses in fostering sustainable practices- The importance of representation in storytelling and the necessity for brands to engage with broader demographics to effectively communicate in today's global society- Our collective responsibility towards creating a more equitable and compassionate world, urging listeners to contemplate their own legacy and contributions to societal progressThe discussion links her individual journey to the broader context of responsible communications, emphasising how personal identity and lived experience can drive impactful change in sustainability narratives and foster greater inclusion in the workplace. Head to the podcast to listen to the episode (link in comments) 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good Morning Sangeeta. Wonderful to have you as a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today.Sangeeta: Thank you for inviting me. I'm really excited about our conversation this morning.Sudha: So let's get started with a quick introductionSangeeta: So it's a quick one. I mean, I've been over 30 years in this industry. In a strange way, I was born here, but I completed my degree in India, my college and university. So when I left India, I came as a postgraduate thinking I'm just going to, like most postgraduates or graduates, think they're just gonna be snapped up for a job.I wasn't.And the country at that time, the UK was going through a recession. And so it was very hard to find work. And I really wanted to be a copywriter in advertising when I was at university. That was my thing. That's what I really wanted to do. So I was trying to desperately get into advertising when I came back to the UK, but the recession had really affected. Well, we know that media and communications is always the first industry to suffer from recessions and knockbacks. So no one really wanted me. And I didn't have any office skills either.So I sat the civil service entrance exam. And I got through. So I spent the first five years of my career writing speeches for a previous prime minister and ministers, but there is just so much creativity you can do with a minister and prime minister speech. And I thought this is really not what I want to do.And I decided to resign and at that time, everyone was like, Are you crazy? It's a job for life. You've got a great pension. All those things, that Indian families are always very concerned about. And I said, no, this is not what I want to do and I resigned and I went to go and work for a very small, not for profit organisation working with the developing South, which kind of fitted all my background knowledge, my growing up and my experiences of living in India.And I was there and that was really, I would say, while I had those first five years, in government, I would say my career really started when I went to work for this small not for profit. So this is becoming a very long elevator pitch. So just from there, I went to go work for some fantastic organisations.I was the first global director of comms and marketing for the Economist Group, working at that time for the CEO, which was a huge privilege. She was the only woman in the square mile at that time. I went to work for the first mayor of London, Ken Livingston. So lots of firsts. And then in 2009, just before I set up my own PR agency, Serendipity PR and Media, I was working at a breast cancer charity.And when I started there, it was just, a team of myself and two others, the time I left, we were an award-winning team of 10 and I was director of comms. And then 2009, I set up my own agencyAnd during that course of that time, we've also had the advent of social media. And so I've got more strings to my bow. And as you've read my second book very kindly, I'm a published author. So, that's me in a nutshell.Sudha: That's such an amazing journey. So varied and the depth of experience and like you said, civil services. Do you regret it? Do you ever think that, oh, it might've been nice to still be working there?Sangeeta: No.Sudha: Short answer.Sangeeta: So it's a good question. It's an interesting question. And I was speaking to a friend of mine over Christmas and we were talking about life.When you get to a certain age, you look back on life and you think about, do you have any regrets? And no, I've got no regrets. Everything I've done has taken me to where I need to be and it's taken me to where I am today. So no, I'm pleased I left.Sudha: I don't think everybody is able to do this with the conviction that you are able to speak about it.Coming back to being a British Indian, what has your journey been like in the industry? How easy or difficult was it to assimilate? You have had so many firsts to your credit. On the face of it, it looks like it was all very smooth sailing and, very easy for you to progress, share with us the actual story.Sangeeta: The question has made me think a lot and I have to acknowledge the people that gave me the opportunities. So when I applied for the job with the small not for profit after leaving the civil service, they gave me my opportunity.At that time, it wasn't always easy. I still think it's not easy. Sometimes you're the only woman in the room. Sometimes you're the only British Indian woman in the room. And that, I'm talking about 30 years ago. And it's still like that now. So not a lot has changed, but I have to give a lot of credit to people who saw me, who saw my potential, who gave me the breaks, the opportunities.And then I think a lot, like a lot of British Indians who are maybe first, second generation who've grown up in this country. My mother always used to tell me when I was little, when she used to get me ready for school here, she always used to say, you've always got to be better. You know, you've got to work harder because you're Indian, you've just got to work harder. And she always used to tell me, you're a girl, so you've got to work three times as hard and always have financial independence. So those were things that were always drilled into me and my mother was a working woman.And so I would say it was also breaking a lot of stereotypes, how people see you, perceive you. I didn't fit into any boxes. So when I was working in some places, people naturally thought I was living at home with my parents. And I was living this... I don't know, whatever their stereotype was of a young British Indian woman.And I remember going into work one day and I was a little bit late, and I said, oh, I had to ring my landlord because something wasn't working. And my boss said to me, landlord? He said, where are your parents? And I said, my parents? I said, my mom’s in India. He had to get his head round this whole story he had in his head on how he thought my life was.It's breaking lots of stereotypes, and I think we're still breaking those stereotypes. And I think one thing I just want to say, I think people are discovering, and I think this is the joy and the positives of social media. People are also discovering that Indian women can be very funny, that we have a sense of humour.Like the next person that's, all these stereotypes are all portrayed by the media or by film.Sudha: Yeah, absolutely agree with you. But I also agree with what your mother drilled into you as a young child that you have to work harder. You have to be financially inde...
Transcribe →141: Cottsbury Founder Ruchi Chawla on navigating challenges of building a sustainable fashion brand
Oct 3000:20:02Tap to summarizeShow Notes:As a small business owner what does it mean to run a sustainability brand? Is it true that sustainability brands rooted in demonstrable solutions are generally more successful than those that use vague or superficial eco-friendly messaging? And how useful are authenticity and a genuine commitment to addressing environmental and social problems to building consumer trust? What is their contribution to financial sustainability, long-term loyalty and profitability?Ruchi Chawla, Founder of Cottsbury a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified sustainable fashion brand was my guest on the 141st episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast. In the episode we attempted to answer some of the questions above while Ruchi shared her inspiring journey towards establishing a sustainable fashion brand rooted in organic cotton. We also spoke about 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾- Her journey from working in the fashion industry to taking a more conscious entrepreneurial path driven by the desire to bring meaningful change in the industry- The fashion industry’s overreliance on harmful chemicals and environmental negligence that is responsible for significant pollution and resource depletion- How Cottsbury distinguishes itself from conventional fashion brands through ethical sourcing, transparency, getting certified, including 100% traceable production and a zero-waste policy.- How consumer behaviour is driven by levels of market maturity (UK/India) for sustainable products/brands. This in turn is driven by consumer awareness, economic factors and cultural contexts (amongst others)o Consumer resistance and price sensitivity- Ruchi emphasizes the importance of mentorship and support networks, attributing her perseverance and success to the guidance she has received throughout her entrepreneurial journeyThe episode culminates in a thoughtful reflection on the future of sustainable fashion and the collective responsibility of consumers and entrepreneurs to advocate for more ethical practices. Ruchi emphasizes the need for ongoing education and engagement to shift perceptions about sustainable products, dispelling the notion that such choices are inherently elitist or inaccessible.Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good afternoon, Ruchi. Wonderful to have you as a guest on the Elephant in The Room podcast today.Ruchi: Good Afternoon, Sudha. My pleasure to be here and talk to you.Sudha: Brilliant. So just give us a quick introduction before we launch into the questions.Ruchi: I'm Ruchi. I'm from India. I have studied and worked in India and also in Europe, in Amsterdam and Belgium.I've been in the fashion industry since my post-graduation and in various functions in the fashion industry with various brands and companies. I've travelled all around the world for work and for leisure and that brings me to my current passion project, which is Cottsbury which I'm running now, for last two years plusSudha: Brilliant. So what inspired you to get on this journey into organic and sustainable fashion and launch your brand Cottsbury. Can you share the story behind discovering Pure Certified Cotton and why it became the foundation for Cottsbury?Ruchi: So I was in the fashion industry. Wanted to do something of my own, questioning everything with the bigger companies, bigger brands, and my bosses always why, how, why we are doing this. So all this led to me be very aware and observant of surroundings around me.And as I travelled in my sourcing roles to different countries, I realized that what a mess the fashion industry is in, what are we creating? And this entrepreneur spirit just kindled with the thing that I have to do something different. Not just launch another fashion brand or another clothing brand, something different in which I'm actually doing good to the world also, and to myself.So that's how I started Cottsbury.Sudha: And what's the story behind discovering Pure Certified CottonRuchi: It is a foundation and it's how it started.So when I used to work around different fabrics, I would realize that we are all loaded and surrounded only by chemicals. Even if you say I'm a very aware person, I'm very conscious. I mean, the world is such, you are consuming chemicals from your food to everything you're touching and using. And when my child was born, I was like, I am not making her wear polyester you know, onesies and blankets. Not at all. It has to be pure, pure, pure, and that's how my search as a consumer began and I found organic cotton baby wear, very limited availability even in Europe and some in India.That's how I started hunting for organic cotton. When I was struggling to find it, I felt horrible that how will the average consumer ever find it?Some of them are not even looking for it. And those were looking, find it very limited availability. I started then looking for manufacturers, this was while I was working with the big corporates, and this question was always at the back of my mind that there are people who are doing the good job. And in that inquisitiveness I found few farms and factories who are actually making pure organic cotton without chemicals `and fertilizers and pesticides. They're growing the cotton, the factories are buying it and making products out of it. And that's when I said I have to do something about this and baby wear or adult wear, whatever, I have to start that.Sudha: Okay. That was the genesis.Your brand Cottsbury is based out of the UK. You sell in the UK market. Did you encounter any challenges when you introduced your brand in the UK market, and how do you compare the UK customers to those in India? Why are you not selling in India as yet?Ruchi: See the reason I launched in the UK market was, I have lived in Europe, UK, India. I was not very confident of launching it in the Indian market, firstly because like I said, the consumer here is not as aware or as ready to pay for this, or is not asking as many questions as have been asked and answered in the western world, which is the US market or the UK Europe market. Because that's where I worked and lived so I understand that. It's not that Indian consumer is not aware at all and there are no people in India who'd buy my product.I have loads of queries as of now as well from India market. But India is huge, I'm a bootstrapped entrepreneur. So to launch in India, it requires much, much more capital and teams and resources. So I thought, let me start with European market, and I want to become a global brand.I don't want this for any country specifically, because what I'm trying to tell through my brand is that, let's live a chemical free life. And it is not possible that one country is chemical free and the other country is not. We are breathing the same air. We are doing this for our planet. The effects of environment are on all countries all together. So the idea was to start in the UK and become a global brand. Not immediately launch here, I will start with Uk, Europe, US, and India, something like that.Sudha: Based on the volume, the awareness the insight and the ability and the desire to be able to have an organic and sustainable product. So how does Cottsbury differ from larger less sustainable companies in your industry? And are there brands that you admire.Ruchi: Yes, there are brands that I admire definitely who've done such amazing job in sustainability, recycling. And overall, they are leaders, I mean, very clearly the brand called Patagonia, I admire them, the founders, the people who work there.So, I would say we are sustainable, and by the word of it, I mean, we are not just making claims here we are a hundred percent sustainable, traceable, zero waste, no plastics. All the definitions we tick for sustainability, it’s not that it was a thought after project that we added in our brand. Oh, let's become sustainable. I'm a successful brand, let me become sustainable now. We are not that. we are a sustainable brand to start with. Most of the brands, even today, what they do is they have a small line in their collection, which is organic cotton line, rest is not sustainable, not organic, not traceable, nothing.So they have a small line. So it's a project for them. It's like an afterthought. So let's do something sustainable. For us, it was not that, we are sustainable by birth. And that's the DNA, we only go by that and that's what we've been saying to our customers online alwa...
Transcribe →137: The Crucial Role of Nature in Climate Mitigation Strategies: A conversation with Swapan Mehra, Founder, CEO Iora Ecological Solutions
Oct 2800:28:38Tap to summarizeShow Notes: Shifting political priorities and economic pressures over the past couple of years have seen several countries scale back climate commitments contributing to the growing gap between climate pledges and real-world emissions (still rising).What does this mean for a ‘Just Transition’ and Net Zero? While there is no silver bullet, IUCN and UNEP emphasise Nature based Solutions (NbS) can be pivotal for climate mitigation and adaptation, when pursued alongside rapid decarbonisation globally.To discuss NbS, and climate change I recently caught up with Swapan Mehra a global leader in climate action and ecosystem conservation. In this deeply insightful conversation Swapan spoke about how NbS is a holistic approach to addressing the climate crisis, through a spectrum of actions designed to protect and restore ecosystems while simultaneously delivering co-benefits for biodiversity, communities and individuals. We also spoke about…👉🏾 How NbS are fundamental in agrarian contexts like India, where communities are inextricably linked to their natural environments.👉🏾 The practical implementations of NbS in India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), that highlight the ambitious targets set for increasing forest carbon stocks by 2.5 to 3 billion tons by 2030👉🏾 The challenges to adoption by the private sector · Lack of standardised financial mechanisms, regulatory hurdles, and insufficient data and knowledge about NbS performance and returns👉🏾 NbS frameworks including IUCN; Voluntary carbon markets integrity initiative👉🏾 Investor expectation vs reality👉🏾 Voluntary carbon markets, carbon credits and greenwashingWe also spoke about India’s carbon trading and green credit scheme, leadership commitment, the impact on SMEs, projects he is particularly proud and being a climate optimist……“To me, just transition means ensuring that climate action doesn't come at a cost of life, livelihoods, equity, inclusion, but rather climate action promotes life, livelihood, equity, inclusion. In the context of the global south, especially India, where our communities have such a direct relationship with nature, with our landscapes, this means putting farmers first, indigenous communities first, it means ensuring investments which are locally contextualized to the needs of the communities and ensuring that a large part of the benefit flows to them. These are communities who have not played a major role in actually causing climate change, and now yet we are dependent on them to solve the problem for us.” Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good afternoon, Swapan. Wonderful to catch up again after a long timeSwapan: Good afternoon, Sudha. Very good to catch up.Sudha: Let's get started with a quick introduction. Tell us a bit about yourself and IORA Ecological Solutions.Swapan: Sure. So, firstly, thank you for having me on your podcast Sudha. I'm Swapan Mehra, I'm the founder and CEO of IORA Ecological Solutions. IORA Ecological Solutions is a leading developer of nature-based solutions, policies, implementation plans and action on ground in India. Over the last 15 years, we worked across 200 projects in the areas of forest conservation, forest restoration, and sustainable agriculture, while also helping India and many other countries develop leading policies to not only plan action on climate change, but also execute this action through financing and technology. Our mission is to make nature count, our mission is to ensure that there is holistic conservation of nature, of biodiversity and the communities who depend on nature.Sudha: That's very, very interesting.So, from our previous conversations and what I've read about IORA, I understand that, like you said, nature-based solutions for climate mitigation adaptation are pivotal to the work that you do. So what counts as nature-based solutions and why are nature-based solutions crucial to tackling climate change?Swapan: Well, that's a great question. So nature-based solutions is a broad category of actions which in summary are actions that can protect, sustainably manage, and restore modified ecosystems while providing the core benefits of biodiversity, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, human wellbeing. Some examples of nature-based solution include afforestation, reforestation forest conservation, mangrove restoration soil and sand, enhancement, et cetera.Now, why are nature-based solutions gaining a lot of traction? I think there are multiple reasons. One is that it's mildly accepted that nature-based solutions have the capability to deliver close to 30% of all mitigation actions, which are needed to stay below the two degree levels, which are enshrined in all of the global NDCs by 2030, a third of the actions.The second reason is that nature-based solutions, like I mentioned earlier, deliver a lot of core benefits, versus any other solution, I'm not saying that our nature-based solutions are more important or less important than technology-based solutions. But as compared to other solutions, these core benefits of nature-based solutions are immense, especially in an agrarian vulnerable country like India.If you're able to restore lands, restore water bodies, aforest, it can help tremendously in reducing climate risk for communities, helping creating jobs, help in ensuring livelihoods are sustained. Lastly there are two kinds of climate actions that we broadly have been all working on in the last few years.One is actions that lead to avoidance of emissions. Second, which lead to, removal of emissions, which are already out there. While renewable energy and such categories, which have gained a lot of investment in the last few years, which is critical to the global pathway of decarbonisation, we all agree that there is already a lot of emissions out there, which are already starting to warm the globe, the process has already started. This is now a well-established fact, which means that we also need to balance this out with a lot of removals.In the removal space, nature-based solutions have a distinct advantage also of being cost effective. Industrial removals, carbon capture are still very expensive, given that nature-based solutions have the ability to remove at a fair price locked carbon for periods of 30, 40, 50 years, which is what the world needs to move towards, net zero technologies and their core benefits. This is the reason why nature solutions are gaining a lot of traction and attention now.Sudha: Yeah, my, first interaction was at the Planet Cognisphere event and so it's interesting to see, that it prioritizes not just, removals, but it prioritizes communities, and it looks at community impact and the cost of doing this entire process, because who's going to finance, where's the money going to come from?So I think we definitely need low-cost innovations, and this sounds like a great way, to approach and, address the challenges. So, the NBS have been, incorporated into the NDCs as a part of the country's strategies, and you have helped develop India's National REDD+ strategy.Tell us a bit more about it.Swapan: So, yeah, Sudha most countries now have a major component of nature-based solution in their NDCs, this includes major budgets for afforestation, for reducing deforestation, and even in some cases for reducing emissions from agriculture.So those components are there in various NDCs. India where we've had the pleasure and the privilege to be helping the Ministry of Environment Forest, making a roadmap for the NBS part of its NDC, has a major target to increase carbon stocks in India's forest and tree cover by two and a half to 3 billion tons by 2030, which is a major target.Now, NDC targets are also slightly related to this instrument called REDD plus. REDD plus is an instrument which is being developed by the UN, in an effort to reduce emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and also to enhance the quality of the forest, the plus stands for Sustainable Forest Management and Enhancement.REDD Plus has been under development for many years, the World Tree Carbon markets have adopted REDD plus in various forms, and there have been many projects, many initiatives. We had a chance to develop India's National REDD Plus policy and guidance document back in the day. Now there are also some challenges when it comes to REDD plus.REDD plus is a very critical instrument. I especially feel that it needs to be promoted more and more because there is a distinct advantage of conserving existing good forest over creating new forest. I'm not saying creating new forest is not a good strategy, it is, but the true system service is the biodiversity, and very importantly, the culture and heritage enshrined in existing forests.<...
Transcribe →138: Alicia Solanki, Team Lewis on breaking barriers, cultural stereotypes and leading with authenticity
Oct 2800:29:05Tap to summarizeShow Notes:Black and Ethnic Minority representation in leadership positions in the UK PR Industry leaves much to be desired and is well below FTSE 100 @11% and FTSE 250 @9% (Parker Review 2025). However, I am an optimist and do believe that direction of travel has been set by advocates and agencies… Collective progress may be slow, but equity & inclusion is mainstream and there are more role models than ever before…Alicia Solanki, Senior VP EMEA @Team Lewis is one such role model challenging cultural expectations and stereotypes to make space for herself in the UK industry. In this fast-paced conversation on The Elephant in the Room podcast we spoke about the dynamics of leadership and representation in the industry from the perspective of a woman of colour.Alicia also spoke about the importance of mentorship in fostering resilience and empowerment amongst underrepresented communities.- Authenticity and cultural sensitivity- Work life balance decoded- Codeswitching – life saving hack or demotivating burden?- Evolving definitions of leadership and empathy in leadership- DEI alive or dead? Are clients continuing to prioritise DEI initiatives or are they backtracking on their previous commitments?Each and every time I hear somebody speak about their lived experiences, I am blown away by how unique our experiences are to each one of us. How important it is for us to understand that Black and Ethnic Minorities or the global majority are not homogenous. That understanding context and intersectionality are key to informed equitable interventions for inclusive workplaces and thriving communities. Her advice to young Black and Ethnic minority professionals entering the industry - ‘make your own magic’. Episode TranscriptSudha: Good morning, Alicia. Wonderful to have you on the Elephant in the Room podcast today.I'm delighted because I've been following you on LinkedIn for some time and it's a great pleasure to have you here today.Alicia: Thank you, Sudha. It's a pleasure to be here today.And yes, my friends and family always laugh about how obsessed I am with LinkedIn, so I'm glad you found me on there too.Sudha: Brilliant. So let's start with a quick introduction. Alicia: So I'm Alicia Solanki. I'm SVP EMEA at Team Lewis. Team Lewis is a global marketing agency here in London, but we're also global. We're around the world in 25 offices. I've done my whole career agency side. Before that I was in the Omnicom family. So, yeah, I guess I love the buzz of agency.I love the discipline of PR and how it's really expanded now. I have two children, Ella, who's 11, just started high school. So lots of change came going on in our house at the moment.And then I have a little boy called Ethan, who's eight. So, yeah, married, busy life, juggling loads of plates. But I kind of like it that way. So that's a bit about me.Sudha: Yeah. Oh, my God, it sounds really busy and with life changing stuff. I mean, moving from primary to secondary is like a huge change and of course, agency life. Tell me about it. I love the buzz. I was agency side, moving on. As an ethnic minority woman with an amazing career in PR, I need to ask you this. Did you choose to get into the PR industry? And how did your family respond? Because, I mean, a lot of Asians really don't get it.Alicia: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.And you're going to laugh when I tell you that I bought the ‘Dummy's Guide to PR’ before I started my career because I knew nothing about what this industry was about. But what I did know is that it ticked loads of boxes. So I love politics, I love the media, I love writing and reading and being with people.And there were very few careers, I guess, that ticked every single one of those boxes. And then I came across PR and started looking into it and realized that it could do that. So that was where it ended up. My family had no clue what this was. My mom still thinks I'm a pa, I think. So I just kind of let anyone believe that which is fine. And I really remember one time when I think it was a cousin of mine, who I won't name, said to me, what are you supposed to do with a career with a degree, sorry, in English. And I remember thinking, oh God, I've really gone against the grain here. When you know, lots of my cousins and grew up in a really big Indian family. Right. Lots of people around the house and most of them did, you know, either economics or math. So I was definitely an outlier.And so yeah, it wasn't easy and I definitely sort of went left when everybody went right. From a studies point of view.Sudha: Good for making your own choices. I can understand. I mean I didn't tell my kids, they didn't know what I did for the longest time and I was okay with that.So during your career, considering that, you come from a background which is not in PR and where there's little awareness of the industry, did you have access to mentors and allies and role models? How important is it for you to see people like ourselves as role models?Alicia: Yeah. I'll take the first part of your question first. I started this career in 2005 and there definitely weren't that many role models, particularly Asian female, in really seeing positions.I think fast forward 20 years where we are now, there are definitely lots of brilliant examples and each one of us hopefully trying to lift each other up and become more visible and use our platforms and our voices. But there wasn't back then.But what there were, I would say is that loads of allies in other places that either saw a talent that you had, that maybe you didn't realize that you had advocated for you and gave you opportunities. And I started my career at Ketchum and there were some amazing leaders, colleagues there that, you know, played an instrumental part in my career.And they know who they are. So I won't name them all because I don't want to miss anyone. But yeah, the ability to see something, I guess that you didn't see in yourself. So allies are important everywhere in your life. Sometimes they're obvious allies, sometimes they look like you have the same background as you, but that's not always the case.And I think being open minded and looking around and networking like crazy and finding those people that can lift you up and can occasionally like throw you the microphone or give you the spotlight. I think for me those are the people that have been real jewels in the story. As I look back over 20 years. So yeah, they weren't there back then. I'm so pleased to say that there are definitely way more now.Sudha: Agree. I totally agree with you. And you know, we just spoke about agency life and the buzz of agency life. So is there a thing such as work life balance and what are the strategies for staying grounded and avoiding burnout considering you have a life beyond work?Alicia: Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's one of the hardest things I think about being in this career. It is always on. There is a nature, a degree to which you have to be present with your team, with your clients and that's challenging.Yeah, I mean I have a really long commute to get to work. It can take up to two hours each way, children to sort out in the morning, to feed in the afternoons.But the way that I like to look at it I guess is that there isn't such a thing as work life balance because you just have one life and you just have to work out how do you turn the volume up and down every single day? So sometimes the volume at work is a bit louder, other days it'll be louder at home.I like to keep it broadly in equilibrium because I find that that makes me happiest, it makes my family happiest, my colleagues happiest. It's not always easy, but I think you have to be quite disciplined about the way you look at work life balance.You know, you can't always have your cake and eat it. There is sacrifice everywhere you look and often personal sacrifice is - definitely things that I'm not able to do in the week.Do a yoga class or there just isn't the time. But I'd hope that in time when the children are older and things settle that you'll get to do some of those things.But yeah, I think it's just being open minded about that, respecting your boundaries, having that self-resp...
Transcribe →139: Empowering Women in the Climate Sector: A Conversation with Shalini Bharat, Founder & CEO, Nadhi 'She-for-Climate' initiative
Oct 2800:28:45Tap to summarizeShow Notes:The global climate movement/industry is not very inclusive; amongst other things it struggles with gender gap. This is especially true in a country like India where the climate industry, particularly the clean energy sector, suffers from a significant gender gap, with women severely underrepresented in technical and leadership roles. While women disproportionately bear the burden of climate change impacts, social and systemic barriers limit their participation in the very sectors that could offer solutions and economic empowerment.In India there are several government initiatives focused on women’s participation, along with several grassroots and third sector initiatives that are working to build skills and capacity. One such initiative is #Nadhi -SheforClimate a women led initiative building climate resilience through human capital development. #Nadhi is the brain child of Shalini Bharat a banker turned climate entrepreneur and social leader.After a 17-year career in finance, including serving as the COO of Corporate Bank at Deutsche Bank India, Shalini founded the climate community platform with a vision to empower 100,000 women to become climate leaders by the year 2030.So, what inspired this banker to leave the safety of 9-5 for climate entrepreneurship? In the course of our conversation, we spoke about....- Her motivations for creating a platform dedicated to increasing female representation in climate leadership- The overwhelming lack of women in decision-making roles in this critical space- Initiatives that facilitate capacity building, fostering community, and provide career support for aspiring female climate leaders- The importance of partnerships in advancing these objectives, highlighting how collaborations with variousorganizations can amplify the impact of their mission- Authenticity and purpose ascritical drivers for meaningful change within the climate space#Nadhi works at the intersection of gender equity and climate adaptation by enabling women to enter and thrive in green careers building long-term individual and community economic resilience. They also support micro-entrepreneurs in climate-aligned sectors such as sustainable agriculture, clean energy, circular economy, and low-carbon services and help create community-driven knowledge network.ShaliniBharat is also the founder of the circular economy startup The KindBusiness#WomenInSustainability #ClimateLeadership #BreakingBarriers #BreakTheBias #GenderAndEnvironment#RepresentationMatters#AmplifyHerVoice Episode Transcript: Sudha: Good morning, Shalini. Wonderful to have you as a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today.Shalini: Thank you. My pleasure to be here and thanks for inviting me.Sudha: Let's start with a quick introduction. Shalini, what inspired you to start a business focused on climate? What is Nadhi She for climate? And is that the right pronunciation?Shalini: It's Nadhi. Like river. I'll talk about the inspiration behind NadhiSo, Nadhi, it's been about, I think 16, 17 months since I started Nadhi, but the backstory to this is I used to be a corporate banker. And in 2021 I left my job a CXO level person, quit the job without a plan, wanted to, get into the climate space. But I started with a little bit of social leadership fellowship. But when I kind of entered the climate space, I. It was very overwhelming.First of all, you didn't know whether it was a scientific or a science based, you know, skill or experience you need, or is it something that I can use my existing domain expertise to get in there? It was just overwhelming. And climate is a huge space, right?So I remember how overwhelming it was for me and I think over the past four, five years I tried to build a few things on the side, but one of the common questions or topics where whenever I used to speak to anybody used to be, hey, how do I get into the space? And that prompted me to start Nadhi.I could also say it was also for selfish reasons that I also wanted to be part of something where I can meet like-minded people, you know, exchange ideas, exchange thoughts, and also feel that you're not really out of place in any of your conversations.I could have kept it open, but I also realized that having been part of so many networks and conferences, there's always a little bit of not being heard in the room kind of.Shalini: And you know, usual mansplaining. All those things also happen. So I thought, why not do this only for the den? So it all started with a Google form last year, February. I just rolled it out in Bombay. I didn't really expect the response I was getting.And that is how Nadhi's journey has also been that it was completely impromptu without too much of planning or anything.And then it kind of became into a venture or a social business, Nadhi's primary goal is how do we enable more and more women to come into the climate space. Now it will be interesting to also see that, or rather it was for me very interesting that I have been part of so many conversations with women. But it was when I read a report from OECD, it said less than 30% women. There are only 30%, less than 30% women leaders in the climate space who are decision makers and senior level leaders.So all these things I would say kind of prompted me to kind of put a structure which was pretty much can I enable more women to the climate space?So the focus is on three aspects which is climate fluency through capacity building and of course a whole community of like-minded women and and providing them career support by partnering with organizations. That became like the core of Nadhi. So the mission is to enable 100,000 women to become climate leaders, decision makers, change makers by 2030.Sudha: Amazing. I think this journey to transitioning and taking that leap of faith.It has to be a leap of faith when you leave something without a plan because we are so conditioned culturally and socially to not take risks. And this is definitely; this definitely sounds like a risk.So this plunge into entrepreneurship, Shalini, was there an aha moment or was it a gradual. Gradual sort of, you know, awakening to the possibilities as you sort of explore and then you find that oh, you know, this is what is me or this is what I'd like to be doing.Shalini: So to be honest, if you had asked me five years back if I would even ever think of become an entrepreneur, I would have said no. That was something I didn't really plan or even remotely thought about.But what happened I think was, I would say it was gradual, but I think they were also that aha moment for me to kind of jump into that space.So gradual because you know, when I, like I earlier mentioned coming into the climate space, having had a very, very, how do I say, broad experience in the corporate sector, I thought getting into climate would be also easier and it wasn't easy. So which means I was also very clear that I'm not going to start from scratch.All the years of experience I've, I built I don't want to just go to Cash, so. And that's where I thought, why not do something on my own? Honestly, after being through the journey, I realized how hard it is.But I think the point in time was if I don't do it now, I would regret it later. Yeah, might as well try it now and see where it takes me. So I think it was also a little bit of, I would say, risk taking on my part, thinking that, okay, let me try it at least.Shalini: But that moment was for me to try, build something on my own came about because I found it extremely difficult to find anything, how do I say, suitable for my, you know, experience and what I was trying to look for. So I think that that kind of requirement need also pushed me to kind of do this. Sudha: Amazing. That sounds like. Yeah, that sounds like. So such an interesting journey.So what, what doe...
Transcribe →136: What business Purpose, inclusive culture and ESG reporting mean in global citizen services businesses: A conversation with Shikhar Aggarwal, JMD, BLS International
Jul 2900:16:47Tap to summarizeShownotes:5 years post COVID I continue to ask the question – Do organisations need to have a business purpose? And what does having a business purpose mean in practice?For the 136th episode of The 🐘 in the Room podcast I spoke with Shikhar Aggarwal, the Joint Managing Director of BLS International one of the world’s largest global service delivery company (visa, passport, consular, and citizen services).Themes covered in the episode include 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾- What it means to be a purpose driven business providing citizen services and facilitating mobility- Insights on global cultural integration for a listed Indian entity (the only one in the industry) with 60,000 employees and a footprint across 70 countries- Lessons from the pandemic: agility, empathy and building trust- Evolving challenges in the industry including geo-political crises, cybersecurity and inclusivity in service delivery- Commitment to Sustainability & ESG reporting: The aspiration to set global benchmarks in citizen services- Role models in the industry and beyond #TCS #L&T #Wipro #Azim PremjiTo learn more head to the podcast, link in comments 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾#BLSInternational #CitizenServices #GlobalMobility #ShikharAgarwal #Leadership #Sustainability #ESG #Innovation #PurposeDrivenBusiness Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good afternoon, Shikhar, thank you for being a guest on The Elephant in The Room podcast today.Shikhar: Thank you so much for inviting me.Sudha: Brilliant. So let's start with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do..Shikhar: My name is Shikhar Aggarwal. I'm the joint Managing Director of BLS International. I started in Delhi; I'm a chartered accountant. I worked in a couple of companies before joining BLS International in 2014. So it's been an 11-year wonderful journey. And here we are, listed company with presence in 70 plus countries today.Sudha: Awesome. Since I'm from a comms background, and Bhavya is also I'd like to hear your elevator pitch for BLS International. What is your mission and vision for the company? It's quite a huge business.Shikhar: At BLS International, we are a trusted global tech enabled service provider to governments worldwide, committed to simplifying access to essential citizen services. We are operating in 70 plus countries and have processed more than 360 million applications till date. Our mission is to be the world's most trusted and efficient partner for government to citizen services. Also, our mission is to be the largest Indian company in global service delivery. There have been a lot of IT companies out of India, global IT companies, but I feel that a global service delivery company out of India, we are probably the primary one and we want to be the largest one.Our vision is to touch the lives of a billion people across the globe by delivering citizen services that are seamless, secure and powered by innovation. We aspire to be the global benchmark for inclusive technology driven service delivery that empowers individuals, supports governments, and creates lasting societal value.Sudha: Very interesting. So in the last couple of years, purpose has become a buzz word. So how important is it for you as you move on this journey to becoming, one of the largest or a global company which is much admired. How important is it for you that BLS International should have a business purpose?Shikhar: See when someone applies for a visa, it is to unite with a family or needs an identity service to start a new chapter in life. It is much more than just paperwork. It is deeply personal. That's the space we operate in and that's why for us, purpose isn't a trend. It is a responsibility. At BLS, we don't see ourselves just as a service provider.We see ourselves as an enabler of mobility, connection, and dignity. Our purpose is woven into every application processed, every identity verified, and every life made easier through our technology and presence. It guides us how we innovate, how we collaborate with governments and how we stay human centered in an increasingly digital world.Beyond enabling access, we're also building livelihoods, empowering over 100,000 individuals, not just with jobs, but with tools, training and opportunities to become successful entrepreneurs in their own right. We are proud to foster a growing ecosystem of people who don't just work with us they are like business partners, they have learned how to run a business. They're making money with us. While others may talk about purpose as a brand statement, for us, it is the reason that we show up every day.Sudha: Very interesting and it segues into my next question about culture. As a global business, with the footprint across, many countries, how do you go about creating one culture, getting employees or as you say, your business partners across the world to reflect your values.Shikhar: When you are operating in a global environment, you know we are operating in 70 plus countries across borders, time zones, cultures, building one cohesive culture isn't about uniformity, it's about unity. For us, culture is the thread that connects thousands of employees around a shared purpose and core set of values, passion, customer orientation, entrepreneurship, result orientation, integrity and respect and being process driven.We have built the cultures with intent through strong training programs, open communication and digital platforms that bridge distances. We keep everyone aligned, no matter where they are, and while we are united by values, we never lose sight of local strengths. Our teams are empowered to bring their unique perspectives while staying anchored in common framework of service excellence.That's how we create a culture that's global in spirit but grounded in the realities of the people we serve and the people who serve with us.Sudha: So that's about culture. And do you travel a lot to these countries to actually see what the culture, what the integration is like?Shikhar: Definitely me my senior team, we want to be on the ground. We don't want to operate a company from our head office or our office. If you have a touch and feel of the ground, the different cultures, values of the people, then you understand where your company is really at.Not only cultures and values, you also understand delivery, business opportunities, capabilities. So it is a must.Sudha: That's the best way to learn.So Shikhar it's been like five years since the pandemic and, that was such a moment in time, moment in history where, everyone was impacted global travel and tourism of course was heavily, heavily impacted. We couldn't travel, I was stuck here in the UK, couldn't go to India. What were the learnings for people in your business? Particularly around, adaptability, agility, and also to be able to continue to serve customers and clients, who were stuck in crisis.Shikhar: I think for us, since we are a company that gives visas, definitely pandemic had hit us the hardest, but it has been a learning curve. Pandemic for us was more than a crisis, it became a real time test for our resilience, and for us it brought three powerful lessons to the forefront.First, agility became non-negotiable, practically overnight, we reimagined how we work. Digitizing operations enabling remote support and ensuring business continuity in the face of unprecedented disruption. We also learned how to operate business at a lower cost, and we are still taking some of those learnings till today.Secondly, we learnt empathy isn't just a value, it's a strategy, while we kept services running, we made sure that our people were protected. We prioritized safety, flexibility, and wellbeing for our frontline staff as well as the customers we serve. And third, the trust made all the difference. Our long-lasting partnership with governments gave us the credibility and collaboration needed to co-create solutions that balanced public safety with service continuity.These lessons didn't just get us through crisis. They have reshaped how we operate today: faster, more human and more connected than ever. If you see our growth after COVID, if you see our profitability growth, If you see our margins growth, if you follow our financials, everything is at a different trajectory.<p class="ql-align-justify...
Transcribe →134: A conversation with Akashdeep Bansal CEO SaralX on redefining accessibility in society
Jul 1700:31:58Tap to summarizeShow notes:Are there people who inspire you, make you want to be better and do better?I have been fortunate to meet with amazing and inspirational people from all walks of life through my podcast The Elephant in the Room. Individuals who refuse to be defined by their circumstances or the challenges they encounter in life. Akashdeep Bansal, CEO of SaralX, and my guest for the 134th episode of the podcast is one such person. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at a young age, Akash's path took an unexpected turn when a conversation with his master's supervisor prompted him to consider the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in pursuing STEM education. This pivotal moment not only reshaped his academic trajectory but also inspired the creation of SaralX, a startup focused on enhancing digital accessibility for people with disabilities.In this episode we spoke about 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 👉🏾 How this led to the setting up of a collaborative network aimed at breaking barriers and fostering inclusion👉🏾 Discovering purpose and becoming an entrepreneur advocating for inclusivity in the digital realm👉🏾 Misconceptions that digital accessibility is solely for people with visual impairments, emphasizing that it encompasses a diverse array of disabilities, including motor impairments, cognitive challenges, auditory limitations……👉🏾 The need to shift from a complaint-driven approach to accessibility towards one that inherently integrates inclusive practices into the foundational design of products and services.👉🏾 Societal awareness and acceptance in facilitating a truly inclusive environment for all individuals, regardless of their abilities. We also spoke about stigma, role models and what motivates him. Akash believes that it is not just one person who inspired his journey, it is the collective influence of those he has engaged with on his journey. His commitment to creating awareness and fostering inclusivity with SaralX is rooted in the notion that true empowerment stems from dismantling societal barriers rather than imposing limitations on those who are excluded.Thank you @Prateek Madhav, Assistech Foundation for the introduction 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾To learn more about Akash’s inspirational journey head to the podcast 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾Episode TranscriptSudha: Good morning, Akash. Wonderful to have you as a guest on The Elephant in The Room Podcast today.Akash: Good morning, Sudha. It's my pleasure to be here.Sudha: Brilliant. So let's get started with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do. I heard a little bit from Prateek of AssisTech Foundation. Let's hear from you.Akash: What I can say about myself is, right now I'm doing this startup called SaralX, where we are basically helping in making the digital world inclusive for person with disabilities. Prior to this, I've done my master and PhD from IIT Delhi And I'm born and brought up in a small town which is called Gango, which comes under the district xxxx.So that a small brief about me.Sudha: Oh, wow. From UP straight to Bangalore. That's good.Akash: Yeah,Sudha: It requires a fair amount of bravery to become an entrepreneur. Did you have an aha moment and what propelled you to get into this journey?Akash: Okay. So I can tell you like how I ended up in entrepreneurship.There was no plan, when I was in childhood there was no plan that I will be doing any sort of entrepreneurship. If you met me 10 years back and asked me what I want to be in the future, my answer at that time should have been, I want to be in the teaching profession. I want to be a professor. So I did my BTech in electronics and communication. Then I got admission at IIT Delhi for Mtech. So when I was pursuing my master's at IIT Delhi, the same question was asked by my Master's supervisor. He asked me what do you want to be in the future?So I told him like, I want to be the professor.He then said, okay, that's fair enough, I can give you another problem statement. As you're doing your master's thesis, you can continue the work in the similar domain and you can pursue the PhD. I'll be happy to take you as a PhD student.So one background is that I got diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 2003 when I was just 10-year-old. Due to which, I was losing my eyesight gradually. And when my Master’s supervisor asked me, tell me one thing, what will happen if during your PhD you are not able to read anything on the printed documents or anything on the computer screen?How will you continue your research work? And at the time I was dealing with equations, which used to be three to four lines, even when you are typing on a A4 size sheet.My Masters was related to electromagnetics EM wave, if you've heard about.He asked me how will you manage you're dealing with such a complex equation right now. how will you continue working on your research during your PhD itself, if you lose your eyesight? And that was a trigger point for me.I was not having any answer at that time. I said, give some time. Let me think about it. And then after a couple of days, I revisited him. I asked him sir can I do PhD with a topic that, how a blind person can do electrical engineering?So then he said, yeah, that sounds a good topic, but I am not from this domain, so let us talk to someone who works in this domain.So then we met another supervisor.He immediately accepted me as a PhD student. He said, if you want to work on this problem, how equations can be read out for a person with blindness, I will be happy to take you as a PhD student. So that's how I entered the PhD.I started networking with multiple persons with disabilities, multiple NGOs to understand what kind of challenges they're facing, what kind of practices they're adopting right now.To pursue the different STEM content, like equations, tables. Yeah. What kind of practices are there and what kind of challenges are there? So, at the time we formed an informal group of different persons with disabilities who were doing engineering from ITTs, or even the foreign universities.We started catching up on monthly basis. Basically we used to help out each other and I used to join that call to understand, these are the alternatives everyone is adopting. And this is the gap, which is there.So, during the conversations which we used to have on monthly basis a discussion came up, the point was, we eight or nine people are able to help each other We somehow was able to break the barriers and able to come to the engineering domain.But we know the ground reality. Even if you go to a lot of NGOs the blind person is always guided that you shouldn't pursue STEM education. Because that is not something which is accessible to you. You should one of the arts subjects. So then we thought, okay, let's join hands and maybe enter into some sort of an organisation where we can collectively work towards and utilize our own technical abilities and do something for the entire xxxxxxxSo that was a moment when we switched into an entrepreneurship mode, four of us we started first company, we ran it for around three years. We learned a lot of things, we did a couple of things for the community. And then during this time itself, there was a time when my eyesight reached to that level that now I can't read anything on the computer screen. I needed to rely on the assistive technologies. I was the one who used to manage everything online in my family. Like if my father wants anything, I was the go-to person. But in 2021 when I lost my eye sight to the level that now I can't read anything on the computer screen, I felt like I lost my freedom.Now I need to even rely on someone else to get the things done. So that was the trigger point. And then I said, okay I need to solve this problem. Anyway during the PhD I learned about all different kind of digital accessibility, like let's solve this problem at a larger scale. And that's led to the development of this serviceSudha: Wow, that's quite a story, quite an experience for anyone. So you've said about, why you started SaralX and it is about accessibility, for people with disabilities visual impairment probably, or anything that they have.So what is your ambition for SaralX and how did you get to the name SaralX?Akash: Before answe...
Transcribe →135: Transforming and building trust in Carbon Markets : Insights from Shreya Garg
Jul 1700:22:15Tap to summarizeThere is research to show that climate washing is on the uptick along with a growing trend by companies worldwide to utilise carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions. The trend (carbon offsetting) is driven largely by companies making net-zero pledges. However in the absence of standardised frameworks and regulations claims of greenwashing can undermine the credibility of carbon mitigation efforts examples: overstating the impact, under reporting harm to communities or environmentTo understand the ecosystem better I spoke with Shreya Garg, a seasoned climate professional and auditor to share her expertise on the dynamics of the carbon markets. Independent auditors are key to building trust in carbon markets by provide objective assessment of projects, prevent misrepresentation of data. In our wide-ranging conversation we spoke about additionality, permeance, community impact…...👉🏾 The evolution of the Indian carbon market from niche, compliance driven model to a more dynamic and voluntary environment👉🏾 The burgeoning international interest in Indian carbon credits and what is fuelling the demand👉🏾 How global net-zero commitments and increased scrutiny around climate disclosures are major factors driving the evolution of voluntary carbon markets👉🏾 The difference between compliance and voluntary carbon markets and how they can shape corporate reputation and sustainable practices👉🏾 Why greenwashing remains a huge challenge👉🏾 The need transparency, integrity and community engagement and technology in the evolving landscape of carbon markets. In our conversation Shreya highlighted the necessity for equitable benefit sharing and community engagement to restore trust in climate initiatives. We also spoke about the need for more women in the climate space, emphasizing the unique perspectives they bring to community engagement and project sustainability.To know more about carbon markets and climate washing head to the podcast 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good morning, Shreya, Thank you for being a guest on The Elephant in the Room podcast today.Shreya: Morning Sudha. it's totally a pleasure.Sudha: Brilliant. So let's get started with a quick introduction to who you are and what you do.Shreya: So I'm Shreya, I'm a climate professional for about 14 years and I've been working in the carbon markets. Right now I'm associated with different organisations, gold Standard there’s FCF, India and Isometric. And my main work is guidance around the carbon credit quality strategies and market synergies. Prior to this, I was vice president operations at Earthood where I led a team of auditors who were working on validation and verification of climate projects.Sudha: Brilliant. How has the carbon credit market transformed over recent years and what are the main factors contributing to this change? Especially when we consider a diverse country like India. I read a recent report that the carbon credit market in India is booming.Shreya: Definitely. I think the carbon markets have evolved to a great degree. They've evolved from a niche compliance driven market to a broader, more dynamic voluntary markets. We have seen that there are no commitments per se, that are being made by the countries, but there are global players that are making their move towards climate action. So I would say the growth has been driven mostly by net zero commitments and also there has been huge demand in the voluntary market. And not to forget the heightened scrutiny around climate disclosures that all have played a role in shaping the markets.When we come to the state of carbon markets in India, I would say there has been a combination of factors that has influenced. We have our own carbon credit trading scheme that is now shaping the market these days. And of course all the corporates are taking their sustainability targets that is providing the demand for the carbon credits and there is international demand for Indian carbon credits also. And there has been an increased awareness amongst the Indian businesses on how to utilize carbon finance to fund their decarbonisation strategies.Sudha: That's very interesting. So are there big differences between the voluntary and compliance markets and why are they important for businesses?Shreya: Yes, they are I wouldn't say diametrically opposite, but compliance market as the name suggest they're government regulated. So they're more like cap-and-trade systems.So they're mandated by the law and involve legal obligations. However, voluntary markets are kind of self-driven and it's more like self-motivation, how you go to the gym every morning. It is not a hostile or it is not a regime that somebody enforces on you, but it's your own action and your drive towards a goal that takes you forward. So, both of them are equally important because the compliance market gives you the flavour of the requirement. So they help shape influence the mindset on what's good and what's bad. And the voluntary markets, of course take the step forward into doing the right things.I think in terms of businesses voluntary markets do offer the flexibility. We also get influenced by the reputation. We have a certain notion about a company which says it is climate focused versus a company which is not making any such statements. I think compliance market, we can say we present the regulatory risk management. Like, India has its own targets and we are focused on certain things more as compared to other nations. So I think compliance market gives an overarching framework.Sudha: And then companies can choose to go beyond compliance and of course it will help with their brand. It helps the business mitigate future risk but also I think in terms of reputation, like you were saying, it adds a huge halo to organisations. I think a lot of them are compliance driven rather than driven by altruistic or thinking about the world and society.How do you evaluate the quality of carbon credit projects? Seems so deeply difficult to do and how do the criteria impact the credibility of organisations? Because in today's world, like you spoke earlier, everyone says that we are climate friendly, we are signed on to net zero and we want to achieve certain targets.And a lot of people put targets that are in 2040/50 where probably nobody is going to be there to check them on accountability.Shreya: Or nobody would remember.Sudha: Yeah. Or nobody will remember. So, how do the criteria impact the credibility of these organisations?Shreya: Very valid question Sudha and I would say that quality is always multidimensional.And when we talk about carbon credits, there's certain aspects like additionality, permanence, leakage, monitoring rigor, not to forget, the community impact, and also the alignment towards science. When I say alignment towards science it's basically the adherence to the methodology that is checked when we are doing the quality checks.And I say this because I've worked as an auditor for most of my life. So, I would say it's credibility of a credit mostly hinges on to these criteria. And how well are they integrated in a project. A project with a weak additionality, there were couple of cases earlier, a company would have gone for solar panels, with renewable energy anyway, with or without carbon credit. So how additional is that project? So if you were going to go for that, what is the benefit or should you have rightfully received the carbon credits for those projects or not?And these kind of are the bigger questions and they form the general impressions on what should be done, where is climate finance more suited to be used, for example, maybe community-based projects where the same amount of money can benefit a larger number of people.So a lot of these are qualitative issues, but issues like permanence, leakage, and monitoring are quantitative, which can be seen and kind of set in black and white.Sudha: So have you seen poor criteria impact credibility of projects. Like , you say that there is a project that is happening and there are criteria for measuring the quality and when somebody does, I'll use the G word greenwashing, then they are just, like you said there is a solar project that's already there, it's a part of the business and are you really doing something in order to contribute or is it something that's there as a part of your business?Shreya: I think that is the unfortunate part of being an auditor is that we are bound by the standards. So we are limited by the scope of the standards which sets the requirements....
Transcribe →133: The Role of Companies and Investors in addressing the Nutrition crisis: Insights from Vivek Arora, Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI)
May 26, 202500:28:12Tap to summarizeShow notes:Did you know that ultra processed foods (UPFs) make 57% of the average British diet and up to 80% when it comes to children and people with lower incomes. And that the major food and drink companies lobbied to block the UK government’s efforts pushing for discounts on healthier and minimally processed products In the Indian sub-continent meanwhile, an average household derives more calories from processed foods than fruits (The Lancet study 2020). What is staggering is that this diet has been reshaped over the course of a single generation. While regulations around ultra-processed foods are tightening in both the UK and India, food regulations in India are considered weak, ambiguous, and industry-friendly, leading to a lack of strong front-of-pack labelling and effective advertising restrictions. Last year I reached out to the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) in India - a pivotal global foundation dedicated to transforming the food industry to learn more about their work and the ATNI’s India Index. The India Index 2023 assesses the performance of the 20 largest food and beverage manufacturers of India. The findings based on 1,901 products are not unexpected but still staggering 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👉🏾 The average Health Star Rating for all companies’ products is a shocking 1.9 out of 5, well below the ‘healthy’ threshold of 3.5👉🏾 Sales of packaged F&B in India have surged by 15% every year since 2011, outperforming total food sales. Spending on F&B increased at a rate of 9% per year between 2011 to 2021👉🏾 76% of sales are derived from less healthy products. Nineteen of the 20 companies derive most of their sales revenue from less healthy products.👉🏾 The positives seven of the 20 companies have responsible advocacy plans and five institutional investors and shareholders of food companies in India have now signed up to nutrition frameworks such as the Investor Expectations on Nutrition, Diets and Health as part of their responsible investment strategies.Another disappointing fact, specifically highlighted in the index is that products sold in low-income countries like India tend to have lower health star ratings than those sold in high-income countries, indicating that the nutritional value of products may be lower in lower-income markets.The findings are an eyeopener for the food industry, consumers, regulators, investors and activists and reveal the need for reform and greater transparency.And should we not be asking as to how and why is it acceptable for multinational companies to offer products with low nutritional value in poorer countries compared to their offerings in high-income countries?Head to the podcast to listen to the episode 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾Episode Transcript:Sudha: Good morning, Vivek. Wonderful to have you as a guest on The Elephant in the Room Podcast today.Vivek: Morning Sudha. And thank you for giving me this opportunity to come to the podcast, The Elephant in the Room and share my thoughts with you.Sudha: So let's get started could you introduce yourself for the benefit of the audiences?Vivek: I'm Vivek Arora and I work in the area of food and nutrition. So right from the beginning in the career I was involved with the food production. And there was a turnaround in 2008 when I got the opportunity to produce therapeutic and supplementary foods, and that's how I got introduced to the space of Nutrition.And since then, I found a purpose, earlier I was producing fast foods and now I'm producing food for a purpose or contributing towards nutritious foods. So that's the transition that has happened. Of late after that stint I worked with development sector like Tata Trust and then went on to be an advisor in the space of nutrition, where currently I am advising ATNI and GAIN. ATNI is access to nutrition initiative and GAIN is Global Access for Improved Nutrition. So both are, global foundations and I provide my advisory services to them.Sudha: Amazing. So you've also made a transition from the private sector to the development sector and found your purpose with what you are doing with your experience to use your experience for the next stint. So tell us a bit more about what the ATNI is or Access to Nutrition initiative is.Vivek: So basically Access to Nutrition Initiative is a global foundation. What we do is, we challenge the food industry, the policy makers and the investors to produce, nutritious food or, create food systems that are more nutritious.So what we actually do is we analyse data and come out with actionable points that helps them to take on the decisions basically.Sudha: Very interesting considering that the world is struggling with hunger in some places, and obesity in some places. And I read a news report yesterday that India is also on the cusp of struggling with, an obesity crisis. However, that's another conversation to be had.So what do and sustainable investment look like for nutrition, and do you have examples of where it has worked? And what is the scale of investments that is being made in this industry and what is needed?Vivek: So basically sustainable investment is like the investors and the bond holders.They invest in food companies, which drive a sustainable change in the companies. So basically it is nudging the investors, and it is being done through different means so right from collaborative approach to we need to take shareholder resolutions.We work with the companies we analyse; we share the data with them, and then they take action. So either the companies take it or we then provide the reports to the investors. Who then take it to the board or the CEO to take actions and produce more nutritious or sustainable food and healthier options to the population basically.So the motto of ATNI is providing healthier diets for all so we are nudging the companies who are producing food in the market to provide and give healthier options. Just to give you an example, we worked with Unilever and there were certain, board resolutions and there was a collaborative approach where we had three rounds of meetings with them. And they later started disclosing data on healthier options that they provide. So there are different profiling models available across the globe. And there are government recognized standard profiling models. They started disclosing the data on it and that's the way you come out in public, you commit in public, and then you improve. Unilever is a very, very good example. They almost, kind of stopped marketing unhealthy food to the children. So it was a big achievement I would rather say.Sudha: Yeah that's a big thing. My interest in this question is because I look at the intersection of equity and inclusion and ESG and sustainable development and I understand from some of the information that you have shared that there are at least 88 financial institutions who manage like 21 trillion in assets who are working with you to invest more responsibly in nutrition. So all of this conversation around ESG being dead or sustainable development should not be a priority, I think, sounds more and more like rhetoric.Vivek: You are right. See there are people who want the healthier option, and that's what our approach is because where do you consume food from? You consume food from markets. Now imagine if the markets are not able to provide in any case would consume food. So the objective here is to drive that market and transform them into healthier options and more sustainable options.That's what we are working for, basically.Sudha: And you have sufficient traction on this from investors. I can see.Vivek: Definitely 21 trillion of assets under management and 88 investors on our side and growing. So, it's almost one third of the total investment by the company. So significant and with more popularity, where the index gets recognized and used by more investors, we see a good progress here.Sudha: That's great, so ATNI released the Indian Index in 2023. What was the focus of the index and what is the methodology of the research?Vivek: So basically this ATNI index 2023 is not new to India. So the first index was in 2016 where we analysed 10 companies. And the second index came in 2020, where 16 companies were analysed. In 2023 in total, 20 companies were analysed. These 20 companies produce about, say, 36% of the total processed food available in the Indian markets, which is significant.So how do we analyze? There is a set methodology, and under each section there are several questions and the companies are asked these questions and each question is marked, and then the then a ranking is published. Just to give you an example the different sections.So the first section is, the methodology. So the first one is nutr...
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