Globalnet21

Localities & The Circular Economy

Join us in this Podcast with Rembrandt Koppelaar where we look at the circular economy and how can be and should be applied locally. How do we move from a linear production mode where we produce, make and then waste to a circular one where we produce, make and then reuse is a central question when addressing climate change.

Rembrandt talks about how this could be done and especially how we can tackle waste without long term plans for incineration. Rembrandt is Head of the Circular Economy at Ecowise who ambition is to improve sustainability in urban ecosystems by continuing to develop smart analytics and cloud-based software solutions

Rembrandt is a senior expert in Circular Economy, Economics, Modelling, environmental material/product assessment, and techno-economic analysis. He holds a PhD degree from Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy and is experienced in leading work packages in large EU projects. He also has published two books and several articles about the future of energy, materials, society, technology, and the circular economy.

‘Friends groups launch manifesto for local elections.

An Interview with Kristiana Heapy

In this webinar we interview Kristiana Heapy who works with a coalition of Friends of Parks groups across one London Borough.

Friend’s groups across the borough of Enfield have come together for the first time to collectively ask everyone standing in 2022’s council election to commit to protecting and enhancing Enfield’s green spaces.

The Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have highlighted how important local, easily accessible green spaces are to the mental and physical health of Enfield’s residents. Further to this, greater awareness of the climate crisis and the impact of years of destruction of the UK’s natural habitat has resulted in more people wanting to protect green existing spaces and grow precious native natural habitats.

However, there have been concerns by many volunteers in local community groups that warm words on the importance of green spaces have not been met with action and investment by councillors of all political parties and none. Green spaces are not a nice to have, they are essential to the wellbeing of all Enfield residents. 

The Enfield Friends’ Collective has therefore launched the ‘Love Our Parks’ Manifesto. We ask all those standing for election to sign our manifesto and talk with Friends groups in their area about what they want

New Ideas In Health & Social Care

In this Podcast we interview Ruth Donaldson the Director of Commissioning in the North London Central Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in the NHS

They are developing some interesting and innovative ideas in how you deliver health and social care in times of increasing and complex difficulties and here we discuss some of these idea.

In doing so we look at the relational welfare model developed by Hilary Cottam in her book “Radical Help” and discuss how we can move from the top down impersonal welfare model that has been in operation since the middle of the last century to one that is more personalised and patient/client centred.

It is really encouraging as the CCG is developing some interesting projects, collaborating with other statutory agencies and civil society and understand fully that the future delivery of health and social care has to be a whole society endeavour if it is to work for the benefit of all.

Climate Change & Public Health

In this Podcast we interview Tamsin Ellis and Zoe Garbett. Tamsin is a GP and Zoe is the Assistant Director, Communities in the North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGO)

In this Podcast we will be discussing the World Heath Organisation’s (WHO) declaration that the climate emergency is a health emergency and how this can be tackled at a local level.

Tamsin has been involved in Sustainable Healthcare and Greener Practice London which brings together GPs to address the climate emergency. And Zoe has established a network of statutory health organisations and civil society groups to do this as well.

We will discuss what they have been doing both to help mitigate climate change as well as develop strategies to adapt to the changes that will happen because of greenhouse gas emissions.

We will also discuss the importance of establishing collaborative networks to address the climate emergency in a strategic way.

Mental Health & Social Isolation

In this Podcast we interview Alex Tambourides the CEO of MIND in Enfield and Barnet. MIND provides local services in Enfield and Barnet working with people who use all mental health services to help shape and improve what we do.

They have an  expert team to advise, shape, educate and lead on campaigning and creating mental health service provision ensuring across the two boroughs.

In this webinar we will look at some of these problems and especially that of social isolation. Many people especially those older are living alone and these creates for many mental health problems.

This has increased since the COVID crisis and the climate emergency will make this problem far worse.

How can we tackle this and create communities that are resilient and networks that are adequate to tackle this problem.

Fatal Ambition - A Novel By Nick De Bois

In this Podcast when we interview Nick De Bois about his first novel “Fatal Ambition.”

Nick who was the MP for Enfield North has joined a handful of ex MPs who have taken to writing a political thriller. Tom Watson and Chris Mullin had already successful launched their novels before and now Nick has joined them.

It is a gripping novel that combines a global conspiracy, betrayal, corruption, naked ambition and even murder. At times you would be forgiven in thinking this is real and not a product of a vivid imagination. 

Nick who’s been there first hand at the highest levels of government and in the heart of the establishment is very well placed to portray in novel form the machinations of government but not just because he had been close to government. Nick like one of his fellow MPs of some years ago, John Biffen, was always semi detached from government and the strictures of party politics. 

This semi detachment has enabled him to weave into his novel some critical questions about the nature of our democracy and political system and this gives the novel a cutting edge. In the framework of a story the novel raises questions about how decisions are made, who makes those decisions and whether the electorate is manipulated by those who do.

Nick has already written a memoir called “Confessions of a Recovering MP” which also sheds some light on the “noises off” stage in politics and this novel adds to that never ending story of political intrigue.

A World Of New Opportunities - An Interview With Paul Everitt

In this Podcast we interview Paul Everitt the former head of arts and culture at Enfield Council.



Paul is a well respected character across the London Borough of Enfield and beyond and is well know in art and entertainment circles and in this webinar we will interview him about his past job, the manner of his leaving and his hopes and plans for the future. The Enfield Dispatch reported that,



“Paul’s redundancy from the council was made as part of an internal restructure, with his job role made obsolete. He was placed on gardening leave in the summer prior to his official redundancy in October. The civic centre restructure included a shake-up of council arts venues and the way they are managed, which Paul had opposed and voiced concerns about.
Talking about some of the issues he dealt with at the council prior to his departure, Paul described a “toxic culture” of “bullying and intimidation” and said: “When you are working in that toxic culture you are in a state of fear, you don’t trust every part of the organisation and it closes in around you. There is nowhere to go. A survival instinct kicks in.”



Paul said that although other roles were being made available within the council it became clear “they wanted me out of the organisation” and that being put on gardening leave “meant there was no proper transfer” to the council’s new culture team. He added: “My whole career is about culture, so being in charge of street cleaning didn’t really appeal to me.”
We will discuss this with Paul and also his new position with Love Your Doorstep and his position on the Enfield Climate Action Forum’s Task Group.

Hinterlands - An Interview with Clare Moloney

In this Podcast we interview Clare Moloney who is involved in a project called Hinterlands.

Hinterlands is a national arts programme promoting wellbeing and connecting communities, with participatory events along three remote rural, urban and suburban waterways: Pontymoile, Sheffield and Enfield & Tottenham.

Hinterlands forms part of the national Arts on the Waterways portfolio of Trust-led, partnership and third party projects, which aim to support and promote:

artistic quality and ambition: to work with high quality contemporary artists across art forms and support upcoming practitioners

being local: to build closer connections with communities, particularly those that are underserved

collaboration: to nurture more co-creation and work with agile, inventive practitioners and collectives

resilience and sustainability: to follow environmental responsibilities and to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.

We will discuss how art and waterways can help people express themselves and also how at a time of climate change they can get a better understanding of the impact of climate change and what can be done

Interview With Sam Bentley-Toon of Thames21

Here we interview Sam Bentley-Toon of Thames21.

Thames21 is the voice for London’s waterways, working with communities to improve rivers and canals for people and wildlife.They mobilise thousands of volunteers every year to clean and green the capital’s 400 mile network of waterways. Thames21 aims to transform neglected waterways into areas that everyone can use and enjoy, by using innovative and tailored community approaches.

They have developed projects in Enfield where London’s first beaver reintroduction is taking place at Forty Hall. They are also part of Enfield Council’s Restoration of Enfield Chase project to help create one of London’s newest woodlands and at Pymmes Park they will be managing habitat to make sure the wetlands are functioning as they should.

We will discuss this with them and also their work around climate change. Wetland restoration and rewinding are a part of their mission to create natural regeneration as well as resilience.

They believe that river groups must work collaboratively across the globe and put pressure on governments, businesses and society to take swift action on rivers to tackle the impacts of climate change on communities.

Corporate Social Responsibility is Not Public Relations

In this Podcast we discuss with local author Sangeeta Waldron social responsibility and business.




Sangeeta believes in the power of serendipity for business, writes for international news platforms on sustainable business news and sits on different boards, which has included the UK Taskforce for Women In Enterprise



Sangeeta has just published her book Corporate Social Responsibility is Not Public Relations where she argues that corporate social responsibility is more than public relations. She tells us,




“When companies feign interest in company responsibility to improve their bottom line, it is known as greenwashing; a term that was coined in the 1980s to describe shameful corporate environmental claims. It has since become a familiar term for companies pretending to be interested in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to improve their bottom line.
We know that people like to support companies that are socially conscious, so when a corporation greenwashes they’re setting themselves up for failure. Feigning interest in social responsibility can have short-term benefits, but if — or rather, ‘when’ — you’re discovered, it can have a lasting negative impact on your reputation”



Many companies are becoming more sustainable and are taking seriously their responsibility to the planet and how important this is we will discuss with Sangeeta in this webinar