The GreenWave Podcast

SYNI, your host with the most subtle-swag in the sustainable community, is focused on the United Nations endorsing the first Article 6.4 carbon credit methodology, a breakthrough that may unlock hundreds of billions $$ in climate finance and reframe how global carbon markets operate. SNYI introduces you to the A6.4ER (catchy we know!) and unravels why this huge step forward that has taken a decade will soon take centre stage at the COP30 conference in Belem, Brazil. And yes, this is one of those rare times when bureaucracy might save the planet. One thing is certain: the global carbon market is...

SYNI, your host, gives a review of the International Maritime Organisation meeting in London last week to promote a Net Zero agenda. Spoiler Alert: Delegates arrived with dense documents and finely tuned talking points and left with a familiar souvenir from multilateral life. The headline is simple. The can has been kicked into 2026. The decision on a global fuel standard and a pricing instrument still awaits while the working group on greenhouse gas reduction refines drafts and guidance while capitals weigh their red lines and their comfort zones. As always, SYNI is full of tough questions and she offers...

In this episode, SYNI, your host who provides the most, is mulling the politicisation of sustainability, especially sustainable finance at the supranational institutional level. The World Bank sits at this crossroads, and there are political opponents howling in the not-so far distance. This brings us to a core principle we have stated since the start: sustainability should stand on its own, not be wrapped in other causes, so it stays clear of political fights unrelated to protecting the climate. So let's tip our hat to SYNI and cozy up to another 20 minutes of her podcast magic.

Join SYNI, your host, for an examination of Germany’s role in Europe’s green hydrogen industry and the politics now shaping support for production and infrastructure across the Union. Germany likes to think of itself as Europe’s industrial metronome. When the beat is steady, factories hum and policy lines up with engineering. When the beat stutters, everyone hears it. Nowhere is that more evident than in green hydrogen, where Berlin’s choices ripple through investment committees from the Ruhr to Rotterdam, and through ministries from Brussels to Madrid. 

SYNI, your host, explores the Douro Valley as a living landscape, a place that invites careful stewardship because it is both a working valley and a world treasure. We are going to explore how UNESCO helps set a sustainable framework for this remarkable region in northern Portugal, how local institutions and producers have translated that framework into practical choices, and why the Douro remains a case study for aligning heritage with climate action. So join SYNI's pod and search into your cabinet for that long-savoured bottle 40 Tawny, both yours to enjoy! 

SYNI, your host, delves into New York City Climate Week, one of the high-profile gatherings on the sustainable calendar. As the conference moves into full-swing, we want to answer two important questions that you may share. Is this spectacle or substance? Are we meeting to admire the problem or to move capital and policy and technology at the speed required? SYNI works through these animating questions in five pieces of thinking. History and origins. Who is on the mic this week. What impact to expect in real terms. What the record says about outcomes from prior years. And what...

SYNI, your hostess, address today’s topic of a slightly specialist nature within the world of sustainable politics, Nationally Determined Contributions, otherwise known as NDCs, and whether they are a credible foundation of climate action or a theatrical flourish of sustainable politics that promises the earth on the grand political stage but then forgets its lines once the global attention and auditorium empties. But don't expect a one-line verdict from SYNI. That would be neat and misleading. Evidence points to both momentum and inertia. Listen for the next 22 minutes and join the debate!

In our 37th Episode, SYNI, your host, tackles the next wave of sustainable energy storage and why it will define the pace and reach of the clean power transition. Storage is the hinge on which an electrified future swings. Solar and wind now form a meaningful and growing share of generation in many markets. Yet scale brings new questions. SYNI asks you, our loyal listeners, to picture the grid as an outdoor orchestra. Renewables are the brass and strings with surges of splendour and the odd squeak of timing. Storage is the percussion section keeping time. The conductor is...

SYNI, your indefatigable hostess, focuses on the Science Based Targets initiative and its draft revision to the Corporate Net Zero Standard, which were recently updated. We hope you didn’t think we would go for a light and cheerful topic to close out the summer? No, no! Instead SYNI plunges into the deep end of sustainable governance and corporate regulation, taking a close look at STBi Version 2.0 and the fine line between pragmatic target setting and protecting long-term reductions that the net zero carbon emissions goal requires. So grab your notebook and sit at your desk for this one as...

SYNI, your host, tears into today's topic, the European Union Hydrogen Bank. Specifically, what is wrong with the Bank and why are winners of the biggest subsidies walking away from completing their green hydrogen projects? We’re talking about three of the largest green hydrogen projects in the EU turning an icy shoulder €589 million of future EU support during this blazing hot summer. We’ll need more than sun cream and a beach umbrella to unravel this one. Thankfully we have SYNI's take on both problems and solutions, so sit back for the next 23 minutes and enjoy the cool breeze...

This week join SYNI, your host, as she dives into the role of crypto currencies in sustainability with a special look at the growing role of tokenisation in carbon credits. It’s been a subject on our radar for several weeks, and with the growing mania over bitcoin’s rapid price rise in recent weeks, it’s seems like the perfect time to tackle the subject of how the explosive world of digital currencies are producing sustainable outcomes and private funding solutions. So it's both the dog days of summer and time to put on your crypto thinking cap. We hop...

Your host SYNI explores the European Union’s latest push to harness artificial intelligence in the energy sector as a tool against climate change. The EU has recently opened consultations for a Strategic Roadmap on Digitalisation and AI in the Energy Sector, reflecting its commitment to ensure the digital and green transitions go hand-in-hand. We’ll explore how AI can accelerate decarbonisation across Europe’s power grids, buildings, and industries, discuss the most important AI use cases highlighted in the EU plan, and provide a balanced view of the opportunities and concerns that AI brings to the energy industry. So sit...

SYNI, your hostess with dry wit and a sharp tongue, launches into the second in our Summer mini-pod series, well aware that many of you might currently be lounging beachside, mountain-bound, hiking on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, or spending the long August days on your island in the Baltic Sea, not exactly keeping pace with the latest in climate finance literature. So allow SYNI to bring you up to speed on everything you missed. Specifically, the freshly released "Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2025" report details the leaps and bounds of climate finance into the trillion dollar...

SYNI launches our summer series of mini pods, shorter more focused episodes intended to match the shorter attention spans of our summertime listeners. Today’s topic is the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, better known to its friends as the HLPF. Specifically, we’re diving into the launch of the Climate and SDG Synergy Solutions reports and the wider signals sent at this year’s forum in New York. If you missed it, think of this as your guided tour of what was said, what was meant, and what might happen next.

SYNI is riding the breeze for today’s pod topic of sailing – its heritage as a sustainable means of transport and sailing’s place in today’s world of sustainable sport and pastimes. As the saying goes, we cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails. The sailing world is doing exactly that, adapting its practices to protect what it loves. In the process, it keeps alive the spirit of exploration and freedom that sailing has always embodied, while steering that spirit toward healing our blue planet. We'll also check out three sailing clubs - San Diego Yacht Cl...

SYNI launches into Part 2 of our mini-series on the European Commission’s proposed 2040 Climate Law amendment, a plan that would legally bind the European Union to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by the year 2040. This week we’re zooming in on the Iberian Peninsula, unlocking the likely impact of the EU’s initiative specifically on Spain and Portugal, and then circling back to the traditional European heavyweights of Germany and France. We’ll also dive into carbon credits, market design, and climate governance shifts under this 2040 proposal. It’s a statement that the EU is not taking the foot o...

SYNI, your host, tackles the European Commission’s 2040 Climate Law amendment – a plan that would legally bind the European Union to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by the year 2040. Now, that’s a hefty goal and a mouthful of policy-speak, but fear not: we’re going to unpack what this 2040 target really means in this Part 1 of a 2 part mini-series, why it matters right now in 2025, and how it could reshape everything from how Europeans get their energy to how they travel, manufacture goods, grow food, and even how businesses plan for the future.

This week, SYNI is zooming out to look at sustainable tourism on a broader scale in Part 2 of a mini-series. We’ll discuss the global trends that are reshaping travel in the name of sustainability, examine if all these green ideas are making a dent in the tourism industry’s environmental impact, and see what’s being done about the not-so-sustainable side of mass tourism. Plus, we’ll take a little tour of some of the world’s most environmentally friendly resorts – from rustic eco-lodges to high-end retreats – and tackle a thorny question: is eco-tourism becoming just another luxury good for the r...

This week, SYNI drives into the topic of sustainable tourism with a focus on the van life phenomenon, that romantic vision of waking up by the ocean or in mountains in the back of a camper van. We’ll explore the rising trend of “van life” among surfers in Portugal and skiers in Utah, USA – and ask the big question: Does living on four wheels really align with the eco-conscious image it projects? It’s about peeling back the layers of van life through key sustainability lenses: vehicle emissions, campsite conservation, renewable energy for daily living, waste and water management...

 SYNI, your host, is unveiling sustainability in sports, viewed through the lens of three very different but equally iconic stages: Allegiant Stadium in the shimmering furnace of Las Vegas, the meticulously manicured lawns of Wimbledon in southwest London, and the soon‑to‑be‑reborn Camp Nou—now officially Spotify Camp Nou—on the Mediterranean rim of Barcelona. Together these venues form a kind of sustainability triathlon: What unites them is a shared conviction that sport’s future depends on shrinking footprints even while spectator numbers, broadcast audiences, and commercial expectations grow larger than ever. In short, they are trying to prove that the phra...

SYNI is taking us on the third and last leg of our global tour through the green hydrogen subsidy race. This week, we’re focused on South America. Grab your virtual passport as we head south. We’ll start in Brazil – the powerhouse that’s as big in clean energy as it is in carnival spirit – then hop across the Andes to Chile’s deserts and winds, swing by Argentina’s Patagonia plains, and finish in the Colombian highlands. For any of our listeners that thought we were geographically challenged by not mentioning South America in our first two series pods, w...

SYNI finishes Part 2 of our magical tour through the global green hydrogen subsidy race secure in the knowledge that all this political jockeying is indeed a very heavy load to bear for the universe's lightest particle. This week, we’re focused on Asia, India, Africa and the Middle East, regions which account for the vast majority of humanity both in demographic weight and future growth. Surely if green hydrogen is a big “game changer” for the future, then these governments should be drivers enabling this progress for their vast populations and economic development. And the results show they surely are! Duration: 00:31:14

SYNI is taking you on a whirlwind tour through the global green hydrogen subsidy race. If that sounds like a mouthful, well, it's because the world is biting off quite a lot – pouring unprecedented funds into turning the lightest element in the universe into a heavyweight climate solution. Green hydrogen is touted as a game-changer for decarbonising heavy industries and storing renewable energy, but there's a catch: it's still significantly more expensive to produce than its polluting predecessors. The solution? Governments around the world opening their coffers with all the subtlety of a kid in a candy store. In th...

Join SYNI, your host, for a fast-paced look at the MENA region’s emergence as a global leader in sustainable energy production. Yes, the Middle East and North Africa – once known mainly for oil – is fast becoming a powerhouse of renewable energy and green innovation. It’s a fascinating and unexpected story, full of big ambitions, mega-projects, and even a few geopolitical twists. 

SYNI is threading together two seemingly opposite worlds: the ever-changing realm of fashion and the urgent, steady mission of sustainability. Fashion is all about trends and fast change, while sustainability demands long-term thinking and slow, careful progress. Can these two walks of life stitch themselves together? By the end of this episode, we’ll have unravelled the issues, spun some solutions, and maybe even patched up a few holes in the narrative of sustainable style.

In this episode, SYNI dissects the lessons from the electricity blackout in Portugal, Spain, and parts of France on April 28th. On that Monday, life was proceeding as normal for millions across the Iberian Peninsula. People filled office buildings, shopped in bustling downtown areas, drove on motorways, and carried on with daily tasks that rely on the steady, ever-present hum of electricity. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a substantial portion of the grid went down, leaving homes, businesses, and public transportation networks without power. SNYI tells you what happened, why it happened, and how we can learn from it...

SYNI, your host, clinks glasses with our listeners in Episode 18 to discuss the role of sustainability in the global wine industry, where beneath the vines a quiet revolution is under way. Wineries everywhere are waking up to a single elegant truth: great wine cannot out-perform a sick planet. Today we pour that story, swirl it, and taste its future, focused on two of our favourite wine- growing countries, Australia and Portugal. Cheers.

We mourn the loss of Pope Francis, the global spiritual leader who championed environmental causes as urgent moral issues. It's fitting to mark this 55th Earth Day with a mix of celebration and sorrow. Pope Francis’s passing casts a poignant shadow over the message of "Our Power, Our Planet." It’s as if the Earth itself is grieving the loss of one of its most ardent and persuasive defenders. Today, we’ll reflect on Pope Francis’s remarkable environmental legacy – a legacy that has inspired millions to care more deeply for our common home.

SYNI, your host, asks you think twice the next time you unwrap a package shipped from overseas or savour fruit that’s been transported across the globe. We’re talking about the recent moves in the global shipping industry to finally come clean and become more sustainable. Shipping is responsible for around three percent of global carbon emissions, which is roughly on par with some major industrialised nations. The International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency charged with overseeing shipping, has done a clean deal, but not everyone is happy. SYNI will help you sail you through the complexities.  

Your host with the most, SYNI, dives into how carbon credits are shaping the fight against climate change in the middle of this decade, with the carbon credit landscape more dynamic than ever – full of innovation, big money moves, policy tweaks, and yes, a few quirky twists that even a sustainability professional, aka geek, might find surprising (or amusing). So, sit back and let's enjoy this clean ride through the global carbon markets together.

SYNI, your host, takes on another big issue in our 14th episode, diving into the current state of banking and financial commitment to a sustainable future. This conversation arises in part because of some disconcerting news making the rounds. Over recent months, large institutional investors and major global banks have been peeling away from the sustainability-focused alliances and organisations they once trumpeted. So, why are they backing out now? Is it all just political drama, or do these departures herald a bigger retreat by finance from the sustainability agenda? Don't worry, SNYI and a nice cuppa of matcha will...

SYNI, your host, discusses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—affectionately known as the SDGs—and how they might shape our path to a net-zero, sustainable future, despite the swirling political currents of 2025. Grab a comfy seat, because SYNI has a lot to unpack, and she's determined to keep it enlightening, a little cheeky, and most of all, relevant to the decisions we must make now. And SYNI also asks to please give us a review on your podcast platform of choice to help us spread the positive vibes and words!!  

SYNI dives into the deep end of sustainable finance, the sustainable bond market. We’re going to unravel it through examples and history that bring this market to life. Once you have a better understanding of how sustainable bonds work, you’ll see how they can help fund solutions to the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be a more confident advocate for sustainability—able to explain to your friends, colleagues, or family how their investments can have a lasting positive impact. Our SI team has many years of experience arranging sustainable finance fo...

SYNI's topic for Episode 11 is a big one: China’s rise to dominant status in sustainable energy. Her goal today is to walk you through how China achieved its ascendant position, how the rest of the world is reacting, and what it all means for the future of the global clean energy transition. China’s dominance in sustainable energy is not an accident. It’s the product of a brilliant and deliberate industrial policy spanning solar, wind, EVs, hydrogen, and a massive network of supporting infrastructure. Let’s dive in.

SYNI dives into two major developments from the European Union, which went BIG with its Omnibus Bill and €100 billion Clean Industrial Deal. The first proposes significant changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, known as the CSRD, streamlining regulations for small- and mid-sized companies. The second is intended to supercharge Europe’s industrial policy in green technology. We’ll examine what each of these initiatives means for sustainability, business, and the evolving landscape of global competition in clean tech.

Your host SYNI explores how France became a global force in nuclear energy, the political and environmental forces behind that development, and how the country’s aspirations are evolving in an era increasingly focused on sustainable energy—particularly the rise of green hydrogen. This story of France’s energy policy is more than just an account of reactors and renewables. It’s also a tale of politics, history, national identity, and the world’s journey toward a new, carbon-neutral reality.

SYNI invites you on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to The Azores, a place that is incredibly significant from a conservation and sustainability perspective. We dive strait into a comprehensive look at the Azores’ distinct character, culture, biodiversity, drawing back the curtain on natural wonders and conservation priorities, highlighted the Blue Azores Programme's Marine Protection Area. We’ll explore how local communities, NGOs, government leaders, and global philanthropic institutions are converging to protect one of the most biologically rich and geologically remarkable regions in the Atlantic. So tune your imagination to the Atlantic breeze, and let’s step onto t...

In this episode, SYNI dives into a landmark event that could shape Africa’s energy future, the African Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam – a gathering of African leaders, policymakers, and partners focused on accelerating the continent’s sustainable energy transition. We explore the significance of this summit in Africa’s energy journey, unpack key announcements and commitments made by African leaders, examine the role of the African Guarantee Fund in mobilising investment, take a closer look at Zambia as a case study of energy shortfalls and potential, and discuss the broader implications for Africa’s economies...

Let’s all give Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a robust "Olé" as SYNI expands upon the significance of the Spanish government’s latest initiatives in sustainable energy industrial policy. We're also recap a divided Davos Economic conference where the European-China corporate divide became more evident, more UK sustainable reform indigestion, Vietnamese wind farms, and linking up our Linked In posts from the week. Find links more information about Spanish policy on Green Hydrogen https://www.enagas.es/en/press-room/news-room/press-releases/third-hydrogen-day-enagas/ And follow the GreenWave Gazette here for link to all the stories mentioned in the pod: https...

SYNI is back with hot takes from the world of sustainable development, focused this week on advancements in Electrolyzers technology and updates from our Linked In posts and GreenWave Gazette. Notably, this pod is nearly-free from content concerning The Donald, aka President Trump. Links to the reports mentioned in the pod: https://www.greenwavegazette.com and https://www.science.org/content/article/will-new-generation-water-splitting-devices-help-green-hydrogen-replace-fossil-fuels 

This week SYNI lightens up the pod by taking our first looks at sustainable development strategies in the global skiing resort industry, focusing on the admirable, yet very different Net Zero efforts at two of America’s finest ski mountains, Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Alta in Utah, both known for their extraordinary ski heritage combined with forward thinking on the environment. We also do our enhanced takes from this week's GreenWave Gazette.

With a heavy heart, Syni addresses the Los Angles wildfires and the obvious implications regarding advancing climate change, which are at risk of being swept under the carpet amid the politicisation of the catastrophe. We also highlight sustainable aviation amid our full roundup from GreenWave Gazette.

Welcome to Episode 2 of The GreenWave Podcast by Synergy International. This week, we’re exploring the politics of sustainable finance already emerging in dawn of 2025—and the question of why it’s urgent to move beyond the familiar left-versus-right divides in Western democracies. We’ll also visit the GreenWave Gazette to share the news highlighted in our Friday edition.

Hello and welcome to the very first edition of the GreenWave podcast by Synergy International. It’s 2025, and we’ve decided to launch this show to reach a wider audience of people curious about global sustainability. I’m your weekly host, SYNI. As anyone who currently reads our GreenWave newsletter knows, we have our own unique and sometimes idiosyncratic views on sustainability.