Cleaning Up Podcast
Hosted by Cleaning Up
Two leading British climate practitioners interview the global leaders building and financing the world's clean energy transition.
A long-form interview podcast where two deeply-networked hosts, who alternate episodes, talk shop with the CEOs, policymakers, and scientists shaping the net-zero transition. Conversations are for insiders, diving into the specifics of supply chains, energy economics (like LCOE), and policy mechanisms, while also exploring the personal leadership philosophies of their guests.
“Unlike many climate podcasts, the hosts are peers of their high-level guests, bringing decades of practitioner experience from finance and policy. This creates an atmosphere of a candid, expert-to-expert conversation rather than a standard journalistic interview, yielding more specific and less guarded insights.”
Who hosts this show
Once a week, hosts Michael Liebreich and Baroness Bryony Worthington speak with a leader in clean energy, mobility, or climate finance. Liebreich is the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and Worthington was a lead author of the UK's 2008 Climate Change Act. The show leverages their deep industry connections for candid conversations on the technical, financial, and political realities of decarbonization.
Credentials & credits
- Michael Liebreich: Founder, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)
- Michael Liebreich: Chairman & CEO, Liebreich Associates
- Michael Liebreich: Visiting Professor, Imperial College London's Energy Futures Lab
- Bryony Worthington: Baroness, House of Lords (Crossbench Life Peer)
- Bryony Worthington: Lead author, UK's 2008 Climate Change Act
- Bryony Worthington: Founder, Sandbag (now Ember)
Other ventures
- Michael Liebreich: Co-Managing Partner, EcoPragma Capital
- Michael Liebreich: Former Board Member, Transport for London
- Michael Liebreich: Angel investor (Chargepoint, Azuri Technologies)
- Bryony Worthington: Co-Director, Quadrature Climate Foundation
- Bryony Worthington: Deputy Chair, Board of Trustees, WWF-UK
- Bryony Worthington: Former Executive Director for Europe, Environmental Defense Fund
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01How the US Makes and Breaks Global Deals | Ep 263: John KerryJun 24, 2026 · 49 min
- 02How China Became an Energy Superpower | Ep262: Professor Ning LiJun 17, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 03How Wind Energy Overtook Nuclear in Just Two Decades | Ep261: Henrik AndersenJun 10, 2026 · 57 min
- 04RCP8.5 Is Dead, What Comes Next? Ep260: Roger Pielke, Jr.Jun 3, 2026 · 1h 04m
- 05Why Flexible Power Is Suddenly So Valuable | Ep259: Håkan AgnevallMay 27, 2026 · 1h 01m
- 06
- 07India’s Solar Revolution Is Bringing Cheap Energy To Millions | Ep257: Harish HandeMay 13, 2026 · 1h 06m
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01How the US Makes and Breaks Global Deals | Ep 263: John Kerry
A direct conversation with a key architect of the Paris Agreement about US diplomatic credibility and the process behind major international deals.
- 02How China Became an Energy Superpower | Ep262: Professor Ning Li
An insider's perspective on China's energy strategy, electrification, and the origin of the term 'Small Modular Reactor' from the academic who coined it.
- 03RCP8.5 Is Dead, What Comes Next? Ep260: Roger Pielke, Jr.
A deep dive into the science and politics of climate scenarios, explaining the implications of declaring the worst-case scenario 'implausible'.
- 04How Wind Energy Overtook Nuclear in Just Two Decades | Ep261: Henrik Andersen
Features the CEO of Vestas in a comprehensive 'myth-busting' session on wind power, covering economics, waste, and intermittency.
What you'll be asked on this show
The interview style varies by host. Michael Liebreich is analytical and data-driven, often setting up a detailed premise or historical context before posing a question. He is known for structured 'myth-busting' segments where he systematically asks a guest to debunk common criticisms or misconceptions in their field. Bryony Worthington's style is more collaborative and conversational, often building on shared experiences or asking broad, multi-part thematic questions to guide the discussion. Both hosts are deeply prepared and leverage their own expertise to probe for specific, nuanced answers beyond surface-level talking points.
The show alternates between its two hosts, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington. Michael often opens episodes with a detailed monologue to frame the topic before the guest is introduced. The conversations are deeply informed, with hosts frequently referencing specific data, white papers, and their own professional experiences.
Questions Cleaning Up keeps coming back to
13 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Cleaning Up reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Could you introduce yourself and describe what you do in your own words?”
This is a frequent opening question, allowing the guest to frame their own role and organization.
- Q.02
“You're associated with a key idea or term. Can you tell us the origin story?”
Used to explore the history behind influential concepts, like the coining of 'Small Modular Reactors'.
craft
1- Q.01
“How has the technology in your field evolved over your career?”
This question prompts a historical overview of technological progress from a leadership perspective.
money
1- Q.01
“What are the current economics of your technology, for instance the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE)?”
A direct question to get current, hard data on the financial viability of a given energy source.
process
2- Q.01
“Can you walk us through your supply chain strategy? What do you centralize versus localize?”
Probes the operational and logistical strategy of major industrial players.
- Q.02
“Can you walk us through the process of a major achievement in your career, like the Paris Agreement?”
Asks for a narrative breakdown of a significant professional accomplishment, revealing process and strategy.
controversy
4- Q.01
“How do you think about geopolitical risk and supply chain dependencies, particularly concerning China?”
A recurring question that addresses the intersection of technology, trade, and international politics.
- Q.02
“Let's address a common criticism: [insert myth]. What's the reality?”
A signature format, especially for Michael Liebreich, to systematically debunk industry myths (e.g., blade recycling, intermittency).
- Q.03
“What is the solution to the challenge of intermittency/variability?”
Directly addresses one of the most fundamental technical hurdles for renewable energy.
- Q.04
“What is the truth about the waste and recycling story in your industry?”
Focuses on the end-of-life and circular economy aspects of clean technologies.
future
3- Q.01
“What are the practical implications of [a recent scientific or policy development]?”
This question moves from abstract news to concrete consequences for the industry.
- Q.02
“Given the current situation, what would your strategy be today?”
Pushes the guest for forward-looking strategic thinking based on current events.
- Q.03
“What is the potential for [a country or company] to take on a global leadership role?”
A closing question that asks for a big-picture perspective on future global dynamics.
Signature segments
- · Host Introduction: "Hello, I'm Michael Liebreich/Bryony Worthington and this is Cleaning Up."
- · Tagline: "Leadership in an age of climate change"
- · Myth-Busting Segments
- · Host-alternating format
- · Opening monologue by host to set context
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are top-tier leaders and decision-makers in the climate and energy space. The roster includes CEOs of major energy and technology firms (Vestas, Wärtsilä), senior diplomats and politicians (John Kerry), and influential academics and policy experts (Roger Pielke Jr., Prof. Ning Li).
- John Kerryon How the US Makes and Breaks Global Deals | Ep 263: John Kerry
- Professor Ning Lion How China Became an Energy Superpower | Ep262: Professor Ning Li
- Henrik Andersenon How Wind Energy Overtook Nuclear in Just Two Decades | Ep261: Henrik Andersen
- Roger Pielke Jr.on RCP8.5 Is Dead, What Comes Next? Ep260: Roger Pielke, Jr.
- Håkan Agnevallon Why Flexible Power Is Suddenly So Valuable | Ep259: Håkan Agnevall
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is supported by a "Leadership Circle" of companies in the energy and finance sectors, including Actis, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, KKR, Octopus Energy, and Schneider Electric. This model suggests a B2B sponsorship strategy targeting a niche, high-value professional audience.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Cleaning Up
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Cleaning Up?
- The podcast is hosted by Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and Baroness Bryony Worthington, a life peer in the UK House of Lords and a lead author of the UK's Climate Change Act. They typically alternate episodes.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a weekly, long-form interview show. Each episode features one of the hosts in a detailed conversation with a single guest who is a leader in the climate and energy space.
- Is the Cleaning Up podcast still running?
- Yes, it releases new episodes on a weekly basis, as of late June 2026.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on major platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and the video versions are posted on the 'Cleaning Up Podcast' YouTube channel.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It's primarily for professionals, investors, and policymakers in the energy and climate sectors who want deep, technical, and strategic insights from industry leaders.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Websitecleaning-up-leadership-in-the-age-of-climate-change.simplecast.com
- [02]Michael Liebreich Bio - Liebreich Associatesliebreich.com
- [03]Bryony Worthington, Baroness Worthington - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [04]Michael Liebreich - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]Baroness Bryony Worthington - World Economic Forumweforum.org
- [06]Michael Liebreich - Bloomberg New Energy Finance Founderchartwellspeakers.com
- [07]Cleaning Up - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
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