Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions
Climate Confident is for business leaders, climate professionals and policymakers who need to understand what is actually cutting emissions—and what it takes to make those solutions work at scale.
Each Wednesday, I speak with the executives, engineers, scientists, founders and policymakers turning climate ambition into measurable progress. Together, we examine the technologies, business models, policies and implementation strategies reshaping energy, transport, industry, supply chains, food and finance.
These are not conversations about distant targets, vague pledges or greenwash. They are candid discussions about what is working, what is failing, where the real bottlenecks lie, and how leaders can make better decisions about decarbonisation, resilience, investment and risk.
You will hear:
- Proven approaches to reducing emissions
- Hard-earned lessons from real-world implementation
- Analysis of the markets, technologies and policies driving the transition
- Honest examination of costs, trade-offs, setbacks and unintended consequences
- Practical ideas for turning climate commitments into action
New episodes are published every Wednesday at 7am CET. Subscribers also receive bonus episodes featuring highlights, analysis and emerging themes from across the series.
Follow Climate Confident for practical climate solutions, informed debate and the insights you need to turn ambition into measurable progress.
Guest suggestions and feedback are welcome at Tom@tomraftery.com.
Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions
Why Climate Progress Depends More on Women Than Most Leaders Admit
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Get in touch - leave me a message
Welcome to this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast. I'm Tom Raftery, and today I'm joined by Osprey Orielle Lake, founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). Osprey shares her journey from early environmental activism in California's Redwood forests to leading WECAN, highlighting the crucial role of women in climate solutions.
We delve into the significant impact of women's political empowerment on reducing carbon emissions and explore the Rights of Nature movement, which seeks to recognise ecosystems as legal entities with rights. Osprey also discusses the practical work of WECAN, such as reforestation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have successfully restored vast areas of degraded land and provided sustainable resources for local communities.
Another key topic we discussed is the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an initiative aimed at curbing fossil fuel production alongside existing climate agreements. Osprey underscores the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy and the need for stronger governmental action against fossil fuel interests.
Tune in to hear about the intersection of gender equality, environmental justice, and innovative strategies for combating the climate crisis. Don't forget to visit WECAN International's website for more information on their impactful projects and initiatives.
Don't forget to check out the video version of this episode on YouTube.
Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.
Podcast subscribers
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:
- Anita Krajnc
- Cecilia Skarupa
- Ben Gross
- Jerry Sweeney
- Andreas Werner
- Stephen Carroll
- Roger Arnold
And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.
🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on climate, energy, AI, or sustainability?
I help executive audiences understand the technologies, trends, and decisions shaping the low-carbon transition.
Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpck
And a quick note before you go: I’ve started a new Reddit community for serious, evidence-led discussion on climate solutions, clean energy, decarbonisation, policy, technology, and what actually works in practice.
If you’d like to suggest future guests, challenge ideas from the show, or share climate reports and solutions worth discussing, join us at r/ClimateConfident
People on this episode
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
Buzzcast
Buzzsprout
Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations
Richard DelevanClimate Connections
Yale Center for Environmental Communication
The Climate Pod
The Climate Pod
Climate Action Show
Climate Action Collective
The Climate Question
BBC World Service
Energy Gang
Wood Mackenzie
Climate Positive
HASI
Climate One
Climate One from The Commonwealth Club