Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Cities, Climate & the Laws of Human Dynamics, with Giulia Ulpiani [REPLAY]

43min | 11/03/2026

Description

How do we make cities truly climate-neutral, according to science?

In this episode, Marine Cornelis welcomes Giulia Ulpiani, a Scientific Project Officer at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, who is at the forefront of urban climate adaptation and mitigation.

With a background in applied physics and energy efficiency, Giulia’s career has spanned building optimisation, urban overheating, and now large-scale climate governance. She shares her fascinating journey, from becoming a drone pilot in Australia to studying how cities can cool down and reduce emissions.

Now supporting the EU’s 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, Giulia explains the biggest barriers cities face in reaching net zero and why climate governance is often as complex as thermodynamics! She also dives into the role of trust, storytelling, and public engagement in ensuring climate policies translate into real action.

Key Takeaways:
✅ From Buildings to Cities: Giulia's journey from smart building optimisation to tackling urban overheating in Australia.
✅ The Power of Implementation: Why local projects—like greening school streets—are crucial in winning hearts and minds.
✅ Breaking Down Barriers: Cities struggle with funding, fragmented responsibilities, and bureaucratic inertia—but collaborative governance models and new financing approaches offer hope.
✅ Science and Storytelling: Climate science needs compelling narratives and trusted messengers to drive action.
✅ Empowering the Next Generation: The future of climate action lies in young leaders and community ambassadors.

Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.

Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inbox

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/marinenextenerg.bsky.social or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon https://patreon.com/Energethic

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ'Ethic asks the question most energy debates skip: who the transition is for. Hosted by Marine Cornelis, founder of Next Energy Consumer, each episode moves between frontline reality and the rooms where European energy policy is decided. The conversations follow one thread through energy, housing, digitalisation, and finance: whether the systems being built earn people's trust and improve their lives. For listeners, it offers a grounded guide to a transition too often told only in megawatts and money. For anyone weighing a collaboration, it shows how Next Energy Consumer reads the field.

For organisations and sponsors: Energ'Ethic offers partnership opportunities for organisations seeking to reach a senior, policy-literate audience. Partnerships are selective and editorially independent. Contact: contact@nextenergyconsumer.eu

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ'Ethic asks the question most energy debates skip: who the transition is for. Hosted by Marine Cornelis, founder of Next Energy Consumer, each episode moves between frontline reality and the rooms where European energy policy is decided. The conversations follow one thread through energy, housing, digitalisation, and finance: whether the systems being built earn people's trust and improve their lives. For listeners, it offers a grounded guide to a transition too often told only in megawatts and money. For anyone weighing a collaboration, it shows how Next Energy Consumer reads the field.

For organisations and sponsors: Energ'Ethic offers partnership opportunities for organisations seeking to reach a senior, policy-literate audience. Partnerships are selective and editorially independent. Contact: contact@nextenergyconsumer.eu

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

How do we make cities truly climate-neutral, according to science?

In this episode, Marine Cornelis welcomes Giulia Ulpiani, a Scientific Project Officer at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, who is at the forefront of urban climate adaptation and mitigation.

With a background in applied physics and energy efficiency, Giulia’s career has spanned building optimisation, urban overheating, and now large-scale climate governance. She shares her fascinating journey, from becoming a drone pilot in Australia to studying how cities can cool down and reduce emissions.

Now supporting the EU’s 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, Giulia explains the biggest barriers cities face in reaching net zero and why climate governance is often as complex as thermodynamics! She also dives into the role of trust, storytelling, and public engagement in ensuring climate policies translate into real action.

Key Takeaways:
✅ From Buildings to Cities: Giulia's journey from smart building optimisation to tackling urban overheating in Australia.
✅ The Power of Implementation: Why local projects—like greening school streets—are crucial in winning hearts and minds.
✅ Breaking Down Barriers: Cities struggle with funding, fragmented responsibilities, and bureaucratic inertia—but collaborative governance models and new financing approaches offer hope.
✅ Science and Storytelling: Climate science needs compelling narratives and trusted messengers to drive action.
✅ Empowering the Next Generation: The future of climate action lies in young leaders and community ambassadors.

Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.

Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inbox

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/marinenextenerg.bsky.social or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon https://patreon.com/Energethic

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ'Ethic asks the question most energy debates skip: who the transition is for. Hosted by Marine Cornelis, founder of Next Energy Consumer, each episode moves between frontline reality and the rooms where European energy policy is decided. The conversations follow one thread through energy, housing, digitalisation, and finance: whether the systems being built earn people's trust and improve their lives. For listeners, it offers a grounded guide to a transition too often told only in megawatts and money. For anyone weighing a collaboration, it shows how Next Energy Consumer reads the field.

For organisations and sponsors: Energ'Ethic offers partnership opportunities for organisations seeking to reach a senior, policy-literate audience. Partnerships are selective and editorially independent. Contact: contact@nextenergyconsumer.eu

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ'Ethic asks the question most energy debates skip: who the transition is for. Hosted by Marine Cornelis, founder of Next Energy Consumer, each episode moves between frontline reality and the rooms where European energy policy is decided. The conversations follow one thread through energy, housing, digitalisation, and finance: whether the systems being built earn people's trust and improve their lives. For listeners, it offers a grounded guide to a transition too often told only in megawatts and money. For anyone weighing a collaboration, it shows how Next Energy Consumer reads the field.

For organisations and sponsors: Energ'Ethic offers partnership opportunities for organisations seeking to reach a senior, policy-literate audience. Partnerships are selective and editorially independent. Contact: contact@nextenergyconsumer.eu

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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