Vibhati “Vibs” Bhatia is a social sustainability leader, founder and community builder working at the intersection of climate, culture and equity.

She is the founder of South Asians for Sustainability (SAFS) – a fast-growing platform amplifying South Asian voices in climate and social impact, while making sustainability more culturally relevant and accessible.

Alongside her work, she is also a fusion musician – singing in Hindi, Punjabi and English, and collaborating with artists including The Orchestral Qawwali Project.

Mishal Noor and I had the pleasure of speaking with Vibs - exploring her journey and why climate action must include the voices most affected.

“We’re all connected… the world is one family.”

Vibhati Bhatia Instagram and LinkedIn

South Asians for Sustainability Instagram and LinkedIn

Orchestral Qawwali Project Instagram and website

That led to forming Olio • Share More, Waste Less in 2014, so it's a pleasure to bring this story through the latest episode of Moved.

Meet Tessa Clarke – solving food waste at scale, 140M+ meals shared safely, 15M+ household items rehomed.

We know food waste is wrong, yet a third of food produced globally never gets eaten, and millions are hungry.

🌍 9M+ people have joined the Olio community

🍽️ 140M+ meals redistributed

🏠 15M+ household items rehomed

♻️ 300,000+ tonnes of CO₂e prevented

💧 40B+ litres of water saved

🤝 1M+ volunteer collections every year

Moved by Olio, with Tessa Clarke.

Download the Olio app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Read more at https://olioapp.com/en/

From designing tsunami escape routes in Japan to developing life-saving maritime safety solutions, Maddie shares how design goes beyond aesthetics – it becomes a tool for saving lives, rebuilding communities and solving “wicked problems.”

This conversation explores:

1. How design thinking can transform organisations
2. Why empathy and culture are critical in innovation
3. The hidden failures of disaster relief systems
4. How small interventions can create massive global impact

It’s a powerful reflection on responsibility, creativity and what it really means to design for people.

Further Information

1. Madeleine McLaughlin – LinkedIn Madelaine McLaughlin | LinkedIn
2. Estu ESTU | ESTU Courses | Learning Made Simple
3. Helm Helm Innovation Ltd
4. Royal College of Art Royal College of Art | Home
5. Creative Types Creative Types by Adobe

We turn on the tap.

Brush our teeth.

Make a cup of tea.

Have a shower.

Most of us interact with water dozens of times before we even leave the house.

But for millions of people around the world, clean water isn’t guaranteed. And without it, everything becomes harder.

Health.

Education.

Work.

Opportunity.

Charlotte Harrington saw that reality up close on a trip to Malawi with WaterAid.

They visited a maternity hospital.

There was no running water.

Midwives were delivering babies through long shifts without being able to wash their hands.

Charlotte had given birth in an NHS hospital just a year earlier.

The contrast stayed with her.

Today she’s Co-CEO of Belu Water, a UK social enterprise trying to change the way people think about water.

Belu invests 100% of its net profits into tackling water challenges and has donated more than £6 million to WaterAid so far.

Their mission is about getting people to notice something we normally take for granted.

Because water sits in that same category as air.

Essential.

Invisible.

Easy to overlook.

Until it isn’t.

Charlotte Harrington is Guest #13 of 289 people inspiring change on the Moved podcast.

“Without water, none of us can survive.”

Further Information

Belu Water – https://www.belu.org

WaterAid – https://www.wateraid.org

UN Sustainable Development Goals – https://sdgs.un.org/goals

But half of the world’s population don’t, which means hand washing.

That might sound innocuous – until you realise it can equate to 20 hours a week of manual labour. Which falls mainly on women and girls.

There’s the physical toll – hands, wrists, backs. And then there’s the opportunity cost.

Because while they’re spending those 20 hours washing clothes, they’re not reading, not studying, not doing paid work, not resting.

Not doing the things many of us do while our washing machine quietly whirs in the background.

That’s why the story of Dr Navjot Sawhney and The Washing Machine Project is so powerful.

In 2017, while volunteering in India after leaving a role at Dyson, Nav met a woman called Divya.

She was hand washing clothes for up to 20 hours a week.

“I’ll get you an electric washing machine,” he said.

But there was no point. They had no running water. No reliable electricity.

The manual work had to continue.

But Nav couldn’t ignore what he’d seen.

As he left the village, he made her a promise:

“I will come back one day and bring you a washing machine you can use.”

He returned in 2019 to show her how her story had already inspired something bigger.

And in 2024 – seven years after that original promise – he came back again.

This time with the machine itself.

A machine that reduced Divya’s laundry time from 20 hours to around 5 hours a week.

Fifteen hours regained.

What would you do with 15 extra hours every single week?

That moment brought tears to my eyes.

But it didn’t end there.

That promise became a mission – refining the design, manufacturing challenges, distribution – with the ambition of reaching millions.

Dr Navjot Sawhney (“Nav”) is Guest #12 of 289 people making an impact on society and the planet.

"A woman would spend up to 20 hours a week for her family hand washing clothes."

Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon or via the Captivate link in the comments.

Dr Navjot Sawhney is a London‑born, Indian‑origin engineer and social entrepreneur who received the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award in February 2023 for his humanitarian innovation through The Washing Machine Project, which designs and distributes energy‑efficient, hand‑cranked washing machines to communities without reliable electricity. At the time he was awarded, the Prime Minister invited Dr Nav for lunch at 10 Downing Street, and of course he brought his mum with him. She had recently retired after a 40-year career in HMRC for the government after coming to the UK with £5 in her pocket. What a wonderful point in the story that's unfolding.

Further Information

The Washing Machine Project – https://www.thewashingmachineproject.org/divya-washing-machine

Engineers Without Borders UK – https://www.ewb-uk.org

Points of Light Award – https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk

The next of my 289 featured people is Edward Hibbert.

Founder and CTO of Freegle, one of the UK’s largest platforms for getting and giving things away for free, and an important voice in the Tech for Good movement.

Gary Watts speaks with Edward not just about reuse, but about how systems shape behaviour, why the bin is the competitor, and what happens when you apply tech thinking to human generosity.

We explore how tech for good needs the same rigour as commercial tech, how design choices can increase altruism, the value in reuse (not just money), and how volunteering increases the amount of kindness in the world.

Edward Hibbert | Guest #11 of 289, moved by Tech for Good

Connect & Learn More

https://www.ilovefreegle.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/freegle

https://www.instagram.com/thisisfreegle/

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/freegle/id970045029

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ilovefreegle.direct&hl=en-US

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean

Are you having a laugh?

Laughter is the best medicine and a powerful way of making people look at things differently – but have you thought about what it's like for comedians on stage, looking into the mouth of the wolf?

Gary Watts speaks with Stuart Goldsmith — host of The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast, as seen on Live at the Apollo, and one of the UK’s leading climate comedians — not just about making people laugh and the power of that, but what comedian's go through, and the resilience it takes.

We explore:

➡️ Why comedy is a powerful vehicle for the climate conversation

➡️ What it means to “walk into mouth of the wolf” again and again

➡️ How humour disarms opens dialogue

➡️ The difference between preaching and provoking thought

This is a conversation about courage disguised as comedy — and why laughter might be one of our most underused tools for change.

Stuart Goldsmith | Guest 10 of 289, MOVED by Climate + Comedy

#MovedPod #289Conversations #ComediansComedian

#LiveAtTheApollo #ClimateComedy #ComedyForChange

Connect & Learn More

https://www.stuartgoldsmith.com/climate

https://www.instagram.com/stuartgoldsmithcomedy/

https://www.instagram.com/comcompod/

“Businesses are.... nature dependent.”

She also does the wonderful job of fostering hedgehogs which is crucial in the UK now.

Connect & Learn More

(196) A simple guide to everyday climate action | Tamma Carel | TEDxTeessideWomen - YouTube

Tamma Carel | LinkedIn

Tamma Carel (@imvelogardenproject) • Instagram photos and videos

A Message from Tamma | Imvelo

“Changing mental models is difficult, but it's not impossible.”

James shares how soil health, mycelial networks and edge AI come together in VillageOS™, and why giving the land a “voice” through generative AI could change how we understand natural resource flows, climate potential and what a place can sustain.

James Ehrlich is Director of Compassionate Sustainability at the Stanford University School of Medicine at the Center for Compassion Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), is also appointed affiliate to the Stanford Woods Institute for Human and Planetary Health, a Sr. Fellow and NASA Ames Research Center, and Founder of ReGen Villages, a Stanford spin-off company applying AI and machine learning software for the design and operation of resilient and self-sustainable housing developments around the world.

“How do we give the land a voice?”



Connect & Learn More

ReGen Villages: https://www.regenvillages.com/

https://www.instagram.com/regenvillages/

VillageOS™: https://www.villageos.ai/

James Ehrlich (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-ehrlich-regen/

Dr Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925)

https://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamic-principles-and-practices

R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983)

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/visionaries-of-regenerative-design-iii-r-buckminster-fuller-1895-1983-51ada798f11

Bill Mollison (1928-2016)

https://permaculturedesign.org/bill-mollison-the-permaculture-founder/

Doeer School of Sustainability

https://sustainability.stanford.edu/

Professor Martin Fischer

https://gpc.stanford.edu/people/martin-fischer

NASA Ames Research Center

https://www.nasa.gov/ames/

Carly shares what it’s like stepping into global climate negotiations at COP, why lived experience is reshaping policy conversations, and how she’s empowering young people across APAC through Climate Incubator.

Carly was a delegate at COP27, COP28 and COP29, is a member of the UN Asia-Pacific Youth Advisory Group on Environmental and Climate Justice, and part of the Regional Youth Parliament on Climate Action (RYPCA) under the UNDP Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP).

“I wasn't there to lead with inexperience. I was there to lead with urgency and lived experience.”

Connect & Learn More

Climate Incubator: https://www.climateincubator.org/

https://www.instagram.com/climateincubator/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/climate-incubator-hk/

UNDP YECAP: https://www.yecap-apac.org/

Carly Leung: https://www.instagram.com/carlyleung00/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-leung

We cover:

• The challenges and opportunities facing UK manufacturers
• The significance of the Made in Britain trademark
• Sustainability, circular economy innovations and water management in manufacturing
• Community engagement, factory visits and encouraging young people into the sector
• The importance of telling authentic manufacturing stories and industry’s role in society
• Global frameworks like the UN Global Compact shaping industrial practices

"I knew there was a business case for making things locally." - John Pearce

Connect & Learn More

• Made in Britain: https://www.madeinbritain.org/
• UN Global Compact Network UK: https://www.unglobalcompact.org.uk/
• John Pearce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pearce-31222553

Takeaways:

• Start where people are – not with overwhelming environmental messages.
• Make sustainability fun and relatable to reach wider audiences.
• Playfulness drives engagement and normalises sustainable habits.
• Community-led initiatives (like fridges) create lasting local impact.
• Social diffusion – group influence – is key to lasting behaviour change.
• Reframing climate action as national resilience could depoliticise sustainability.
• Overconsumption, especially fast fashion, remains a massive challenge.
• Circular products like Wonderfuel compost show the power of turning waste into value.
• Don’t lose hope – small steps in food and consumption choices add up.

Sound Bites

• “You always have to start from where people are, rather than that big environmental message.”
• “It’s exhausting to be told bad news all the time.”
• “If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest carbon dioxide–emitting nation in the world.”
• “You can’t argue that food waste is good — it’s bad environmentally, financially, and socially.”
• “True community action means giving people the resources and confidence to do things themselves.”
• “Social diffusion — get the singers to sing loudly, and everyone else will join in.”
• “We need to stop talking about net zero and start talking about national resilience.”
• “We’re destroying one of our most important ecosystems when we could make a better, sustainable alternative.”
• “Any small step is part of the bigger change — start in the kitchen.”

Chapters

• 00:00 – Change Doesn’t Wait (Intro)
• 01:11 – From Friends of the Earth to Sizzle
• 03:35 – Discovering the Power of Practical Action
• 05:59 – Starting Where People Are
• 07:50 – Fun Campaigns: Ballot Bins & Behavioural Nudges
• 10:49 – Founding Hubbub and Early Challenges
• 12:55 – Why Playful Engagement Works
• 15:30 – The Success of Community Fridges
• 19:18 – The Oldham Alleyway Project: Lessons & Limits
• 22:29 – Understanding Human Behaviour & Social Diffusion
• 27:28 – Family, Influence and Collaboration
• 29:38 – The UK’s Leadership (and Retreat) on Sustainability
• 34:21 – From Net Zero to National Resilience
• 36:34 – Can Playfulness Build Resilience?
• 38:49 – Tackling Overconsumption & Fast Fashion
• 41:37 – Launching Sizzle and Wonderfuel Compost
• 47:43 – Advice for Aspiring Sustainability Professionals
• 49:52 – Practical Steps: Small Actions, Big Impact
• 51:22 – Looking Ahead and How to Connect

🌿 Connect with Trewin & His Work

Learn more about Trewin’s projects and practical approaches to sustainability:

• 🌱 Treasure Gardening & Wonderfuel Compost: https://www.treasuregardening.co.uk
• 🔥 Sizzle: https://www.sizzle.org.uk
• ♻️ Hubbub: https://www.hubbub.org.uk
• 🔄 Recorra (Recycling Business): https://www.recorra.co.uk
• 🌍 Global Action Plan: https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk
• 💼 Trewin Restorick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trewinrestorick/

Guest host Mishal Noor interviews Gary Watts, founder and host of Moved.

Gary shares the story behind the podcast, why he believes obstacles define us and how his journey through coaching, leadership and change led to founding Obstackl.

The conversation explores Gary’s career background, his approach to coaching and transformation, and why he believes obstacles are defining moments. Mishal draws out reflections on leadership, curiosity and the future vision for Moved.



Takeaways:

• Consulting at its best attracts the brightest minds and leaves lasting capability.
• Purpose is personal and powerful when aligned with your work.
• The UN SDGs remain a work of art and a source of inspiration despite headwinds.
• Obstacles can shape us even more than successes.
• Values are observational not aspirational and you need to not do the opposite.
• The idea for Moved grew from a desire to highlight stories of change and resilience.
• Collaboration and dialogue sit at the heart of Gary’s work.
• The future of Moved is about amplifying diverse voices and perspectives.

Sound Bites

• "Purpose comes first, the vision comes second, the strategy comes after, then the people."
• "You become, usually stronger, as a result of obstacles."
• "Painting a picture of where you're going, is really, really important."
• "People rightly hold you to high standards and values. When you come to them, you have to really mean it."
• "It's a basic human need, to feel safe."
• "Moved is on one level factual and exploratory, on another level, emotional."

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction & Role Reversal
• 02:23 – Gary’s Background and Early Influences
• 05:00 – Consulting and the Origins of Obstackl
• 08:37 – Purpose and Alignment
• 11:35 – The Power of the UN SDGs
• 15:16 – The Story Behind the Name Obstackl
• 17:52 – The Hardest Obstacles in Gary’s Professional Journey
• 20:19 – Navigating People and Change
• 23:31 – Which of the 17 SDGs Resonates Most
• 25:48 – The Aim for the Podcast
• 27:04 – Closing Comments with Mishal

Connect with Gary & Obstackl

• Obstackl Website: [obstackl.com]
• Gary Watts on LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/garywatts]
• Moved Website :[movedpod.com]

The conversation delves into the concept of net zero, the UK's progress towards achieving it, and the importance of cultural change within organisations. David shares success stories, the significance of education and training in sustainability, and encourages individuals to take small actions that collectively make a significant impact on climate change.

Takeaways:

• David Hawes transitioned from a corporate career to focus on sustainability.
• Net Zero is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.
• The UK was a pioneer in making net zero a legal requirement.
• Cultural change within organisations is crucial for sustainability efforts.
• Small individual actions can lead to significant collective impact.
• Education and training are essential for promoting sustainable business practices.
• The cost of inaction on climate change is greater than the cost of action.
• Businesses can save money and improve efficiency by adopting sustainable practices.
• The circular economy is key to reducing waste and improving resource use.
• Engaging employees in sustainability initiatives can enhance company culture.

Sound Bites

• "We are starting to see societal things change."
• "It's got to make business sense."

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction and Background
• 02:29 – David Hawes: Journey to Net Zero International
• 05:41 – Understanding Net Zero: Definition and Importance
• 07:44 – Personal Reflections on Climate Change and Responsibility
• 08:32 – The UK's Progress Towards Net Zero
• 14:32 – The Polarisation of Net Zero
• 18:23 – The Impact of the Paris Agreement
• 20:52 – Embedding Climate Action in Business Culture
• 27:01 – Leadership and Engagement in Sustainability
• 30:36 – Education and Professional Development in Sustainability
• 33:56 – Empowering Individuals to Make a Difference

Connect with David & Net Zero International

• Net Zero International: https://netzero.international/
• David Hawes on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidwhawes

Jill shares her journey of championing micro businesses and ethical practices, the challenges she faced in the early days of ORB, and the importance of engaging small businesses in social responsibility.

The conversation touches on the wider societal impact of small businesses, the decision to gift ORB to its members, and Jill’s book It Really Is Just Good Business. We close with her advice for small businesses and her aspirations for the future of ORB.

Takeaways:

• Jill’s management accountancy background shaped her approach to small business.
• Micro and small businesses have outsized potential for social and environmental impact.
• Traditional CSR overlooks the realities of small businesses.
• A holistic ESG approach is vital for engaging micro businesses.
• The early days of ORB demanded resilience and belief in the mission.
• Gifting ORB to its members protected its legacy and purpose.
• Ethical practice and profitability can go hand in hand.
• Small steps matter in creating big change.
• Recognising the good in the world helps counter negativity.
• Jill’s aspiration: grow the ORB community and support for small businesses.

Book Link:

It Really Is Just Good Business by Jill Poet — The Art of Operating a Responsible, Ethical, AND PROFITABLE Small Business Simon & Schuster

Sound Bites

• “It was tough. It was so tough.”
• “We were far ahead of the field.”
• “It really is just good business.”

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction and Background
• 03:27 – The Inspiration Behind ORB
• 07:01 – Identifying the Gap in CSR for Small Businesses
• 15:24 – Challenges in the Early Days of ORB
• 23:13 – The Growth and Community of ORB
• 25:58 – Gifting ORB to Its Members
• 29:43 – The Book: It Really Is Just Good Business
• 33:03 – Advice for Small Businesses
• 36:03 – Future Aspirations for ORB

Connect with Jill & ORB

• ORB Website: orbuk.org.uk
• Jill Poet on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jillpoet

This short intro explains why the podcast exists, why the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) inspired it and what you can expect in the conversations ahead.

Through his career, host Gary Watts has worked across industries and sectors, but always felt most alive when there was a mission at play. In 2025 he founded Obstackl, a consultancy and coaching company focused on impact. The idea: build around people and organisations tackling the world’s biggest challenges.

The UN’s Global Goals, adopted at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015, remain the world’s best plan for progress. Ten years on, they’re still inspiring, collective and deeply human.

This podcast is Obstackl’s way of speaking with the people doing the great work, whether relating to the UN SDGs, other impact frameworks, or their own vision. Leaders and changemakers in business, academia, the public sector and third sector.

Moved will be factual and exploratory on one level, and emotional on another. A stock take in slow-motion.

Sometimes joined by Mishal Noor, Gary will explore what impact means today and where we can go next.

🎙️ Episode 0 includes a re-voiced excerpt from the UN’s Global Goals campaign, originally voiced by Al Pacino. The official video is linked below.

The Global Goals and inspiration for Moved

• The Global Goals https://globalgoals.org/
• Global Goals campaign video featuring Al Pacino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUvTgVTm5iE&t=6s
• United Nations Sustainable Development Summit https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/summit
• Moved Pod https://movedpod.com/
• Obstackl https://www.obstackl.com/