This episode, we're joined by John Duncan, Global Initiative Lead for WWF's No Plastics in Nature program, to unpack the Global Plastics Treaty — often called the most significant environmental agreement since Paris. 

John breaks down why voluntary corporate action hasn't moved the needle, how a 330+ company business coalition is pushing governments for binding rules, and why extended producer responsibility (EPR) could be the single biggest lever for change. We dig into the sticking points stalling negotiations, why the Pacific is ground zero for the plastic-climate-biodiversity connection, and what "circular economy" solutions actually look like beyond recycling. Plus: laser-printed fruit labels, compostable nappies in Vanuatu, and why refill-and-reuse systems might beat "eco" materials altogether.

Links:

John Duncan LinkedIn

https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/business-coalition-for-a-global-plastics-treaty

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/13/new-un-plastic-treaty-going-backwards-experts

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/did-you-see-the-latest-development-in-the-share-7495478417866391553-QuL4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABcNHiUBeH_j_Dyo4tHVOsvmulrogj21M6E

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Jon Jutsen returns to Bula COP31 to unpack the messier middle of the energy transition: where biofuels and biogas still have a role in hard-to-abate sectors like mining, farming and remote transport, and whether Australia's electricity grid is actually ready for the wave of EVs and heat pumps about to hit it. Jutsen makes the case that biodiesel is a short-term bridge at best, that biogas is underused in agriculture and rural industry, and that our networks — built for a world of dozens of new connection applications a year, not thousands — are racing to catch up. The conversation turns to a bigger question: are big centralised transmission networks becoming redundant as we shift toward local, distributed grids?

 Jutsen thinks the answer is nuanced — networks aren't going away, but their role is changing fast. A must-listen ahead of COP31 for anyone tracking Australia and the Pacific's electrification journey.

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Can Australia hit net zero without a clear plan to get there? In this episode of Bula COP31, we sit down with energy transition expert Jonathan Jutsen to unpack what it will really take to electrify Australia's economy by 2035.

Jon has spent decades working at the intersection of energy policy and business, and he doesn't pull punches: Australia's energy transition remains deeply politicised, market forces (not policy) are currently driving renewables adoption, and without a detailed, bottom-up operational plan, the 35% electrification target risks becoming another missed milestone.

We cover what's genuinely improved in renewable uptake, why bipartisanship has been so hard to find, sector-by-sector realities of electrification, lessons Australia could take from Norway, and the case for microgrids and local energy solutions as the grid strains to keep up. We also touch on the future of biofuels and renewable diesel for the hard-to-abate sectors electrification can't easily reach.

This episode also pays tribute to Fiona Wain, remembered as a high-energy voice who was never short of an opinion — and whose impact on the sector's thinking runs through much of this conversation.

👤 Guest: Jonathan Jutsen

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanjutsen/

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Heidi continues her conversation with Selen İnal, founder of the COP31 Türkiye Brief, picking up where they left off at the Zero Waste Forum.

This episode dives into the climate issue hiding in plain sight — waste. Selen breaks down why methane from poorly managed organic waste is one of the most dangerous and underrated climate threats, and unpacks the circular economy challenge: which plastics can actually be recycled, why the EU's new digital product passport could change everything, and a confronting question raised at the Forum — why are developed nations still exporting their waste to developing countries?

The conversation also turns to representation, with reflections on meeting Australia's COP31 Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins, and why having a young woman from an agricultural background in that role matters far beyond symbolism. Heidi and Selen also touch on the Subsidiary Bodies meetings currently underway in Bonn — the dense, high-level negotiations that shape what actually gets discussed at COP.

🔗 Follow the COP31 Türkiye Brief: cop31tr.com | LinkedIn: COP31 Türkiye Brief

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Recorded right after Australia's surprise 2-0 World Cup win over Türkiye, Heidi sat down with Selen İnal — founder and editor of the COP31 Türkiye Brief (cop31tr.com) — for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from waste and electrification to women in climate leadership and what makes Turkish coffee so special.

Selen is a Turkish engineer, entrepreneur and climate communicator who has attended four COPs and built an independent, volunteer-run platform to bring technical expertise and diverse voices into the COP conversation. Her portal — free to publish in for anyone with 10+ years of experience in energy transition or climate change — is fast becoming one of the most rigorous sources of COP31 commentary outside the formal negotiating rooms.

In this episode they cover:

🔋 Electrification — the 35% electrification target announced at SB62 in Bonn, why coupling electrification with phasing out fossil fuels is non-negotiable, and why the Socceroos' "just score more goals" strategy might be a metaphor for the energy transition

♻️ Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul — what happened when two thousand participants packed a plenary room under a ceiling of ocean projections, why methane from organic waste is one of the most underestimated climate problems, and why copy-pasting European circular economy solutions into developing countries doesn't work

🌍 Waste and the global south — the uncomfortable conversation at the forum about developed countries exporting their waste problems to less developed ones

👩 Women in climate leadership — why Sally Higgins as Australia's youth climate champion matters, why three of the five current UN Secretary-General candidates are women, and what having a woman in that role for the first time in history could mean

🤝 Turkey and Australia — two countries whose destinies are suddenly intertwined through a shared COP presidency, a World Cup match and a growing desire to actually fix this thing

🔗 Follow the COP31 Türkiye Brief: cop31tr.com | LinkedIn: COP31 Türkiye Brief

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With COP31 just six months away, Heidi brings Jack — and all of us — up to speed on the rapidly shifting climate diplomacy landscape.

From Istanbul to Bonn, Palau to Queensland, this episode maps the crowded pre-COP calendar and asks what it all adds up to. COP31 host Turkey is ramping up its diplomatic presence: COP President Murat Kurum is in constant motion — most recently at the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, where he joined Azerbaijan and Brazil in signing the "Belem Mission to 1.5" — a joint push to strengthen national climate contributions, accelerate adaptation, and scale up implementation. And UN Climate High-Level Champion Samed Agirbas is consulting stakeholders on what earns a place on the Action Agenda.

We share our conversation with Selen Inal, founder of the COP31 Turkiye Brief — a must-follow resource as Antalya approaches. Plus, Australia and Turkey's joint COP31 Youth Climate Champion has been announced: Sally Higgins, a farmer from Queensland, who'll be saying Bula! to us soon.

In the Pacific, preparations are intensifying. A Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau in September carries the theme BELAU — Building Economies, Life, Action, Unity. A Pre-COP lands in Fiji in October. And a landmark new Pacific Resilience Facility has been established by Treaty, with Australia making a substantial initial contribution to channel climate finance to vulnerable island states.

And before all of that: the SB64 Subsidiary Body meetings open in Bonn on 8 June, where government officials will be hammering out the technical and policy groundwork for COP31 negotiations on finance, mitigation, adaptation, and transparency.

#BulaCOP32 #COP31 #ClimateAction #UNFCCC #PacificClimate #ClimateFinance #Belem #NetZero #PacificResilience #ClimateJustice #COP31Turkiye #SB64 #Bonn #ClimatePolicy #Pacific #Palau #Fiji #Tuvalu #MarshallIslands #Vanuatu #YouthClimate #Podcast #ClimatePodcast #Sustainability #GlobalClimateAction

Links from the podcast:

• https://www.palaupledge.com/
• unfccc.int › sb64June Climate Meetings (SB64) - UNFCCC
• https://globalzerowasteforum.org
• https://sdg.iisd.org/events/55th-pacific-islands-forum-leaders-meeting/

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This episode is part two of our collaboration with Fossil vs Future—we recommend listening to part one first.

As the world looks ahead to COP31 this November, hosted by Türkiye with Australia leading the negotiations, this episode brings together voices from across continents and generations. Jack and Heidi are joined by James Cameron and Daisy Nicholls (hosts of Fossil Versus Future) for a timely conversation on what we hope—and need—to see from this year’s conference.

Together, we unpack the key questions shaping COP31: What will make it onto the Action Agenda? Why is the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative gaining momentum? And if we could write it ourselves, what should the COP31 closing speech actually say?

Along the way, we explore the geopolitical and economic context underpinning the negotiations—from shifting energy systems to the role of emerging climate alliances—and reflect on what meaningful progress could look like in a critical decade for climate action.

Further listening & resources:

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – Learn more about the Paris Agreement and Article 6
• International Energy Agency – Data and analysis on global energy trends
• International Institute for Sustainable Development – Follow negotiations through the Earth Negotiations Bulletin

Thanks for listening—and be sure to follow Bula COP31 to stay part of the conversation.

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Episode intro / context:

COP31 will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026 — but the Pacific is at the centre of it all. While Türkiye handles the logistics and operations of the conference, Australia will lead the negotiations. And crucially, the Pre-COP will be hosted right here in Fiji, supported by the Government of Australia. For us at Bula COP31, this is exactly what we've been advocating for: an unprecedented opportunity to bring the world to the Pacific, to witness climate impacts and solutions firsthand.

Episode description:

In this collaborative, cross-continental episode, we're joined by James and Daisy — hosts of Fossil Versus Future— for an intergenerational conversation about the COP process. Jack and Heidi sit down with James, who takes the hot seat to share what he's witnessed on the ground at previous COPs. How can the COP presidency shape outcomes? How does geopolitics drive climate diplomacy? And is it time for the process itself to be reformed?

Recommendations:

•  Want to go deeper on the co-hosting arrangement between Australia and Türkiye? That's exactly what we unpack on Bula COP31 — give us a listen.

Advocates & Resources:

• Türkiye holds the formal COP31 Presidency, managing all operational and logistical requirements, with the conference and World Leaders Summit physically taking place in Antalya. But Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, will serve as President of Negotiations — a role with exclusive authority over the agenda, draft texts, and appointment of co-facilitators. This creative arrangement was designed to break a diplomatic deadlock that would otherwise have sent the conference to Bonn, Germany, and left the world without focused negotiation leadership for a year.
• An intergovernmental organisation giving voice to small island nations on the issues that threaten their very existence.
• BINGO (Business and Industry Non-Governmental Organizations) — the formal constituency representing business and industry observers within the UNFCCC process.
• Originally founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum, the Pacific Islands Forum is an 18-member intergovernmental body that unites the region to tackle its most pressing challenges — including the climate crisis.
• The Carbon War by Jeremy Leggett — A firsthand account of the climate negotiations and the relentless efforts of fossil fuel interests — the so-called "carbon club" — to derail them. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the politics behind the process.
• The precautionary principle: the idea that when harm is plausible, we act — even before the science is complete. A principle the Pacific has long called on the world to apply.
• (2017) — Just weeks before hosting COP23, Fiji made history by issuing a sovereign green bond, raising FJD 100m (USD 50m) to fund climate mitigation and adaptation. Pacific leadership in action.
• (2018) — Talanoa is a Pacific tradition: inclusive, participatory, transparent dialogue. When Fiji held the COP23 Presidency, it brought Talanoa to the world stage — launching the Talanoa Dialogue to invite everyone into the conversation about climate solutions. That spirit lives on in everything we do at Bula COP31.

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Most of us feel powerless in the face of climate change—and yet, change is happening right now, driven by everyday citizens and global leaders alike. 

What if your voice could shape international negotiations? And how is Australia’s unique dual-presidency at COP 31 positioned to prioritize the vulnerable Pacific Islands?

In this episode, Heidi and Jack take you inside Climate Action Week Sydney, a massive week of advocacy, policy, and community-led initiatives that influence the biggest climate negotiations on the planet. 

Discover how local events and grassroots activism are directly impacting global climate policies, with behind-the-scenes insights from key leaders like Minister Chris Bowen and grassroots innovators like Mary Jack from Vanuatu.

We break down how the Pacific's is shaping COP 31, the significance of the upcoming Fiji pre-COP, and hear from climate advocates amplifying Indigenous and women-led voices. You'll learn about the critical role that community input plays in forming official negotiation positions and why this moment is more important than ever for those who want to make a difference.

Voxies from:

- Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy

- Eezu Tan, Founder of Climate Writers

- Dr. Amba-Rose Atkinson, Indigenous Researcher

-Mary Jack, Founder of  Mitingar Women and Girls Association

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This is part 2 of our episode with Kenta Sayama, the Climate and Environment specialist in UNICEF Vanuatu.

In Part 2, we shift the conversation to how young people can turn passion into action through UNICEF. We explore the pathways available for youth to engage — from joining national youth advisory groups and participating in advocacy campaigns, to contributing to community programs that shape policy outcomes for children and young people on the frontlines of climate change.

Why does this matter? Because youth aren’t just future leaders — they are shaping solutions today. Understanding how to plug into established institutions like UNICEF opens doors for impact, amplifies grassroots voices, and strengthens collective action across borders. Without this engagement, critical perspectives from young people — particularly in climate-vulnerable regions — risk being overlooked.

Links and resources:

• Get involved with PICAN and VCAN
• UNICEF - Australia Pacific Youth Climate Dialogue 
• Background information on the International Court of Justice (ICJ)  advisory opinion on climate justice 
• Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation Project (VCAP)

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