40. Nick Cooney on Going Beyond Good Intentions & the Ethical Impact of What We Leave Undone

“Focusing on the positive outcomes gives you agency; you can literally see the progress happening and that keeps you moving forward.” - Nick CooneyNick Cooney is a social entrepreneur, alternative‑protein investor, and author. He joins Humanism Now to discuss to unpack the hidden moral cost of doing nothing. Drawing on insights from his new book What We Don’t Do, Nick explains why inaction outweighs mis‑action, how to count the suffering we can prevent, and why business, capital and compassion must pull in the same direction.Topics we cover✔︎ The four‑quadrant framework of action vs inaction✔︎ Measuring impact: turning empathy into numbers✔︎ Beating overwhelm with data‑driven altruism✔︎ Alternative proteins and the end of factory farming✔︎ Lever VC’s investment thesis & the business case for good✔︎ Animal suffering as a neglected moral emergency✔︎ Effective altruism, long‑termism and their critiques✔︎ Habits that keep the “do‑more” muscle strongConnect with NickWebsite – nickcooney.comLinkedInInstagramMediumResearchGateResourcesWhat We Don’t Do – Nick Cooney (2025)Nick Cooney BooksChange of HeartVeganomicsHow to Be Great at Doing GoodLever VC – global VC fund for sustainable food innovationLever Foundation – non‑profit accelerating humane food systemsThe Humane League – farm‑animal advocacy organisationGood Food Institute – think‑tank for alt‑protein R&D and policySend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.