Ready to feel equally inspired and guilty about every purchase you’ve made in the last decade? Well prepare thyself, because we’re diving into the wild world of sustainability podcasts, where you’ll learn that yes, your reusable water bottle is great, but also you’re probably still accidentally destroying the planet in seventeen ways you never considered.
These audio gems will transform you from someone who occasionally remembers to bring bags to the grocery store into a person who can confidently explain circular economies, regenerative agriculture, and why your “eco-friendly” bamboo toothbrush might actually be part of an elaborate greenwashing scheme. These podcasts strike the perfect balance between existential dread and genuine hope. So grab your reusable coffee cup (third one this week—the other two are lost somewhere in your car), and let’s get educated!
Sustainability Defined
Sustainability Defined breaks down sustainability concepts one topic (and bad joke) at a time. Hosts Scott Breen and Jay Siegel examine a different subject each episode alongside expert guests from various fields.
The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
The Great Simplification explores the systems science behind humanity’s challenges. Hosted by Dr. Nate Hagens, the podcast covers ecology, economics, energy, geopolitics, human behavior, and financial systems through expert conversations. The show aims to educate listeners about coming constraints and inspire collective action for the future.
The Sustainability Agenda
The Sustainability Agenda by CIBC Capital Markets examines the changing complexities of the sustainability landscape. The podcast series tackles current topics in a concise format, helping listeners understand and respond to emerging sustainability challenges.
Building Local Power
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s podcast shares inspiring narratives and innovative concepts that challenge monopolistic control and promote community strength, economic equity, and environmental sustainability.
Think: Sustainability
The program explores consumption’s influence across all aspects of life, spanning topics from waste management to economic development and energy infrastructure to expansion. The show examines the innovations, breakthroughs, and advancements paving the way toward an environmentally responsible future.
How to Save a Planet
How to Save a Planet tackles climate change with an energizing approach that leaves listeners feeling hopeful rather than overwhelmed. Journalist Alex Blumberg and a team of climate experts deliver smart, inspiring stories about environmental challenges and solutions.
POLITICO Energy
Weekly, hosts Nirmal Mulaikal and Josh Siegel examine the developments and influential figures driving energy policy and politics in the U.S. and globally. The program features exclusive interviews with major decision-makers, combined with detailed reporting and expert analysis from the world’s leading energy policy newsroom.
Forward, Better
Forward, Better with Professor Hannah Fry convenes industry leaders to explore the keys to effective sustainability transformation. Each episode reveals the motivations driving their environmental initiatives, the strategies propelling their progress, and the knowledge listeners need to launch their own sustainability efforts.
The AtlasZero Podcast
Navigating the Sustainability Landscape: The AtlasZero Podcast serves as a resource for understanding CSRD, ESG, and sustainability reporting. The program offers practical solutions and expert perspectives to support businesses in achieving sustainable success.
People Places Planet
People Places Planet is ELI’s premier environmental podcast. The program features conversations with leading experts from various sectors who discuss their approaches to addressing critical environmental challenges. Episodes cover current developments in environmental law, policy, and governance.
What You’re Eating
What You’re Eating helps listeners understand how food production impacts animals, the planet, and people. Host Jerusha Klemperer, Director of FoodPrint.org, features conversations with farmers, chefs, and policy experts exploring sustainable food practices and system improvements. The podcast covers topics from raising chickens to reducing kitchen waste to navigating barriers to sustainability.
On The Green Fence
On the Green Fence examines complex environmental issues from multiple perspectives. DW reporter Neil King explores how business, society, and science contribute to environmental progress, cutting through ideology and oversimplification. The podcast takes an open-minded, engaging approach to understanding the major environmental concerns of our time.
A Sustainable Mind
A Sustainable Mind targets earth-conscious individuals, eco-entrepreneurs, activists, and the environmentally curious seeking inspiration and action. Host Marjorie Alexander features environmental changemakers who share their journeys to green careers, sustainable habits, and project insights. Each episode concludes with actionable advice and practical resources for listeners.
Catalyst with Shayle Kann
Investor Shayle Kann explores critical questions about planetary decarbonization, including how affordable clean energy can become, whether artificial intelligence will accelerate climate solutions, and where investment capital is flowing in climate technologies. Weekly on Catalyst, Shayle Kann examines the climate tech landscape alongside prominent experts, investors, researchers, and executives.
Sustainababble
A humorous podcast exploring ecology, sustainable practices, and all the utter nonsense people spout in their quest to save the Earth.
Green Dreamer
Green Dreamer with kaméa chayne features conversations with thought leaders who challenge limiting narratives and inspire new visions for collective healing, cultural renewal, and universal wellbeing.
Open Circuit
The energy transition, decoded. Each week, three industry veterans examine the business strategies, technological innovations, and market disruptions fueling the largest industrial shift in history. The show provides an exclusive insider’s perspective on the clean energy sector.
Forces for Nature
Forces for Nature cuts through environmental overwhelm by delivering clear explanations of planetary challenges and actionable solutions, empowering listeners to make a meaningful impact without the doom and gloom.
Energy Gang
Energy Gang covers breaking clean tech news, global energy policy, and the levers driving the energy transition. Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Gang keeps listeners informed on the fast-moving world of renewable energy and environmental developments.
Climate Vision 2050
Set in 2050, the podcast examines how humanity dramatically cut carbon emissions and averted climate disaster. It explores how cities adapted to surging populations and how businesses, governments, researchers, and citizens collaborated to create sustainable supply chains, farming methods, and transportation systems.
Ecogradia
Ecogradia is a weekly podcast where sustainability strategist and author Nirmal Kishnani explores sustainable architecture and urbanism with frontline experts, offering innovative ideas and solutions for designing buildings and cities in a climate crisis. The first season is sponsored by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.
Zero: The Climate Race
Zero explores the strategies and innovations driving the journey toward a zero-emissions world. Each week, Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi speaks with climate changemakers – venture capitalists seeking top cleantech investments, scientist-entrepreneurs, policymakers behind successful climate legislation, and CEOs who have transformed their companies.
America Adapts the Climate Change Podcast
America Adapts, hosted by Doug Parsons, explores climate adaptation through conversations with scientists, activists, policymakers, and journalists tackling humanity’s greatest challenge.
Living Planet
Living Planet delivers weekly stories, facts, and debates on critical environmental issues, helping listeners reconnect with nature and make informed decisions for the planet’s wellbeing.
Real Organic Podcast
Farmers sit down with scientists, activists, politicians, and authors fighting to defend USDA organic food from corporate takeover. Since launching its add-on label in 2021, Real Organic Project has worked to connect everyday consumers with a growing movement. This podcast features leading organic and regenerative farmers alongside voices like Dr. Vandana Shiva, Paul Hawken, Leah Penniman, Bill Mckibben, Alice Waters, Dan Barber, and Eliot Coleman — all united against the profit-driven forces looking to corrupt real food. With both human and planetary health on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Feed the soil, not the plant!!
Do you know of another sustainability podcast that you think should be on this list? Let me know
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