The Climate Briefing

COP26 is finally upon us, and The Climate Briefing team are on the ground in Glasgow to bring you all of the latest updates and developments from the summit.  In this episode, Ben introduces a round-up of the first week of the negotiations. Antony Froggatt (Deputy Director, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) provides an overview of the key agenda items at COP26, including the updated NDCs and progress on adaptation, finance and the Paris Rulebook.  Then Nina Jeffs (Academy Fellow, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) explains some new developments on the interrelationship between gender and climate action, including the newly announced Glasgow Women's Leadership Statement.  These interviews are followed by conversations with two youth activists. Calling from Botswana, Pato Kelesitse (Host of the Sustain 267 podcast) shares her perspective on how to amplify African expertise and priorities within the climate negotations. Finally, UN Youth Delegate for Iceland Finnur Ricart Andrason joins Ben on the fringes of the conference to discuss how far youth voices are being meaningfully engaged with at COP26.  Read the Chatham House Expert Comments: COP26: Preliminary progress as world leaders exit Climate finance is the elephant in the room at COP26 Explore Chatham House's activities at COP26: https://chathamhouse.cplus.live/sign-up/chatham-house-climate-risk-and-security-pavilion Credits: Speakers: Finnur Ricart Andrason, Antony Froggatt, Nina Jeffs, Pato Kelesitse Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House Please note: this episode was recorded on Friday 5 November.

The crises of climate change and biodiversity destruction are closely linked. In this episode, Anna speaks to Sam Geall (CEO of China Dialogue, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Associate Faculty at the University of Sussex) about ongoing efforts within the UN to agree a new international biodiversity framework. The interview also zooms in on China’s evolving role in international climate and environmental politics. Kindly note that this interview was recorded on the 26th of October - before China announced its new nationally determined contribution.

A series of recent scientific studies have found that the world is on course for global warming far exceeding the 1.5 degree goal enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile across the globe communities are grappling with extreme weather events and natural disasters related to the climate crisis. But beyond the obvious impacts of climate change, a whole host of further risks are emerging, exacerbated by the interconnectedness of the global economy. To find out more about these 'cascading' climate risks, Ben speaks to Professor Tim Benton, Director of the Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House. Read the Chatham House research papers: What near-term climate impacts should worry us most? Climate change risk assessment 2021

September 2021 saw a series of significant diplomatic events which could be key to successful climate negotiations at COP26. Now with mere weeks to go before the main event, attention is increasing on the major actors in Glasgow. To find out the state of play, Anna speaks with Bernice Lee, Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow for Sustainability at Chatham House.  Read The World Today article: Ideology: Storms lie ahead in clash of climate champions Credits: Speaker: Bernice Lee Host: Anna Aberg Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced at Chatham House

The G20 - an international gathering of leaders from 19 major states and the European Union - has a significant role to play in coordinating global action on climate change. Accounting for around two-thirds of the world's population and by some estimates 84% of global carbon emissions, agreeing on reforms within this forum could be a game-changer ahead of COP26.  In July 2021, G20 ministerial meetings are taking place ahead of the leaders summit in October. To assess the prospects for progress on climate change at the G20, Ben is joined by Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of ECCO, the Italian climate think tank.  Watch the Chatham House event: John Kerry on the urgency of climate action Read the Chatham House briefing: Kick-starting the green recovery Credits: Speaker: Luca Bergamaschi Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Ahead of the G7 Summit in June 2021, the Climate Briefing returns to the question of financing climate action. While the economic challenge of dealing with climate change was already well-established before the pandemic, the costs of responding to COVID-19 threaten to limit the fiscal capacity of governments to fund climate action.  In this episode, Anna and Ben speak to two experts about the relationship between economic development, developing country debt and climate action.  Ben speaks to Farhana Yamin, a leading environmental lawyer who is also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. They discuss the economic threat posed by climate change and the need for a paradigm shift away from conventional, carbon-intensive, approaches to economic development.  Then Anna is joined by Paul Steele, Chief Economist for Shaping Sustainable Markets at the International Institute for Environment and Development, to find out how developing country debt relates to climate finance, and what can be done to address the so-called triple crisis of debt, climate change and biodiversity loss.  Credits:  Speakers: Farhana Yamin, Paul Steele Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House 

In 2021 the UK is hosting COP26, but also presiding over the G7. How can it leverage its presidency of the G7 to accelerate climate action in the run-up to COP26? To discuss this, Anna is joined by Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. They consider the key opportunities and debates that will emerge at the G7 Leaders Summit.  Read the Chatham House briefing: Kick-starting the green recovery in 2021 Credits: Speaker: Rachel Kyte Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

This week the Climate Briefing turns its attention to how societies are can deal with the real-time effects of climate change. While mitigation remains a central focus of the international climate negotiations, vulnerable states and communities are calling for greater cooperation on addressing the fallout from climate-related environmental devastation. To discuss this, Anna is joined by H.E. Saida Muna Tasneem, Bangladesh's High Commissioner to the UK and Ambassador to Ireland and Liberia. They discuss the international politics around climate adaptation, and the contested issue of 'loss and damage'.  Then Ben discusses how governments and aid agencies can improve adaptation practices through locally-led approaches, with Marek Soanes from the International Institute for Environment and Development.  Read the IIED report: Principles for locally-led adaptation Credits: Speakers: Saida Muna Tasneem, Marek Soanes Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Editor: Ben Horton Recorded and produced by Chatham House

More than five years have passed since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, and there are only nine months to go until COP26. To kick off its second season the Climate Briefing podcast focuses on how climate change politics have shifted since COP21 in Paris, and explores the roles of the three largest emitters – China, the United States and the EU – in global climate action. The episode also provides a timely recap of the main aims of COP26. To discuss these themes, Anna and Ben are joined by Camilla Born (Deputy Director of Strategy for COP26 in the UK Cabinet Office) and Antony Froggatt (Deputy Director of the Energy, Environment and Resources Programme at Chatham House). Credits: Speakers: Camilla Born, Antony Froggatt Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Original Music: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

With a UK a general election rapidly approaching, as announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the pouring rain, it seems that the commitment of both main parties to tackling climate change is looking almost as bedraggled as the prime minister himself. Ruth Townend is joined by Rachel Brisley, Ipsos’s Head of Energy and Environment and Olivia O’Sullivan, the director of Chatham House’s UK in the World Programme to discuss what role the environment will play in elections, what the public really think, and whether the UK can still stake a claim to climate leadership.

Ruth Townend is joined by Antony Froggatt, Deputy Director and Glada Lahn, Senior Research Fellow, both of the Chatham House Environment and Society Centre to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in key under-attended-to sectors, including non-energy-uses of fossil fuels. The podcast builds upon a series of four Chatham House roundtables kindly supported by AIG. The series explored topics including chemicals, fertilizers and plastics, the impact of the energy transition on the financial sector, rising geopolitical and market concerns about critical materials, and the phase-down of fossil fuels.

Climate finance is vital to tackling climate change and decarbonising economies. Past pledges, however, have often failed to deliver, especially for developing countries. In the lead-up to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, climate finance will be a major topic. Ruth Townend is joined by Jamie Fergusson, global director for Climate Business for International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, and Creon Butler, Director of the Global Economy and Finance program at Chatham House to discuss what action is needed, and from whom.

Coming fresh from the Chatham House Energy Transitions Conference, Ruth Townend is joined in the studio by IPCC lead author on demand, Professor Felix Creutzig, Dr Christina Demski, Deputy Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation, and Toby Park, Principle Advisor and Head of Energy, Environment and Sustainability at the Behavioural Insights Team. Together they discuss why we need to talk about behaviour change, however uncomfortable the conversation, and explore hot topics such as green lash, heat pumps and the future of cities. Presented by Ruth Townend. Sound by Matthew Docherty and Jamie Reed. Sign up to The Climate Briefing wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe

Ruth Townend is joined in the studio by Gwynne Dyer, author of Climate Wars, and Chatham House’s own Dr Daniel Quiggin to talk about climate solutions from the magical to the mundane. For his forthcoming book Intervention Earth, Dyer has spoken with more than 50 thinkers, innovators and engineers about how we might cool the planet and avoid catastrophe. Dyer, Quiggin and Townend explore the potential of unicorns, workhorses, and the odd dark horse technology, discuss the moral hazard of reliance on unproven technology, and consider the role of both technology and governance in meeting the Paris Agreement goals.  You can find out more about Gwynne Dyer’s work on his website, and read Daniel Quiggin’s work on the role of the aviation industry in reaching net zero on the Chatham House website. Presented by Ruth Townend. Sound by Alex Moyler. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky 🦋 Subscribe to The Climate Briefing wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe

In the second of two COP28 takeover episodes, Research Fellow Ruth Townend gathers Chatham House teammates to discuss how the conference went, with a particular focus on the politics and geopolitics that shaped the conference outcome. Ruth reflects on the global stocktake and loss and damage, while Antony Froggatt and Bernice Lee reflect on how different actors shaped the outcomes, as well as the changing shape of the conference over the years. Glada Lahn discusses the crucial text on fossil fuels, while Professor Tim Benton explores how food and agriculture were dealt with at the conference. The team finish by discussing their hopes for climate action in the year ahead.