Your Eco-Friendly Choices May Be Hurting the Planet- Tatiana Antonelli Abella

What does it take to inspire real environmental change — and still remain relentlessly optimistic in a world of rising temperatures, policy fatigue, and plastic overload? In this powerful episode of Luca’s Insight Track, host Luca Allam sits down with Tatiana Antonelli Abella, founder and force behind Goombook — the UAE’s pioneering social enterprise for sustainability.

From moving to Dubai as a new mother in 2005 to building one of the region’s most respected voices for climate action, Tatiana’s journey is part resilience, part rebellion, and all heart. She opens up about what first inspired her — not activism, but motherhood — and how curiosity about the safety of baby bottles led her to a life mission: protecting people and the planet.

Tatiana breaks down the reality behind “going green” in the Gulf: the awareness gap, the cost barrier, and why messaging matters more than ever. She challenges the stereotype of the tree-hugger and instead brings sustainability down to earth — literally. With warmth and clarity, she explores the desert’s hidden ecosystem, ancient Bedouin circular practices, and why reconnecting to nature is a cultural, not just ecological, imperative.

Luca and Tatiana dive into what companies get wrong about sustainability (hint: it’s not about checkboxes or CSR gloss), how AI can serve — not replace — environmental strategy, and the uncomfortable truth: if we’re not at peace, we can’t save the planet.

With over 16 community campaigns under her belt and a global recognition that includes the UAE Golden Visa, Tatiana’s impact is undeniable. She shares why storytelling needs to shift, why guilt doesn’t drive behavior, and how one water bottle at a football pitch could spark a movement.

If you care about the future — or want to — this episode is for you. Tune in for a conversation that’s practical, hopeful, and deeply human. Because as Tatiana reminds us: sustainability starts not with saving the planet, but with saving ourselves.