Mission Shunya
Episodes
116: How Nuclear Can Power the AI Revolution Sustainably
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence is fueling a surge in global electricity demand — with data centers emerging as one of the fastest-growing energy consumers....
115: Plasma confinement & the future of fusion ft. Katarina Bendtz, Novatron Fusion
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nuclear fusion is often described as the holy grail of clean energy — but why has it remained so elusive, and what makes plasma confinement such a c...
114: Engineering Nuclear Safety: Risk, Reliability, and the Role of PRA
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build trust in nuclear energy? Behind every advanced reactor design, every regulatory approval, and every safety system lies a co...
113: Renaissance of Fusion: Francesco Volpe on Reinventing Nuclear Energy
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Mission Shunya podcast, we enter the world of nuclear fusion startups — where physics meets entrepreneurial grit. Joining me...
112: Inside the World Nuclear Association: Global Perspectives on Nuclear’s Role in the Energy Transition ft. Dr Sama Bilbao y León
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Mission Shunya podcast’s nuclear energy series, we step into the global arena with Dr. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General ...
111: The Case for Nuclear: Myths, Facts, and Its Role in a Zero-Carbon Future ft. Richard Ollington, Radiant Energy Group
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nuclear energy has long stood at the intersection of promise and controversy. From concerns over safety and public perception to its evolving place in...
110: Nuclear Energy 101: Science, Safety & Its Role in a Net-Zero Future ft. Dr. Paul Cosgrove, Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is nuclear energy? How do nuclear power plants work? And are the concerns about safety still valid today? In this foundational episode...
109: Why Nuclear? Why Now? Setting the Stage for a New Energy Conversation
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this solo kickoff to a brand new series, host Girish Shivakumar takes listeners on a personal journey — from joining the renewable energy movemen...
108: ESG & Finance in a Changing Political Climate ft. Gabriel Thoumi,CFA
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode of Mission Shunya, host Girish Shivakumar welcomes Gabriel Thoumi, CEO of Responsible Alpha, to discuss the growing importa...
107: Net-Zero transition & challenges in building retro-fit ft.The Crown Estate
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do if you're one of the largest asset owners in your region, yet still have a commitment to a net-zero transition? While building retrofit...
106: Zero-carbon bio-cement and bio-concrete ft. Prometheus Materials
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Building materials are key components in assessing the net carbon impact of construction sector and in recent times there are a bunch of early stage c...
105: Decarbonisation in Construction: What are the key drivers and enablers?
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Did you know that the construction industry/the built environment is responsible for nearly 30-40% of global carbon emissions? Yes, that is exactly t...
104: Breaking Ground: ESG and the Path to Net-Zero Construction
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Did you know that the construction industry/the built environment is responsible for nearly 30-40% of global carbon emissions? Yes, that is exactly t...
103: The other side of ESG: A tough road ahead. ft. Gabriel Thoumi, Responsible Alpha (Part 3 of 3)
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) related discussions is happening across the board but not everyone is keen. So what is holding us back in ...
102: How are businesses navigating the ESG landscape? ft. Tomoo Machiba, Zeroboard (Part 2 of 3)
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this second of a three part series around ESG we look at “How are businesses navigating the ESG landscape?”. Tomoo Machib from Zeroboard join...
101: What is ESG all about? Part 1 of 3
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ESG is everywhere, but what is it all about? What is the big deal? Why are companies worried about ESG implementation? How does this play into the wid...
100: Hit Rewind: Interviewed by TerreGeneration
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mission Shunya hits ‘100’ and it’s time to hit rewind and look back at the journey so far, the highs, the lows and everything in between. On thi...
99: Converting a bike into an e-bike with an add-on ft. Som Ray, Clip
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you looking to upgrade your bike to an e-bike? Well, you don’t have to buy a new one; all you need is a ‘Clip’. On this week’s episode Som...
98: Tapping community solar for commercial & industrial sector ft. Gabriel Phillips, Catalyst Power
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is community solar? How can commercial & industrial (C&I) sector players leverage this asset to cut down on energy bills? All this and mo...
97: Converting waste into a plastic substitute ft. Rachel Barr, UBQ Materials
19 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Waste is ubiquitous, can solutions be ubiquitous too? Well, it can be, if the solution conceptualized by UBQ Materials is scaled up according to Rache...
96: Carbon farming: Farming-based carbon credits ft. Robin Saluoks, eAgronom
05 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Soil is a crucial piece in the carbon sequestration cycle, but are we doing enough to preserve it? Are we incentivizing farmers to practice sustainabl...
95: Sustainability and major sport events ft. Jitesh Brahmkshatriya
15 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Qatar spent nearly 15 times more than Russia in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, was it worth it? Are big sporting events really sustainable in the lo...
94: Building a business empire in micro-mobility from kick scooters to Microlino ft. Wim Ouboter
18 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
First & last mile commute account for nearly 25% of transport emissions and sustainable micro-mobility is the way forward. Wim Ouboter, the ‘S...
93: Winter is coming: Is Europe ready for it? ft. Matthew Myers
04 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The unexpected events in Europe have resulted in an energy crisis of sorts but the biggest fear is the winter that is around the corner. Matthew Myers...
92: Building and scaling a business in recycling ft. A.L.N. Rao, Exigo Recycling
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone talks about recycling and reusing resources but what does it take to setup & scale a business in this sector? A.L.N. Rao, CEO of Exigo Re...
91: Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): Nudging individuals towards climate action
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you get started with small action steps for a sustainable living? Girish Shivakumar & Premasri Girish discuss the Mission LiFE (Lifestyl...
90: Play a virtual game to plant real trees ft. Michael Libenson, Carbon Counts
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wouldn’t it be fun if your daily dose of game time resulted in planting more trees? Well, that’s exactly what Michael Libenson has set out to do w...
89: Why should we care about reducing our carbon footprint? ft. Frank Dalene
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why should we care about reducing our carbon footprint? Can we have a universal carbon label? All this and a lot more discussed on this episode wher...
88: Creating a unique value proposition ft. startup stories
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every business needs a value differentiator, so how do entrepreneurs’ discover their USP/UVP? Girish Shivakumar and Premasri Girish pick up a few e...
87: Reducing the carbon footprint of food ft. Kapil, Edible Routes
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that growing your own food is good for the planet? Have you tried farming? If not, you can always rent a small farm to grow your food. ...
86: Closed loop recycling of water ft. Aditi A, Organic Solutions
21 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to water after you flush it down the drain? You might not care. But, water is a stressed asset and it is high time we start to close the ...
85: Critical metals, commodity prices & a lot more ft. Taso Arima, IperionX
07 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are the high commodity prices going to be the new normal? What is the role of critical metals in the net zero transition and also a lot more about Tit...
84: How do I choose the right EV? Here's my 1000 mile update
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Electric Vehicles (EV) are the talk of the town (globally)! So, how do you decide if EV is right for you? Which category of EV should you choose? What...
83: The Start:Eco-Entrepreneurs tell us how their journeys began
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you had a light-bulb moment for an idea? What drives you to do the work you do? How did you get started with your passion proje...
82: Can we break free from plastic? ft. Von Hernandez
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we produce about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. Our Planet is choking with plastics. How can we break free from plastics? What...
81: Building the cities of the future ft. Pedro B. Ortiz
29 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
68% of the global population will be living in urban areas by 2050 according to the UN but, are our cities prepared for it? How can building cities mo...
80: Envisioning a waste-free world ft. Anne Johnson, RRS
15 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recovering valuable resources from waste is only the last leg of the journey. But what goes into setting up the process for private & public secto...
79: What goes into the preparation of an IPCC report? ft. Aditi Mukherjee
01 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The IPCC publishes comprehensive reports about climate change, the impacts and potential solutions. But what goes behind in the preparation of the rep...
78: Building the circular economy of plastic ft. Pratibha Dewett, Lucro
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you ensure better plastic recovery? Can businesses benefit from recycled plastic? How do you build the circular economy of plastic? Pratibh...
77: CO2 Battery:Manipulating CO2 to fight climate change ft. Claudio Spadacini,Energy Dome
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the drawbacks of Lithium batteries? Can CO2 be used as a source for a battery? Are alternatives to lithium batteries price competitive? Cl...
76: Chemical recycling: Closing the loop ft. Maurizio Crippa, Gr3n
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is chemical recycling? Is it sustainable? Can circular economy in chemical recycling be achieved at a local scale? Maurizio Crippa PhD, CEO at G...
75: Powering Livelihoods:The impact of energy access ft. Abhishek Jain,CEEW
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is connection to grid the real measure of energy access? What is the impact of energy access on livelihoods? How has energy access coupled with renewa...
74: A community-led Eco-publication from the Western Ghats ft. Rajni George, The Kodai Chronicle
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate Action through active community engagement - A community in the Western Ghats of India have come together to create environmental awareness in...
73: Creating a sustainable,natural ecosystem ft. Varun Ravindra,Vanantara
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Forests are a big carbon sink, so why don’t we have more of them? How can communities create forests? How can we create a sustainable, natural ecosy...
72: Emerging risks from Climate Change ft. Praveen Gupta
09 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A discussion on Climate Change is not complete without talking about the risks. On this episode Praveen Gupta joins Girish Shivakumar to talk on this ...
71: How to avoid a climate disaster by Bill Gates - A Review
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the last episode of 2021 and a perfect time to do a review. The review is of a different kind where Girish Shivakumar reviews Bill Gates’s bo...
70: A career in climate-tech – A getting started guide
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to work in Climate-tech? How do you position yourself for a rewarding role in the space? Why is now the right time to start in clima...
69: Did COP26 deliver?
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COP26 concluded in Glasgow recently, did it deliver? Well, we have the Glasgow climate pact, the Paris rule book and the mention of coal in the agree...
68: Chef crafted plant-based meat alternatives ft. Todd Boyman,Hungry Planet
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Globally one-fourth of the greenhouse gas emissions come from food production. It includes everything like farming, dairy and meat industries. In fact...
67: What to expect at COP 26?
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The 26th Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Glasgow from Oct 31st to...
66: Launching sustainable mobility solutions in cities ft. Venkatesh Gopal, Movmi
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can cities enable shared electric mobility services? Are 15 minute cities a reality? Why behaviour shift is essential to make shared transit sys...
65: Leadership in cleantech: What does it take to build a successful business? ft. David Hunt
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a successful cleantech business? Are the new age leaders in cleantech different from the conventional business leaders? W...
64: Sustainability champions ft. Vikas Brahmavar of Trans Water System
12 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that water that is treated well can be reused? Water treatment as a service is now available where you pay for every litre of water re...
63: All about Mobility as a Service (MaaS) ft. Sampo Hietanen, MaaS Global
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is Mobility as a Service (MaaS) all about? How can MaaS help cities reduce car ownership? What are the emerging global trends around MaaS? ...
62: Energy transitions, electricity deregulation and empowering consumers in the US ft. Jesson Bradshaw, Energy Ogre
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How has deregulation of electricity markets given more power to the consumers? How can technology help developing countries leapfrog in the energ...
61: Refreezing the arctic and other climate actions backed by scientific research ft. Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge
01 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is refreezing the arctic a viable climate action? What are the pathways for deep and rapid emissions reductions? What are the nature based solutions f...
60: Enabling Climate Action ft.Tristan Foerster, ClimatePartner
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did Greta Thunberg inspire climate action around the world? How did a company that started off as a provider of carbon footprint assessments grow ...
59: Buildings as carbon sinks ft. Petri Laakso, Soletair Power
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can buildings be turned into carbon sinks? What are the best use cases of carbon capture? All this and more covered on this episode featuring Soletair...
58: Sustainable Plastics – ft. Gabriel Thoumi, Planet Tracker
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How are companies manufacturing plastics undergoing a sustainability transformation? What do we know about the plastics industry and what should ...
57: Enabling the transition to electric mobility – What’s holding us back? ft. Awadhesh Kumar Jha
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s holding us back from adopting electric mobility in a big way? When can India see an increased uptake of EVs? How did the Nordic region get th...
56: IEA’s report on how to transition to a net zero energy system by 2050
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
International Energy Agency released a landmark report, ‘Net Zero by 2050: a Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector’ this past week. The net zero ro...
55: Best Practices Guide: How to get started with Rainwater Harvesting
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is Rainwater Harvesting? Why is it essential for megacities and how can you get one done? All your questions answered on this episode. Benga...
54: Net-Zero Transition: The what why and how to get there
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone is talking about Net-Zero transitions, why is it important, why should you be involved and how can you be involved? All questions answered on...
53: Trapping emissions ft. Aker Carbon Capture
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)? How does it work? Is direct air capture an efficient solution? All your questions on CCUS answ...
52: Delivering sustainability in the materials value chain ft. Umicore
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will we run out of Lithium for EV batteries? Is Cobalt ethically sourced? How much of metals can we extract through recycling? All your questions on t...
51: How sustainable is urban farming? ft. Shalini Patwal
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is urban farming really sustainable? Is it the same throughout the world? Why should look at it holistically? Shalini Patwal, an infrastructure d...
50: Building a career in cleantech ft. Rajesh Bhat
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you want to know what it takes to build a career in cleantech? What should you consider if you are planning to turn an entrepreneur? On this spe...
49: An upcycling story ft. Help Us Green
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Help Us Green has pioneered the art of converting flower waste into a useful product recreating the fragrance as it upcycles the waste or called flowe...
48: UK’s 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution ft. Dr David Reiner
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
UK set the ball rolling for countries to commit to a transition towards a zero carbon economy. Recently UK announced the 10 point plan for a green ind...
47: How does climate change impact renewable energy generation?
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does climate change impact renewable energy generation? New evidence on how marine temperature rise and the unseasonal cyclonic events caused the ...
46: Converting waste to bio CNG and fertilizer ft. Carbon Masters
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Houston , co-founder of Carbon Masters joins Girish Shivakumar on this episode to share his entrepreneurial journey. The product, Carbonlites is...
45: Enabling businesses and individuals go carbon neutral ft. Carbonfund.org
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How can you reach your net zero goals if you can’t directly invest in a project? Carbonfund.org enables businesses and individuals go carbon neutral...
44: Building and scaling up an energy analytics platform to support grid integration of Renewable Energy ft. REConnect Energy
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vishal Pandya, co-founder of REConnect Energy, an entrepreneur who has built India’s leading energy analytics platform joins Girish Shivakumar to sh...
43: Delivering sustainability projects in the developing world ft. Ecoforge
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode Girish Shivakumar is joined by Sagar Gubbi, Managing Partner at Ecoforge Advisors, who shares the story of Ecoforge and how they are w...
42: Solubag – Water soluble bags as an alternative to common plastic
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“We want to eliminate single-use plastic bags” reads a statement on the website of Solubag, a company based out of Chile. Roberto Astete, Co...
41: FSC and Sustainable Forestry
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications all about? Is a planned, managed forest area really sustainable? Can the status quo be ch...
40: Decarbonisation Futures – Australia’s road to net zero emissions
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing the global transition to net zero emissions is one of the themes of Mission Shunya (Shunya =Zero). Recently, ClimateWorks Australia, publis...
39: Carbon Initiative Forum – Climate Change Awareness at Grassroots Level
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carbon Initiative Forum (CIF) aims to create climate change awareness at grassroots level. Why is it important? How do they go about doing it? How can...
38: Conversation on Zero Toxicity, Corporate Climate Actions, EU Green Deal & more
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the last few years we have come across commitments from a range of global corporations committing to going 100% RE, reducing their emissions to net...
37: Creating environmental awareness among children using behavioural economics & play based learning
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How can behavioural economics and nudge be used to create awareness on environmental issues among children? Amishi Parasrampuria from Upcycler’s ...
36: The Energy Talk - Energy & Sustainability in India
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Olubunmi Olajide, the host of The Energy Talk podcast joins Girish Shivakumar to share his interest and work around telling stories from the global en...
35: SDG 6: Access to clean water ft. WaterScope
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
1 in 10 people in the world don’t have access to clean water. The UN declared access to clean water and sanitation as a Sustainable Development Goal...
34: Renewable Energy as a Service for Industries
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renewable Energy (RE) procurement has moved on from being a corporate goal driven procurement for industries to cost-economics driven decision. How ar...
33: Regenerative Thinking - Going beyond Sustainability
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The most common definition of Sustainability is to have low / zero impact which is simply not enough for civilization to course correct. Regenerative,...
32: Absolute Zero: How will UK achieve net-zero emissions?
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When UK announced its intent to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it became the first major country to make the net zero commitment. On this episode...
31: Improved air quality in India during COVID-19 lockdown and how to sustain the clean air movement
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
So, during the COVID-19 lockdown, did you breathe some fresh air? If you live close to a river, maybe you saw a cleaner version of it. Or you may have...
30: Sustaining the cleantech momentum in the post-COVID-19 era
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The growth story of the global cleantech movement over the last few years has been phenomenal. But, COVID-19 has definitely thrown in a lot of uncerta...
29: Impact of COVID-19 on Small Scale Solar Rooftop Market
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent months COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on the global economy. This is the first episode of the series where the discussions will be ar...
28: Water Conservation: How technology enables us to get better at it?
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The theme of this episode is water conservation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is one of the focus areas as we transition to a zero carbon ...
27: Creating an urban forest – the story of ‘Say Trees’
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What made a software engineer get so passionate about planting trees on weekends? How did he then scale it up to create urban forests and more such pr...
26: Litter-free Lalbagh - featuring Saahas
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lalbagh is a botanical garden in the Indian city of Bengaluru. The two flower shows during the year see a footfall of around 600k each. In the last ye...
25: Energy storage thought leadership featuring Dr Rahul Walawalkar
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Rahul Walawalkar is an industry veteran and has been at the forefront of the energy technology transition and has a particular affinity towards ene...
24: Inspirational heroes, motivational stories and how it helps us to move forward: A special tribute
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 24 is a tribute to the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant and all the people like him, heroes who inspire us every day. On this episode Girish...
23: Sustainable Clothing: Turning plastic into wearable fabric
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know manufacturing a cotton t-shirt consumes around 2700L of water in the process? On this episode, Kathir, co-founder of ecohike, a sustain...
22: Waste Management - A success story from Bengaluru
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode Padmashree Balaram joins Girish Shivakumar to share the success story of building a waste to energy plant right in the heart of...
21: 2010s in review and the predictions for the decade ahead
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first episode of the new year and the new decade is here! Girish Shivakumar reviews the decade gone by and predicts the stories and trends that wi...
20: Amazon Rainforest Wildfires: How does it affect us?
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode Tony Juniper, a campaigner, writer, sustainability advisor and leading British environmentalist joins Girish Shivakumar to talk about ...
19: The Evolution of Pay-As-You-Go Solar
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pay-As-You-Go Solar has revolutionised the way people get access to electricity in Africa. The emergence of new technology coupled with declining syst...
18: What it takes to live an eco-friendly lifestyle?
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Neel Mathews shares his passionate story of building a house that is water and energy positive and also how he helps others achieve the same on this e...
17: Clean air as a service to control indoor air pollution
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Indian capital of Delhi and most of the regions in North India continue to choke post the monsoon season and it has peaked after Diwali. The pollu...