The Humans of Oxford Net Zero was led by Charmian Love, a Social Entrepreneur in Residence at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
“I studied in Oxford and grew up in India. And I would keep going back and forth between these two places that were so different - at different stages of development - and frankly, it just made no sense in my head - the dissonance between these two worlds was so large.”
Oxford Net Zero is an interdisciplinary research initiative based at the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE). It is embedded
within the ecosystem of research on climate neutrality. Their research fellows, recruited from partner institutions from around the world, are working to accelerate the transition to a net zero future.
In this series of conversations, you’ll hear about the work these experts are focused on and how their research can be applied to business. You’ll also get to hear their personal stories and achievements you wouldn’t otherwise read in their bio, where
they get their inspiration and even what kind of music is on their playlist! Tune in to this series if you’re looking to be inspired, excited and hopeful about the important research underway at Oxford in creating a net zero pathway for the world.
Learn more about the people behind Oxford Net Zero at netzeroclimate.org.
Interviewee: Radhika Khosla, Director of the India Centre for Sustainable Development
Interviewer: Charmian Love, Social Entrepreneur in Residence at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ppSoRH0UHp0
Key takeaways from the conversation
Where does Radhika go as a source of energy and inspiration?
Radhika finds inspiration out in nature, places like Port Meadow. She reflects on how being out in the open helps with whatever you're experiencing – the good, bad, ugly, stressful - because the outdoors and nature is always bigger than what you're experiencing.
Radhika also enjoys listening to Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. She shares ‘it's just so beautiful – it is not rock and roll, but it's timeless!’
What big questions is Radhika exploring?
The overarching question guiding Radhika’s work is how to manage the tension between providing energy for development and quality of life while protecting the environment.
Radhika is specifically looking at cooling - a global challenge as temperatures rise - and the different types of options and alternatives for better cooling technologies. She sees the real challenge is how to deploy and embed these within society. One
of the places Radhika is watching quite closely is the innovation in big cooling technologies and the work of big cooling companies.
How would Radhika like to see businesses engage in climate?
Radhika is interested in the companies that are integrated with our everyday lifestyles - the companies connected to things that we do and use every single day that are powered by energy and thus depend on fossil fuel use. She is interested in the ways
in which they translate into household decisions.
What advice does Radhika have for students?
Radhika thinks that the younger generation is doing a great job already - a much better job than the generation before them. They're committed and thinking about their everyday habits in terms of what they eat, how they move around. So, her advice is
to continue doing what you’re doing and continue putting pressure upstream.
Interested in learning more about Climate Net Zero? Check out the available resources from Oxford Net Zero.
