Sustainable Ambassador Podcast

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, Mai Doan shares her journey from finance to conservation, and what she has learned through her second career conserving wildlife in Vietnam. The conversation explores the conservation challenges facing Vietnam as economic development, population growth, land use, and climate change place increasing pressure on ecosystems and wildlife. Mai also takes us inside Conservation Vietnam's funding model, including how the organization identifies and supports local conservation organizations, measures progress over long time horizons, and uses an investment-like approach to help promising programs grow without creating long-term dependence on a single funder. Finally, Mai reflects on returning to university for a Master's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and offers practical advice for professionals considering a transition into conservation—including why volunteering, spending time in nature, and testing your commitment before changing careers can be important first steps.

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, Thu Vuong, Sustainability Manager at Pizza 4P’s, shares her journey from food science and sourcing into sustainability, and the lessons she has learned building a sustainable pizza brand in Vietnam. From working with farmers and suppliers to embedding sustainability into operations and engaging consumers, Thu offers a practical look at what it means to build a career in sustainability while helping a fast-growing Asian brand translate ambitious values into action

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, I speak with Joseph Constanty about his two decades in China, and his experience helping transform NIU from an early-stage Chinese electric scooter company into a global mobility brand. Joe shares how China’s electric two-wheeler industry developed, why NIU saw an opportunity to take its technology overseas, and what it took to overcome skepticism toward both electric mobility and Chinese brands in international markets.Joe also discusses one of China’s biggest competitive advantages: an interconnected supply chain capable of supporting extraordinarily fast cycles of product development and iteration.

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, I speak with Wesley Herche about the business case for supply chain decarbonization and his into energy, sustainability, and business.Drawing on his experience across government, consulting, Amazon, and energy and sustainability leadership, Wesley explains why energy sits underneath nearly every layer of the modern supply chain—and why decarbonization can increasingly be understood not simply as a sustainability objective, but as a pathway to greater efficiency, resilience, and competitive advantage.he conversation also explores the economics of the energy transition, the challenge of making long-term infrastructure investments within businesses driven by short-term financial expectations, and why sustainability professionals need to understand finance, engineering, strategy, and communication.Wesley closes by discussing the importance of empathy, coalition building, and choosing a specific problem to solve when building a career in sustainability.

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, I speak with climate scientist Prof. Dr. Detlef van Vuuren about the recent release of CMIP7 climate scenarios, and what they tell us about our changing climate future. It is a conversation that explores why scientists have updated the scenarios used to understand future warming, what has changed since the previous generation of models, and why recent temperatures rising faster than expected are creating new questions about climate sensitivity. Detlef also discusses what current trends suggest about future warming, the progress being driven by renewable energy and climate policy, and why updating the scenarios represents better science—not evidence that the risks of climate change have disappeared.

In this episode, we speak with Laura Kohler about how sustainability at Kohler reflects a generational approach to leadership and impact, shaped by over a century of family stewardship. Through our discussion, she shares how each generation has built on this legacy while adapting to new environmental and business realities, and why long-term progress depends on setting attainable, yet stretching goals to sustain momentum over time.The conversation also explores how Kohler navigates global market differences, balances B2B and consumer demand, and adapts sustainability strategies across regions with varying regulatory, environmental, and economic conditions. Finally, Laura shares insights into leadership within a family business and the evolving role of sustainability across generations, offering advice to next-generation leaders: listen, learn, build a case for change, and focus on work that delivers both impact and long-term value.Key Takeaways1. Progress Requires Calibrated Ambition2. Sustainability Is Strongest When Embedded in the Business3. Stewardship Drives Long-Term Thinking4. Market Reality Shapes Sustainability Strategy5. Water Is Emerging as a Core Business Risk

In this episode, framed around Nepal’s glaciers and climate risk, Arup Rajouria reflects on his 30-year career in environmental conservation and climate work. From his early exposure to forestry and natural resources to helping establish Nepal’s first climate-focused initiatives, he explains why the country sits on the front lines of climate change. Through the lens of accelerating glacial melt in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, he outlines how climate risk is not just an environmental issue, but a growing challenge for water systems, livelihoods, infrastructure, and regional stability—affecting billions of people downstream.Key Takeaways:1. Glacial melt is a defining signal of climate risk2. The impact of Nepal’s glaciers extends across Asia3. Recognition of the problem is outpacing coordinated action4. Strong local talent exists, but systems lack consistency5. Climate risk is evolving into a regional security issue

In this episode, we speak with David Fishman, Principal at The Lantau Group, about the energy sections of China’s draft 15th Five-Year Plan. The conversation explores China’s evolving energy system, including the shift from energy intensity to emissions intensity, the continued role of coal as a strategic backup fuel, the growth of renewables, electrification, power market reform, green finance, grid expansion, and China’s increasingly assertive role in global climate governance. Key Takeaways1) China’s Five-Year Plan is less a rulebook than a signal system.2) It identifies priorities, shapes incentives, and gives officials permission to experiment.3) Energy security is now central to China’s clean energy strategy.4) Renewables, electrification, grid expansion, and domestic production are all framed around resilience.5) China is shifting from energy intensity to emissions intensity, and while coal is not disappearing its role is changing.

In this video, I speak through how China moved from a country struggling with smog to become the “OPEC of renewable energy.” It is a presentation that I believe highlights that progress was not the result of one subsidy, one policy, or one technology breakthrough, but the outcome of a long-term national strategy shaped by urgent, tangible problems: severe air pollution, energy security risks, industrial upgrading, and the need to build future-facing jobs and intellectual property.Key Takeaways1) China’s renewable energy dominance came from solving real problems, not just chasing carbon goals.2) Smog created the urgency for policy alignment, industrial reform, and clean energy investment.3) Solar success was built through integrated supply chains, rapid innovation, and massive domestic demand.4) China’s renewable energy strategy also strengthened energy security, jobs, IP, and export potential.5) Other countries can learn from China’s roadmap, but must adapt it to their own governance, resources, and local challenges.