The Decarbonisation Dialogue

Hannah Walker

We’re Salix and we’re here to help energy consumers. Our aim is to deliver decarbonisation, create clean power and lower energy bills for consumers.

We enable people to live in warmer and healthier homes and we help deliver resilient public buildings which are better places to work, visit or use.

Our work means homes and buildings are cheaper to run as they benefit from cleaner and more sustainable energy.

Our ‘Decarbonisation Dialogue’ podcast is presented by Hannah Walker who meets the people who share our passion for protecting the environment and achieving net zero.

If you have any feedback for us, please email podcast@salixfinance.co.uk

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20 episodes
Updated July 26

Episodes20

Newest first

July 26 · 17 min
Roli Martin from Global City Futures on public perception about how to pay for net zero
Hannah's guest for this final episode is Roli Martin, managing director and head of finance at Global City Futures (GCF). It specialises in practical funding solutions for public sector net zero projects. GCF partners with local authorities, the NHS and education estates to develop business cases for decarbonisation, focusing on blending public and private money. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. Our mission is to support organisations to lower their energy costs, create warmer and healthier buildings and achieve their net zero ambitions. We are a trusted delivery partner to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, regional combined authorities and public sector organisations across the country.
July 5 · 25 min
Kevin Anderson from the University of Manchester on how we've failed the planet
Hannah's guest this time is Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester. He's also a visiting Professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. Formerly Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Kevin engages extensively with governments and remains research active, with publications in climate policy, nature, and science. He has a decade of industrial experience as an engineer in the petrochemical industry. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. Our mission is to support organisations to lower their energy costs, create warmer and healthier buildings and achieve their net zero ambitions. We are a trusted delivery partner to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, regional combined authorities and public sector organisations across the country.
June 21 · 25 min
Ric Casale from Carbon Copy on why we need to stop talking about net zero
Hannah's guest for this episode is Ric Casale, co-founder and trustee of UK climate action charity, Carbon Copy. He is known for his work, Civic Revolution - A Citizen's Guide, about the power of collective local action to address the climate and nature crisis. Enthusiastic about disruptive innovation for social and environmental good, Ric has also studied renewable energy with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) and urbanism at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. Our mission is to support organisations to lower their energy costs, create warmer and healthier buildings and achieve their net zero ambitions. We are a trusted delivery partner to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, regional combined authorities and public sector organisations across the country.
June 14 · 21 min
Tudor Baker from GMCR on why community energy could save us from global price shocks
Hannah's guest this time is Tudor Baker, director of Greater Manchester Community Renewables Limited (GMCR). It’s a community benefit society, set up and run by volunteers to install community-owned renewable energy across Greater Manchester. Its job is to raise funds to install solar panels on schools and community buildings, helping them save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and inspire children and the community to learn about energy and climate change. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. Our mission is to support organisations to lower their energy costs, create warmer and healthier buildings and achieve their net zero ambitions. We are a trusted delivery partner to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, regional combined authorities and public sector organisations across the country.
June 7 · 21 min
Catherine Ross from the British Library on the need for climate literacy and knowledge
Hannah's guest in this episode is Catherine Ross, head of sustainability at the British Library. Catherine has been in post since August 2023, focusing on the library’s own operations as well as its voice and influence. She is responsible for developing its sustainability and climate change strategy. The British Library holds one of the largest collections of printed material in the world featuring almost every known language, and cares for over 170 million items. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. Our mission is to support organisations to lower their energy costs, create warmer and healthier buildings and achieve their net zero ambitions. We are a trusted delivery partner to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, regional combined authorities and public sector organisations across the country.
May 31 · 23 min
Gavin Johnston from BE-ST Scotland on the benefits of Passivhaus construction
Hannah's guest this week is Gavin Johnston, associate director, BE-ST, Scotland. A Certified Passivhaus Designer, Gavin has contributed significantly to the design and refurbishment of numerous public buildings, along with strategic asset management and housing development. Gavin has led the retrofit of the BE-ST Innovation Campus (SNRC), transforming a 2000-era industrial unit into a living lab. Gavin has previous experience in social housing and is passionate about improving the sustainability of Scotland's building stock. In early 2026, he was noted for his work on the Scottish Healthcare Built Environment Network. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
May 24 · 23 min
Mohammed Khan from Immaterial on the need for governments to speed up climate policy
Mohammed Khan and Professor David Fairen-Jimenez join our podcast this time to tell us about their solutions to climate change. They are behind Cambridge-based Immaterial. It builds on monolithic metal organic frameworks combined with engineering design and machine learning to create solutions for carbon capture, hydrogen storage, water harvesting and energy reduction. As chief executive, Mohammed has 27 years' experience in technology commercialisation, creating enterprise value and building partnerships. David leads the development of Immaterials's technology. He is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Reader in Molecular Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. It is presented by Hannah Walker. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
May 17 · 27 min
Professor Myles Allen from the University of Oxford on why fossil fuel suppliers need to deal with our carbon emissions
Hannah's guest this episode is Professor Myles Allen, an internationally renowned scientist, government adviser, sought-after commentator. Myles is Head of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics in the Department of Physics, and Professor of Geosystem Science in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. In 2005, Professor Allen introduced the notion of a finite carbon budget, implying net zero emissions of carbon dioxide are necessary to halt global warming. He has been working on the implications ever since, most recently on the case for Geological Net Zero or a balance between ongoing production of carbon dioxide from geological sources with carbon dioxide capture and geological storage. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix.. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
May 11 · 24 min
Dr Pancho Lewis from Durham University on why governments need to rebuild our trust in net zero
Hannah's guest this episode is Dr Pancho Lewis, assistant professor at Durham University. He combines his career in academia with his work in grassroots politics. Pancho completed his Postdoctoral Fellow at Durham and is a PhD researcher at Lancaster University. His research looks at the politics of net zero transitions, focusing on people's affective experiences in the midst of a climate emergency. He is also a public engagement specialist with a focus on environmental politics. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
April 22 · 22 min
Chris Gilmour from Vectar Sets on transforming film and TV production with cardboard
Hannah's guest for this episode is international artist Chris Gilmour. He's known for creating hyper realistic sculptures from cardboard and glue. He co-founded Vectar Sets during lockdown which is a Manchester-based company providing paper-based solutions for sustainable scenery for film and TV. In 2006 Chris won the Premio Cairo art prize and in 2012 the Premio Michetti. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
April 12 · 25 min
Morgan Cartlidge and Oliver Couch from Here Now Films on sustainable climate story telling
Hannah's guests for this episode are Morgan Cartlidge and Oliver Couch from Here Now Films. The company was established in 2016 by Oliver and co-founder Ed Smit with a mission to bring the calibre of work typically reserved for big-budget TV advertising to a far wider audience. Oliver is now creative director and Morgan is head of production. Their work focuses on creating human-first documentaries about urgent environmental and social issues, which aligns with the principles of making media more sustainable by raising awareness and sparking change. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
March 29 · 22 min
Hilary Wood from EEVS on her climate career sparked by an childhood of taking things apart
Hannah's guest for this episode is Hilary Wood from EEVS. Hilary is an engineer by training and has experience working in the development of geothermal power and solid oxide fuel cells for sustainable energy generation applications. She currently works on all things measurement and verification, proving the performance of energy and carbon saving initiatives to global best practice standards. As a director at EEVS, she leads on training courses, internal standards and operations. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
March 23 · 22 min
Jon McGarrigle from NHS Wales on the challenge of decarbonisation as a Rubik's cube
Our guest for this episode is Jon McGarrigle, an experienced leader in energy management, sustainability, and operational performance within the public health sector. He is currently head of energy and performance at NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership. This means he plays a crucial role in driving forward the organisation's carbon reduction initiatives, energy efficiency projects, and performance improvement programmes across the Welsh health estate. Jon’s background is in engineering, facilities management, and strategic planning. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
March 15 · 25 min
Vince Glover from New City College on training a highly skilled 'green' future workforce
Hannah's guest in this episode is Vince Glover, group director of strategic projects at New City College in London. It’s his job to ensure that all strategic projects and initiatives – whether related to infrastructure, digital transformation or curriculum innovation – prioritise environmental and social responsibility. Vince talks about how the college is training students in green technology, crucially supplying the core skills we need to build a sustainable future. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
March 8 · 20 min
Social entrepreneur Pip Wheaton on why we need to focus on the "green shoots of possibility"
Hannah's guest this episode is social entrepreneur, Pip Wheaton. Pip describes herself as a "perpetual questioner and aspiring systems changer". Pip has worked on climate change, both locally in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. Her work is to support climate change-makers in their ventures, and research and write about what makes effective climate strategy. She is informed by systems theory and a fierce sense of justice. Pip began her career in Sydney’s music industry, and has since worked in social entrepreneurship, local government, academia, and philanthropy across Australia, South Africa, the UK and Aotearoa. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
March 1 · 20 min
Rachael Orr from Climate Outreach on why we need more good climate news storytellers
Hannah's guest this time is Rachael Orr, chief executive of Climate Outreach. Her job is to deliver defining and the organisation’s overall strategy, goals and impact. Rachael has spent her career in the voluntary sector in leadership roles combining a deep commitment to social justice and to public engagement. She has run campaigns for Shelter, led programme and campaigning work at Oxfam and currently serves as Chair of Trustees at the Refugee Council. It was in her last role, leading a network of housing associations, that Rachael really appreciated the huge gap in public awareness and engagement on climate change. We know that Housing, like many sectors, needs to decarbonise. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
February 22 · 24 min
The Decarbonisation Dialogue featuring Nick Chadwick
Hannah's guest in this episode is Nick Chadwick, chief executive of Mission Zero Technologies. Nick is an environmentally driven chemist and materials scientist enthusiastic about renewables, water, and semiconductors. He has experience scaling and building early-stage materials technologies in renewables, semiconductors, sensors, and carbon capture. Nick has a PhD in Materials Science from University College London and a Master’s in chemistry from the University of Nottingham. Nick, who never imagined he’d start a business, believes in making all things out of ... air. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
February 1 · 29 min
The Decarbonisation Dialogue featuring Asif Ghafoor
In this episode, Hannah's guest is Asif Ghafoor, the chief executive of Be.EV. It is the largest electric vehicle charging network across Greater Manchester. Asif is also co-founder of Iduna, which develops new infrastructure in the mobility, telecommunications, and energy sectors. He is a natural innovator and business entrepreneur with a keen passion for all things green. He talks about why he hangs out in car parks and why community is so important. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
January 26 · 26 min
The Decarbonisation Dialogue Episode 36 feat. Issac Beevor
In this episode, Hannah's guest is Isaac Beevor, policy lead at Climate Emergency. Isaac started working and campaigning in local climate policy in Vancouver, managing volunteers and working on campaigns to support Vancouver's low-emission buildings policy and introducing an annual measuring and reporting system. In our podcast he talks about how the UK is addressing climate action and what next needs to happen. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that help local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.
January 19 · 27 min
The Decarbonisation Dialogue Episode 35 feat. John Savage
Our guest this time is John Savage, a Southampton city councillor and cabinet member for environment and net zero. John is a lifelong Labour supporter with membership since 1987. He has lived in Southampton for more than 13 years where he has raised his children. John talks about how we can protect our cities from the impacts of climate change and looks specifically at how Southampton is navigating this agenda. The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast is brought to you by Salix. We enable, and inspire, public sector organisations to move towards net zero and we support the creation of warmer and healthier homes. We deliver and administer government funding schemes that support local councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities and many other public sector organisations.