The Earth Set Podcast

This week’s episode comes from the Eden Project in Cornwall, where Amy Rennison and Fiona Howarth speak to two very different — but equally important — voices in the transition.
First, Augusta Grand, CEO of Eden Geothermal, shares the story of bringing geothermal energy to the UK — from early resistance to wind power through to the realities of drilling, financing and scaling a new energy source. The conversation explores why geothermal has long been overlooked, how rapidly the technology is advancing, and why it could play a critical role in both electricity and heat.
Then, Amy speaks with Jane Davidson, former Welsh minister and architect of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act — one of the most ambitious pieces of sustainability legislation in the world. They discuss how the Act came to life, what it has changed, and how it is now shaping Wales’ approach to long-term decision making and net zero.
Together, these conversations explore two sides of the same challenge: how we move from ambition to delivery — whether that’s building new energy infrastructure or redesigning the systems that govern it.
If the transition depends on both technology and institutions, the real question becomes this: how do we align innovation, policy and people to actually deliver change at scale?

In this episode you’ll learn:
What geothermal energy is and why it has been underutilised in the UK

How advances in drilling technology are rapidly improving the economics of geothermal

The difference between geothermal for electricity and geothermal for heat — and why heat matters most

Why countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands are ahead on geothermal deployment

The role of government policy, funding and market design in unlocking new energy technologies

How local energy systems, data centres and grid constraints are shaping future infrastructure decisions

What the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act is and why it is unique globally

The shift from a “duty to promote” to a “duty to deliver” in public policy

How long-term thinking is embedded into Welsh governance across all public institutions

Real-world examples of how the Act has influenced procurement, planning and community outcomes

Why political systems struggle with long-term decision making — and how this can change

How Wales is approaching net zero through a delivery-focused, system-wide plan

The importance of making climate policy tangible, practical and accessible to the public

Resources & Links
Eden Geothermal – Project and research on geothermal energy in the UK
Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) – Framework for long-term, sustainable governance.

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We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.
First Tuesday of every month.
Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠

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Behind every climate solution lies a human challenge.
A challenge not just of technology or capital, but of people — the skills, training and pathways needed to turn ambition into reality.
In this episode, Fiona Howarth sits down with Rich Tyrie, CEO of GoodPeople, to explore the growing green skills gap and what it will take to close it.
From building talent pipelines to connecting local communities with meaningful work, Rich shares insights from over a decade of experience working at the intersection of employment, social impact and the energy transition.
The conversation explores why millions of workers will need to be reskilled, why the current system struggles to keep up, and why solving the skills gap is as much about coordination and collaboration as it is about education.
If the transition to net zero depends on people, the real question becomes this: how do we build a workforce ready to deliver it?
Why the UK needs millions of workers to be reskilled for the energy transition

What the “green skills gap” actually means — and why it’s bigger than most people think

How labour market fragmentation makes it harder to match people with opportunities

Why many “green jobs” aren’t obvious — from scaffolders to finance roles

The difference between “dark green” and “light green” skills

Why education systems struggle to keep pace with changing workforce demands

The role of employers in shaping future talent pipelines

How social value and procurement are influencing business behaviour

Why early engagement with schools and young people is critical

How place-based approaches can unlock more inclusive access to jobs

What’s driving collaboration in regions like Greater Manchester

Practical ways individuals can explore and access green careers today

Net Zero Careers – Explore green jobs, training pathways and opportunities across the UK
🎟️ Join Earth Set Live
We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.
First Tuesday of every month.
Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠
Please take a moment to:
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Share the episode with someone interested in climate technology, innovation or industrial strategy

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In this episode you’ll learn:
Resources & Links
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Behind every breakthrough climate technology lies a quieter, more fragile moment. The point where innovation has been proven, but scaling it into the real world becomes uncertain, expensive and deeply complex.
In this episode, Amy Rennison sits down with Sarah Macintosh of Cleantech for UK and Jim Totty of Virdis Capital to explore one of the most critical — and least understood — challenges in the climate transition: the “first-of-a-kind” gap, often referred to as the valley of death.
Drawing on their recent research with Cleantech for UK, the conversation unpacks why so many promising climate technologies struggle to reach commercial scale, despite strong early innovation and growing global demand.
From funding gaps and capability challenges to risk perception and policy design, this episode explores the systemic barriers holding back the next generation of industrial climate solutions — and what it will take to unlock them.
If the technologies to decarbonise already exist, the real question becomes this: why are so few of them making it to full-scale deployment?

In this episode you’ll learn:
What “first-of-a-kind” projects are and why they sit at the hardest stage of climate innovation

Why the transition from pilot to commercial scale is so difficult for climate tech companies

The funding gap between venture capital and infrastructure finance — and why it persists

How founders must shift their narrative from “innovative and unique” to “bankable and low-risk”

The critical role of offtake agreements, supply contracts and project finance structures

Why internal capabilities — from leadership teams to technical validation — can make or break scaling

How the UK compares to the US, Europe and Asia in supporting climate technology deployment

The impact of energy prices and market structures on where projects get built

What policy tools (like contracts for difference, procurement and guarantees) can unlock progress

Why ecosystem fragmentation — across investors, corporates, government and service providers — remains a major barrier

The scale of the UK’s pipeline of climate projects and where the biggest opportunities lie

Why this is not just a capital problem, but a systems and coordination challenge

Resources & Links
Cleantech for UK – Research on first-of-a-kind climate projects and scaling challenges

🎟️ Join Earth Set Live
We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.
First Tuesday of every month.
Grab tickets here: 👉 earthset.co⁠

If you enjoyed this episode
Please take a moment to:
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Share the episode with someone interested in climate technology, innovation or industrial strategy

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Behind every electric car sits a far older and more complex story. A story about minerals, mining, geopolitics and a global race to control the materials that power the energy transition.
In this episode, Fiona Howarth sits down with Henry Sanderson, Financial Times journalist and author of Volt Rush, to explore the hidden history of electric vehicles and the critical minerals that make them possible.
From the early experiments of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, to the rise of lithium-ion batteries and China’s dominance of global battery supply chains, Henry unpacks how electric vehicles became viable and why the competition for minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel is now shaping global politics.
The conversation explores how China built its battery industry, why Western countries are scrambling to catch up, and why the clean energy transition still depends heavily on mining, metals and industrial supply chains.
If the world is electrifying everything, the real question becomes this: who controls the materials that make electrification possible?
In this episode you’ll learn:
The surprising early history of electric cars and why they nearly won the race against gasoline vehicles over a century ago
How lithium-ion batteries unlocked the modern EV revolution
Why minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite are essential to the clean energy transition
How China built dominance across the global battery supply chain
Why Western countries struggle to finance new mining projects
How geopolitics, trade policy and subsidies are reshaping the EV industry
The tension between sustainable mining and the massive demand for critical minerals
What the next generation of battery technology and energy storage could look like
Resources & Links
Henry Sanderson – Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green
🎟️ Join Earth Set Live
We host monthly live events in London featuring founders, investors and policy leaders shaping the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.
First Tuesday of every month.
Grab tickets here:👉 earthset.co
If you enjoyed this episode
Please take a moment to:
Leave 5 stars
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Share the episode with someone interested in clean energy, geopolitics or the future of electric vehicles
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What if one of the most important industries for solving climate change barely exists today?
The world is getting better at reducing emissions. Renewable energy is scaling. Electrification is accelerating. Efficiency is improving.
But even in the most optimistic climate scenarios, billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide will still need to be removed from the atmosphere every year.
In this Earth Set conversation, Amy brings together three experts working on the emerging carbon removal economy to unpack what that actually means.
Codie Rossi, Director of Carbon Management and Markets at the Clean Air Task Force, works on the policy frameworks shaping carbon removal markets.
Richard Barker, Partner at Counteract, advises investors and companies on carbon strategy and the realities of scaling climate technologies.
Swarnali Mitra, Director at CUR8, builds portfolios of carbon removal projects for corporate buyers navigating the early market.
Together they explore how carbon removal works, why it’s becoming central to climate strategy, and why building this industry could be one of the largest economic transitions of the coming decades.
Humanity emits roughly 55–60 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year.
Most climate pathways now suggest the world will also need 5–15 billion tonnes of carbon removal annually to stabilise global temperatures.
Today, we remove only a tiny fraction of that.
This conversation explores the gap between those numbers, the technologies trying to close it, and the financial and policy systems that will determine whether carbon removal becomes a defining industry of the 21st century.
In this episode you’ll learn
Why cutting emissions alone won’t be enough to stabilise the climate
What carbon removal actually is and how it differs from carbon capture and offsets
Why the world may need billions of tonnes of removals every year
How approaches like direct air capture, mineralisation and ocean-based removal work
Why carbon removal markets are still at a very early stage
The financing challenge of building projects before buyers exist
How corporate buyers are helping to create early demand
Why measurement, verification and trust are critical to scaling the sector
How carbon removal could become embedded across industries from agriculture to construction
Why this conversation matters
Carbon removal sits at the intersection of climate science, finance, technology and policy.
If the world is serious about stabilising atmospheric carbon levels, a whole new industrial system will need to be built to remove CO₂ and store it safely.
That system is only just beginning.
Understanding how it might develop is key for investors, policymakers, founders and anyone interested in the future of climate solutions.
🎟️ Join Earth Set Live
Earth Set hosts monthly conversations in London with founders, investors and policymakers working on the transition to a resilient, regenerative economy.
First Tuesday of every month.
Grab tickets here👉 earthset.co
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode
Please take a moment to:
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Share the episode with someone interested in climate innovation, climate finance or the future of net zero
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