PIEL.Pod

In this episode, join us as we delve into the intersection of environmental law and ethical supply chains with Becky Milon from Fairtrade. We explore how Fairtrade fills a regulatory gap in current environmental legislation, addressing issues like deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Becky provides insights into how the Fairtrade system supports farmers in complying with emerging regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation. We discuss the impact of climate change on farmers' livelihoods and the direct support Fairtrade provides to mitigate these effects. 

Join us on the PIEL UK Podcast for an insightful discussion with Niall Toru, Senior Lawyer at Friends of the Earth (FoE). With expertise in climate litigation and planning law, Niall shares his journey from government lawyer to environmental advocate. In this episode, Niall provides a concise overview of FoE's mission and the UK's role in climate law. Learn about key legal victories, including challenges against government climate policies. Explore the intricacies of the Climate Change Act and its impact over fifteen years. Gain insights into biodiversity protection under the UK Environment Act and practical steps for local environmental activism. Discover Niall's advice for law students seeking impact-driven careers and the importance of legal training in private practice. Get a glimpse into the intersection of politics and environmental policy in upcoming elections. For a succinct exploration of climate justice and the power of legal advocacy, tune in to our conversation with Niall Toru.

In this episode, we delve into the expertise of Antonie Fountain, a specialist in commodity supply chains, with a focus on the cocoa value chain. As the Director of the VOICE Network, a pivotal organization for the cocoa sector, Antonie brings a wealth of knowledge to the forefront. The VOICE Network annually releases the Cocoa Barometer report, a significant publication shedding light on the intricacies of the cocoa value chain. This report is a vital resource, offering insights into the happenings within the cocoa sector and, more specifically, the impacts on smallholder cocoa farmers in regions such as West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. As a dedicated director of the VOICE Network, Antonie's work extends to monitoring and addressing the challenges faced by smallholder cocoa farmers. His expertise lies in understanding the nuances of commodity supply chains, with a particular emphasis on fostering sustainable practices within the cocoa industry. Through the lens of Antonie's insights and the annual Cocoa Barometer report, this episode aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the cocoa value chain and the realities faced by smallholder farmers across different regions.

In this episode, we hear Gert van der Bijl's Perspective on various areas such as EUDR, Solidaridad, and Sustainable Agriculture as our speaker. Gert has an extensive experience and is a skilled EU Policy Advisor at Solidaridad Europe, a Dutch NGO, which engages European market actors, including corporations and governments. In committing to fair and sustainable value chains. Gert’s current focus is the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

England is banning single-use plastics in October 2023. Steve Hynd from City to Sea talks to us about the ban, its importance, its effect on small businesses, and why recycling isn't the solution. Steve is the Policy and Media Manager at the not-for-profit, City to Sea who campaigns to stop plastic pollution at source. Steve has been leading their work to see a ban on some of the most polluting single-use plastics banned. Before City to Sea, Steve has worked at local, national and European levels of politics and has worked in Brussels, Kampala and the Middle East.

Rodrigo Manrique is a qualified lawyer in Peru and led the legal and environmental team of an oil and gas company for almost 10 years. Amongst many other notable achievements in his CV, Rodrigo specialises in conflict resolution, stakeholder management, government relations and external affairs. He recently completed his LLM in Environmental Law and Policy at University College London. Currently, he is working with The Chancery Lane Project, a non-governmental organisation working to support low-income countries in climate negotiation by reviewing the climate change clause for the Peruvian chapter. In this episode, he talks about his journey, the Andes culture, making O&G more sustainable, and everyone's role while we transition into a more circular economy. 

In this episode, we talk about loss and damage with Dr Elisa Calliari, a Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna and Associate Senior Research Fellow at the department of Political Science at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on the politics and governance of climate change, loss and damage at different scales, from climate change negotiations to national policy-making processes. She is also interested in studying how planned relocation can be employed as an anticipatory and strategic form of climate change adaptation in Europe. She is currently a member of the Italian delegation at the UNFCCC, providing technical support on loss and damage to the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security.

In this episode, we discuss with Paul Powlesland, barrister, activist and founder of Lawyers for Nature, the role of lawyers in the fight and advocacy for the rights of nature.

In this episode, the 2022 Podcast Team Amanda, Chuku, and Florencia discuss their thoughts and views upon the development of the right of protest. We voiced our opinions on the Insulate Britain M25 controversy, the Government/Police/Crime/Sentencing Courts Bill, and its impact. We also discussed whether the new wave of protesting aligns with the old methods and ideologies of protesting and whether we agree with it.

In this episode, we talk to Eloise Scotford (Professor of Environmental Law at University College London) and Andrea Lee (Campaigns and Policy Manager for Clean Air at ClientEarth) about the nature and effects of air pollution, air quality law and governance in the UK, and the challenges of regulating air quality and enforcing air quality standards. This episode was recorded in March 2021.

Interest in the participation of ordinary citizens in environmental decision-making is increasing. Extinction Rebellion is calling for a Citizens’ Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice; and last year Climate Assembly UK, the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly on climate change, was held to examine how the UK should meet its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  Dominic Ward is a Senior Project Officer at Involve, the UK’s leading public participation charity. Involve worked on designing and running Climate Assembly UK. In this episode, PIEL’s Issy Campion and Alex Kidd talk to Dominic about what citizens’ assemblies are and what they can achieve. 

Join PlanetPod's Amanda Carpenter and PIEL co-host Aphra Bennett as they speak to Judy Ling Wong - Director of the Black Environment Network - and climate activitist Daze Aghaji about environmental racism and its links to climate justice.  

Planet Pod’s Amanda Carpenter and PIEL co-host Rob Clarke speak to ClientEarth lawyer April Williamson and experienced fund manager and investor influence expert Tracey Campbell about the pressures on corporations over climate change, the duties on company directors and fund managers to take action, and ways for lawyers to drive improved disclosure and behaviour in the investment industry.

Join Planet Pod’s Amanda Carpenter and PIEL co-host Rob Clarke to explore what Public Interest Environmental Law means, how lawyers can contribute to public interest issues through their practices and working lives and what motivates people to get involved.  We talk to guests Paul Powlesland, barrister at Ely Place Chambers and passionate advocate of wild law, and Rosa Winter, Senior Lawyer at Friends of the Earth.

The climate (and other) crises put pressure on our traditional assumptions about 'good' decision making. This lecture explores the need to continue to assess our processes, and to assert the values underpinning public involvement in environmental decision making.