Forward Talks
52 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★ - 3 ratingsForward Talks is a podcast about moving towards sustainability, brought to you by the people behind Goumbook, the UAE’s first social enterprise. Each episode will feature a sustainability changemaker — leaders & professionals who through their work, entrepreneurship & commitment promote sustainability in the UAE and through the region.
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Episodes
Think Tank - Managing your ESG reporting
July 12, 2022 09:24 - 51 minutesESG – a holistic concept that has roots dating back to the 1960s, has evolved over the decades gaining more traction in recent years within the corporate sustainability context. Referring to the environmental (‘E’), social (‘S’) and governance (‘G’) pillars within the sustainability framework, they are key to addressing the impacts of corporate activities and investments on people and the planet. With the current lack of unified reporting standards, definition and many frameworks influencing ...
The alliance to end hunger, with Paul Newnham
March 28, 2022 07:00 - 24 minutesTatiana is joined on this episode by Paul Newnham, Chair of the Public Engagement Task Force for the UN Food Systems Summit and Vice Chair of the Food System Champion Network. He is also Director of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub Secretariat and the Chefs’ Manifesto Coordinator. Paul heads up the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub as Director, an initiative bringing together NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, the private sector and UN agencies to coordinate global campaigning and adv...
SDG12 and Food Waste, how can we make a difference? With Tarek AlKhoury
March 15, 2022 06:00 - 20 minutesIn this episode, Tatiana is joined by Tarek Al Khoury, Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production at the West Asia Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). They talk about UNEP initiatives to promote the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, more precisely SDG12, and how we can all work together to reduce food waste. Recently Tarek was also part of a panel discussion moderated by Tatiana at the Food For Future Summit...
'Our world is not an ashtray’, with Monica Barten, Director Communications at Philip Morris Middle East
October 04, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutesPhilip Morris International's ongoing sustainability efforts include working to lower emissions, use energy more efficiently, and combat deforestation. In addition, PMI is determined to fight the environmental damage caused by plastic and post-consumer waste from their products - particularly cigarette butts. Around the globe, PMI teams have organized litter cleanups, launched awareness campaigns, and partnered with environmental NGOs and academics. In June 2020, Philip Morris International ...
The UAE present a sustainable alternative to concrete at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021
September 13, 2021 13:00 - 32 minutesThis week, digging into the National Pavilion of the UAE for the Biennale Architettura 2021 Wetland, which is curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto. The prototype is created from recycled industrial waste brine, handcast into organic shapes to recall the UAE’s traditional coral-built houses and spans 7m by 5m, with a height of 2.7 meters. We’re joined on the episode by Laila Binbrek who has served as the National Pavilion’s coordinating director since 2014, and Wael Al Awar, Founding P...
Enhancing biodiversity through urban forests
April 22, 2021 07:00 - 22 minutesWe're back with a new episode, talking to Rasmus Astrup, a partner at SLA Architects, the company behind the Al Fey Park in Abu Dhabi. Al Fey Park is the first urban park in the UAE, spanning 27,000 square meters and with a focus on biodiversity featuring over 2,000 local flora.
Decluttering: the way to a low impact life, with Shelina Jokhiya
June 30, 2020 09:30 - 25 minutesA lot of people think of decluttering as merely cleaning up or getting rid of things but not many understand its link with living a low impact life. When someone else uses something we get rid of, it reduces their consumption and impact just as much as our own. And as we consume less, we need fewer cupboards, shelves, boxes and even smaller living spaces. This week, we're joined by Shelina Jokhiya, Founder of DeCluttr Me, the UAE's first licensed professional decluttering service, and the Hos...
The future of commute, with Adam Ridgeway
June 23, 2020 11:00 - 27 minutesAccording to the The NY Researcher Market Watch, the electric 2-wheeler market is expected to grow at a compound rate of 4.6% to reach US$6.9 billion by 2024. This week, we're joined by Adam Ridgeway, the founder & CEO of One Moto here in Dubai, which finds itself at the forefront of this growth in the region. It is the first company in the UAE whose bikes have been approved by the local Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).
On a mission to empower one million Arab women, with Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah
June 16, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutesThis week, we're joined by Her Highness Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah, a princess of the royal AlSabah family of Kuwait. Sheikha Intisar is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, author and columnist. She believes in using her knowledge, experience and personal discoveries to inspire people to look, feel and do better and is now on a mission to empower one million Arab women. In 2013 she launched Alnowair, the first GCC non-profit working with schools to improve well-being among children through positive...
Clean water empowering future generations, with Sunil Lalvani
June 07, 2020 08:30 - 24 minutesThis week, we're joined by Sunil Lalvani, the founder of Project Maji which seeks to bring sustainable access to safe water across rural sub-Saharan Africa through solar-powered water kiosks. Sunil shares his experience on starting & operating a social enterprise in the region and the overall impact having safe drinking water has on the youth and their quality of life.
Clean weather empowering future generations, with Sunil Lalwani
June 07, 2020 08:30 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week, we're joined by Sunil Lalvani, the founder of Project Maji which seeks to bring sustainable access to safe water across rural sub-Saharan Africa through solar-powered water kiosks. Sunil shares his experience on starting & operating a social enterprise in the region and the overall impact having safe drinking water has on the youth and their quality of life.
The role of insects in the future of food, with Patrick Crowley
June 01, 2020 07:30 - 12 minutesThis week, we’re sharing a conversation from a few months ago when we attended (and had a live podcast station) the Global Forum on Innovations for Marginal Envionrments held by ICBA in Dubai; the opening address by Her Excellency Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri, the Minister of State for Food Security in the UAE. Our guest is Patrick Crowley who founded Chapul 8 years ago when he came across a water-efficient source of protein ... crickets. Since then the company has been producing energy bars...
Beauty without Cruelty, with Leena Al Abbas
May 26, 2020 15:00 - 21 minutesAs we all continue to deal with the impacts of the restrictions in place to control the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, we’d like to encourage you to support your local businesses at this time in any way possible—whether it is ordering from them, donating to them, sharing their information to help spread the word, as some businesses are offering buying their services upfront at a discount for when they eventually open. One such business is Organic Glow, the UAE’s first organic and all-vegan ...
Sustainability in business: how local SMEs can get involved, with David Alvarez & Keith Bradley
May 17, 2020 14:00 - 19 minutesThis week, we're joined by David Ramos Álvarez, Senior Manager of Sustainability at HSBC and Keith Bradley, Founder & Managing Partner at Globally. The two companies have partnered together as part of the Living Business Programme which aims to help startups adopt more sustainable practices in their operations. Tune in to find out more about the partnership, how you can get involved as well as other initiatives at play in the region to promote sustainability programs. You can connect with us...
Pioneering sustainable solutions to tackle food security, with Abdulaziz AlMulla
May 10, 2020 13:30 - 23 minutesThis week, we're joined by Abdulaziz AlMulla, the founder & CEO of Madar Farms about the realities of water consumption and its effect on food security, how they’re handling this imbalance as well as helping educate the masses about the problem. The realities of just 1% of our land being farmland while more than 80% of our water consumption going towards agriculture is a terrifying imbalance. Madar Farms started out in 2017 to focus on using controlled-environment agriculture methods such as ...
Fashion with a conscience, with Araceli Gallego
April 30, 2020 13:00 - 19 minutesThis week, on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more, we encourage millions of people to come together to campaign for systemic change in the fashion industry. We are living in a climate emergency and the fashion & textiles sector is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries. So why are we featuring a podcast about this industry today? It's because GoShopia sells fashion with a conscience by shying away...
Moving towards net-zero carbon buildings, with Saeed Al Abbar
April 25, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutesWe're joined this week via web conference by Saeed Al Jabbar, founder & MD of AESG, a specialist consultancy firm focused on energy, sustainable development and urban improvement. We talk to Saeed about AESG's approach to better urban development, the impact of the current world situation on the construction industry & his take on a more circular approach to construction. We'd love to hear what you think of the episode. You can connect with us on Instagram and find all our episodes in your p...
Conscious consumerism, with Maria Sillanpaa
April 12, 2020 14:30 - 20 minutesWe hope you and your loved ones are safe, and that you're listening to this episode from the comfort of your home. This week, we're sharing our conversation with Maria Sillanpaa, founder of Sustainability Advisory. This was a conversation we did much before the restrictions were put in to control the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. Maria joins us to talk about the first-of-its-kind Conscious Consumer UAE State of Play 2019, where they surveyed 1,300 citizens and residents in the country to ...
Humans vs Nature, with Tanzeed Alam
April 02, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutesThis week, we're joined by Tanzeed Alam, MD of Earth Matters — they are a consultancy focusing on strategy & advisory services to help find practical solutions around climate crises and human development. Tanzeed shares his thought on climate change and how they're enabling the businesses they work with. We also talk about the current pandemic and what businesses can learn from its impacts worldwide. Over the next few weeks we hope to share more conversations about the various issues the pand...
The Water Project, with Adam Torrey
March 22, 2020 17:15 - 27 minutesWith March 22 being World Water Day, we're joined on this episode by Adam Torrey from The Water Project, a non-profit focused on reliable water projects around clean water and sanitization in sub-Saharan Africa. Adam shares how The Water Project meets its goals as well as helps put various aspects around our water consumption into persepctive for us. Later this week, we'll be sharing our conversation with Tanzeed Alam from Earth Matters, where we talk about how the current Coronavirus pandemi...
Leading a purpose driven life, with Maggie Doyne
March 08, 2020 15:30 - 24 minutesOn this episode, we’re joined by Maggie Doyne, founder of Blink Now Foundation, which provides quality education & a safe environment for children in Nepal. With thanks to Dana Al Matrook, founder of the Kind Human Collective.
Beyond dental care, with Dr. David Roze
February 04, 2020 11:30 - 15 minutesThis week, we're talking to Dr. David Roze, from the Dr. Roze & Associates Dental Clinic and the first member of our Fair Care initiative to provide affordable dental care to those who need it. Dr. Roze also explains why everything is linked to our teeth & how holistic medicine including dentistry is the future. You can follow us on Instagram and find all the episodes of the show in your favourite podcast player, or on the web.
From Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: Recycled water & AquaTEC
January 22, 2020 11:00 - 23 minutesWe had the opporutnity to sit down with the team from the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which brings together policy makers, industry specialists and the next generation of sustainability leaders under one roof. Engr. Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Project Director, and Humaid Al Shamsi, Reveneue Management Division Manager, told us about their new recycled water project and the AquaTEC initiative.
The dirty side of dry cleaning, with Elham AlQasm
December 24, 2019 10:30 - 25 minutesHappy New Year everyone! We're back this week with the inspiring Elham AlQasm, the first Arab woman to ski to the North Pole in 2010. As she was looking for her next venture, she launched the Natural Laundry Company in 2015 to correct the perceptions people have about dry cleaning and to help both customers and employees live a toxin-free life. Once again, we want to thank you for joining us on our journey, this was our 25th episode! We'll be back in two weeks with a new guest. Until then, yo...
Engaging women for a better future, with Assia Riccio
December 01, 2019 10:30 - 25 minutesAssia Riccio is the founder of Evolvin Women, an organization that provides a platform to prepare unemployed women from less privileged backgrounds in Africa. In just 3 years, Evolvin Women provides support, including 550+ hours each month of mentorship to the women they help as part of their program.
The business of philanthropy, with Yann Bordstedt
November 12, 2019 12:00 - 22 minutesThis week, we're talking to Yann Borgstedt, a Swiss entrepreneur turned philanthropist who started the Womanity Foundation in 2005 with a focus on empowering women in countries such as Afghanistan, Brazil, India and the Middle East & North Africa.
The EV era, with Kyle Weber & Salman Hussein
October 29, 2019 12:30 - 28 minutesWe recently celebrated World Energy Day, and when we talk about energy, one of the major considerations is that of transportation. On this episode we're we’re talking to a company that is looking to tackle this issue of awareness of electric vehicles (EVs), and help improve their adoption through people and community initiatives in Dubai -- Evera, which stands for Electric Vehicles for Environmental Regenerative Action.
Mapping human skills, with Sallyann Della Casa
October 15, 2019 14:30 - 21 minutesOur guest today is Sallyann Della Casa is the founder of GLEAC and Chief Tree Hugger at the Growing Leaders Foundation, something she started in 2010. Sallyann used to be a real-estate lawyer, but by 2012 she was already working on upskilling youth through workshops and training. This evolved into her current role as Chief Identity Hacker at GLEAC, a tech platform that helps discover and strengthen human soft skills & behaviour.
NOx emissions, with Nicholas Brooks
October 09, 2019 11:00 - 16 minutesWe are joined this week by Nicholas Brooks, a local entrepreneur dedicated to Sustainability. As a passionate cyclist, him and his friend Stewart Howison started riding regularly in Al Qudra, later founding Cycle Safe Dubai. Along the way they were approached on the road by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to discuss the creation of the now famous Al Qudra Cycle Track. In 2018, together with another long-term friend and previous business partner, Nicholas started Zaeto, developing a pro...
Ozone for a toxic-free environment, with Adrienne Doolan
October 01, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutesThis week, we’re talking to Adrienne Doolan, CEO of Green Touches, about how she got started with using Ozone as a cleaning agent and why she believes we should talk about environment ‘sincerity’ rather than just sustainability. Combining a genuine passion for the environment, promoting a sustainable way of life and working with integrity, her company Green Touches, founded in 2015, has brought an entirely new concept to the Facility Management industry in the Middle East, striving to be a di...
Planning arid cities, with Huda Shaka
September 24, 2019 10:45 - 24 minutesThis week our guest is a scientist & urban planner who has been working on the Sustainability aspect of projects such as the Abu Dhabi Capital Plan 2030, The Sharjah Strategic Plan 2040 and the Dubai Expo 2020 bid. Huda Shaka is a Dubai-kid who returned to the city after studying abroad and achieving her Masters in Urban Planning. She is now an Associate Director with ARUP, a multinational professional services firm which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulti...
Fast fashion, with Sian Rowlands
September 18, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutesThis week, we're joined by Sian Rowlands, Owner & Chief Storyteller at Retold, about how her own wardrobe dilemma formed the basis of her business and how broken the fashion industry really is today. Retold is a boutique store in Dubai dealing exclusively in pre-owned fashion.
State of Sustainability 2018, with Monaem Ben Lellahom (Part 2 of 2)
September 11, 2019 07:05 - 17 minutesPart 2 of our talk with Monaem Ben Lellahom, Founding Partner & Group CEO of Sustainable Square. This episode discusses the 2018 State of CSR & Sustainability in the MENA Region report published by Sustainable Square earlier this year. In case you haven't heard it yet, do check out Part 1 where we talk about how Sustainable Square got started and Monaem's outlook for the future of sustainability in our region.
Sustainability vs CSR, with Monaem Ben Lellahom (Part 1 of 2)
September 11, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutesPart 1 of our talk with Founder Partner & Group CEO of Sustainable Square, Monaem Ben Lellahom about how they got started, and how he views the regional landscape of sustainability compared to CSR. On Part 2, also available now, we discuss the 2018 State of Sustainability & CSR Report published by Sustainable Square earlier this year.
Building a sustainable future, with Sabrin Rahman
August 13, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutesOn this episode, we’re joined by Sabrin Rahman, Head of Sustainability at HSBC talking about her own journey & how the bank is looking to shape sustainability for the region.
The other side of landfills, with Anita Nouri
July 23, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutesThis week, we’re joined by Anita Nouri, co-founder of Green Energy Solutions, discussing waste management and landfills, gas-to-energy benefits, transitioning to renewable energy and other sources of sustainable energy in the Middle East.
Marine innovations, with Dana Liparts
July 09, 2019 17:00 - 21 minutesOn this episode, we’re joined by Dana Liparts, co-founder of EcoCoast, a marine protection company about the work they’re doing to protect our coastlines & tackling plastic waste in the ocean at a large scale.
Moving forward, with Courtney Brandt
July 02, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutesLast week, we published episode 10 and so we wanted to take you guys a little behind the scenes with Forward Talks. So on this special episode, we’re by joined by CSR of One, another podcast from the production house behind Forward Talks, Amaeya Media. Host of the show Courtney Brandt joins us to chat about what got us into podcasting, what the experience is like so far, and what we hope to achieve with the show. Also, as we move into the summer, we’ll be publishing every other Tuesday until ...
Bonus: Luca Gagliardi
June 20, 2019 11:00 - 2 minutesA bonus episode with Luca Gagliardi, General Manager at PierChic, about the chefs who inspire him. If you haven’t yet, you can check out Luca’s full episode where he talks about how PierChic addresses sustainability throughout their operations in your podcast player, or on the web.
Sustainable fine dining, with Luca Gagliardi
June 18, 2019 11:00 - 24 minutesThis week, we’re talking with Luca Gagliardi, General Manager at PierChic, one of Dubai’s most iconic restaurants, on how he started out as a sommerlier in Italy, and how PierChic’s incorporates sustainability into their operations.
Building solar capacity, with Jeremy Crane
June 11, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutesThis week, we talk to Jeremy Crane, founder of Yellow Door Energy, about solar energy in the region, their operating model and how they are growing towards their 300 megawatts solar capacity target by 2020.
Oceans first, with Paul Holthus
June 04, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutesOceans flow over nearly three-quarters of Earth, carry 97% of its water, and produce 70% of our oxygen. For every 10 breaths we take, seven of them come from the ocean. It is the true lifeblood of our planet. To help us understand what is being done to help protect our oceans, we’re joined this week by Paul Holthus, Founding President & CEO of the World Ocean Council. Thanks to our partners [OurSpace](ourspace.work) for their support.
Bonus: Elena Kinane
May 30, 2019 11:00 - 3 minutesA quick bonus episode with our guest, Elena Kinane. You can listen to the full episode with Elena here.
Organic farming in the UAE, with Elena Kinane
May 28, 2019 14:00 - 23 minutesThis week, we chat with Elena Kinane, founder of Greenheart Farms on the importance of ‘clean food’ and how to grow it. She also shares their expansion plans into other sustainable initiatives around their makeup and cleaning products.
Saving the Planet & Making a Profit, with Karl Feilder
May 21, 2019 14:40 - 26 minutesWe live in an era where social responsibility and profit are no longer disconnected. More and more companies are adopting sustainability as a way of doing good while making a profit. One such company is Neutral Fuels. This week, their founder & CEO Karl Feilder chats with us about their work to improve carbon footprint through recycling cooking oil into biodiesel. Karl also shares his thoughts on carbon prioritization-—what problems we must tackle first if we are to survive on our planet.
Rethinking Food Waste as a Resource, with Ryan Ingram
May 14, 2019 11:05 - 21 minutes1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every single year. For every person who is malnourished, there are two who are overweight or obese. How do you go about dealing with the growing food needs of the world and balancing that out with the continuing amount of waste generated? This week we’re talking to Ryan Ingram, founder of Terraloop about their solutions to commercially handle food waste in the country as well as educate people on reducing food waste at source.
Data for Good, with Ayla Bajwa
May 07, 2019 11:00 - 18 minutesOn this episode, we talk to Ayla Bajwa, founder of Ampuz and Board Member at the United National Global Compact UAE. Ayla shares her drive to measure the impact of sustainability which led her to found Ampuz and the current challenges faced in operationalizing the UNGA Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Sustainability is a collective responsibility, with Alex Malhouf
April 30, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutesThis week, we talk to Alex Malhouf, Corporate Communications Manager at Procter & Gamble and a fellow podcaster. Alex shares his thoughts on how P&G views sustainability as being a collective responsibility, and how they’re doing more to educate as well as designing products to make it easier for consumers to do the right thing for the environment.
Sustainable landscaping, with Kamelia Zaal
April 23, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutesThis week, we talk to Kamelia Zaal, the first Arab landscape designer to participate at the Chelsea flower show and best known for her landscape design at Al Barari. Kamelia shares numerous sustainability initiatives taken up at Al Barari—the greens, the water and the waste, how she hopes to redefine play areas in the region and her tips on improving sustainability in the UAE.
The YouTube for sustainable innovations, with Stefanie Schachtschabel
April 16, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutesWelcome to Forward Talks, a new podcast by Goumbook, bringing you weekly conversations with leaders & professionals who, through their work, entrepreneurship & commitment, promote positive impact and sustainability in the UAE and beyond. On our inaugural episode, we talk to Stefanie Schachtschabel, founder of Globally Connected Companies: Stefanie pivoted her media company in 2014 to focus on sustainability and has since launched a video platform to serve all sustainable innovations in our re...