Lily Cole on finding solutions to the climate crisis through communication and open-mindedness

Fashion icon and environmental advocate Lily Cole joins Evanna and Melanie on this week’s episode to chat about her book Who Cares Wins, in which she presents a plethora of potential solutions to the environmental crisis intended to inspire and create lasting global change. In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the importance of having an attitude of openness and dialog when addressing environmental issues, why animal agriculture is such a contentious topic within the climate movement, and how to choose a focus when there are so many worthy causes in the world.

Lily Cole was named by French Vogue as one of the top 10 models of the 2000s. Her career in fashion led her to investigate supply chains and business practices, and she became a patron of the Environmental Justice Foundation and a WWF ambassador. She was the first global ambassador for community fair-trade pioneer The Body Shop, and she has founded several social businesses, including the startup incubator Impossible.

Lily's book and accompanying podcast, both titled Who Cares Wins, explore a thousand different environmental solutions. She is an acclaimed public speaker and also writes occasionally for international media outlets such as The Guardian and the Financial Times.

Lily was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by the University of Glasgow for her contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes through social businesses, as well as an honorary award for her ongoing dedication to climate and human rights activism at the German Sustainability Awards 2021. She also holds a first-class master’s in history of art from the University of Cambridge and was an affiliate at The Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

Alongside her work as an activist and writer, Lily is also an actor and director, working in stage, screen, and film.

Lily has cowritten, presented, and directed several documentaries for Sky Arts, the BBC, and Vice. She also cowrote and directed a short fictional film, Balls, for which she was nominated for Best Director at Underwire Festival and which was nominated for Best Short Film at the Short Film Awards.

Check out Lily’s book Who Cares Wins and her accompanying podcast.

Follow Lily on Instagram.

Lily’s upcoming film Hilma will be out later in 2022.

Lily refers to George Monbiot’s book Regenesis, Simon Amstell’s BBC “mockumentary” Carnage, and Andrea Arnold’s film Cow. 

Check out Melanie’s book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows.