This week on Cleaning Up, we welcome back Rachel Kyte, the UK’s Special Representative for Climate Change, for a deep dive into the shifting landscape of global climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

Rachel brings decades of experience — from leading Sustainable Energy for All under Ban Ki-Moon to senior roles at the World Bank and IFC — to unpack how countries, investors, and institutions are navigating the new era of implementation.

Together, Michael and Rachel explore:

• How the UK is re-engaging globally on climate and energy policy.
• The evolution of climate finance and why capital still struggles to flow into emerging markets.
• Which path the world will follow, the US petrostate model, or China’s electrostate model.
• Why investing in grids, governance, and infrastructure is still missing from the energy transition.
• What to expect at COP30 — from forest finance to a possible rethink of the annual COP model.
• And how countries from Africa to Asia are shaping their own pathways to clean growth and energy security.

Rachel also reflects on public attitudes, the politicization of climate action, and the need for pragmatic cooperation over rhetoric.

Leadership Circle:

Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. 

Links and more:

• Rachel’s first appearance on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/Umq5pICThDM
• Inside the World's Biggest Investor - Ep138: Carine Smith Ihenacho
• The Planet's Leading Diplomat - Ep70: Ban Ki-moon
• Sustainable Energy for All - Ep16: Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella