Blue Earth Podcast

For millions of people living in flats, rooftop solar has remained out of reach, not because the technology does not work, but because the energy system was never designed for them. In this episode, Reg Platt, Founder of Emergent Energy and a member of Blue Earth Ventures, shares how more than two decades working across climate campaigning, energy policy and regulation led him to one of the biggest barriers holding back the clean energy transition: outdated market structures. Reg explains how Emergent Energy is enabling residents in multi-occupancy buildings to buy locally generated solar power directly, reducing household bills while creating a stronger commercial case for building owners to invest in decarbonisation.We explore the company’s five-year journey working with Ofgem to help unlock regulatory change, the challenges of funding a business dependent on rewriting the rules, and its landmark project with Hackney Council, which is now delivering locally generated electricity to around 750 residents across 28 buildings.The conversation also looks beyond rooftop solar to the future of local energy, where buildings can generate, store, trade and intelligently manage electricity, helping to create a cleaner, cheaper and fairer energy system.This is a story about persistence, policy change and building an energy transition that works for everyone.

The ocean is one of the world's most valuable natural assets, yet it remains one of the least funded.In this episode of the Blue Earth Podcast, Guy Hayler sits down with Kirsty Schneeberger MBE, Founder and CEO of Athena Blue, to explore how she's building the financial infrastructure needed to unlock investment into ocean restoration and regeneration.Drawing on experience spanning the Paris Climate Agreement, biodiversity conservation, philanthropy and climate finance, Kirsty shares why she left a successful career to launch Athena Blue, the challenges of fundraising while building a startup, and how better capital allocation could transform the future of the blue economy.Together, they discuss blue carbon, nature finance, seagrass restoration, investor readiness, and why businesses are increasingly viewing ocean health as a critical risk and opportunity.If you're interested in climate innovation, ocean investment, entrepreneurship, or the future of nature finance, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode of the Blue Earth Podcast, Guy Hayler sits down with Jason Ash, Founder of Young Planet, to explore how the platform is helping families save money through circular parenting. From digitising hand-me-downs to building a “Blue Light Card for parents”, they discuss community, consumer behaviour, scaling impact and the future of sustainable family living.

In this episode of the Blue Earth Podcast, Guy Hayler sits down with Neal Mann, founder of NOAN, to explore the future of AI-native business.After working across global transformation projects with companies including Google, Microsoft, Expedia and News Corp, Neal saw the same problem everywhere: businesses are built on fragmented systems, disconnected knowledge and outdated processes that AI simply cannot operate effectively on.NOAN is changing that.The conversation dives into why “context” is becoming one of the most important layers in modern business, how NOAN is helping companies become AI-native from the ground up, and why Neal believes every company will eventually operate as an API.They also discuss the future of due diligence, AI-driven operations, founder productivity, scaling globally from Europe into the US, and what the next generation of companies could look like.A fascinating conversation on the infrastructure powering the future of work.

In this episode, José, founder of Segura and Blue Earth B100 winner, shares how his team is transforming water quality testing, from slow, expensive lab processes to real-time, on-site results.Drawing on years of experience in water chemistry and global consulting, José breaks down the scale of the problem utilities face, why existing systems no longer work in a changing climate, and how Segura is repurposing medical-grade technology to deliver faster, cheaper, and more scalable testing.We dive into early pilots with major global organisations, the path to certification, and what it takes to build a deep tech company at the intersection of infrastructure, climate, and data.

What started as an experiment with chicken waste and food scraps is now a fast-scaling biotech company.In this episode, Ben Pluke, founder of Raft Energy and Blue Earth BE100 Growth Winner, shares how his team is transforming waste into renewable energy, helping biogas plants increase output, improve efficiency, and unlock stronger returns.From early R&D in a shed to commercial trials with major operators, Ben breaks down the journey to market, the scale of the opportunity, and why 2026 could be a breakthrough year for Raft Energy and the wider waste-to-energy space.

In this episode, Natasha Boulding, co-founder and CEO of Low Carbon Materials and Blue Earth BE100 winner, shares how her team is transforming the built environment into part of the climate solution—starting with a carbon-negative aggregate used in roads, concrete, and infrastructure.From spinning out of academia to delivering over 40 real-world construction projects, Natasha breaks down the journey from lab to large-scale deployment, the challenge of breaking into a risk-averse industry, and why scaling production is the next big unlock.With demand already outpacing supply, this conversation explores how Low Carbon Materials is building trust, driving adoption, and shaping the future of sustainable construction at scale.

Hear from the founder behind exits to Sony Entertainment and a £300m+ scale-up, as he unpacks The Living Card — a venture tackling the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. From repeat backing by Ascension Ventures to parallels with Monzo and Blue Light Card, this is a conversation about timing, traction, and building a platform with real-world impact.

In this episode of the Blue Earth Podcast, Charney and Ramzi, co-founders of Do Epic Good, share the story behind their mission to transform how we learn.After decades in the creative industries, both reached a turning point. They saw first-hand the growing pressure on businesses to lead on sustainability and purpose, but also a clear gap: the people inside those organisations didn’t have the tools, time or engaging education needed to drive real change.Do Epic Good was built to solve that.Now part of Blue Earth Ventures, the platform delivers CPD-certified, podcast-style courses designed to help individuals and businesses drive profit with purpose. Think expert-led storytelling, practical frameworks and learning that actually fits into real life.