Charles Perry: Does South Africa offer a warning against fossil fuel "indoctrination"?

We Start at the End

Today’s outro track is the COVID-era reboot of a classic Peter Gabriel track, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Angelique Kidjo, and many more. The reason will become clear.

In this episode of Wicked Problems, we sat down with Charles Perry, director of Sustainable Future for All, at the Conduit Club in London.

A veteran in the climate and sustainability space, Charles has changed his views from evolution to revolution - a climate revolution akin to the Industrial Revolution. He reflects on his experiences spearheading renewable initiatives at BP, working with Al Gore, and advocating for justice-integrated environmental concerns.

What set him on the path? A realisation once he left apartheid South Africa for university that the things he was taught were not necessarily how the world really was. That moment took him to anti-apartheid activism in South Africa and its democratic transition to climate advocacy and the need for a different paradigm on energy.

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His direction of travel has been clear for a while - in that climate isn’t (just) a tech issue, but one as inextricably tied up with justice as the move was from slavery to fossil fuels.

That kind of talk has gotten Charles into some bother before. Like his 2012 BBC interview with Jon Sopel that we clip in the ep.

The conversation also explores Perry’s views on the moral imperatives of climate action, the obstacles posed by current political and economic systems, and the roles of influential leaders like Nelson Mandela and Al Gore in shaping his philosophy on sustainability.

00:00 The Need for a New Revolution

00:43 Introduction to Charles Perry

01:02 Challenges in Climate Tech and Sustainability

01:15 Charles Perry's Journey and Career

01:52 Reflections on Working with BP and Al Gore

10:58 The Intersection of Justice and Environmental Concerns

18:47 The Unstoppable Sustainability Movement

21:46 The Future of Energy and Sustainability

25:19 Final Thoughts and Inspirations

29:54 Conclusion and Call to Action

All the Outros

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