Forward Talks
Forward Talks features sustainability leaders and climate champions driving impact from our region to the world.Forward Talks is hosted by Tatiana Antonelli-Abella and brought to you by Goumbook, the UAE’s first social enterprise.
Fri, March 21, 2025
Polar regions sentinels of climate change, biodiversity, and human resilience, with Wassim Said
Tatiana Antonelli-Abella is joined by Wassim Said for a special episode of Forward Talks to mark the inaugural World Day for Glaciers and 2025 being the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation. Wassim is a Steering Committee member of the Emirates Polar Program in addition to being an Advisor with the UAE’s Presidential Court. Wassim explains the critical role of glaciers as freshwater sources and in the context of climate change, and the work of the Emirates Polar Program .
Fri, March 07, 2025
Take a Breath Webinar 1: Indoor Air Quality and Health: Global to Local Challenges and Opportunities
Part of ‘Take a Breath’ Webinar Series: "Breathing into the Future: Creating Healthier Spaces for Resilient Cities and Communities”. Our opening session, "Indoor Air Quality and Health: Global to Local Challenges and Opportunities" was held on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Panel of experts included: Heba Safi – World Health Organisation, Technical Officer on Air Quality and Health Vahid Hosseini- Lead on Transportation-Related Air Pollution at UNU-INWEH Kholood Altassan - Assistant Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health and Head of the Preventive Medicine and Public Health Unit at King Saud University Frank Hammes - IQAir Global CEO (IQAir: First in Air Quality) For more information on Take a Breath visit: www.TakeaBreath.ae
Tue, February 04, 2025
FAO’s Role in Combating Desertification: Insights with Feras Ziadat
Tatiana Antonelli-Abella is joined by Feras Ziadat, who is currently a Land and Water Officer with a specific focus on land resource management and planning at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. Mr. Ziadat played a pivotal role in coordinating the FAO flagship report titled The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture, SOLO, and he also updating the FAO Guide on integrated land use planning. In this episode, he talks about fostering participatory and integrated land use planning, combating land degradation and desertification, and the dangers of sand and dust storms. Prior to this role, Mr. Ziadat held the position of Senior Scientist at ICARDA and served as an Associate Professor at the University of Jordan. He has also served as the chair of the United Nations Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms. This episode is part of Our Land, Our Future , a special mini-series of Forward Talks by Goumbook focused on land restoration and combating desertification. This special series is brought to you in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. Find out more at: https://www.sab.com/esg/ .
Mon, January 13, 2025
Financing the Future: Driving Sustainability and Regenerative Growth in KSA, with Ali Tariq Khan
Tatiana Antonelli-Abella is joined by Ali Tariq Khan, Senior Advisor for ESG Matters at Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), a leading corporate, institutional and trade finance bank in Saudi Arabia with a strategic partnership with HSBC Group. In this current role, Ali’s ESG responsibilities include disclosures, governance, policy, training, net-zero commitments and he leads multiple industry initiatives as well. Ali is a seasoned banker with 20 years of experience with strategic positions at Standard Chartered Bank and the HSBC Group across multiple geographies both worldwide and in the Middle East. This episode is part of Our Land, Our Future , a special mini-series of Forward Talks by Goumbook focused on land restoration and combating desertification. This special series is brought to you in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. Find out more at: https://www.sab.com/esg/ .
Mon, January 06, 2025
Land Restoration: Regenerative Solutions for Arid Lands, with Neal Spackman
Tatiana Antonelli-Abella is joined by Neal Spackman to discuss the Al Baydah Restoration Project in Saudi Arabia, a groundbreaking project he led in partnership with the King Faisal Foundation, starting with a 100-acre prototype watershed in 2010. Neal is co-founder at Regenerative AquaForestry Technologies, and partner at Regenerative Studios, a design & Strategy consultancy. He focuses on enterprise development and disrupting conventional methods of agricultural production, and has led and advised regenerative projects in Latin America, the US, West & East Africa, Southern Europe as well as in the Middle East. This episode is part of Our Land, Our Future , a special mini-series of Forward Talks by Goumbook focused on land restoration and combating desertification. This special series is brought to you in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. Find out more at: https://www.sab.com/esg/ .
Thu, December 19, 2024
Water Bankruptcy: Rethinking Drought, Soil, and Agriculture, with Professor Kaveh Madani
Welcome to Our Land, Our Future , a special mini-series of Forward Talks by Goumbook focused on land restoration and combating desertification. Our first episode features Professor Kaveh Madani, a prominent environmental scientist, educator, and leader known for his work on complex human-natural systems at the interface of science, policy, and society. With over 300 publications, Professor Kaveh is currently the Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). Funded by the Government of Canada, the Institute leads efforts to address global water, environmental and health challenges through research, capacity building and policy solutions as the academic arm of the United Nations. Professor Madani discusses the concept of "water bankruptcy," and argues that simply increasing water supply is not a sufficient solution to address our water needs. He also explains the need for a global approach to addressing desertification and land degradation. This special series is brought to you in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. Find out more at: https://www.sab.com/esg/ . Links: UNU-INWEH | United Nations University UN: Invest in Nature to Cut Billion-Dollar Costs of Droughts | United Nations University Five drought myths experts say must be shattered Hurricane Helene Posed a Threat to Over 31,000 Properties in the U.S., with a Combined Value Exceeding $12.5 Billion | United Nations University
Trailer · Thu, December 19, 2024
Introducing: ‘Our Land, Our Future’, a special series on land restoration and combating desertification
Welcome to “Our Land, Our Future,” a special mini-series of Forward Talks by Goumbook focused on land restoration and combating desertification—key topics discussed at the UNCCD COP16, held for the first time in the Middle East, in Riyadh, December 2024. Host Tatiana Antonelli-Abella will be speaking to regional and global stakeholders who are spearheading innovative efforts to protect and restore land. The goal is to foster awareness and inspire action within the Middle East and beyond to address this urgent environmental challenge of our time. Our conversation will extend beyond COP16, addressing broader issues in the Middle East & North Africa region. This special series is brought to you in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. Find out more at: https://www.sab.com/esg/ .
Wed, June 19, 2024
Panel discussion: Nature & Science based solutions- scaling Regenerative Agriculture to tackle the MENAT agricultural, food security & climate change challenges
The first MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Program Ceremony took place on the 22nd of May, the International Day of Biological Diversity, where we celebrated the researches and entrepreneurs who hold the keys to solving some of the world’s fundamental agricultural problems. The Regenerative Agriculture Program has been a transformative journey, from the initial open call in 2023. We received over 100 registration from 18 counties and some of the most innovative academic and entrepreneurial minds. Samantha Keyruz, our Strategy and Sustainability Impact Director who also championed the program, spoke to our three winners about their solutions, the challenges they faced in making them viable and how we can work to close the gap between academia and the public sector. We also want to thank our partners, HSBC and Saudi Awal Bank, who worked with us to both upskill and empower innovative solutions like these through funding and mentorship, and help them become viable commerical possibilities.
Mon, May 06, 2024
How purpose unlocks the health of people, vulnerable communities, and the planet, with Telfast’s Sylvain Bonnet
Tatiana sits down with Sylvain Bonnet, Vice President & Global General Manager for Telfast, a brand under global healthcare company, Sanofi. Sanofi and Telfast have been instrumental towards Goumbook’s Take-a-Breath campaign, an awareness initiative to raise awareness and drive action on indoor air quality, aligning with the UAE Air Quality Agenda 2031. Tatiana and Sylvain talk about Sanofi’s net-zero commitment, their b-corp certification and their declaration to become a purpose-led organization. Sylvain shares how purpose-driven actions unlock health by promoting research, equitable access, preventive measures, targeted interventions, community empowerment, environmental stewardship, and climate action. When organizations align their purpose with these goals, they create a positive impact on a global scale. Links: COP28 Think Tank: Exploring the nexus of indoor air quality, public health and climate action Goumbook’s Take-a-breath campaign
Bonus · Tue, February 20, 2024
Bonus: Tanzeed Alam on involving the next generation in climate action
We’re continuing our conversation with Tanzeed Alam, MD at Earth Matters. Tanzeed shares his experience with the youth at COP28, and our thoughts on how to involve and educate the next generation to be more involved in climate action. If you haven’t heard Part 1—where we talk about the outcomes of COP28 in the UAE and look ahead to COP29—you’ll find that in your podcast app right before this one. This episode closes out our special series on COP28, in partnership with Mastercard and with the support of the Dubai Government Media Office.
Wed, February 14, 2024
Tanzeed Alam on COP28 & the UAE Consensus: from agreement to action
We’re joined today by Tanzeed Alam, MD at Earth Matters, to talk about the outcomes of COP28 in the UAE, and look ahead to COP29 in Azerbaijan. Tanzeed is the MD of Earth Matters, with extensive experience consulting with private sector and government on climate action. He also took on a special role last year as an advisor at the private office of Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, the UN High-Level Climate Champion for COP28. Tanzeed is also our first returning guest, you can listen to his previous episode about our impact on nature and what we could learn from the pandemic in your podcast app, and on our website . This is the last episode of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Mon, January 29, 2024
Think Tank: The invisible challenge: Exploring the nexus of indoor air quality, public health and climate action
Our latest Think Tank took place on day 13 of COP28 at the Slovenia Pavilion under the Take a Breath campaign , in partnership with Telfast and Sanofi. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and drive action on indoor air quality, aligning with the UAE Air Quality Agenda 2031. We were joined by Angie Lorena Sanchez Pina, Air Quality Specialist with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Mai Daoud, Sustainability Lead for AMEA and China Region at Sanofi, and our amazing panelists: Dr Diana Francis from Khalifa University, Oriol Teixidó-Advisor with the WHO and Associate Director at Ricardo, and Engineer Abdelazeez Gaffer, Senior Safety Engineer for Indoor Air Quality with Dubai Municipality. Listen in to their insights, best practices and some of the initiatives under way to improve indoor air quality across the country. We also shared details about our school study, running during the 2023-24 academic year, to collect data on indoor air quality in classrooms before and after solutions implementation, and help create a benchmark to inform best practices. This episode was brought to you by Goumbook in partnership with Telfast and Sanofi. You can find out more and how to get involved on our website , where you can also find all of our episodes including our special series on COP28.
Thu, December 07, 2023
Obaid Ali Alshamshi & Shaemma Rasheed Mebwana on youth empowerment to advance inclusive and ambitious climate action
We’re joined for this youth-focused episode by Obaid Ali Alshamshi, a distinguished Emirati biologist, currently leading the Marine Biodiversity Section and the Youth Council at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and his colleague, Shaemma Rasheed Mebwana, a Climate Change Analyst with the Ministry. We talk about how the UAE Government has been engaging with the youth, involving them in policy making, and some of the youth programs at the COP28 Green Zone. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Tue, November 28, 2023
Jamila El Mir on accelerating net zero transition in the built environment
We’re joined today by Jamila El Mir, senior advisor to the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak. Jamila has over 16 years of experience in environmental and sustainability strategy, and policy development for master planning and citywide planning, urban waste systems and more. We talk about the impact of urban growth and the construction sector on the environment, and her work with the Climate Champions team. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Fri, November 24, 2023
Florence Bulte on building a strong sustainability culture in luxury retail
We’re joined today by Florence Bulte, Chief Sustainability Officer at Chalhoub Group. Chalhoub Group has been a creator of luxury experiences across the Middle East for over six decades, and Florence is responsible for promoting sustainability across the Group through advocacy and partnerships. We talk about how they engage with their supply chain to embed sustainability across the Group, how the luxury industry is working on recycling and circularity, and her expectations from COP28. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more. Links: EU Greenwashing crackdown
Tue, November 14, 2023
The Green Sheikh on fostering the youth as future climate champions
H.H Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi, popularly known as The Green Sheikh, joins us on the episode. Sheikh Abdul Aziz serves as environmental advisor to the Ajman Government and is also the founder of the Al Ihsan Charity , which he started in 1998 and The Green Sheikh Academy in 2018. We talk about his journey to becoming a climate leader, his mission to inspire over a billion individuals through his new program for the youth—The Climate Champions—and his expectations from COP28. You can also find the poem Harmony by H.H . Maryam A. Al Nuaimi (The Blue Sheikha) here . This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Fri, October 20, 2023
Andrea Prazakova on the intersection of fintech and climate action
We’re joined on the episode by Andrea Prazakova, Senior Vice President at Mastercard Foundry and ESG for EEMEA. She’s also the co-founder of Space Uncensored, a podcast that aims to amplify the voices of women in the space industry. According to JPMogran, the worldwide digital payments industry is currently estimated at US$ 54 trillion. As this number continues to grow, it provides exciting opportunities to create a massive positive impact across sectors. We talk about the role of the fintech industry in helping us achieve the transition to net zero, and meeting the 2030 and 2050 targets. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Fri, October 06, 2023
Allyson Anderson Book on the energy transition as an opportunity for innovation and collaboration
We’re joined on the episode by Allyson Anderson Book, Chief Sustainability Officer at Baker Hughes. Baker Hughes develops and deploys advanced technologies to serve energy and industrial companies looking for more efficient, more reliable and cleaner solutions. They operate in 120 countries worldwide and their diverse portfolio of technologies and solutions are transforming how industry works today and in the future. As Baker Hughes Chief Sustainability Officer, Allyson oversees the company’s energy-transition strategy. We talk about the elephant in the room—fossil fuels and the climate crisis—and the pathways to accelerate the energy transition and achieve net-zero. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Mon, September 04, 2023
Hossam Allam on the necessity of investing in nature-positive ventures
We’re joined on this episode by by Hossam Allam, Managing Partner at the Climate Resilience Fund , which is focused on climate projects in Africa. Hossam began his career as an environmental engineer at Shell, and working for his family’s construction business in Egypt before making the shift to becoming a full-time investor. We talk about the funding instruments in the climate space, and his experience attending COP27 in Egypt as we gear up to COP28 in the UAE this year. This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28 . We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Tue, August 01, 2023
Mohammed Mahmoud on the social and environmental implications of water security in the Middle East
We’re joined today by Mohammed Mahmoud, Director of Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute, one of the oldest Washington DC based think-tanks dedicated to the study of the Middle East and its issues. We talk about his role at the Middle East Institute studying the region, and to understand the issues we’re seeing both globally and in the region as a result of climate change. Mohammed has an extensive background in water resource issues and management, such as how climate impacts on the Nile River and policy issues among nations sharing the water, and a project in Saudi Arabia to formalise their ground water management code. This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders - Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Thu, June 08, 2023
Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi on the nexus between soil health and food security
Welcome to the first episode of our new series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’ll share inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. We’re joined today by Sheikh Dr. Majid Sultan Al Qassimi. Until 2021, Dr. Majid was the Advisor to the Minister regarding all things Food and Agriculture, at the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. He’s now a founding partner at Soma Mater where they develop Food Security and Sustainability strategies and solutions for private sector and governments. We talk about his journey to becoming a climate leader, food security and the importance of soil, and his expectations for COP28. A special thanks to the Dubai Government Media Office for their support of this special series, which is also where we recorded this conversation. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025. Please visit the Priceless Planet Coalition website to learn more.
Trailer · Thu, June 08, 2023
Introducing: Climate Leaders — Rising up to COP28
We’re excited to announce a special series, Climate Leaders — Rising up to COP28 , to mark the ‘Year of Sustainability’ here in the UAE, in the lead up to the UAE hosting the 28th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP28) later this year. We’ll be sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world. This will a special series of 10 episodes, brought to you by Goumbook in partnership with Mastercard. Joining host Tatiana Antonelli-Abella for this announcement is Roberta Calarese, the founder of Ghaya, a strategy consultancy aiming to transform businesses into a force for good. They discuss the importance of purpose and leadership to drive purpose.
Wed, May 24, 2023
Think Tank - Towards Responsible Tourism: Best Practices from the UAE
Our latest Think Tank, “Towards Responsible Tourism: Best Practices from the UAE” was held at the Arabian Market a few weeks ago. The Think Tank focused on gathering perspectives from different stakeholders driving impact across a variety of initiatives in sustainable & responsible tourism from the UAE, highlighting Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism’s efforts with the recent relaunch of its carbon calculator and 19 sustainable requirements aimed at placing Dubai at the heart of sustainable tourism. Our host Tatiana Antonelli moderated an expert panel with: Myrna Ayad : Cultural Strategy & Art Advisory Vignesh Balasubramanian, Area Director of Engineering, Marriot Kelly Timmins, Director - Marine Animal Operations & Sustainability, Atlantis Resorts Cameron Cairns , Managing Partner, Terrax The Think Tank was held with with the support of Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism and Dubai Sustainable Tourism, and the Arabian Travel Market 2023.
Tue, July 12, 2022
Think Tank - Managing your ESG reporting
ESG – 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 ESG space, we gathered a network of experts and an all-star panel from different industries, contexts and trajectories to discuss the challenges and highlight opportunities around ESG reporting – from regulation and standardization to quality data collection and the measurement of impact. This think tank was run by Goumbook in partnership with Emex and hosted by Jumeirah Group in their flagship hotel Burj Al Arab on 3rd of June, 2022. It included a presentation by Daniel Gribbin - VP of Sustainability and ESG at Emex, and a panel discussion that was moderated by Tatiana Antonelli Abella, featuring Mohamad El Khalil - Director of Prudential Supervision at DFSA, Mariam Alqubaisi - Head of Sustainability and Business Excellence at Etihad, Adrienne Doolan - CEO of Green Touches and Board Member of UN Global Compact Network UAE, and Ashraf Abdelkhalek - Sustainability, Health and Safety Leader for Gulf Countries at Schneider Electric.
Mon, March 28, 2022
The alliance to end hunger, with Paul Newnham
Tatiana 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 advocacy to achieve SDG2. To this end, the Hub has worked with a community of 240+ chefs from 38 countries to create a Chefs’ Manifesto–a framework outlining how chefs can contribute to the SDGs. Tatiana met him in Dubai when Paul came to release the Hub’s Chef Manifesto in Arabic alongside some powerhouse local chefs. Links: SDG2 Advocacy Hub Chef’s Manifesto Good Food For All
Tue, March 15, 2022
SDG12 and Food Waste, how can we make a difference? With Tarek AlKhoury
In 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 2022 to discuss policies and legal frameworks to reduce food waste. Food waste is a topic that needs our urgent attention, and this has come up a few times on the show with previous guests as well: Rethinking food waste as a resource, with Ryan Ingram Organic farming in the UAE, with Elena Kinane Sustainable fine dining, with Luca Gagliardi Pioneering sustainable solutions to tackle food security, with Abdulaziz AlMulla The role of insects in the future of food, with Patrick Crowley
Mon, October 04, 2021
'Our world is not an ashtray’, with Monica Barten, Director Communications at Philip Morris Middle East
Philip 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 launched its first Integrated Report in which they announced their global commitment to achieve a 50% reduction of the plastic litter from their products by 2025 (vs. 2021). Accomplishing that goal will require a fundamental development of public education and awareness. Most essentially, adult smokers need to understand that it is unacceptable to dispose of their cigarette butts improperly. Therefore, PMI has launched a global initiative Our World is not an Ashtray with the aim of making cigarette butt littering a thing of the past. Exemplary performance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues is important, but it is equally clear that the biggest positive impact PMI can have on society and to be a truly sustainable company is to replace cigarettes with less-harmful alternatives. The realization of this podcast was supported by Philip Morris Management Service (Middle East) Limited.
Mon, September 13, 2021
The UAE present a sustainable alternative to concrete at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021
This 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 Partner at WaiWai Design and one of the curators of the current edition of the Pavilion. The exhibit was also just awarded the Golden Lion award for Best National Participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The 17th International Architecture Exhibition (Biennale Architettura 2021) will run from 22 May to 21 November 2021 with national Anti Covid-19 measures in place. You can find more information including a virtual tour here .
S1 E42 · Thu, April 22, 2021
Enhancing biodiversity through urban forests
We'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.
S1 E41 · Tue, June 30, 2020
Decluttering: the way to a low impact life, with Shelina Jokhiya
A 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 Host of the DeCluttr Me podcast. We talked about basic decluttering concepts, how to deal with e-waste and the harmful impacts if this is not disposed properly as well as the more emotional downsides of clutter that we should all be aware of.
S1 E40 · Tue, June 23, 2020
The future of commute, with Adam Ridgeway
According 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).
S1 E39 · Tue, June 16, 2020
On a mission to empower one million Arab women, with Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah
This 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 psychology. This year the program has covered 11,600 children so far. And in 2017 she launched the Intisar Foundation, which works with with NGOs in Jordan and Lebanon to offer drama therapy to women affected by war and female victims of violence.
S1 E38 · Sun, June 07, 2020
Clean water empowering future generations, with Sunil Lalvani
This 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.
Mon, June 01, 2020
The role of insects in the future of food, with Patrick Crowley
This 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 & powders based on insect protein and envision a world in which insects can provide an efficient and alternate source of food worldwide.
S1 E36 · Tue, May 26, 2020
Beauty without Cruelty, with Leena Al Abbas
As 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 salon that opened nearly 10 years ago. Listen in for how she got started as well as her advice on various harsh chemicals we are exposed to in our day-to-day lives. If you’d like to connect with us, you can find us on Instagram and listen to all of our episodes on our website .
S1 E35 · Sun, May 17, 2020
Sustainability in business: how local SMEs can get involved, with David Alvarez & Keith Bradley
This 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 via Instagram and find all of our episodes in your favourite podcast player or on the web .
Sun, May 10, 2020
Pioneering sustainable solutions to tackle food security, with Abdulaziz AlMulla
This 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 hydronics to conserve water while ensuring a healthy production of vegetables. We'd love to hear what you thought of our episode so let us know on Instagram and find all our previous episodes in your podcast players and on the web . Stay safe and see you next week.
S1 E33 · Thu, April 30, 2020
Fashion with a conscience, with Araceli Gallego
This 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 from fast fashion trends towards more sustainable brands. Tune to listen to their co-founder Araceli Gallego to know about sustainable fashion and why we should all be thinking more consciously about what we buy and wear.
S1 E32 · Sat, April 25, 2020
Moving towards net-zero carbon buildings, with Saeed Al Abbar
We'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 podcast players and on the web .
S1 E31 · Sun, April 12, 2020
Conscious consumerism, with Maria Sillanpaa
We 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 understand how sustainability conscious the average consumer is in the UAE. You'll find a link to the report (and its free summary) below. You can also reach out to us with your thoughts on our website , on LinkedIn and on Instagram .
S1 E30 · Thu, April 02, 2020
Humans vs Nature, with Tanzeed Alam
This 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 pandemic has highlighted—from business practices that affect us to how we may look to rebuilt once its effect is contained. Connect with us on Instagram and find all our episodes in your podcast players and on the web .
S1 E29 · Sun, March 22, 2020
The Water Project, with Adam Torrey
With 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 pandemic should us cause to rethink the way we do business and some of its impacts. You can connect with on [Instagram](https://instagram.com/goumbook) and find all of our previous episodes on our [website](http://goumbook.com/podcasts) if you'd like to catch up on them.
S1 E28 · Sun, March 08, 2020
Leading a purpose driven life, with Maggie Doyne
On 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.
S1 E27 · Tue, February 04, 2020
Beyond dental care, with Dr. David Roze
This 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 .
S1 E26 · Wed, January 22, 2020
From Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: Recycled water & AquaTEC
We 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.
S1 E25 · Tue, December 24, 2019
The dirty side of dry cleaning, with Elham AlQasm
Happy 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, you can follow us on Instagram and find all the episodes of the show in your favourite podcast player, or on the web .
S1 E24 · Sun, December 01, 2019
Engaging women for a better future, with Assia Riccio
Assia 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.
S1 E23 · Tue, November 12, 2019
The business of philanthropy, with Yann Bordstedt
This 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.
S1 E22 · Tue, October 29, 2019
The EV era, with Kyle Weber & Salman Hussein
We 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.
S1 E21 · Tue, October 15, 2019
Mapping human skills, with Sallyann Della Casa
Our 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.
S1 E20 · Wed, October 09, 2019
NOx emissions, with Nicholas Brooks
We 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 product for the GCC with a core focus on the environment, alongside cost effectiveness for businesses: “While Zaeto can be generalized as a lubricants and grease company, it is so much more than that. We are impacting the environment positively, reducing harmful emissions by 40 per cent, while increasing fuel economy and lubricating parts better and more efficiently. This results in improvements in sustainability.”
S1 E19 · Tue, October 01, 2019
Ozone for a toxic-free environment, with Adrienne Doolan
This 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 disruption within this industry towards achieving sustainability. Adrienne is also a newly elected Board member of the United Nations Global Compact local network UAE, working on the 10 Universal Principles and the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030, and Green Touches is an active participating member of the local chapter. With nearly 20 years of experience in the region, Adrienne has worked as a senior consultant for leadership trainings from 2013 – 2015 with many governmental bodies, such as DEWA, SEWA, Ministry of Higher Education, ADM and Ministry of Labour, KSA. Finally, she is also a recipient of the Sheikh Hamdan Award for Excellence in 2014.
S1 E18 · Tue, September 24, 2019
Planning arid cities, with Huda Shaka
This 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 consulting services for all aspects of the built environment.
S1 E17 · Wed, September 18, 2019
Fast fashion, with Sian Rowlands
This 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.
S1 E16 · Wed, September 11, 2019
State of Sustainability 2018, with Monaem Ben Lellahom (Part 2 of 2)
Part 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.
S1 E15 · Wed, September 11, 2019
Sustainability vs CSR, with Monaem Ben Lellahom (Part 1 of 2)
Part 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.
S1 E14 · Tue, August 13, 2019
Building a sustainable future, with Sabrin Rahman
On 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.
S1 E13 · Tue, July 23, 2019
The other side of landfills, with Anita Nouri
This 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.
S1 E12 · Tue, July 09, 2019
Marine innovations, with Dana Liparts
On 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.
S1 E11 · Tue, July 02, 2019
Moving forward, with Courtney Brandt
Last 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 September. See you on July 9 with a new guest!
Bonus · Thu, June 20, 2019
Bonus: Luca Gagliardi
A 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 .
S1 E10 · Tue, June 18, 2019
Sustainable fine dining, with Luca Gagliardi
This 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.
S1 E9 · Tue, June 11, 2019
Building solar capacity, with Jeremy Crane
This 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.
S1 E8 · Tue, June 04, 2019
Oceans first, with Paul Holthus
Oceans 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.
S1 E7 · Thu, May 30, 2019
Bonus: Elena Kinane
A quick bonus episode with our guest, Elena Kinane. You can listen to the full episode with Elena here.
Tue, May 28, 2019
Organic farming in the UAE, with Elena Kinane
This 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.
S1 E6 · Tue, May 21, 2019
Saving the Planet & Making a Profit, with Karl Feilder
We 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.
Tue, May 14, 2019
Rethinking Food Waste as a Resource, with Ryan Ingram
1.3 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.
S1 E4 · Tue, May 07, 2019
Data for Good, with Ayla Bajwa
On 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).
S1 E3 · Tue, April 30, 2019
Sustainability is a collective responsibility, with Alex Malhouf
This 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.
S1 E2 · Tue, April 23, 2019
Sustainable landscaping, with Kamelia Zaal
This 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.
S1 E1 · Tue, April 16, 2019
The YouTube for sustainable innovations, with Stefanie Schachtschabel
Welcome 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 region.
Trailer · Thu, March 28, 2019
Introducing: Forward Talks
We look forward to bringing you conversations with sustainability changemakers in April 2019.
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