Scaling Up: Approaches that Work

How can artificial intelligence help address global challenges - and how do we ensure its benefits reach everyone? In Episode 61 of Voices of Sustainability, host Anita Erskine sits down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft's Chief Data Scientist and Corporate Vice President to explore AI’s potential to advance sustainability and expand access to knowledge. From helping conservationists turn data into action to making AI accessible across languages and communities, the conversation examines how technology can support practical solutions to real-world challenges. It also explores how society can maximise AI’s benefits while managing its risks. Access to electricity, connectivity, devices and tools in people’s own languages is central to this effort, alongside the knowledge people need to use them. Watch the full episode for a conversation on putting AI to work for a sustainable, inclusive future.

In Episode 60 of Voices of Sustainability, host Anita Erskine speaks with Dr. Jason Arora, physician, public health expert and health technology leader, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping global health systems. From misinformation and health literacy to ethics, trust and equitable access, the conversation explores how AI can support stronger, more resilient healthcare systems when grounded in human centred design and real world needs.

In Episode 59 of Voices of Sustainability, host Anita Erskine is joined by two of the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize winners — Daniel Magallon from BASE Foundation and Björn Söderberg from Build up Nepal — to discuss what it takes to scale solutions that last. From energy access that transforms daily life to affordable housing designed to withstand disasters, this episode explores how impact is built, and sustained, on the ground. The conversation highlights a critical reality: scaling solutions is not just about innovation, but about affordability, local ownership, trust and the broader systems that enable change. Through real-world examples, both organisations share how they work with communities, entrepreneurs and local systems to turn proven ideas into lasting impact. Watch now to hear how these solutions are being built — and scaled — in practice.

In Episode 58 of Voices of Sustainability, host Anita Erskine speaks with Gary White, Co-founder and CEO of Water.org. Drawing on over three decades of experience in water sustainability, Gary shares insights from his work expanding access to safe water for communities around the world. He explores why, despite existing solutions, billions of people still lack access, and outlines the critical role of investment, innovation and collaboration in closing this gap. From community-level impact to global systems change, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on what it takes to scale solutions — and why the time to act is now.

In Episode 57 of Voices of Sustainability, moderator Omar Butti is joined by three 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize winners —Didi Gan of N&E Innovations (Food), Ronaldo Cohin of JADE (Health) and Marília Lara of Stattus4 (Water). Together, they explore the entrepreneurial journeys behind their innovations, the influence of family and community in shaping purpose-driven work, and the realities of scaling sustainable solutions across global markets. From personal beginnings to measurable impact, this conversation offers an honest look at how innovation moves from idea to implementation — and the people driving that progress forward.