Charles Perry: Does South Africa offer a warning against fossil fuel "indoctrination"?
05/13/25 • 31 min
We Start at the End
Today’s outro track is the COVID-era reboot of a classic Peter Gabriel track, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Angelique Kidjo, and many more. The reason will become clear.
In this episode of Wicked Problems, we sat down with Charles Perry, director of Sustainable Future for All, at the Conduit Club in London.
A veteran in the climate and sustainability space, Charles has changed his views from evolution to revolution - a climate revolution akin to the Industrial Revolution. He reflects on his experiences spearheading renewable initiatives at BP, working with Al Gore, and advocating for justice-integrated environmental concerns.
What set him on the path? A realisation once he left apartheid South Africa for university that the things he was taught were not necessarily how the world really was. That moment took him to anti-apartheid activism in South Africa and its democratic transition to climate advocacy and the need for a different paradigm on energy.
Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
His direction of travel has been clear for a while - in that climate isn’t (just) a tech issue, but one as inextricably tied up with justice as the move was from slavery to fossil fuels.
That kind of talk has gotten Charles into some bother before. Like his 2012 BBC interview with Jon Sopel that we clip in the ep.
The conversation also explores Perry’s views on the moral imperatives of climate action, the obstacles posed by current political and economic systems, and the roles of influential leaders like Nelson Mandela and Al Gore in shaping his philosophy on sustainability.
00:00 The Need for a New Revolution
00:43 Introduction to Charles Perry
01:02 Challenges in Climate Tech and Sustainability
01:15 Charles Perry's Journey and Career
01:52 Reflections on Working with BP and Al Gore
10:58 The Intersection of Justice and Environmental Concerns
18:47 The Unstoppable Sustainability Movement
21:46 The Future of Energy and Sustainability
25:19 Final Thoughts and Inspirations
29:54 Conclusion and Call to Action
Thanks for listening. To support us and go ad-free check out wickedproblems.earth or just send us a brown envelope of unmarked bills.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We Start at the End
Today’s outro track is the COVID-era reboot of a classic Peter Gabriel track, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Angelique Kidjo, and many more. The reason will become clear.
In this episode of Wicked Problems, we sat down with Charles Perry, director of Sustainable Future for All, at the Conduit Club in London.
A veteran in the climate and sustainability space, Charles has changed his views from evolution to revolution - a climate revolution akin to the Industrial Revolution. He reflects on his experiences spearheading renewable initiatives at BP, working with Al Gore, and advocating for justice-integrated environmental concerns.
What set him on the path? A realisation once he left apartheid South Africa for university that the things he was taught were not necessarily how the world really was. That moment took him to anti-apartheid activism in South Africa and its democratic transition to climate advocacy and the need for a different paradigm on energy.
Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
His direction of travel has been clear for a while - in that climate isn’t (just) a tech issue, but one as inextricably tied up with justice as the move was from slavery to fossil fuels.
That kind of talk has gotten Charles into some bother before. Like his 2012 BBC interview with Jon Sopel that we clip in the ep.
The conversation also explores Perry’s views on the moral imperatives of climate action, the obstacles posed by current political and economic systems, and the roles of influential leaders like Nelson Mandela and Al Gore in shaping his philosophy on sustainability.
00:00 The Need for a New Revolution
00:43 Introduction to Charles Perry
01:02 Challenges in Climate Tech and Sustainability
01:15 Charles Perry's Journey and Career
01:52 Reflections on Working with BP and Al Gore
10:58 The Intersection of Justice and Environmental Concerns
18:47 The Unstoppable Sustainability Movement
21:46 The Future of Energy and Sustainability
25:19 Final Thoughts and Inspirations
29:54 Conclusion and Call to Action
Thanks for listening. To support us and go ad-free check out wickedproblems.earth or just send us a brown envelope of unmarked bills.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
State of Climate Tech 2025: Is it over?
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01:51 Visions 2030 and Experiential Projects
04:54 Carrie Lovelace's Artistic Journey
10:54 Eco-Consciousness and Climate Solutions
17:06 Future Plans for Visions 2030
23:00 Climate Impact Flagship Summit Highlights
29:14 Scaling CT part 2
33:19 System Change and the Green Industrial Revolution
40:40 Insights from the Oil and Gas Industry with Belinda Perriman of ConvertWell
40:45 Belinda Perriman's Journey in Oil and Gas
44:18 Carbon Capture and Storage Projects
50:42 The Convert Well Initiative
55:12 Industry Reception and Future Prospects
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
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Extended show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earth.
In this episode of 'Wicked Problems,' host Richard Delevan discusses the shift from climate optimism to defeatism with Jeremy Wallace, a China and climate policy expert at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The discussion covers various factors influencing this shift, including the influence of political figures like Donald Trump and Tony Blair, and initiatives such as the Council on Foreign Relations' Climate Realism Initiative. Wallace critiques the initiative's approach, examining its reliance on lifeboat ethics and the fallacies it presents. The episode also touches on the historical context of climate debates, the role of China in clean technology, and the political complexities surrounding climate action. Additionally, the episode features a new intro track from the awesome up and coming UK band Suncharmer.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:24 The Shift from Optimism to Defeatism
02:22 Council on Foreign Relations' Climate Realism Initiative
03:31 Interview with Jeremy Wallace
22:13 The Lifeboat Ethics Debate
26:35 Debating Consumption and Population Growth
27:07 The Vision of Clean Abundance
28:04 Scarcity vs. Sustainable Abundance
29:41 Climate Realism and Technological Beliefs
31:07 Challenges and Politics of Climate Action
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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