Global leadership, trade and conflict are evolving at a breakneck pace. What does it all mean for climate and security? Three experts dig into how changes in the world order ripple through climate negotiations, social movements, the energy sector and the global economy, reflecting on their hopes and fears for the coming year.

Expert guests featured in this episode:

Leo Horn-Phathanothai is a Bangkok-based author, strategist and non-profit leader, working to accelerate green transitions in Southeast Asia. He is an Affiliate Researcher with the Stockholm Environment Institute in Asia and with the Chiangmai University, a Professor at London University, and Founder of Just Transition Incubator.

Philip Osano is the Centre Director of SEI Africa. His interest is in environmental policy, development and international affairs. Philip has 15 years of experience in a range of issues including biodiversity and ecosystem governance, climate change adaptation, land use and integrated environmental planning. He has worked in numerous countries in Africa, and in Canada and the United States.

Katie Browne is a Research Fellow and Team Lead for the International Climate Risk and Adaptation Team at SEI Headquarters. Her research focuses on global governance, international climate finance and inequality.

Hosting this episode is Lauri Tammiste, the Director of SEI’s Tallinn Centre.

This episode is part of SEI’s series, Currents in sustainability, capturing conversations between experts who discuss the most impactful forces they foresee shaping climate policy and sustainable development in the year ahead.

Read more at sei.org.

Music: Ballinger Thought Process (Alt Music) (Instrumental) via Triple Scoop Music / Getty Images.

Voiceover: Intro and outro by Arati Davis, SEI Senior Fellow.

Will innovations in technology during 2025 help the world "technovate" its way out of the intertwined climate, environment and sustainable development crises? Or will new technologies be used in ways that exacerbate already growing social, economic and political divides? Our three expert guests share their hopes, concerns and insights about key matters surfacing at the fast-advancing technological frontier.

Expert guests featured in this episode:

Kelly Levin is Chief of Science, Data and Systems Change for the Bezos Earth Fund. In this role, she brings data, analysis and evidence to inform the Fund’s strategic direction. Kelly is alsoCo-Director of the Systems Change Lab, which monitors, learns from and accelerates the transformational change required to protect people and the planet.

Miquel Munoz Cabré is a senior scientist at SEI’s US centre. Miquel’s research focuses on renewable energy, the energy transition, and climate change, encompassing aspects such as green finance, policy analysis, and socioeconomic benefits.

Somya Joshi is a senior research fellow and Head of Division at SEI’s headquarters in Stockholm. Somya’s research focuses on technological innovation in relation to sustainable development, with a particularly focus on transparency and accountability in governance.

Hosting this episode is Henrik Carlsen, Senior Research Fellow at SEI headquarters and Co-Director of the MISTRA Geopolitics research programme that examines the dynamics of geopolitics, human security and environmental change.

This episode is part of SEI’s podcast series, Currents in sustainability, capturing conversations between experts who discuss the most impactful forces they foresee shaping climate policy and sustainable development in the year ahead.

Read more at sei.org.

Music: Ballinger Thought Process (Alt Music) (Instrumental) via Triple Scoop Music / Getty Images.

Voiceover: Intro and outro by Arati Davis, SEI Senior Fellow.

Pressures on land are taking on new urgency in 2025 and beyond. We will discuss the fears and hopes around land conversion, degradation and restoration, and how these shape the work of our three special guests, Irene Suárez Pérez, Selorm Kugbega and Mónica Trujillo.

Irene Suárez Pérez has vast experience working on nature and climate action including international climate negotiations and financial mechanisms. She was the lead of the Nature Team at Climate Champions and is now a Senior Advisor in Groundswell of Global Optimism as well as the Strategy advisor for Restor.

Mónica Trujillo is an economist who's worked on sustainable agriculture and protected areas management across Latin America. She is a Research Fellow at SEI's Latin America center in Bogotá⁠.

Selorm Kugbega is a human geographer who's worked in-depth on structural economic change in agricultural development with a particular focus in Africa. He is a Research Fellow at SEI's Headquarters in Stockholm.

Hosting this episode is Toby Gardner, Senior Research Fellow at SEI, and Co-Director of Trase, an initiative promoting transparency in deforestation and agricultural commodity trade.

This episode is part of SEI’s series, Currents in sustainability, capturing conversations between experts who discuss the most impactful forces they foresee shaping climate policy and sustainable development in the year ahead.

Read more at sei.org.

Music: Ballinger Thought Process (Alt Music) (Instrumental) via Triple Scoop Music / Getty Images.

Voiceover: Intro and outro by Arati Davis, SEI Senior Fellow.

We live in an era of profound change, where technological, political and social shifts intensify daily. How do we navigate these pressures while driving the transition to sustainability?

Currents in sustainability is a podcast by the Stockholm Environment Institute, where we examine the forces shaping our global path towards a sustainable future. Drawing on insights across our eight research centres, we’ll explore key foresights on issues underpinning transformative change.

Read more at sei.org.

Music: Ballinger Thought Process (Alt Music) (Instrumental) via Triple Scoop Music / Getty Images.

Voiceover: Intro and outro by Arati Davis, SEI Senior Fellow.

Episode art image credit: Vicki Smith / Moment via GettyImages