The Mobilize Podcast Ep. 3 - Unpacking The Progress Playbook

In this episode, we speak with journalist, columnist, and policy consultant Nick Hedley, founder and editor of The Progress Playbook: A platform dedicated to spotlighting proven, scalable solutions for a better world.

Nick’s work cuts through noise and greenwash to focus on what’s actually working; in energy, policy, development and media. Together, we unpack how South Africa can move forward in a time of climate urgency, rapid AI growth, and media fragmentation.

Guest: Nick Hedley Founder of @TheProgressPlaybook , columnist at News24, and researcher focused on climate, energy and sustainable development.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why derisking green energy projects is controversial, and how to do it fairly
• What thermal power generation, is it all bad?
• Why we must cut the transport of fossil fuels through local, efficient production
• Reducing overall energy demand, not just swapping the source
• The energy cost of AI, and how it can help optimise energy use
• The role of media in a fractured information ecosystem
• How can we actively support better journalism and trustworthy information

📚 Some good media to follow:

• The Progress Playbook: https://theprogressplaybook.com/
• Oxpeckers: https://oxpeckers.org/
• GroundUp news: https://groundup.org.za/ a
• maBhungane: https://amabhungane.org/