Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute
Welcome to the Green Gown Award winning Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton!
This podcast explores the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge.
Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this is the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast.
In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp and guest hosts are joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders.
The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. We also ensure our fantastic students have the opportunity to share their brilliant work with the world.
Podcast host: Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, University of Southampton
Podcast editors: Jack Dinham, Ellie Howell, Mya Harvey, Lily Killner, Sophie Green, Libby Kale, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton
Podcast communications: Tyler Domone-Hollands, Hannah Parish, Alexander Ayerst, Maya Stevens, University of Southampton
Please do get in touch to discuss this podcast and any of the issues we raise by emailing sri@soton.ac.uk
Follow us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast
Episodes
137 episodes
Impact Agenda - The Reality behind SDG 12
In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast we discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12, which concerns responsible consumption and production. We begin with an overview of what SDG 12 is and the critic...
The Hunger Games: SDGs VS Ozempic
In this student takeover episode of the Meliora podcast, we explore the sustainability issues surrounding the rising trend in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, to assess the extent to which they align with the United Nations Sustaina...
COP: Cop it or Drop it?
This student takeover episode of the Meliora podcast explores the effectiveness of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and attempts to answer the following question: “COP: Cop It or Drop It.” ?This is achieved through an investi...
Plant-Based Diets for a Sustainable Future
In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season, Jess and Eden discuss whether plant-based diets are the key to a sustainable future and, if so, whether this change starts with the individual. From climate change to biodiversity ...
Unearthing secrets of the global sand industry
In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton, we investigate a highly important yet easily overlooked resource - sand. What happens when something we...
How can we overcome barriers to being a vegan society?
In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton, we are discussing the sustainability impacts of veganism and the barriers that prevent individual...
Addressing Knowledge-Behaviour Gaps in Student Consumer Sustainability Awareness
In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season we address student consumer awareness gaps across the sustainability topics of food, sport, music and travel. Analysing the results sent to 34 fellow University of Southampton stude...
Not So Sweet: The Hidden Cost of Chocolate
In this episode of the Meliora podcast Student Takeover Season we discuss the complex sustainability challenges hidden within the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry. From widespread deforestation and climate impacts to the stark pay inequa...
Jamie Agombar - the inspirational visionary leader who has transformed sustainability across the HE sector
We are absolutely thrilled to be joined by the most impactful Sustainability Leader in the Higher Education sector, the hugely inspirational Jamie Agombar, CEO of Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS) UK!Jamie chats about his care...
🧟♀️🧟♂️ The Zombie Apocalypse and the Sustainable Development Goals - part 2 🧟♂️🧟♀️
Welcome to Part 2 of our double episode asking ‘if there’s a Zombie Apocalypse, how on Earth will we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?’. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, we suggest you listen to that first. T...
🧟♂️ The Zombie Apocalypse and the Sustainable Development Goals - part 1 🧟♀️
We know you often ask ‘if there’s a Zombie Apocalypse, how on Earth will we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?’. So, we have recorded a special double 🧟♂️ episode addressing this very question! The brilliant Jack D...
Charlotte Bonner, Chief Executive of the EAUC
We're thrilled to welcome the wonderful Charlotte Bonner, Chief Executive of the EAUC and one of the true leaders of the Sustainability Education sector onto the Meliora Podcast! ...
Careers in Sustainability: Bronwyn Lee on early career opportunities in the global environmental response industry
We are delighted to welcome the excellent Bronwyn Lee, Consultant at Oil Spill Response Ltd onto the podcast to learn about she has managed to build a sustainability career as a recent Masters graduate.Bronwyn discusses her early love fo...
Careers in Sustainability: Michelle Papayannakos on seizing opportunities for leadership and impact
Michelle Papayannakos is a widely recognized and highly respected leader in the sustainability world, and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for. With a career that spans the media (BBC, Paramount), rail industry, safety, and M...
Riba Rocks - celebrating art, culture and sustainability in Catalunya and beyond
We are delighted to welcome Sarah Misselbrook, Director of the award-winning not-for-profit Riba Rocks association in Catalunya, Spain to this episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University o...
Sport & Sustainability with Emily Cole - part 2
Welcome to the second part of 'Sport and Sustainability' with Emily Cole, where we continue our chat exploring the complexity, joy, challenges and wellbeing benefits in this fascinating area of sustainability on this episode of the Green Gown A...
Sport & Sustainability with Emily Cole - part 1
We are joined again by Sustainability Teaching Fellow, PhD student and regular Meliora guest Emily Cole to discuss the complexity, joy and challenges in sport and sustainability on this episode of the Green Gown Award winning Meliora podcast fr...
Social Impact Lab: The journey of Kick4Life F.C. and co-founder Steve Fleming MBE
The Social Impact Lab, hosted by the Meliora podcast, is delighted to be joined by Steve Fleming MBE to discuss the inspirational work of Kick4Life F.C., a football club dedicated to social change. Kick4Life is a multi-award-winning chari...
Introducing the Social Impact Lab and Director David Light
The Meliora podcast is delighted to share that we have partnered with the Social Impact Lab (SIL) at the University of Southampton to release episodes all about their wonderfully transformative work. In this introductory episode we chat w...
Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) and the work of Rebecca Kinge & Izzy Sargent
We are delighted to be joined by the brilliant Rebecca Kinge and Izzy Sargent of the Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) to discuss the crucial work they and community collective colleagues are conducting across the city of Southampton. ...
DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 3
In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters ...
DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 2
In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters ...
DRAGON-Mekong Institute and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Research Exchange Programme - episode 1
In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters ...
Team Meliora at the Green Gown Awards 2025, Reflections & Ramblings
This is just a bit of fun. Not a serious sustainability research, education or careers episode, this is an informal recording of some of the Meliora team chatting before, during and after the 2025 Green Gown Awards. We reflect on t...
Prof Denise Baden: sustainability academic, fiction author, leader and innovator
We are delighted to welcome the inspirational and all round wonderful sustainability expert Professor Denise Baden to what is now the 'Green Gown Award Winning' Meliora podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University ...