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Independent thinking Nick Molden, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Emissions Analytics, admits he has had 'a random walk' of a career path. Outspoken in his views and robust in his opinions, he says his studies equipped him well for his future career, despite, on the face of it, being totally unrelated to the job he does now.
Nick left the University of Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and ran his own radio company, Oxygen, before stepping into the corporate world and then setting up his own business.
But Nick's name really came to media prominence during 'dieselgate' when huge discrepancies were uncovered between manufacturers' published emissions figures, and the data collected through Emissions Analytics independent tests.
Emissions Analytics was able to prove that almost all of the 250 new diesel models tested in real-world conditions (rather than manufacturers' own controlled environments) were violating Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions limits. But Nick feels manufacturers were allowed to slip through loopholes in European nations' slack regulation. He advocates for more robust regimes like those adopted in the US.
As a result, Nick has become a go-to voice when road vehicle pollution is under scrutiny and more... today Nick has clear views on the relative merits of electric and hybrid cars and the truth of tyre and tail-pipe pollution, and they don't necessarily follow the mainstream.
Nick explains why developed nations need to have open and honest conversations with citizens about what they are prepared to give up to combat climate change, and he is blunt in his assessment of who is most at risk from global warming.
We have an intergenerational problem. People today are not prepared to sacrifice much of their lifestyle and are willing to take a climate change risk. Or rather, they are willing for their children and grandchildren, or the children and grandchildren of people in other countries, far away, to take the risk.
You can hear why Nick:
Season 1 Episode 7 with climate scientist Rachel Warren
Season 1 Episode 2 with Green Party councillor Jamie Osborn
