Episode 11: Davos, Trump’s Energy Agenda, and the Built Environment with Simon McWhirter (Deputy Chief Executive, UKGBC) and Simon Phelan (Founder & CEO, Hometree)

In Episode 11 of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Rt Hon Chris Skidmore explore one of the most pivotal sectors for net-zero success: the built environment. They’re joined by Simon McWhirter, Deputy CEO of the UK Green Building Council, and Simon Phelan, Founder and CEO of Hometree. Together, they unpack how innovation, regulation, and business leadership are driving transformation in how we build, retrofit, and power our homes.

What’s News: Davos, Trump, and the Global Energy Puzzle

In this week’s What’s News segment, Brynne and Chris reflect on key takeaways from Davos and the early policy shifts under the newly inaugurated Trump administration. From withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement to canceling $300 billion in clean energy funding, the new direction has rattled climate stakeholders. But Brynne offers a contrarian investor perspective: the administration’s pro-market stance could fuel innovation-led, economically viable energy businesses—particularly in sectors like AI-driven energy management and nuclear.

Chris emphasizes that despite political headwinds, energy economics remain grounded in reality. U.S. energy demand—driven by AI and data centers—is expected to rise by 40% by 2040. Renewables, nuclear, and geothermal are likely to play key roles, especially as the administration signals interest in small-scale, distributed energy. Meanwhile, Europe faces its own crossroads, with debates over regulatory reform and competitiveness intensifying.

Chasing Net-Zero: Simon McWhirter on Decarbonizing the Built Environment

As Deputy CEO of the UK Green Building Council, Simon McWhirter brings a unique, cross-sectoral lens to the climate challenge. In this conversation, he stresses the importance of radical collaboration and systems thinking when tackling emissions from the built environment, which accounts for a significant share of global carbon output.

McWhirter discusses the urgent need to scale both digital and analog solutions—blending AI, digital twins, and proptech innovation with on-the-ground action like retrofitting and local one-stop-shop hubs. He highlights the council’s matchmaking efforts between startups and major property owners, and underscores the value of clear, long-term regulation that gives industry confidence to invest.

He also reflects on the importance of data-driven resilience planning. UKGBC is now mapping climate risk and social vulnerability across regions to guide equitable and targeted climate adaptation, reinforcing the need for place-based action and government empowerment at the local level.

Chasing Unicorns: Simon Phelan on Hometree’s Energy-as-a-Service Vision

In the Chasing Unicorns segment, Brynne and Chris sit down with Simon Phelan, founder and CEO of Hometree, one of the UK’s fastest-growing residential energy services startups. Hometree’s mission is to accelerate home decarbonization through a full-stack model that spans green hardware installation, long-term financing, and ongoing service and maintenance.

Phelan walks through Hometree’s three business lines—installations, financing, and home repair services—and shares how the company has scaled through strategic acquisitions and a landmark £300M financing facility with Barclays and CPPIB. By integrating these services under one umbrella, Hometree offers a frictionless customer experience and positions itself as a one-stop shop for energy transition in the home.

He also offers a candid view on what it takes to build a durable climate tech business, highlighting the importance of realistic valuation models and infrastructure-minded growth. While the unicorn label may be more synonymous with SaaS, Phelan argues that climate and energy startups should embrace a different path—one rooted in long-term service, tangible impact, and integrated infrastructure innovation.

Final Thoughts

Episode 11 highlights the powerful convergence of policy, technology, and business model innovation in reshaping how we live and use energy. From Simon McWhirter’s systems-wide view of sustainable construction to Simon Phelan’s vision for home energy-as-a-service, this episode offers an unflinching look at what it really takes to decarbonize buildings and bring net-zero ambitions to life.

🎧 Listen now to the full episode

‍