If women don't have the same rights, opportunities and pathways as men, then as a planet we are not harnessing the full potential of the people who live on earth. 50% of the world's population is female, but at the moment, that is where equality ends.

SDG 5 is… GENDER EQUALITY - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Expert guest Helen Oldham is someone who has blazed a trail of business success in often male-dominated sectors and now works to provide opportunity, investment and support to female founders and women looking to progress in the world of work. In her career Helen Oldham has turned around massive media organisations as a Managing Director. Now she is the co-Founder of Lifted Ventures which backs female entrepreneurs and also a founding trustee of the female employment charity Smart Works.

In this episode, Kate and Helen discuss...

The global context. What is the nature of the challenge to improve the current situation where, if existing rates of progress continue, it will take hundreds of years to get equality in leadership roles? Helen thinks the stats speak for themselves... in a start-up context female founders out-perform male ones... so why don't they get the same access to funding? Releasing the potential of women by giving equal access to funding and opportunity can boost business, innovation and the green sector on a global scale.

A national and regional focus. What particular challenges does the UK face? Helen talks about her work with Smart Works and outlines some of the hurdles women in the UK face getting into work. She also recounts stories from her own career where she has faced obstacles and prejudice. Helen and Kate discuss recent government policy changes around angel investment and Helen has direct feedback to regional investment funds about the levels of female representation on funding panels.

Finally Helen and Kate bring the conversation to a practical focus. What can be done to actually deliver SDG 5 at global, national and regional scales? Plus, how can we help? What one thing can we stop doing, and what one thing can we start doing that will make a real positive difference, right now?

To find about more about Lifted Ventures, go to liftedventures.co.uk

To find out more about Smart Works, visit smartworks.org.uk

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk

Education has a vital role to play in meeting every one of the UN's 17 SDGs. To solve an issue, first you must understand it and education gives all humans the foundation on which to build knowledge, and, via curiosity, learn and progress.

But what about education itself? Are people - young and old - around the world getting the opportunities to learn that they deserve? Are they even getting their basic needs met to be in a position to start learning?

SDG 4 is… QUALITY EDUCATION - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Expert guest Nathan Atkinson has a stellar career in education and sustainability is a huge part of his purpose and approach. He's a richly experienced Headteacher who is also co-founder of Rethink Food, which aims to deliver 10 million hours of education in support of improved food security.

In this episode, Kate and Nathan discuss...

The global context. What is the nature of the challenge to improve the current situation where hundreds of millions of young people don't get basic levels of education. Where are the inequalities, what's the direction of travel and how can these macro level problems be addressed? Nathan has experience of working with teachers across the world and is able to bring to life the vast variety of contexts, approaches and solutions that are out there.

A national and regional focus. What particular challenges does the UK face? Are teachers overwhelmed? What about funding levels? How do we address a growing mental health crisis in young people that drastically affects their education and future prospects? Nathan describes the in-school experiences that inspired him to co-found Rethink Food and explains how food is the perfect vehicle to address basic "ready-to-learn" needs plus provides a clear path to explore and ingrain sustainability.

Finally Nathan and Kate bring the conversation to a practical focus. What can be done to actually deliver SDG 4 at global, national and regional scales? Plus, how can we help? What one thing can we stop doing, and what one thing can we start doing that will make a real positive difference, right now?

To find about more about Rethink Food, visit rethinkfood.co.uk

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk

In this 'Pioneers' episode, two experts at the cutting edge of green tech innovation share their insights and expertise.

Dr Alan James has a vision for sustainable national transport systems for the UK and beyond that are powered by renewable energy. As well as updated grid systems capable of storing captured energy from renewables, he introduces us to exciting concepts such as hyperloops which could cut down inter-city travel times to mere minutes.

Also, Dr James - through his personal example at his own house - demonstrates how it is possible to save thousands of pounds of money and achieve hugely significant reductions in CO2 emissions... by installing the latest green tech in the home.

Sri Hollema is a young inventor and green tech entrepreneur whose innovative product - Mat Zero - creates a warm and comfortable sleeping surface for refugees using renewable energy. Sri shares her advice for innovators and makes a case for why business should - and can - be done in a sustainable way.

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail.

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

Help us grow this podcast. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.

The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk