Building a Green Economy and 3 Books to Change the World

How do you turn thoughts of a better future into reality? How can we create high-quality jobs,  make places work better for people, and truly enable an inclusive and green recovery?

Paul Riley, director and network co-ordinator at Transition Liverpool CIC joined me for today's show, episode #320.

He originally got in touch after I asked social entrepreneurs and purpose-driven business leaders to nominate the books which have had the biggest impact for them.

In this episode, Paul covers three books (two of which I've read and know to be both brilliant and urgently applicable):

• Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics (shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey business book of the year; named one of Forbes' best business books)
• Rob Hopkins' From What Is to What If (an imaginative tour de force showing how to change societies for the better)
• and Matthew Bolton's How to Resist, crammed with effective strategies for changemaking. 

Plus we discuss the green economy and yesterday's comments from Chris Stark, the chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, that achieving net zero carbon emissions in the UK is likely easier than previously thought – and can be done to quickly improve the lives of millions.

Also in this episode: a new business grant scheme in Sheffield; the Reset 2020 Festival of Social Enterprise; and the British Library's Start-Up Day.

Timings:

• 0 - 3:10 Introduction
• 3:10 Paul Riley, Transition Liverpool CIC
• 4:15 Discussing Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
• 15:07 Discussing From What Is to What If by Rob Hopkins
• 24:17 Discussing How to Resist by Matthew Bolton
• 30:10 Transition Liverpool CIC, its mission and actions to achieve this including sPark It Liverpool 
• 33:19 What were the barriers to becoming a CIC?
• 36:00 Reaching net-zero, making lives better: are we doing enough and what should we do? How to create great green jobs
• 42:30 Forthcoming events including the British Library's Start-Up Day (with a Business & Intellectual Property Centre Sheffield session with Kisha Bradley)
• 46:46 The Reset Festival in Sheffield City Region and International Social Enterprise Day
• 48:25 new Business Grant scheme in Sheffield City Region
• 49:40 Wrapping up and a Happy Birthday to Sheffield Live on FM radio