The Net-Zero Business podcast: Exploring Staffordshire University’s One Planet Pledge

All edie podcast episodes can be listened to via iTunes

Following on from the UK Government’s world-leading net-zero carbon commitment, edie’s new spinoff podcast series, Net-Zero Business, hears from the trendsetters and trailblazers of responsible businesses.

Since the UK Government set it’s 2050 net-zero target into law, more and more businesses are attempting to get ahead of the political curve by strengthening carbon and energy strategies and pledging to become net-zero businesses well before the 2050 deadline.

The Net-Zero Business podcast is a monthly digest of shorter episodes, each featuring an in-depth interview with a sustainability lead at a business that has set a net-zero target recently. 

In the latest episode, edie’s senior reporter Sarah George dials Stoke-on-Trent for a discussion with Staffordshire University’s chief financial officer and deputy chief executive officer Sally McGill and lecturer Dr Eleanor Atkins, who works in the biological and biomedical sciences department.

The University, which plays host to more than 15,000 students, recently set a 2030 net-zero target for its Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (power-related) emissions, with a longer-term, 2050 target for Scope 3 (indirect) emissions. 

This podcast explores how stakeholders across the University community helped to develop these targets and how the University plans to accelerate decarbonisation in its operations this decade. 

It also outlines plans to improve green skills and education, research in areas that could accelerate the low-carbon transition and help restore and conserve nature, and encourage behaviour change among its hundreds of staff and thousands of students. 

In this episode, Sarah makes reference to edie’s new Net-Zero Business Barometer report. Hosted in association with Inspired Energy, this report is free to download and can be accessed here. The report summarises the findings of a recent survey of 161 in-house sustainability, energy and carbon professionals at UK organisations of all sizes and sectors, providing a snapshot of net-zero progress to date and plans for the coming months. Download your copy here. 

The edie podcast is available to listen to on Spotify. You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and bookmark this page to see the full list of podcast episodes as they appear. 

Have a question about this podcast or a suggestion for future episodes? Email us at podcast@fav-house.com. Please bear in mind that episodes are now fully booked through to the end of July. 

edie Staff