Advertise on podcast: The Impact Files

In this episode, Phil Korbel, co-founder of the Carbon Literacy Project, talks to Ned Wells and Ruth Davis about his remarkable journey from BBC radio producer to climate action pioneer, and how a simple idea in Manchester grew into a global movement. Phil shares how a life-changing tandem cycle ride from Sydney to the UK sparked a lifelong commitment to sustainable development and community engagement. After founding a charity focused on community radio and social inclusion, Phil became increasingly focused on climate change, driven in part by parenthood and a desire to answer an anticipated question from his daughters: ‘What did you do to stop this blooming mess?’ With that question as a spur, Phil was led to create the Carbon Literacy Project. Working on Manchester’s first Climate Action Plan, he recognised a critical gap: while organisations were discussing technologies and policies, few were thinking about how to engage people. The result was Carbon Literacy, a practical, action-focused framework that equips people with the knowledge and confidence to take meaningful climate action in their workplace and beyond. Since launching 13 years ago, the Carbon Literacy Project has certified more than 164,000 people across over 50 countries, spanning every continent, including Antarctica. Phil explains how the organisation’s adaptable model enables businesses, public sector organisations, educational institutions and communities to develop training tailored to their own context and challenges. The conversation in this episode explores the business case for carbon literacy, the importance of workplace engagement, how climate action can reduce costs and attract talent, and why effective communication must focus on relevance rather than guilt. Phil also discusses the organisation’s ambitious goal of reaching one million carbon literate citizens by 2030 and the exciting opportunities ahead for international growth. Visit Carbon Literacy Project at: https://carbonliteracy.com/ Connect with Phil at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-korbel/

In this episode, Phil Korbel, co-founder of the Carbon Literacy Project, talks to Ned Wells and Ruth Davis about his remarkable journey from BBC radio producer to climate action pioneer, and how a simple idea in Manchester grew into a global movement. Phil shares how a life-changing tandem cycle ride from Sydney to the UK sparked a lifelong commitment to sustainable development and community engagement. After founding a charity focused on community radio and social inclusion, Phil became increasingly focused on climate change, driven in part by parenthood and a desire to answer an anticipated question from his daughters: ‘What did you do to stop this blooming mess?’ With that question as a spur, Phil was led to create the Carbon Literacy Project. Working on Manchester’s first Climate Action Plan, he recognised a critical gap: while organisations were discussing technologies and policies, few were thinking about how to engage people. The result was Carbon Literacy, a practical, action-focused framework that equips people with the knowledge and confidence to take meaningful climate action in their workplace and beyond. Since launching 13 years ago, the Carbon Literacy Project has certified more than 164,000 people across over 50 countries, spanning every continent, including Antarctica. Phil explains how the organisation’s adaptable model enables businesses, public sector organisations, educational institutions and communities to develop training tailored to their own context and challenges. The conversation in this episode explores the business case for carbon literacy, the importance of workplace engagement, how climate action can reduce costs and attract talent, and why effective communication must focus on relevance rather than guilt. Phil also discusses the organisation’s ambitious goal of reaching one million carbon literate citizens by 2030 and the exciting opportunities ahead for international growth. Visit Carbon Literacy Project at: https://carbonliteracy.com/ Connect with Phil at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-korbel/

In this episode, Ned and Ruth are joined by Michelle Miles, founder of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance (SWA), to explore her entrepreneurial journey and how she is putting sustainability at the heart of the wedding industry. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Michelle left school at 16 and began her career in events and public relations, gaining early experience which included working for the House of Commons. In organising influential events, Michelle discovered the power of bringing people together. After years working across the events sector, she became increasingly aware of the environmental impact of large-scale events and began exploring how sustainability could be integrated into her work. Following redundancy from a production agency role in 2009, Michelle launched her own event agency, Fusion, which remains successful today. Her growing passion for sustainability led her to create the Sustainable Wedding Alliance in 2020, initially as a community to connect like-minded wedding professionals who were until then working in silos. From that starting point, Michelle’s identification of what the wedding industry was really crying out for led to SWA’s evolution into something more. It is now a membership organisation that provides sustainability training, accreditation, independent verification and ongoing support for wedding businesses. Michelle explains how the organisation works with more than 150 businesses, creating a ripple effect across thousands of weddings and industry professionals. Michelle also discusses the balance between purpose and profitability, the importance of transparency and community, and why she believes collaboration is replacing competition within the wedding industry. Looking ahead, she shares her vision for a future where sustainable practices are the norm, and the Alliance can focus primarily on connecting and inspiring businesses rather than teaching sustainability fundamentals. Visit Sustainable Wedding Alliance at: https://sustainableweddingalliance.com/ Connect with Michelle at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemilesevents/

James Rutter has spent much of his career exploring how ideas can create meaningful change. Now Chief Strategy Officer at Cook, James began his career in business and finance journalism. While he enjoyed uncovering and shaping ideas, he increasingly questioned whether they truly mattered. A personal purpose exercise later helped him define his guiding principle: ‘to find, shape and share ideas that matter’. The belief at Cook that business can and should be a force for good, has shaped both James’s career and the company’s growth. Over more than 15 years, he has helped guide the business’s strategy, culture and brand, and now seeks to share those lessons with other purpose-driven organisations. Today, Cook employs around 2,000 people, generates approximately £150m in annual sales, operates four production kitchens and runs around 120 shops nationwide. James believes its success comes from aligning strategy, culture and brand: strategy provides clarity of direction, culture creates the energy to deliver it, and brand becomes the external expression of that culture. Influenced by Simon Sinek’s work on purpose, Peter Drucker’s thinking on culture, and strategist Alex Smith’s distinction between ‘company story’ and ‘customer story’, James argues that memorable brands are built from authentic culture rather than marketing alone. While Cook has long championed purpose and played a role in the growth of the B Corp movement in the UK, James is clear that customers ultimately buy great products, not missions. Purpose matters most when it strengthens the organisation behind an outstanding product or service. Two themes run through James’s story: the importance of clarity in connecting impact and commercial goals, and the belief that long-term purpose requires the courage to stay focused through inevitable short-term setbacks. Visit Cook at: https://www.cookfood.net/  Connect with James at: https://www.james-rutter.com/contact or https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rutter-8972079/

Martin Knowles, Co-Founder of Sales Untangled®, tells us about a career in which he’s  moved from ‘avoiding sales roles’ to building a successful consultancy focused on ethical, relationship-led selling. In this episode, Martin provides a thoughtful definition of ‘sustainable sales’. He shares his experience of the way many business owners struggle with sales because traditional approaches often feel pushy and transactional. Through Sales Untangled®, Martin helps organisations develop more effective sales cultures by focusing on listening, understanding customer needs, and creating mutual value rather than simply pitching products or services. Martin’s definition of sustainable sales includes the building of long-term relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, and communities. He argues that lasting business success comes from trust, curiosity, and genuine human connection. The conversation also explores: Building sales functions that support sustainable growthThe role of B Corp principles in responsible business practicesHow repeat business and referrals are driven by strong relationshipsThe opportunities and challenges AI presents for sales and customer engagementWhy human connection will remain essential despite advances in technology  Visit Sales Untangled® at: https://salesuntangled.co.uk/  Connect with Martin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinknowles/

Our guest Jon Berry’s personal story shines through everything he does as Managing Director of environmental consultancy Tyler Grange, which he co-founded 15 years ago.  The phrase ‘origin story’ is overused, but Jon’s reflection on his experience of being born prematurely with low survival odds, has instilled in him a deep sense of purpose and giving back. Inspired by a passionate geography teacher, Jon determined to pursue landscape architecture, kickstarting his career with a creative, self-made CV road trip that landed multiple job offers. A later period of burnout and isolation, after working for a large PLC where culture and purpose had eroded, became a turning point, motivating him to build a workplace centred on wellbeing, trust and community. What began as a desire to ‘enjoy work again’ has grown into a 130-person business focused on ecology, arboriculture, landscape planning and green infrastructure,  helping clients navigate planning while restoring nature. Tyler Grange operates a triple balance sheet for people, planet and profit. A certified B Corp, it uses the framework to improve accountability and reshape its supply chain towards ethical providers (e.g., Honest Mobile; refugee-led soap makers in Orkney), while introduction of a four-day work week has increased productivity and reduced sick leave significantly, demonstrating how purpose-led initiatives can drive commercial performance. Culture is key: a ‘loud leadership’ model encourages all voices, while recruitment focuses on storytelling (‘ditch the CV, recruit a human’). The business invests heavily in wellbeing support and transparent communication, including open financial discussions and visible strategy. Jon also leads The Kindness Forecast, a social experiment linking small acts of kindness to wider behavioural change. Jon cites among his influences The Second Mountain by David Brooks, and the work done by ‘nature on the board’ pioneers Faith in Nature. Visit Tyler Grange  at: https://tylergrange.co.uk/ Connect with Jon at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-berry-65816510/

Our guest this episode is Jo Colman, Chief Mint Officer at Summerdown, and fourth-generation member of the family to steward their farm near Basingstoke, Hampshire. Jo’s career is rooted in heritage and reinvention: his grandfather, the last family member involved in Colman’s Mustard, revived the long‑lost Black Mitcham peppermint variety in the UK after sourcing cuttings from US growers. What began as a half‑tennis‑court‑sized experiment has grown into around 100 acres of single‑estate peppermint, the foundation of Summerdown’s award‑winning chocolates, teas, bodycare and home fragrance. Jo describes Summerdown as ‘the peppermint people’, but the business is far more than a brand. It is a vertically integrated farm‑to‑product operation: the team grows, harvests and distils peppermint on site, alongside chamomile, lavender and cereals. Their oats are produced through a nature‑positive partnership with Jordans, requiring wildflower margins and land set aside for biodiversity. Manufacturing is carried out by long‑term UK partners before products return to the farm for fulfilment and distribution. A defining theme of Jo’s leadership is the idea of ‘right‑sized growth’. He likens it to an oak tree: expansive in its early years, then regenerative rather than extractive once mature. Summerdown’s strategy focuses on cutting carbon, connecting people with place, and cultivating natural stewardship - an approach reflected in its 75 km of hedgerows, rare wildflowers, and the return of species such as stone curlew. When a long‑standing manufacturing partner collapsed, Summerdown faced a choice between cheaper commodity chocolate and a higher‑quality single‑origin chocolate from a fellow B Corp. The latter reduced margins but strengthened ethics, flavour and carbon performance—an easy decision once viewed through their value lens. Two themes stand out: Jo’s belief that place is the heart of the brand, and his conviction that regenerative business requires taking the harder, longer‑term path to create shared value for land, people and partners. Visit Summerdown at: https://summerdown.com/ Connect with Jo at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-c0/

Sarah Jordan, our guest this week, is the founder and CEO of Y.O.U Underwear, an ethical underwear brand created in 2016. Her mission? ‘Changing the world, one pair of pants at a time’! While volunteering with the Uganda International Marathon, Sarah discovered that girls were missing up to 25% of their education because they didn’t own a pair of underwear. The realisation that something many of us take for granted  ‘has such an impact if you don’t have it’ became the catalyst for her work. Sarah’s background is in the charity sector, including at Oxfam and the MS Society. Once she began researching how underwear is made, she was confronted with fashion’s toxic supply chains — pesticides, pollution, and widespread exploitation. She refused to ‘solve one problem and create another’, and built Y.O.U Underwear on a different foundation: Fairtrade‑certified organic cotton, SEDEX‑audited factories, and a commitment to paying everyone in the supply chain properly. Y.O.U. operates a clear buy‑one‑give‑one model, donating each purchased pair through Smalls for All, to vulnerable women and girls in the UK and across Africa. Some collections also support communities in Kenya and Tanzania, and a pink range raises funds for breast cancer charities. A defining theme in Sarah’s story is her personal and financial commitment. She has bootstrapped the business entirely, working freelance for years and returning to paid work recently. Stock purchase requires up-front spend, with Fairtrade cotton minimums and long lead times. Growth has been slow by design, but steady: Y.O.U Underwear now has a shop in Oxford, a second opening in Brighton in summer 2026, and annual turnover of around £350–370k, with over 10,000 pairs of underwear sold last year. Sarah’s experience shows that slow fashion is structurally hard — but for her, doing things fairly is ‘the only way she can sleep at night’, and the only way business should be done. Visit Y.O.U. at: https://www.youunderwear.com/ Connect with Sarah at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbjordan/

Our guest this episode is Sophie Howe, CEO of Comtec Translations. Comtec was established in 1981 by Sophie’s mother, Dr Isabella Moore. The company was sold at one point, but Sophie and her husband later bought it back, and have led it together since 2007. Today, Comtec operates with an internal team of 16 project managers and a global network of around 4,000 linguists, reflecting both the breadth of languages they cover and the depth of subject‑matter expertise required. Sophie’s route into leadership has been shaped by a long‑standing belief in the value of cultural understanding and human expertise. Comtec provides localisation and translation services across more than 200 languages, working with clients in B2B and B2C sectors, as well as creative, marketing and learning agencies. Sophie believes localisation is about creating an experience that “really resonates and connects with the audience,” going far beyond direct translation to consider cultural nuance and context. A major theme in our conversation is how Comtec balances purpose and profit in an industry transformed by AI. The company was the first translation business to become B Corp certified, a framework Sophie says aligned naturally with their long‑held values. Even as AI opens opportunities to localise at scale, Sophie is clear that human linguistic and cultural expertise remains central to quality and fairness. We explore Comtec’s tools such as Pronto (a self‑service machine translation platform) and Clara (a content‑generation tool), and how transparency with clients — showing the difference between AI‑led and human‑led outputs — has become a defining part of their approach. Two things to take away: AI has reshaped the translation sector at extraordinary speed, and Comtec’s human‑centred approach has been essential to navigating that shift.Not all languages respond equally well to AI — and guiding clients through those nuances is now a critical part of Comtec’s value. Visit Comtec at: https://www.comtectranslations.co.uk/ Connect with Sophie at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiehowecomtectranslations/

Our guest this episode is Douglas Hansen‑Luke. Douglas is the  founder and Executive Chair of Future Planet Capital, an impact‑led, profit‑first venture capital firm. Douglas has spent over 20 years working across emerging markets, sovereign wealth funds and new asset classes, always with a belief in the ‘efficient deployment of capital’. It was reading Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save which crystallised his desire to focus on the world’s biggest challenges. Future Planet Capital now manages just under £500m, investing across three interconnected strategies: Global Growth — backing later‑stage companies emerging from the world’s top centres of innovationNational Deep Tech — including management of the UK government’s deep tech fund, commercialising research from 50,000+ UK researchers Regional Impact — currently focused on the West Midlands, supporting local innovation ecosystems Douglas describes the model as combining profit discipline with purpose, anchored in the three principles of global benchmarking, impact clarity and data-driven objectivity.  Two themes stand out: Impact and returns are mutually reinforcing — without profitability, institutional capital won’t flow to solutions that matter.Bias is a structural risk in venture investing, and Future Planet uses both data and competing innovation hubs to counter it. Visit Future Planet Capital at: https://futureplanetcapital.com/ Connect with Douglas at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhansenluke/

Our guest this episode is Adam Garfunkel, Partner and Chief Impact Officer at Junxion Strategy, whose career spans more than three decades of campaigning, communications and impact consulting.  Adam’s route into sustainability began unexpectedly. After moving to Canada in his early twenties, he took a job as a door‑to‑door canvasser for Greenpeace, expanding the canvassing operations over time. Returning to the UK, he joined Friends of the Earth as a campaigner, leading lobbying on what became the Environment Act 1995. That early focus on accountability and transparency became, as he puts it, a “red thread” running through his entire career. Adam moved into sustainability communications and then consulting, working with pioneering organisations long before sustainability became mainstream. His client roster includes the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, Brompton, The Guardian, Seasalt Cornwall, and notably Adidas, where he served as their lead outsourced sustainability consultant for 15 years. He joined Junxion Strategy in 2013, and was an early mover in the B Corp movement in the UK, with Junxion becoming one of the first consulting firms to offer B Corp certification support. A decade on, he and his team have deep experience helping companies navigate both the original and the newly updated B Lab standards. We explore how Junxion positions itself as an exemplar of purpose‑driven business — a company that sees profit as fuel for purpose, not the purpose itself. Two themes stand out: the importance of relationships over transactions, and the need for courage rather than box‑ticking in a sector that must “meet the moment” if businesses are to play their part in addressing global challenges. Connect with Adam at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgarfunkel/ Visit Junxion Strategy at https://junxion.com/

Our guest this episode is Will Silverwood, whose career has taken him from commercial strategy through leading sustainability at Whitbread PLC, one of the UK’s most recognisable hospitality groups. Today he brings together decades of experience in transformation, operations and organisational change to help large businesses navigate the realities of decarbonisation. Will shares the story behind his shift into sustainability. After early roles with major brands including Trainline, Gala Coral and Siemens Communications, he spent a decade at consultancy Iris Concise, helping complex organisations build new commercial capabilities. A mid‑career pivot came through a role at QA, where a digital transformation project unexpectedly “almost completely decarbonized the business.” That experience gave him the credibility — and the conviction — to move fully into sustainability. We explore how Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn and several branded restaurants, with 850+ hotels in the UK and rapid expansion in Germany, positions itself within the wider sustainability landscape. Will talks us through work done at Whitbread to balance purpose with scale: electrifying kitchens, replacing gas boilers with air‑source heat pumps, reducing water and energy use, designing out food waste, and embedding renewable energy across the estate. He also explains how platforms like HRS and Booking.com increasingly reward operators who provide emissions data — turning sustainability into a driver of revenue as well as resilience. A central theme is the practical reality of delivering sustainability inside a large, operationally intense business. Will reflects on the governance required to unlock long‑term capital investment, the psychology of customer nudges, and the importance of cross‑functional ownership — from procurement and property to finance and operations. His metaphor is memorable: the sustainability team as “fire starters,” convening the right people, lighting the flame, and then stepping back as the organisation takes ownership. Finally, Will shares where he sees the sector heading. With rising expectations around reporting, supply‑chain ethics and energy transition, he believes the next decade will reward organisations that prioritise the biggest levers, act transparently and focus on solutions that deliver both impact and commercial value. Connect with Will at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-silverwood/

Join us in getting to know Tom Cotter, founder and CEO of OCEANR – a fast‑growing sustainable apparel company expanding its product portfolio and working with some of the world’s most recognisable hospitality destinations, private islands and adventure brands. Tom shares the story behind OCEANR’s evolution. What began as three friends in West Cork spotting an overlooked product category – the humble rash vest – has grown into a 90‑person international business with design and production in Latvia and commercial teams in Ireland. After an early attempt at building a consumer brand, demand from organisations looking for credible sustainability partners reshaped the company’s direction. Today OCEANR delivers bespoke uniforms and merchandise for clients such as Necker Island, blending performance apparel with measurable environmental impact. We explore how OCEANR positions itself within the wider sustainability landscape. Tom breaks down their People, Product, Planet framework, from ethical manufacturing and innovative materials to lifecycle analysis, take‑back schemes and partnerships that remove river‑bound plastic and plant mangroves. OCEANR’s B Corp certification reinforces this approach, offering clients external validation in a space where transparency matters. A central theme is the practical reality of building a purpose‑led business while scaling. Tom talks candidly about the challenges of growing through COVID, the long road to profitability, and the constant balancing act between commercial pressures and sustainability commitments. He also reflects on how organisations are increasingly seeking real solutions rather than surface‑level “green” claims — and how OCEANR aims to meet that need. Finally, Tom tells us where he sees the sector heading. With rising expectations around reporting, supply‑chain ethics and environmental accountability, he believes the next decade will reward brands that combine transparency, innovation and genuine impact. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-cotter/ Visit OCEANR at https://oceanr.co/

Our guest in this episode is Geoff Hucker, a former Emirates pilot whose life underwent a dramatic change after a visit to a small Franciscan orphanage in Addis Ababa, at the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The harsh reality of children dying because families couldn’t afford monthly fees for lifesaving medication, set Geoff on a new path and resulted in co-creation of Beyond the Orphanage, a model focused on reuniting street-connected children with family and supporting them through education into adulthood. Geoff’s story as a driver of positive change doesn’t stop there. In 2019 he launched Work for Impact — a for-profit platform connecting global employers with talent in low-income countries. We take a deep dive into how the business works today: a lean fee structure well below industry norms, 140,000 people on the platform, and contractors typically earning three times local wages. Clients range from Nasdaq-listed companies to small non-profits, and the company’s B Corp status underpins its commitment to transparency and ethical tech. Geoff also reflects on what he’s learned along the way — from balancing purpose with commercial reality to recognising that progress often comes from working with ‘amber’ organisations, not just the ‘perfect’ ones. A conversation about purpose-led entrepreneurship, practical impact, and the small operational decisions that make big social outcomes possible. Contact Geoff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-hucker/ Find out more about Work for Impact: https://www.workforimpact.com/

Meet Jay Light, Director of PACT Dogs – a fast-growing membership and education organisation shaping professional standards for dog trainers and behaviourists. Jay shares the story behind PACT’s growth. Four and a half years ago it had just a few dozen members and one course. Today it has more than 400 members across the UK and internationally, delivering accredited training and influencing the future of the profession. We explore how PACT sits within the wider animal welfare ecosystem, working alongside the Animal Behaviour and Training Council and helping shape standards across charities, trainers, behaviourists, and regulators. A big theme is the unexpected reach of dog trainers. Jay argues they’re not just working with animals – they’re teaching people. Because dog ownership spans all of society, trainers often work with everyone from families to senior executives. That creates an opportunity: using everyday conversations with dog owners to raise awareness of sustainability and environmental impact. Jay also shares how sustainability runs through PACT’s model. The organisation publishes impact reports, measures its carbon footprint, and has donated more than £80,000 through scholarships, charity support, and sector initiatives. We hear about their unusual training venue – a three-acre former horse paddock turned into a nature-rich site with wildflowers, renewable energy, compost systems, and biodiversity projects. The conversation also explores PACT’s B Corp journey and what ethical business means in practice – from supplier choices and ethical banking to challenging poor industry norms. Finally, Jay reflects on where the sector is heading. With stronger standards and new certification frameworks emerging, he believes the next decade could see a major step forward in professionalism and animal welfare. A fascinating episode on dogs, sustainability, professional standards – and how a small organisation can influence a much larger system. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-light-89a71259/ Visit PACT Dogs: https://www.pact-dogs.com/