How to scale sustainability and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
From Straight Talking Sustainability by Emma Burlow
May 3, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 80
About this episode
Emma explores the limitations of competitive mindsets in tackling systemic challenges like climate change through the lens of the Prisoner's Dilemma.
In this episode of Straight Talking Sustainability, Emma explores the limitations of competitive mindsets in tackling systemic challenges like climate change. Drawing on the concept of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Emma illustrates how organizations acting in self-interest by hoarding knowledge or refusing to collaborate actually end up moving slower and increasing costs for themselves and the sector as a whole. She emphasizes that issues such as secrecy and siloed efforts lead to fragmented results, ultimately weakening both individual organizations and collective impact. Instead, Emma challenges listeners to reconsider the dominant business paradigms rooted in scarcity and competition, arguing that these are outdated and fragile when it comes to solving urgent, complex problems. Key Topics Leadership and the Race Against Climate Change Emma discusses the urgency around climate action but questions whether the competitive, race-like mentality is actually hindering meaningful progress 00:30 . Prisoner’s Dilemma in Sustainability The classic dilemma is used as a metaphor for what happens when organizations protect their own interests at the expense of collective progress 02:40…
People in this episode
Host: Emma Burlow
Topics covered
- Prisoner's Dilemma
- climate change
- collaboration
- competitive mindsets
- leadership
- sustainability
Keywords
- Prisoner's Dilemma
- climate action
- collaboration
- competition
- siloed efforts
- systemic challenges
- leadership
- sustainability
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