The Seventeen

The usual format of The 17 podcast is to focus each episode on one of the UN's 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) but the next two episodes are different. They will feature Sustainability Pioneers - the experts, thought-leaders and innovators who have shaped sustainability up to the present day, and will address the challenges of the future.

In this Pioneers episode we talk to:

Mike Berner-Lee, an expert on carbon footprints and net zero and a globally-respected expert on the changes needed at a global systemic level to protect the future of the planet.

Jo Fairley, one of the leaders of the Fairtrade movement, who, as co-Founder of Green & Black's chocolate, changed the game in terms of business being done in a sustainable way.

John Elkington, often referred to as a founding father of sustainability, he pretty much coined the term and has written many influential books grappling with a path through the competing pressures of economic thriving and environmental responsibility.

Asking the questions are Kate Hutchinson and Lella Halloum. These interviews were recorded at Yorkshire Sustainability Week 2023.

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail or discusses a topic linked to sustainability.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk

UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Episode 2 of 'The 17' focuses on Goal 8 and a subject that dominates the thinking of governments globally - the economy. The nature of this goal means it affects all the other Sustainable Development Goals. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the current state of affairs looks like this:

• Global economic recovery post-covid is hampered by - amongst other things - rising inflation and labour market challenges
• Global unemployment is over 6%
• 1 in 10 children are engaged in child labour
• Global annual GDP growth is 2.5% (when it was 4.4% before the Ukraine War)

Goal 8 is also one of the most hotly debated of all the UN’s goals. Will economic growth pull more people out of poverty and kickstart the tech innovation needed to address climate change? Or is a focus on making more money - by definition - unsustainable. This episode triggers a fascinating debate.

An influential expert with a different vision

Tim Frenneaux has worked on both sides of the economic argument. Earlier in his career he worked for institutions that did prioritise growth, but now he is independent and has chosen to follow a different path. He’s moved from shaping economic development policy in the public and private sector, to focusing on designing regenerative economic models.

Tim believes that aiming for economic growth should not be part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, because he thinks that chasing more money pulls in the opposite direction to caring for the planet:

“There's a great phrase that the environment is starting to send invoices back to the economy. We've always had this narrow view of economic growth as the prime thing that would deliver all the other benefits that we wanted from society. It's starting to be shown as the fallacy that it always was.” - Tim Frenneaux

Each episode of 'The 17' ends with our influential expert guest giving us all their Stop/Start - one thing we can all stop doing and one thing we can all start doing right now to help move the planet toward meeting the UN Sustainable Development goal that is the theme of that episode.

Tim’s 'Stop' relates to our attitude to money. We need to stop chasing it and instead focus on wellbeing - our own, our community’s and the planet’s. His 'Start' is about searching out an emotional connection with the people around us. If we can feel the impact of the issues facing our unequal world, we can be motivated to be part of improving the situation.

Yorkshire's ambition to lead on Sustainability

Both guest Tim Frenneaux and host Kate Hutchinson live in Yorkshire and they sense that the county is keen to be a leading regional voice on sustainability. Tim recognises the increasing passion for sustainability in the region and thinks Yorkshire can be a test bed for best practice that can be shared more widely.

The first ever Yorkshire Sustainability Week takes place this coming July and will have an in-person conference as its centrepiece featuring keynote speakers such as Greenpeace's Areeba Hamid. Go to www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com to find out more and get your tickets.

Be informed, take action and spread the word

'The 17' is a podcast dedicated to sustainability. It is structured around the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. They represent, in essence, a plan to save the planet. We all need to know what they are, take reasonable positive actions in our own lives to help... and spread the word.

This new sustainability podcast has made quite an impact. Episode 1 was a hit - hitting Number 2 in the UK Apple Podcasts ‘Earth Sciences’ chart - an amazing result for a brand new podcast.. A new episode of ‘The 17’ is released on the 17th of each month and each episode is themed around a different one of the UN’s seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Follow 'The 17' to make sure you are informed and hear from influential experts about what actions to take to play your part in building a sustainable future. Listen every month, subscribe, leave reviews and tell your friends.

Resources

Find out more about Tim Frenneaux’s work in regenerative business design: https://timfrenneaux.co/

Discover the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Explore the plans for Yorkshire Sustainabi...

UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 - Clean Water & Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Episode 1 of 'The 17' gives a great overview of the scale of challenge around the world when it comes to water and sanitation, and what we can all do to help. Did you know that over 85% of the world's wetlands have been lost? Or that over 700 million people live in countries with high or critical levels of water stress. But water isn't just a problem for people in other countries. Remember recent droughts, empty reservoirs and hosepipe bans here in the UK? What about the much publicised and criticised sewage releases into seas and rivers due to storm overflows? Sustainable clean water and sanitation is a global problem felt locally. We all need to understand the situation and take action in our own lives to make a difference.

An influential expert with a big picture view

Niki Roach knows her water. A former President of CIWEM (the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), she hosts the UK's No.1 Earth Sciences podcast 'Planet Possible' and gets to speak to experts at the cutting edge of water, climate and environmental issues around the world. Plus, she's backing her insights with action, by building an eco home for her family that will harvest rainwater to use for toilets and the washing machine. In this episode Niki shares her thoughts and experiences, plus she comments on the global progress made at the recent COPS for climate and biodiversity. Niki presents her wish list for actions at a global, national, regional and individual level that would help us move toward meeting UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 - clean water & sanitation for all.

Niki wants everyone to value water and she challenges governments, regions and businesses to take action now to make it easy for everyone to make the kind of positive choices that will make a difference:

"It shouldn't be harder, it shouldn't be more expensive, it shouldn't be complicated to make a good choice for the planet." - Niki Roach.

Each episode of 'The 17' ends with our influential expert guest giving us all their Stop/Start - one thing we can all stop doing and one thing we can all start doing right now to help move the planet toward meeting the UN Sustainable Development goal that is the theme of that episode.

Niki's clean water and sanitation 'Stop' relates to our toilets. Do you know the 3 things that should be the ONLY 3 things that ever go down there? And the 'Start' is a minimal effort DIY project based on insights from industry leading flood management theory.

Yorkshire's ambition to lead on Sustainability

Both guest Niki Roach and host Kate Hutchinson live in Yorkshire and they sense that the county is keen to take pride in being a leading regional voice on sustainability. Niki describes the innovative work being done by the 'Living With Water' project in Hull and Kate highlights the positive reaction that the announcement of Yorkshire Sustainability Week has received, especially from Leeds Climate Commission.

The first ever Yorkshire Sustainability Week takes place this coming July and will have an in-person conference as its centrepiece featuring keynote speakers such as Greenpeace's Areeba Hamid. Go to www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com to find out more and get your tickets.

Be informed, take action and spread the word

'The 17' is a podcast dedicated to sustainability. It is structured around the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. They represent, in essence, a plan to save the planet. We all need to know what they are, take reasonable positive actions in our own lives to help... and spread the word.

Keep listening to 'The 17' to make sure you are informed and hear from influential experts what actions to take. A new episode drops every month - on the 17th of course - and each episode is themed around a different one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development goals. Listen every month, subscribe, leave reviews and tell your friends.

Resources

Listen to the UK's Number 1 Earth Sciences podcast, 'Planet Possible' that Niki Roach hosts: www.planetpossible.eco

Discover more about the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Find out more about Yorkshire Sustainability Week and book your tickets to the conference: www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail or discus...

This month, we're revisiting past episodes of The 17 podcast to give you the essentials on two crucial SDGs - Climate Action and Zero Hunger.

In Episode 7, Kate Hutchinson spoke to climate activist Clover Hogan and Areeba Hamid from Greenpeace to discuss SDG 13 - Climate Action. What's the current climate crisis situation? Are governments and big business doing enough to improve things? What can we do as individuals? What climate action is necessary?

In Episode 8, Lella Halloum spoke to youth parliament member and food poverty campaigner Dev Sharma about SDG 2 - Zero Hunger. Why are young people like Dev and Lella so concerned about the current nutritional situation both here in the UK and around the world? Were things different in the past and do we need to look backward in history for lessons that can help us build a better food future and achieve zero hunger?

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail or discusses a topic linked to sustainability.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk

If women don't have the same rights, opportunities and pathways as men, then as a planet we are not harnessing the full potential of the people who live on earth. 50% of the world's population is female, but at the moment, that is where equality ends.

SDG 5 is... GENDER EQUALITY - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Expert guest Helen Oldham is someone who has blazed a trail of business success in often male-dominated sectors and now works to provide opportunity, investment and support to female founders and women looking to progress in the world of work. In her career Helen Oldham has turned around massive media organisations as a Managing Director. Now she is the co-Founder of Lifted Ventures which backs female entrepreneurs and also a founding trustee of the female employment charity Smart Works.

In this episode, Kate and Helen discuss...

The global context. What is the nature of the challenge to improve the current situation where, if existing rates of progress continue, it will take hundreds of years to get equality in leadership roles? Helen thinks the stats speak for themselves... in a start-up context female founders out-perform male ones... so why don't they get the same access to funding? Releasing the potential of women by giving equal access to funding and opportunity can boost business, innovation and the green sector on a global scale.

A national and regional focus. What particular challenges does the UK face? Helen talks about her work with Smart Works and outlines some of the hurdles women in the UK face getting into work. She also recounts stories from her own career where she has faced obstacles and prejudice. Helen and Kate discuss recent government policy changes around angel investment and Helen has direct feedback to regional investment funds about the levels of female representation on funding panels.

Finally Helen and Kate bring the conversation to a practical focus. What can be done to actually deliver SDG 5 at global, national and regional scales? Plus, how can we help? What one thing can we stop doing, and what one thing can we start doing that will make a real positive difference, right now?

To find about more about Lifted Ventures, go to liftedventures.co.uk

To find out more about Smart Works, visit smartworks.org.uk

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail or discusses a topic linked to sustainability.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk