Sustainability Unplugged

Sustainability Unplugged is our podcast exploring key ESG challenges, policy shifts, and the solutions driving a greener future — from emerging tech to climate-smart strategies.

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Episode 1 - Rethinking Fashion’s Footprint: From Impact to Accountability

Guest - Deepthi Chandran Joyau, Founder, Only Ethikal FZE

In this episode, Deepthi dives into the evolving world of sustainable fashion—unpacking consumer behavior, her hands-on experience in India’s sustainable textile industry, the pitfalls of greenwashing, and how technology is reshaping the way we shop. From reducing carbon emissions to driving conscious choices, tune in to explore fashion’s role in a greener future.

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Episode 2 - Insuring a Sustainable Future: Rethinking Risk, Resilience & Responsibility

Guest - Racha Mukaiyed, Managing Director, Howden

In this episode of Sustainability Unplugged, Olive Gaea’s Jessica Scopacasa speaks with Racha Mukaiyed, Managing Director at Howden, about embedding sustainability into the insurance sector. From redefining risk and resilience to transforming operations and culture, the discussion explores actionable strategies for driving ESG integration and sustainable impact.

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Episode 3 - EU Climate Policy in Flux: What Businesses Should Know

Guest - Pietro Valaguzza, CEO, Kickster Group

The ESG world is in flux. From the EU’s tightening climate rules to the backlash against ESG in the US, it’s a time of both confusion and opportunity. In this episode, Pietro Valaguzza, CEO of Kickster Group, unpacks the storm: what’s really behind the EU’s Omnibus proposal, where ESG regulations are heading, and how mechanisms like CBAM are reshaping the game for global businesses. Curious about what’s going on and what it means for you? Tune in to make sense of the noise—and learn how to turn policy shifts into strategic advantage.

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Episode 4 - The Global ESG Reset: Navigating Uncertainty and Its Impact on UAE Climate Action

Guest - Adrienne Doolan, Founder, SustainGlobal

As global ESG momentum falters, the UAE charts its own path with a pioneering climate law. In this episode, Adrienne Doolan, founder of SustainGlobal, joins host Jessica Scopacasa to explore its impact on UAE businesses, the critical role of SMEs, and why local action is key to net-zero success.

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Episode 5 - From COP to Company: How Climate Policy Hits the Ground

Guest - David Cronin, Inward Investment Manager, Sustainability, London & Partners

Discover how global climate policies translate into local action, innovation, and ESG-driven business strategies. In this episode of Sustainability Unplugged, Jessica Scopacasa and David Cronin explore London’s role as a hub for climate tech, sustainable finance, and consumer-driven climate action, highlighting opportunities for businesses to turn compliance into growth.

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Episode 6 - Game Changer: How Sport Can Lead the Climate Movement

Guest - Sean Morris, CEO, 1.5 Degrees Sport and Co-Founder, Sport Impact Summit

Sport brings people together—and now it’s bringing them together for climate action. Sean Morris, CEO of 1.5 Degrees Sport, explores what sports stakeholders are doing today on sustainability, what more they can and should do, and how to get there by leveraging the lessons sport teaches us. From local clubs to global leagues, this powerful conversation shows how sport can inspire communities and drive real climate impact.

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Episode 7 - Carbon Lock-In & Pricing: What They Mean and Why You Should Care

Guest - Pietro Valaguzza, CEO, Kickster Group

This episode explains carbon lock-in and carbon pricing in plain terms. Learn how EU ETS, carbon taxes, and CBAM affect costs, trade, and strategy in 2025. Get practical steps on internal carbon pricing, using marginal abatement cost curves, and preparing embedded emissions data to protect market access and reduce risk across supply chains and Scope 3.

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Episode 8 - From Compliance to Capital: ESG as a Value Driver in Real Assets.

Guest - Wesley Thomson,Partner, Head of ESG – MENA, Knight Frank

This episode breaks down why ESG is shifting from compliance to a core business driver. Learn how real estate shapes 37% of global CO₂ emissions, why MENA is moving fast on green buildings, and how investors are now pricing ESG into every decision. Get practical insight on the tech shaping the next decade — from AI to circularity — and what early movers can do to stay ahead in a changing market.

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Episode 9 - Circular Futures: Bioplastics and the UAE’s Path to a Net-Zero Economy.

Guest - François de Bie – COO, Emirates Biotech

In this episode, we sit down with François de Bie, COO at Emirates Biotech, to unpack the science behind PLA bioplastics and what it really takes to build a circular plastics economy in the UAE. We explore how PLA is made, where it can help reduce emissions, where its limits are, and the practical realities of scaling new materials, waste systems, and circular solutions—without oversimplifying the trade-offs involved.

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Episode 10 - AI Breakthroughs to Scalable Businesses: The Future of Innovation.

Guest - Victor Orlovski, Managing Partner, R136 Ventures

This episode explores the evolving relationship between startups and established companies, and the role startups play in driving innovation—particularly in the age of AI. Viktor Orlovsky shares insights on what it will take for companies to continue innovating as AI reshapes ecosystems, accelerates disruption, and changes how climate tech and decarbonisation solutions are developed and scaled. The conversation also looks ahead at the future of climate tech in an increasingly uncertain and evolving policy landscape, and what this means for long-term resilience and impact.

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