Innovate Strathclyde podcast
Hosted by Dr Chris White, in partnership with Amanda Carpenter from Planet Pod Productions, this series of informative and thoughtful podcasts is an important part of the run up to COP26 in Glasgow. In each themed episode we talk with Scotland’s own experts who give their insights to the latest research and innovations as we transition towards a net zero economy and a more sustainable and resilient future.
Each Innovate Strathclyde podcast has a panel of guests drawn from external organisations and the University of Strathclyde. The epiodes will focus on different innovations, each relating to the transition to a net zero future, including:
- renewables & the energy transition
- sustainable development & circular economy
- climate adaptation & resilience
- finance for green growth
You can listen to the Innovate Strathclyde podcast using the links below, or discover us on Spotify and Apple iTunes podcasts. Subscribe to the Innovate Strathclyde podcast – the Place of Useful Listening.
Dr Chris White
Dr Chris White is Head of the Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The centre undertakes fundamental and applied research that provides novel solutions to some of the most pressing global environmental challenges, including net zero and the circular economy, water and waste, environmental health, and climate resilience.
Chris leads the Engineering for Extremes research group that focuses on understanding extreme weather events and hydro-meteorological hazards such as floods and droughts, their impact on the built and natural environments in a changing climate, and the development and application of climate services for improved decision-making and climate resilience.
His research interests are cross-disciplinary, including the emerging fields of multi-hazard compound and cascading events, impact-based forecasting, and the prediction and application of predictions on extended-range weather and climatic timescales.
He is part of the Management Committee of the European COST Action CA17109 on compound events, and is co-leading a new applications sub-project of the World Meteorological Organization’s WWRP/WCRP S2S Prediction Project.
Innovate Strathclyde episodes
Innovating to Net Zero
In our first podcast in this new series, we introduce the essential role Scottish innovation and technology has in tackling the climate emergency and supporting the transition to net zero. We are joined by guests Ragne Low, Head of Heat Planning and Delivery at the Scottish Government, and Professor Keith Bell, Scottish Power Chair in Smart Grids at the University of Strathclyde and a member of the Committee on Climate Change.
Powering Change
The energy transition is at the heart of our national net zero targets. In this second podcast in our Innovate Strathclyde series we explore the renewable energy roadmap and how Scottish innovation and technology is at the forefront of this transition. Our expert guests for this episode are Dr Jacqueline Redmond, Executive Director of the University of Strathclyde’s PNDC, and Professor Stuart Galloway, Professor of Advanced Electrical Systems at the University of Strathclyde. We discuss power – how we create it, what we need to make it cleaner and greener and energy’s place in the climate change debate.
.jpg "A lorry driving away from fire. Picture courtesy of Warren Frey, Tasmania Fire Service")
Building in Resilience
The recently adopted net zero targets are designed to reduce our carbon emissions and mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change. Yet, even with these targets, we live in a world that will see warming of 1.5-2°C, where climate change will continue to increase the severity and frequency of extreme events, which disproportionately impact the world’s most vulnerable populations. Together with our expert guests Kit England, Green Economy Manager at Glasgow City Council and Catherine Pearce, Innovation Manager at Sniffer, we explore the latest climate adaptation research and innovations, and look at how these need to be increasingly coupled with adaptation, resilience building and societal transformation.
Turning the Tide Towards Sustainability
In this fourth podcast in the series, we explore the implications of climate change and the innovations needed for a more sustainable environment and an equitable society. With our expert guests Dr Tracy Morse, Head of the Strathclyde Centre for Sustainable Development, and Dr Bernadette Snow, Deputy Director of the One Ocean Hub, we talk about how innovations such as nature-based solutions and sustainability approaches need to go hand-in-hand with behavioural and societal change, as we transition to net zero – co-creating solutions between academia and the public and private sectors that align with the SDGs.
Financing the Net Zero Transition
Net zero cannot be reached without change to our national economies and the policies that govern them. Our fifth podcast explores the opportunities for a greener, more sustainable world, how this aligns with the levelling up agenda and the transition towards net zero, and what this means for all of us. We are joined with expert guests Mairi Spowage, Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, and Jamie Stewart, Deputy Director of Centre for Energy Policy Hub at the University of Strathclyde.
