Episode 22: 3 Things I'd Tell Every Organisation Kickstarting Their Net Zero Journey

Most organisations have someone responsible for net zero. Far fewer have someone genuinely accountable for it. And that gap — between good intentions and actual emissions reductions — is where years get lost.

In this solo episode, host Kev Cooling steps back from the interview format to share the three things he'd tell any organisation that's serious about reducing its carbon footprint. Drawn from over 20 years in carbon management and distilled into his two free hackbooks on Governance and Leadership, these aren't the flashiest ideas in sustainability — but they are the most consistently overlooked.

In this episode:

• Why giving someone a job title isn't the same as making them accountable — and what genuine accountability actually looks like
• The shadow leaders cast, and why one visible act of hypocrisy can undo months of hard work
• Why trying to convert everyone in your organisation is one of the biggest energy drains in sustainability — and where to focus instead

Whether your net zero programme has stalled or you're just getting it off the ground, this episode will give you a clearer sense of where to put your energy first.

Free resources mentioned:

• Governance Hackbook — www.hut22.co.uk
• Leadership Hackbook — www.hut22.co.uk

Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/

Music credits:
March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io)
Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet

The Rule Book That Could Transform UK Construction.

Until recently, anybody could say their building was net zero — and define what that meant in their own terms. The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard was created to change that. In this episode, Kev is joined by two people who know it inside out: Will Arnold, Head of Sustainable Materials at the Useful Simple Trust and the standard's technical author, and Apeksha Gupta, Principal Consultant in ESG and Net Zero at Greengage, who spent 2025 applying it to real buildings on behalf of real clients.

Between them, they cover what 200+ pilot projects taught the steering group, why the data infrastructure you put in place today will define your ability to decarbonise tomorrow, and how a heritage-listed office in the City of London came within touching distance of net zero aligned status. Will also reveals what's new in version one — including a practical completion on-track check that could be a game-changer for speculative developers — and explains why a coalition of global investors managing trillions in real estate concluded this was the only standard in the world that did what they needed.

If you work in the built environment, this is the episode to get you ready for version one.

Things mentioned in the show:

• UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (pilot version, launched late 2024; version one forthcoming): Pilot Version | UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard

• UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) — research that led to the standard (2021): UKGBC - The UK Green Building Council

• BREEAM / LEED / NABERS — certification schemes referenced in context: Certification for Sustainable Buildings | BREEAM, LEED rating system | U.S. Green Building Council, About NABERS UK | CIBSE Certification

• RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon — Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment

Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/

Music credits:
March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io)
Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet

The gap between media noise and boardroom action has never been bigger.

In this episode of Carbon Clarity, I'm joined by Will Symons, Deloitte's Asia Pacific Sustainability Leader, for a conversation that cuts through the headlines.

We cover:

🌏 Why China's climate commitments matter more than you think

🔄 The shift from marketing departments to CFO desks

🤖 How AI could be climate's secret weapon (not its enemy)

🏗️ What Australia's rapid grid transformation teaches the world

📊 The real drivers behind corporate sustainability action

Will's leading 1,500 sustainability practitioners across the region and has a unique view on what's actually happening versus what we're reading about.

If you've been wondering whether the sustainability agenda is really slowing down, this conversation will give you a very different perspective.

Stuff mentioned in the show:

ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) - S1 & S2

TNFD (Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures)

IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards

Paris Climate Agreement (Paris Agreement/COP21)

NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions)

NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System)

NABERS UK

Green Steps Program (Monash University)

#CarbonClarity #Sustainability #ClimateAction #AsiaPacific #Leadership

Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/

Music credits:
March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io)
Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet