In this episode of CarbonSessions, we welcome Robert Politzer of Green Street Global for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of real estate, finance, energy, and the climate crisis.

Robert explains why buildings account for roughly 40% of global carbon emissions and why commercial real estate is such a critical part of the climate equation. He also shares his long journey as a green building pioneer, from early LEED projects and solar initiatives in New York City to his current work on profitable decarbonization.

The conversation then turns to a bold new frontier: algae biofarms. Robert makes the case that algae could become a game-changing solution for carbon removal, clean baseload power, shipping fuel, aviation fuel, cattle feed, and economic development. He describes this as the “dawning of the age of algae” and offers a hopeful vision of how this technology could help countries like Brazil, India, and the U.S. reduce emissions while strengthening their economies.

• Why Robert prefers the term climate crisis over climate change
• Why buildings and commercial real estate matter so much in decarbonization
• How Local Law 97 in New York City is reshaping building emissions
• Why profitable decarbonization is essential for business adoption
• How algae biofarms work and why they may outperform conventional carbon capture
• The potential of algae-based oil for power generation, shipping, and aviation fuel
• The value of algae byproducts like cattle feed, fish feed, and biochar fertilizer
• Why Robert believes algae could become one of the most important climate solutions of our time

There is still room for hope. While the climate crisis is real and urgent, transformative solutions are emerging, nd algae may become one of the most powerful tools we have for decarbonization at scale.

Robert Politzer is the founder of Green Street Global and a longtime green building pioneer working at the intersection of sustainability, commercial real estate, and climate solutions.

📩 Contact: robert@greenstreetglobal.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Robert Politzer

🌐 Green Street Global / Myko Global

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang and Brian Tormey.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert, and podcaster from Paris, France.

Brian is a Real Estate Title Insurance Professional and Goat Farmer in the US.

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Lilli Querker, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.

In this episode of CarbonSessions, we welcome Dr. Diane Osgood, sustainability strategist and author of Your Shopping Superpower. Diane has spent decades working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and consumer behavior. Through her work, she explores how everyday purchasing decisions can influence markets and drive meaningful environmental change.

Diane shares how volunteering early in her career sparked her passion for environmental stewardship and eventually led her to focus on how companies and consumers interact within the sustainability ecosystem. She explains why businesses often struggle to balance sustainability goals with profitability and how consumer demand plays a critical role in accelerating change.

Together, we explore how shopping choices, transparency, and trust influence corporate behavior and why small individual actions can scale into powerful collective impact.

1. Diane’s journey into sustainability and environmental advocacy
2. Why consumer choices can influence corporate sustainability strategies
3. The role of certifications and labels in building trust
4. The challenge companies face balancing profit and sustainability
5. Why packaging, plastic waste, and everyday purchasing decisions matter
6. The gap between what consumers say they want and what they actually buy
7. How communities can influence change through collective action

Diane also reminds us that change doesn’t always start with governments or corporations—it often begins with individual choices that reshape markets.

Dr. Diane Osgood is a sustainability expert, strategist, and author focused on helping businesses and consumers create positive environmental impact through informed choices

1. Your Shopping Superpower – available through major bookstores and independent booksellers

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Olabanji Stephen, Jenn Swanson, and Jennifer Myers Chua

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer, and community Connector, helping people help themselves.

Joining us from Toronto, Jennifer Myers Chua helps organizations creating positive change make a bigger impact with better creative, smarter strategy, and thoughtful solutions.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Lilli Querker, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.

In this episode of CarbonSessions, Olabanji, Kristina and Jenn dive deep with speaker, coach, advisor and writer Lorraine Smith.

Lorraine has spent over two decades navigating the world of corporate sustainability. From her early career in ESG reporting with Fortune 500 companies to stepping away from the mainstream narrative, Lorraine now champions a bold new paradigm: industrial healing.

Lorraine shares her personal journey of disillusionment with conventional sustainability frameworks and the moment she realized that mainstream ESG wasn’t just ineffective: it was part of the problem.

She introduces us to her concept of Matereality, a more grounded and holistic way of evaluating corporate impact that moves beyond surface-level metrics and buzzwords.

Together, we explore:

1. The concept of industrial healing vs. mainstream sustainability
2. What’s missing from traditional ESG narratives
3. The dangers of sustainability jargon like “net-zero” and “circular”
4. Her vision of Matereality and why it matters
5. Mindset shifts for business leaders and individuals
6. What she teaches in her Practice Change Program
7. What a life-serving economy could look like by 2036

Lorraine invites us to rethink not just business strategy, but our relationship with the systems we live and work in. Whether you’re a sustainability professional, corporate leader, or curious changemaker, this conversation will leave you with more questions—and inspiration—than you came in with.

Learn more about Lorraine’s work at https://www.blorrainesmith.com/

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Olabanji Stephen, Jenn Swanson, and Kristina Horning

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer, and community Connector, helping people help themselves.

Kristina is currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Lilli Querker, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.