ESG in Action is a series exploring how values-driven leadership, sustainable thinking, and inclusive culture are shaping the business landscape.
Hosted by Alexandra Holsgrove Jones, Knowledge Partner and TLT’s ESG lead, each episode features a conversation with leaders who are driving ESG progress in their organisations, from charities to household brands. Together, they discuss the actions that are already making a difference, what motivates them, and why this work matters.
Nature recovery in action: What Belmont Estate can teach business
What can businesses learn from rewilding, rewetting and reconnecting people with nature?
In this episode of ESG in Action, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Henry Rossiter, Business Development Director at Belmont Estate (https://belmont.estate/), to explore how land stewardship, regenerative thinking and nature connection can support long-term environmental and social impact. And how businesses can play a practical role in nature recovery, supporting local communities, schools and their own employees.
Alex and Henry discuss:
How rewilding and rewetting can help nature recover – beyond simply "shutting the gates and walking away"
Why biodiversity net gain can create opportunities for developers, landowners, and communities while funding long-term habitat improvement
What Belmont’s increase in recorded species from 342 to around 2,739 shows about the impact of giving nature space to recover
The real-life impact of Belmont’s nature connection programmes, including contributing to one young person’s first full night’s sleep
Why investing in nature can support business resilience and recruitment, as well as colleague wellbeing.
22 Jul 2026
Where capital meets conservation with Rebalance Earth
How can nature become part of the infrastructure businesses rely on – and what does that mean for investors, risk management and long-term resilience?
In this episode of ESG in Action, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Kirsty Wilman, Chief Operating Officer at Rebalance Earth. Rebalance Earth is a natural capital fund manager that views nature as critical infrastructure, creating projects that restore ecosystems while generating financial, environmental and social returns.
Together, Alex and Kirsty explore how natural capital investment can help organisations respond to climate and nature-related risks, and why nature should be seen as a practical resilience solution rather than a ‘nice to have’.
They discuss:
Why nature can be understood as an asset class and what investors can learn from real estate and infrastructure
How nature restoration projects, from oyster reefs to beaver-led landscape engineering, can deliver measurable environmental and social benefits
The challenge of reporting on financial, natural, social and inspirational returns
Why businesses should look again at their risk registers, resilience plans and supply chains through a nature and climate lens
The practical steps individuals and organisations can take to align money, values and long-term resilience
15 Jul 2026
How to work well in high-pressure environments with the Mindful Business Charter
How can organisations create healthier, more productive workplaces without lowering professional standards? What does mindful working look like in practice and what is it really costing your business when you don’t get it right?
In this episode of ESG in Action, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Richard Martin, CEO of the Mindful Business Charter (https://www.mindfulbusinesscharter.com/) to explore a different approach to workplace wellbeing, one that focuses not on just supporting people once they struggle, but on removing the root causes of unnecessary sources of workplace stress in the first place. They cover how small, practical changes in how we work can improve not just wellbeing, but also performance and quality, discussing:
• Why wellbeing is a business issue – and why high performance depends on people being well
• The hidden drivers of unnecessary stress – from email overload to meeting culture and client expectations
• The role of clients, suppliers and professional relationships in creating healthier working cultures
• Why leaders should look more closely at the data behind wellbeing, retention and productivity
• Practical steps to reduce pressure, protect time and work more effectively day-to-day
8 Jul 2026
Turning clauses into climate action with The Chancery Lane Project
How can contracts help businesses manage sustainability risks, meet climate targets and support a just transition?
In this episode of ESG in Action, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Clarissa Lambourne, Principal Legal Engineer at The Chancery Lane Project (https://chancerylaneproject.org/), a UK non-profit using the power of contracts to support climate action.
Together, Alex and Clarissa discuss why climate-aligned contracting is relevant to every lawyer and every organisation, and how contracts can either block or enable sustainability action.
They explore:
Why climate risk is business risk – and how contracts can help manage it
How lawyers can identify sustainability angles in everyday matters
The opportunities and challenges of climate-aligned contracting, from standard form inertia to aligning legal and sustainability teams
How contracts can support a just transition by bringing suppliers, employees and communities along on the journey
The practical resources available through The Chancery Lane Project, including clauses, guides, case studies and digital tools
1 Jul 2026
From nice to necessary: The business case for wellbeing
Why is wellbeing about more than physical and mental health? And how can businesses prioritise their people’s wellbeing alongside commercial goals?
Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Helen Hodgkinson, Chief People Officer at TLT, to discuss why wellbeing is more than a nice to have: it sits at the foundation of a resilient business.
In this episode, they explore:
How effective wellbeing strategies are shaped around real employee needs
Why trust and flexibility form the foundations of high performance
How leaders – and everyone else – can encourage open conversations and model behaviours to build a culture of openness
Why small moments of human connection can have the greatest impact.
24 Jun 2026
Financing change and changing finance with Triodos Bank
Do you know where your money goes – and why it matters?
In this episode of ESG in Action, we’re joined by Sian Williams, Chief Risk Officer at Triodos Bank UK. Triodos is a purpose-led sustainable bank, focused on delivering a positive impact for the environment, economy and society. Triodos demonstrates its commitment to transparency by publishing its entire loan portfolio.
This transparency underpins everything that Triodos does, and in this conversation Sian and Alex discuss:
Why transparency can help build trust and support long-term value
How different banking models approach sustainability – and what they have in common
Projects that Triodos has financed, including Gympanzees, the UK's first fully accessible exercise, play, and social centre for disabled children and young people
How impact can be measured alongside financial performance
17 Jun 2026
Working better with Working Families: Flexibility in the workplace
Why should we ‘parent out loud’ in the workplace? And why is flexibility more than a ‘warm fuzzy hug’?
In this episode, we’re joined by Lottie Driver, Relationship Manager at Working Families (https://workingfamilies.org.uk/), the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers. Working Families works with parents and carers, employers, and policy makers to help individuals understand their rights, employers to build flexible workplaces, and drive policy and legal changes to deliver flexibility as the norm.
Alex and Lottie discuss:
The business case for flexible working in building diverse, resilient organisations
The importance of consistent policies and supportive workplace cultures of transparency
How ‘parenting out loud’ - being open about caring responsibilities – can contribute to meaningful cultural change at work
Editor’s note: This episode was recorded before the announcement that Working Families will be closing at the end of June 2026. We are grateful to Lottie Driver for contributing to this discussion and recognise the significant impact of Working Families’ work supporting parents, carers and employers.
10 Jun 2026
The future starts at school: Embedding sustainability early with The Green Britain Foundation
What role do education and young people play in shaping a more sustainable future? And what can a sustainable education do for our young people?
In this episode of ESG in Action, we’re joined by Helen Taylor, Trustee at the Green Britain Foundation (https://www.greenbritainfoundation.co.uk/). The Green Britain Foundation supports a range of initiatives, from sustainable education and sport, to land and marine conversation and animal protection.
TLT host Alex Holsgrove Jones and Helen discuss how nature-led solutions, education and empowerment are driving real environmental and social change across the UK including:
Beavers as biodiversity enablers
The Ministry of Eco Education, the Green Britain Foundation’s national platform supporting primary school teachers with sustainability resources
The Young Green Briton Challenge, an eco-entrepreneurial challenge for secondary school students, supporting employability skills and sustainability learning
How sustainable education can empower young people and actually re-engage them with the school system
22 Apr 2026
Inside the Government Legal Department’s social mobility agenda
How does the Government Legal Department represent the communities it serves? And how does its social mobility programmes put students at the heart of government?
In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Richard Cornish, Director General and Chief Operating Officer at the Government Legal Department (GLD). GLD is made up of around 3000 lawyers and provides legal advice to the UK government on the development, design, and implementation of government policies and decisions.
Alex and Richard discuss the structural barriers that stop many young people from considering careers in the legal sector. They discuss how GLD’s initiatives – ranging from school engagement and university partnerships to paid sandwich placements and internships with the Sutton Trust – help to break down these barriers by offering students meaningful insight into legal work in the public sector.
15 Apr 2026
Climate resilience in real terms: Breaking sustainability silos with Santander
What should you be doing to ensure your business is fit for the future? And what’s being overcomplicated in the journey to sustainability?
In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Wendy Whewell, Head of Sustainable Solutions and Finance in Corporate and Commercial Banking at Santander.
Santander UK is a leading financial services provider, offering a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services, with around 15 million customers across their Retail and Corporate businesses. Their purpose is to help people and businesses prosper, and this episode explores what that looks like in practice.
Alex and Wendy discuss:
Translating climate and nature risk into language that boards recognise – bringing real risks into the real world
How business resilience is assessed, and how organisations can find a way to start on that journey
Moving away from siloing sustainability, climate change, and commercial outcomes
How to encourage collaboration across organisations and supply chains to drive sustainable change.
8 Apr 2026
Hospitality and sustainability working together for future successes
How does sustainability lead to more engaged teams? And how do you navigate that among the pressures of everyday decision-making?
Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Charlie Fisher (Sustainability Engagement and Governance Lead) and Sarah Waddington (Estates Lead) from Greene King, which welcomes customers into 2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels nationwide.
In this episode, they discuss Greene King's environmental, social and governance programme, Greene King for Good, as well as:
The industry changes they’ve already witnessed during their sustainability careers, and the ones they’re preparing for
Why ESG successes are commercial successes
How they’re engaging suppliers and Greene King’s landlord and tenant community to help integrate sustainability into everyday decision-making
The benefits that their pub tenants have already seen after embracing ESG
1 Apr 2026
Beyond returns: Inside the world of responsible investment
What’s the future of responsible investment in a landscape of ESG pushback and greenhushing? How can your ‘ABCs’ help make responsible investment decisions?
Alex Holsgrove Jones is in conversation with Jaid Longmore, Responsible Investment Manager at Hymans Robertson (https://www.hymans.co.uk/), to discuss integrating ESG into financial decision-making, effective stewardship, and B Corp status.
Hymans Robertson is an independent consultancy working across pensions, investments and insurance: helping clients to navigate complex financial decisions and build better futures.
25 Mar 2026
Trailblazing with Ablaze: Helping young people succeed
How can you change a young person’s attitude to education? And how can we create opportunities for young people in our communities?
In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Gilly Samuddin, CEO of Ablaze (https://ablazebristol.org/). Ablaze is an independent charity that mobilises business volunteers to provide the support, insight and guidance required to help young people thrive.
Alex and Gilly discuss:
How businesses can support young people in their local communities – while still pursuing their own commercial outcomes.
How Ablaze measures the tangible impact of their programmes.
The benefits of volunteering – for the volunteers as well as the young people they support
Why Gilly transitioned from her twelve-year teaching career into Ablaze – and what’s next for her and Ablaze.
18 Mar 2026
Power from the panels: Profit with purpose with Eden Sustainable
Why is perceived complexity the biggest hurdle to the green energy transition? And how do you drive transparency in the solar panel supply chain?
Alex Holsgrove Jones is in conversation with Justin Leger, Co- Managing Director of Eden Sustainable. Eden Sustainable is one of the UK’s leading developers of commercial and industrial solar energy solutions and a certified B Corp. They believe in profit with purpose: achieving commercial success, while delivering positive environmental and societal impact.
In this episode, they discuss:
Building confidence in the benefits of renewable energy
The need for collective effort in scrutinising supply chains to drive change
Educating the next generation of talent for the sector
The challenge of growing responsibly without losing sight of values
11 Mar 2026
Top-down and bottom-up momentum: The next chapter of social mobility with SMBP
How do you build confidence in the next generation? And how can businesses increase social mobility in their local communities?
In this episode, Alex Holsgrove Jones is joined by Jess Clarkson, Managing Director at Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP). SMBP is a volunteer-led charity that brings together more than 180 employers nationwide to deliver Work Insight and Skills Experience, or ‘WISE’ weeks, alongside mentoring that helps young people from low-income backgrounds access meaningful career pathways.
Alex and Jess discuss the immense impact that SMBP has had on thousands of students’ employability skills, and how organisations can help to build employability skills in the next generation – and a more inclusive talent pipeline – together.
4 Mar 2026
Balancing the basket: How retail can deliver on sustainability
Why does the traditional retail model need to change? And why does the language of sustainability matter?
Alex Holsgrove Jones chats to Sophie De Salis, Sustainability Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, about the sustainability landscape of the retail industry. They talk about the power of collective action in driving change, the ESG-related changes the retail sector is preparing for, and Sophie’s own ‘glass half full’ approach.
This episode was recorded while Sophie was Sustainability Advisor at the British Retail Consortium.
25 Feb 2026
Banking on biodiversity with Nationwide Building Society
How has Nationwide Building Society embedded sustainability across its operations – and what has an otter in the Nationwide House lake got to do with it?
Alex Holsgrove Jones chats to Amy Thomson and Andrew Martin from Nationwide Building Society about:
Why sustainability matters to Nationwide – and how Nationwide is navigating sustainability changes and challenges
The Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark accreditation, and what happened in the three years it took for Nationwide to achieve it for Nationwide House
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Contact ESG in Action
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of ESG in Action?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
