Ep. 127 | Beyond Carbon: Planetary Accounting

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In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re having a kōrero with Dr Kate Meyer from Planetary Accounting.

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re having a kōrero with Dr Kate Meyer, founder of Planetary Accounting, about why sustainability is about more than just carbon.

While carbon tends to dominate the sustainability conversation, our planet’s health actually depends on nine interconnected systems — from oceans and forests to air quality and biodiversity. Many of these have already crossed critical limits, making it more important than ever to look beyond carbon footprints.

Kate explains what planetary boundaries are, how planetary accounting works, and why it helps us measure and manage our impact across all nine systems. She also unpacks what this means for construction and design, the trade-offs we often overlook in our sustainability choices, and what we can learn from the ozone layer. The one boundary we’ve successfully restored.

Whether you’re trying to understand the bigger picture of sustainability, looking to make more informed material choices, or want to know how the built environment can shift from doing less harm to having a regenerative impact, this episode offers fresh perspective on where true sustainability lies.