TRACK CHANGES - chats with climate change and sustainability experts — подкаст

Built-in emissions: How to cut embodied carbon 20.07.2026 47мин

We've demolished one part of the sprawling Track Changes podcasting studio - and we've found two top experts willing to give us pro bono advice on doing our rebuild in a sustainable way! In this special episode, WWF Australia's Monica Richter and TTW Hannah Jones take us through all the steps involved in designing and building a project with less embodied carbon - and they explain why it matters. Monica Richter is senior manager of Low Carbon Futures at WWF Australia, and Hannah Jones is sustainability lead at engineering consultancy TTW. Monica is also project director at MECLA - the Materials & Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance. To find out more about embodied carbon and using low-embodied carbon materials, head to the MECLA website!

ISO's net zero standard: Five things you need to know 16.07.2026 33мин

In June 2026 the ISO Net Zero Aligned Organisations Standard was released for public comment, after a lengthy consensus-based process building on the 2022 ISO Net Zero Guidelines. In this pod episode, Kurt Winter joins us to unpack 5 key aspects to the Net Zero Aligned Organisations Standard; from transition planning, linking to global net zero, and pathways, we dive into the detail underpinning the standard. Kurt Winter was a member on the Australian Standards Committee and was subsequently nominated to the international working group, involved in the consensus process behind the standard's evolution. ISO Release Information: https://www.iso.org/news/2026/06/standard-for-net-zero-alignment Consultation at: https://comment.standards.org.au/

What next for the Safeguard Mechanism?: Cutting Australia's industrial emissions 24.06.2026 1ч 9мин

In this panel-pod, three guests discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the reformed Safeguard Mechanism - Australia's main policy for cutting industrial greenhouse gas emissions. You'll hear how their views of the Safeguard have evolved, their thoughts on the policy's strengths and weaknesses, and their suggestions on how it could be improved. Joining the panel are Tejesh Kashyap, policy and research officer with Beyond Zero Emissions, Grace Tully, principal decarbonisation and industry consultant with Anthesis, and Kurt Winter, director of corporate transition with the Carbon Market Institute.

Bonus episode! Sustainability Business Live 10.06.2026 22мин

In this bonus episode, we take the Track Changes roving mic to Sustainability Business Live, Australia's largest corporate sustainability event. The conference component of Sustainability Business Live featured speakers including Matt Kean, chair of the Climate Change Authority, electrification guru Dr Saul Griffith, Dr Matthew Bell, global head of sustainability consultancy Anthesis, Ronni Kahn AO, founder of OzHarvest, and Freya Williams, chief strategy officer with Revolt. The trade show featured businesses specialising in everything from energy efficiency to professional services, to green finance and investment. We asked sustainability professionals attending the event to tell us the most important thing they've learned in their sustainability careers so far. The answers were fascinating and diverse. Enjoy! (Thanks to Craig, Blandina and the Stirling Media team for organising and hosting Sustainability Business Live. Thanks also to event major sponsor Anthesis for your support.) If you're enjoying the Track Changes podcast, check out our associate podcast called Earthed. Earthed is a weekly round-up of climate, nature and sustainability news from around Australia.

The climate change dejargonator: With Mark Tilly 01.06.2026 27мин

The Track Changes science and technology division has invented the dejargonator - and Carbon Pulse Asia Pacific editor Mark Tilly has bravely agreed to test it out! We put this episode together because we enjoy hearing climate and environment professionals talking plainly about what they know. And we like hearing them explain difficult concepts (like carbon markets). Mark is a terrific communicator - no surprise given he's an excellent climate and nature journalist. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Environmental wins and successes 22.04.2026 46мин

In these times, we need to celebrate the wins - and that's what we've done in this 'open mic' episode! It's a mix of short audio clips from contributors, and street vox pops - and it's about success in all its forms. Some of the things you'll hear about are individual actions, some are larger scale programs, and one is a mighty initiative that left Franziska and I almost awestruck. Anyway, enjoy this upbeat episode - big thanks to participants, including our people on the street! If you like this episode, please share it with a friend, a colleague or your network. And please give us some stars - it helps put our pod in front of other listeners! Track Changes is brought to you by Earthed, and is co-hosted by Murray Griffin and Franziska Curran - and thanks as always to Sophie Sideris and Earthed news co-founder Chris Dansie.

Türkiye's approach to climate change: ClientEarth's Gizem Koç 07.04.2026 46мин

What has shaped Türkiye's approach to climate change? In this episode, ClientEarth's Gizem Koç chats to us about recent changes in Türkiye's climate law and policy, and the drivers of those changes (including the EU's Green Deal). In the lead-up to the UN's COP31 climate summit - which will be hosted by Türkiye - Gizem also talks about environmental litigation in Türkiye, the role of non-government organisations and provincial governments, as well as the nation's approach to international negotiations. You can find out more about Client Earth here https://www.clientearth.org. Also, in the pod, Gizem mentions Turkiye's Directorate of Climate Change. You can find its website here https://iklim.gov.tr/en/

Powering past consensus: Climate lawyer Harj Narulla 03.03.2026 39мин

If you like Track Changes, please rate us and review us on your pod platform, so more people hear about our show! In this episode, leading international climate barrister Harj Narulla calls UN climate summits a "big, messy jamboree", and talks about why we need them, and why they aren't enough. Harj - who represented the Solomon Islands in a landmark climate change case before the International Court of Justice - chats about: the importance of smaller groups of industries or governments that are prepared to be more ambitious. how the international Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative is 'shifting the conversation'. key climate litigation trends to watch. why the International Court of Justice opinion didn't get pulled into the COP30 climate summit negotiating bubble. and why climate reparations is an important, emerging concept. Whether you're a climate summit newbie or a summit wonk, if you're interested in what it takes to achieve stronger international climate change action then there's plenty in this chat to enjoy!

What is heavy industry doing to cut emissions? What more can it do? 12.02.2026 1ч 14мин

We've got some real heavyweights talking about cutting CO2 and methane emissions from heavy industry - Margi Johnson (Australian Aluminium Council), Ben McGarry (Aurecon), and Trent Hawkins (ERM). They're a very talented crew, each with hands-on experience, and each with a deep knowledge of 'big picture' factors that influence business decision-making on cutting emissions that cause climate change. And they cover some fascinating ground - sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing. What are big emitters doing to decarbonise, and what needs to happen for them to do more? What should emerge from the Safeguard review (Australia's main policy for cutting emissions from heavy industry)? Tune in to find out! And if you enjoy this episode, please rate us and share the episode with colleagues!

State and territory climate and sustainability developments in 2026 20.01.2026 31мин

An update on what to expect from Australian states and territories on the climate change, sustainability, and waste management front in 2026. Which state has an approach to climate change and sustainability that would make great fodder for a standalone true crime podcast? Which one has an approach that would make for a great wellness podcast? Which state isn't reviewing its framework environment law, even through its Auditor-General has said it is necessary? How many coordinator-generals does it take to decarbonise an economy? And where did hosts Dr Franziska Curran and Murray Griffin respectively spend their holidays? You'll hear a reference in this episode to the novel 'I want everything' by Dominic Rivera. Check it out! And you'll also hear a reference to the 1960s pop song 'Una Lacrima Sul Viso', by 1960s Italian hearthrob crooner Bobby Solo. Check out the video version on YouTube! Enjoy!

Net zero or real zero? Which climate pollution target is best? An open mic episode! 14.12.2025 59мин

Net zero or real zero? This 'open mic' episode features short audio clips from a range of people, giving their views. Then podcast hosts Dr Franziska Curran and Murray Griffin weigh in with their views. Is one concept a misguided fantasy, and the other our best hope? Or are both concepts useful? Tune in to find out! If you like this episode, don't forget to rate it on your favourite pod platform and share it with friends/colleagues!

What we got from the COP30 climate summit, what we need from COP31 11.12.2025 56мин

Featuring a chat with Carbon Pulse North America editor Allison Gacad, and Carbon Pulse Asia Pacific editor Mark Tilly. Allison and Mark discuss the highs and lows of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, and chat about what they'd like to see from the Turkiye-Australia-Pacific COP31. Can next year's TAPCOP stare down the fossil fuel interests that managed to keep a fossil phasedown out of the COP30 formal outcomes document? Allison also talks about the billions of dollars raised for the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, and Mark chats about one of the best acronyms to come out of the UNFCCC in quite a while - BAM - the Belem Action Mechanism. Enjoy!

The world's newest (and prize-winning) environmental treaty - protecting our high seas 20.11.2025 1ч 5мин

The world's newest environmental treaty will protect the high seas - those parts of the ocean that belong to no nation. These marine waters extend over about half the planet. This ambitious treaty recently won the world's most prestigious environmental prize - the Earthshot prize for reviving our oceans. The prize was accepted on behalf of the treaty by the director of the High Seas Alliance - Rebecca Hubbard. In this episode, Track Changes hosts Franziska and Murray do a virtual 'trip' to Rio to recreate that well-deserved prize-winning moment at the 2025 Earthshot prizes. And then we chat with Rebecca, who explains how the treaty was developed and what it will do. It's an inspiring episode - enjoy!

Ralph Regenvanu: Protecting an Amazon-sized ocean expanse 11.11.2025 45мин

The proposed Melanesian Ocean Reserve is an ambitious proposal to protect more than six million square kilometres of incredibly biodiverse ocean, centred on the waters of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. In this episode, we talk to globally renowned politician Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's Climate Change and Environment Minister, who is playing a leading role in bringing the Reserve into being. Ralph was a leading figure in securing UN General Assembly support to seek an International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the climate change obligations of nation states. And he is now spearheading efforts to make that landmark ICJ opinion the baseline for policy-making and decision-making on climate change. Enjoy the episode!

What to expect from the COP30 climate summit 06.11.2025 42мин

Will the UN COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, be a success? Will it be a COP that explicitly aims for 'Tropical Forests Forever' and tacitly leaves the world in a 'fossil fuels forever' mindset? Or will it be a COP where there is action across the board? And what is likely to happen on the crucial issue of providing finance to developing countries to help them reduce emissions and adapt to climate change and disruption? In this episode, two senior journalists from the Carbon Pulse news service - Allison Gacad and Mark Tilly - share their insights about this make-or-break COP.

The Queensland LNP's energy rogue map 31.10.2025 26мин

It's important to face up to the destructive nature of the Queensland LNP's so-called energy roadmap, and related LNP moves that make it much harder for renewable energy projects to get assessed, let alone approved. The LNP has gone rogue on energy, barely maintaining any pretence of treating the renewables sector fairly. And if there is to be an energy transition in Queensland, it will be despite the LNP state government, not because of it. In this special episode, Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles discusses the LNP's roadmap, and talks about what it means for the state, and for the nation.

How some industry groups slow climate action (and which ones do it) 28.10.2025 1ч 3мин

Some industry groups have for years succeeded in undermining effective climate policies. And there's no sign of them stopping. In this episode, Christian Downie discusses his impressive work on how these industry associations operate - and his findings on the eye-watering amounts of money they spend. Plus we do a deep dive on some of them - including the Australian Energy Producers, and the Minerals Council of Australia. And we also discuss Manufacturing Australia's current fossil gas campaign. Christian is a Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University, and he's also director of the ANU's Governing Energy Transitions Lab. As well as teaching at ANU, he's taught at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics. Christian has also been an advisor to several government departments, and he's co-edited a new book called Climate Obstruction - A Global Assessment. And particularly relevant to today's chat, he has a strong research interest in how some business associations have stymied good climate policy. Enjoy!

Decarbonising commercial shipping (using wind, not green ammonia or methanol) 30.09.2025 1ч 16мин

The most feasible short-term approach to decarbonising commercial shipping is not green ammonia or green methanol - and definitely not LNG - it's wind, says Andrew Dickson. Andrew has worked on big solar, hydrogen and wind projects, and he reckons high-tech wind assisted shipping propulsion is the easiest place to start. That's because scaling green maritime fuels - while it needs to be done - is so complex and will take such a long time. With wind, there's no fuel supply (bunkering) issues, no dangerous substances, no complex new crew training requirements, and it's retrofittable. And it can result in a meaningful cut in emissions. (And no, it's not a deck covered in turbines, and it's not your standard sail). And a bonus chat with Carbon Pulse Asia Pacific editor Mark Tilly, who gives a policy perspective on cutting maritime emissions, with the goal of net zero by 2050. Co-hosted by Murray Griffin and Dr Franziska Curran.

Liars and blockers: The rising threat of climate disinformation and misinformation 21.09.2025 1ч 8мин

A panel-pod on the scourge of climate disinformation and misinformation - "the firehose of falsehoods" as one panellist poetically puts it! We need to understand which groups are running climate change disinformation and misinformation campaigns - and who is funding them - if we are to make progress. "We don't need to change the minds of everyone in society to get climate action - we just need to activate enough people!" Featuring three people involved in a landmark new book called Climate Obstruction - A Global Assessment - out from Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/climate-obstruction-9780197787144?cc=au&lang=en& Timmons Roberts is a co-editor of the book, and Melissa Aronczyk and John Cook are two of the many contributors to it. Tune in (and read the book too - it's terrific!) Track Changes is a podcast for those active in the climate and sustainability bubble, and for the bubble curious. It features chats with climate and sustainability experts, and it's presented by Melbourne-based communications advisor - and former climate journalist - Murray Griffin.

How (and why) NSW's EPA is stepping up on CO2 and methane 11.09.2025 1ч 10мин

Tony Chappel, chief executive of the NSW EPA, talks about the authority's groundbreaking new proposals to help make sure NSW meets its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Tony talks about the steps the NSW EPA will take to ensure large emitters cut carbon pollution, and to make sure these companies tell the public what they emit and what they're doing about it. And he talks about how the NSW proposals differ from federal emissions reduction legislation, and how the two regulatory regimes will interact. You can find the proposed NSW greenhouse gas guidance materials at https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/climate-change-licensee-requirements. Then, Carbon Pulse North America editor Allison Gacad has some great insights to share on what the US EPA achieved under the Obama and Biden Administrations, and what has happened under the Trump Administration. She'll also talk about how US states are responding to the Trump Administration rollbacks.