Democracy literally means “rule by the people” – a system designed to safeguard our collective voice through the creation of laws and institutions. But today, many democratic systems are struggling to respond adequately respond to the wicked problems the world faces, including climate change. Young people, in particular, are losing faith. 

In this episode, James and Daisy speak about democracy. Why does it matter? Do democratic systems empower us tackle climate change – or slow us down? How might we strengthen democracy?  

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Economist Intelligence Unit (2024) – Only 45% of the world’s population lives in a democracy, 39% under authoritarian rule, and 15% in “hybrid regimes” that combine electoral democracy with authoritarian tendencies.
• Centre for the Future of Democracy – Globally, millennials are most dissatisfied with democracy, and more so than previous generations at the same stage of life. Furthermore,  young people are most positive about democracy under populist leaders of both left and right. 
• Climate Citizens – A project run out of Lancaster University that wants to transform climate policy from something that happens to people, to something that happens with people.
• Climate Assembly UK – Over 100+ people from all walks of life and of all shades of opinion met over six weekends in Spring 2020 to discuss how the UK should meet its net zero target by 2050. They heard balanced evidence on the choices the UK faces, discussed them, and made recommendations about what the UK should do.

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• National Geographic – The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). The first known democracy was in Athens.
• The Economist (2021) – The Swiss have the most pervasive system of referendums of any country in the world. Referendums are a form of “direct democracy”, in which citizens vote directly on policy questions rather than allowing elected delegates to decide (“representative democracy”). 
• The Guardian (2025) – A majority from Europe’s Gen Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
• Ipsos (2024) – Just 37% of 18-to-24 year olds voted at last July’s general election, down from 47% in 2019.
• GOV.UK – “Modernisation of UK democracy will see 16- and 17-year-olds able to vote in next general election.”
• CNN (2025) – Leaders of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran gather in Beijing for huge military parade in challenge to the West.
• UK Parliament – First-past-the-post is a type of electoral system. In the UK it is the system used for the election of MPs to the House of Commons and for some local government elections.
• UK Parliament – Proportional representation is an electoral system in which the distribution of seats corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party, e.g., if a party gained 40% of the total votes, a perfectly proportional system would allow them to gain 40% of the seats.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

The climate crisis is also a health crisis. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are driving more heat-related deaths, spreading vector-borne diseases, and damaging mental health – impacts that fall hardest on the most vulnerable communities. 

Framing climate change through the lens of health makes it personal – and the solutions preventative. Clean energy doesn’t just cut carbon; it saves lives by cleaning the air we breathe. Greener cities reduce emissions, protect us from heatwaves, and support our wellbeing. 

In this episode, James and Daisy explore the urgent connections between climate change and health. How is our health already being affected? How can health risks drive climate action? And what solutions offer the greatest benefits for both people and planet?  

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Outrage + Optimism (2025) – A fantastic podcast episode from Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson exploring why health must be central to climate communication. They are joined by Julia Gillard, Chair of the Wellcome Trust.  
• Force of Nature – Founded by former Fossil vs Future guest, Clover Hogan, this non-profit provides mental health resources and research on the rise of eco-anxiety.

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• Our World in Data (2024) – “Almost no one has “heat” or “cold” written on their death certificate, but sub-optimal temperatures lead to a large number of premature deaths.”
• EAT-Lancet Commission (2019) – Proposes a global planetary health diet that is healthy for both people and planet. 
• NY Times (2025) – The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) will stop funding research on the health effects of climate change.
• NY Times (2025) – With 59% of its revenue coming from federal and external sponsors, Harvard’s School of Public Health faces what has been called an “existential crisis.”
• Smart Surfaces Coalition – Promotes the adoption of green, porous, and reflective surfaces to enable cities to decrease urban heat, save money, reduce flooding risk, and strengthen urban liveability, resilience, and equity.
• City of Barcelona – Offers a publicly available map of climate shelters across the city. 
• Wellcome – Showcases climate solutions with health co-benefits, such as protecting forests in Indonesia by meeting community needs. 
• CNN (2023) – Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, once called air conditioning “the greatest invention of the 20th century” and credited it for helping to transform the island. 
• Verv – An AI-based smart home product that allows remote control of HVAC units, switching to standby, setting temperature points, and programming set points.
• NHS & UNHSA (2025) – Partnered with the UK Met Office to integrate climate science and modelling into health impact assessments and launch an impact-based Weather-Health Alerting System.

SOME FACTS: 

• WHO (2023): 37% of heat-related deaths can be linked to human-induced climate change, and heat-related deaths among people over 65 have risen by 70% in just the last two decades.
• Imperial (2020): Changing temperature and rainfall across Africa could increase yellow fever deaths by up to 25% by 2050.
• UNEP (2023): Air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to public health globally and accounts for more than 8 million premature deaths every year.
• The Lancet (2021): A survey of 10,000 young people (aged 16-25 years) in 10 countries found that 59% were “very or extremely worried” about climate change, and 84% were at least moderately worried. 
• LSE (2024): The UK experienced five heatwave periods during summer 2022 with record-breaking temperatures of over 40°C in England.
• NHS: During summer 2022’s record breaking temperatures, England experienced an estimated 2,803 excess deaths.
• World Bank (2024): A changing climate could lead to excess health costs in low- and middle-income countries of at least US$21 trillion by 2050, equivalent to approximately 1.3% of their projected GDP.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the world’s highest court – has issued its long-awaited advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. The Court confirmed that States have a legal duty to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, for both present and future generations. 

In this episode, Daisy asks James, an international environmental law expert, what this ruling really means – and why it matters. What exactly is an advisory opinion? How might it shape decision making? What happens next? 

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• ICJ (2025) – The Court’s Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, requested by the UN General Assembly in 2023. It was asked to advise on two questions: 

(1) What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations? 

(2) What are the legal consequences for States under these obligations when they cause harm to the environment?

• Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) – A youth-led organisation that initiated the push for an ICJ advisory opinion on climate change.  

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• Carbon Brief (2025) – Provides an overview of what the world court’s landmark opinion means for climate change. 
• Financial Times (2025) – Philippe Sands calls the ruling a “coming of age” moment for writing environmental protection into the international legal order.
• Outrage + Optimism (2025) – In this podcast episode, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, and Paul Dickinson react to the advisory opinion and hear from two lawyers who helped make it happen. 
• ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons (1996) – Paragraph 29 recognised a state’s obligation to respect the global environment.
• Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) – An intergovernmental organization representing small island nations on climate issues.
• Stop Ecocide International – Leading the movement to make ecocide a crime.
• The Guardian (2025) – A fact check of Trump’s claims about “windmills” (wind turbines). 

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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You can also now watch us on YouTube.

Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Sport inspires, builds communities, promotes healthy lifestyles, and brings joy to millions around the world. But while sport is a powerful force for good, it is both a contributor to – and a victim of – climate change. 

In this episode, James and Daisy explore the intersection of sport and climate change. How does sport contribute to climate change? In what ways is climate change already affecting sport? How can sport drive meaningful climate action?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Forest Green Rovers – Officially recognised in 2017 as the world’s first vegan football club and widely considered the greenest football club globally.  
• World Economic Forum (2024) – An overview of how climate change is affecting sports, including how the Paris 2024 Olympics balanced athlete performance with safety. 

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• Forbes (2025) – Examines how the Women’s Euro 2025 is balancing growth, sustainability and climate risk. Switzerland has secured second-class travel for all ticketholders on match days and added 400 extra trains to ensure reliability.
• Cricket for Climate – Founded by Australian cricket captain, Pat Cummins, to use cricket as a platform to fight climate change. 
• The Next Test – A hub for climate concerned cricket players, clubs, and fans. 
• Sport England (2025) – Chairman Chris Boardman has called for a ‘mindset shift’ on climate change and announced a new multi-million-pound fund to create the ‘world’s greenest sports industry’. 
• Arsenal (2018) – Installed a large-scale battery storage system capable of powering the Emirates Stadium for an entire match. 
• Formula E – An all-electric, single-seater motorsport series. 
• Healthy Waters Alliance – A joint initiative between World Rowing and WWF to protect freshwater ecosystems.  

SOME FACTS: 

• “Sportswashing” – The practice of an organization, a government, etc. supporting sport or organizing sports events as a way to improve its reputation.
• European Climate Pact (2024) – The 2016 Rio Olympics released 3.6 million tons of CO2, while the 2018 Russia World Cup released 2.16 million tons – equivalent to the emissions of 465,000+ cars on the road for a year. 
• BBC (2025) – Next year's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico is set to be "the most climate-damaging" in the tournament's history, driven by air travel and a significant increase in the number of matches. 
• European Climate Pact (2024) – Half of the former Winter Olympic host cities could be unable to sponsor winter games by 2050, due to a lack of snow and ice.
• BBC (2023) – The Alps in northwest Switzerland experienced temperatures of 20.9C over Christmas and New Year.
• New Scientist (2024) – By 2100, one in eight ski resorts worldwide could have no snow.
• Green Football – 100,000 tonnes of sportswear ends up in UK landfills annually – enough for 2,500 pieces per person in a packed Wembley stadium. 
• The Guardian (2025) – Tennis fans faced the hottest start to Wimbledon on record this year as temperatures soared to 32C.
• US Open (2018) – The US Tennis Association implemented an ‘extreme heat policy’ to allow players periodic breaks during high temperatures.
• ScienceNews (2023) – Climate change has caused more than 500 home runs since 2010. 
• World Athletics (2022) – 75% of athletes have experienced a direct negative impact from climate change on their health and performance.
• Rapid Transition Alliance (2020) – One in three British Open golf courses will be damaged by rising sea levels.
• Politico (2016) – Trump tried to build a sea wall to protect one of his golf courses from “global warming and its effects.”
• Olympics (2024) – The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 achieved a 54.6% reduction in carbon emissions compared to previous editions. 

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for m...

Demography is the study of human populations, while demographics refer to the characteristics of a population like age, gender, ethnicity, income, education, health. These traits both influence – and are influenced by – the climate crisis. 

In this episode, James and Daisy speak with John Elkington, a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable capitalism. Together they explore the role demographics play in shaping our climate future. What role do older generations play in shaping – or resisting – climate action? Will immigration become the main driver of population growth? How should demographic shifts inform climate solutions?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Rewilding Markets – John Elkington’s blog on how we can design - and redesign - markets to meet tomorrow's needs.
• Hannah Ritchie (2025) – A data-led blog showing that while the generational divide in belief and concern about climate change is small, the differences are slightly greater when it comes to views on how to address it.
• Project Drawdown – Family planning and education could reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by nearly 70 gigatons by 2050.
• Our World in Data – In 1800, the global population was 1 billion. It’s now over 8 billion. The UN projects that the global population will peak in 2086 at just over 10.4 billion people.

OTHER ADVOCATESAND RESOURCES:

• Green Swans (2020) – John Elkington’s twentieth book, a manifesto for system change designed to serve people, planet, and prosperity.
• IPAT Equation – I = P × A × T – Developed by Paul Ehrlich and John Holdren in 1972 to describe how impact (I) or environmental change is a function of population size (P), affluence (A), and technology (T).
• The Conduit (2025) – By 2050, Spain will have 8 million fewer working-age people, so it is issuing work permits to 900,000 undocumented migrants. The Bank of Spain estimated that immigration contributed a fifth of the near 3% GDP growth between 2022 and 2024.
• BBC (2019) – France spends more public money on families than any other OECD country. Its benefits include a ‘birth grant’ of around €950, followed by monthly child benefit and diverse family allowances, income tax reductions and state-subsidised day-care.
• BBC (2024) – A 2021 survey of 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 found that more than 40% of respondents in Australia, Brazil, India and the Philippines said climate change made them hesitant about having children. In France, Portugal, the UK and the US the figure was between 30% and 40%. In Nigeria it was 23%.
• Ingka Young Leaders Forum – A global youth advisory council where Ingka Group's senior decision-makers and the Young Leaders Forum members co-create actionable and transformational strategies together. Ingka Group is the largest IKEA franchisee. 
• edie (2021) – At COP26, the Body Shop explored how a youth council could ensure that younger generations had their voices and issues heard by decision makers.

SOME FACTS: 

• United Nations (2017) – The population of Nigeria is projected to surpass that of the United States by about 2050, at which point it would become the third largest country in the world.
• UN ECA (2024) – Globally, more than 1 in 4 people will be African in 2050, from 1 in 11 in 1960.
• European Commission (2023) – By 2060, Europeans over the age of 65 could account for 39% of the region’s total emissions.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

The ocean is essential to life on Earth – regulating climate, producing oxygen, providing food and livelihoods, and supporting ecosystems. But it's in trouble. Today, it faces a triple crisis: overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

In this episode, James and Daisy dive deep into the ocean’s role in climate stability. Why is ocean protection critical to solving the climate crisis? What were the key takeaways from the UN Ocean Conference? Can the ocean itself be part of the solution?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Ocean with David Attenborough – A stunning documentary highlighting both the beauty of the sea and the alarming ways human activity is depleting its resources.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation – In 2005, Ellen MacArthur became the fastest person to sail solo around the world. Five years later, she founded the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. The Foundation warns that by 2050, oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight.
• UN (2025) – The Nice Ocean Action Plan is a two-part framework that comprises a political declaration and over 800 voluntary commitments by governments, scientists, UN agencies, and civil society to protect the ocean. 

OTHER ADVOCATESAND RESOURCES:

• High Seas Treaty – Covers nearly two-thirds of the ocean that lies beyond national jurisdictions. Once ratified, this treaty will help close critical regulatory gaps and guide international cooperation on ocean protection. 
• Law of the Sea Convention (1982) – An international treaty that established a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities, including navigation rights, territorial waters, and deep-sea mining.
• 30 x 30 – A global campaign to protect 30% of the Earth's land and ocean by 2030. It's a key target of the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022.
• The Precautionary Principle – A decision-making approach that emphasizes taking preventative measures when there's a reasonable possibility of harm, even if scientific evidence is not fully conclusive.
• Dark Oxygen – At depths of 5km, where no sunlight can penetrate, oxygen appears to be produced by naturally occurring metallic “nodules” which split seawater - H2O - into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Blue Economy – Refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and ocean ecosystem health. While widely used, the term lacks a universally agreed definition.
• Notpla – A biodegradable alternative to plastic made from seaweed.
• International Whaling Commission (IWC) – Established in 1946 as the global body responsible for management of whaling and conservation of whales.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – A non-profit organisation which aims to set standards for sustainable fishing.
• The White House (2025) - The Trump administration signed an executive order to accelerate deep-sea mining in both U.S. and international waters.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (2025) – Speaking at the Austrian World Summit, he called for unified global action to combat pollution and safeguard the planet.

SOME FACTS: 

• UNESCO (2022) – The ocean covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface and holds over 97% of its water. Phytoplankton, a tiny marine plant that lives on the ocean’s surface, produces, through photosynthesis, roughly 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe.
• LSE (2023) – The ocean contributes to climate regulation by absorbing over a quarter of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions and around 90% of excess heat. Without the ocean, the average surface temperature, which is currently around 15°C, would instead be around 50°C.
• WEF (2020) – The annual gross marine product of the oceans totals $2.5 trillion per year - which would make it the eighth largest economy, in country terms.
• BBC (2025) – Bottom trawling or dredging is currently allowed in 90% of the UK's Marine Protected Areas. 
• BBC (2025) – Over 2,000 scientists have recommended to governments that all deep sea exploration be paused whilst further research is carried out; just 0.001% of the seabed has been mapped.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Activism is often defined as the act of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. But in practice, it takes many forms and means different things to different people. For many – especially younger generations – activism isn’t just a choice; it’s a necessity, driven by frustration that conventional approaches have failed. Yet, the effectiveness of more disruptive tactics remains hotly debated.

In this episode, James and Daisy sit down with Clover Hogan – a young climate activist who has worked alongside the world’s leading authorities on sustainability, consulted within the boardrooms of Fortune 50 companies, and counselled heads of state. Together, they explore what activism really means today. What misconceptions surround activists? Whose power do you need to create real change? And should everyone be a climate activist?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:
Force of Nature – A youth non-profit founded in 2019 by Clover Hogan at age 19, focused on mobilising mindsets for climate action.
TEDx (2021) – Clover Hogan’s talk, “What to do when climate change feels unstoppable” has almost 2 million views. Change Starts Now: 100 Lessons from a Full-time Changemaker (2025) – A new book by Melati Wijsen, who began campaigning at age 12 to ban plastic bags in Bali.

OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:
The Conduit (2025) – Melati Wijsen led a panel of young climate activists to launch her new book. 
Greenpeace (2022) – Volunteers reflect on what activism means to them.  An Inconvenient Truth (2006) – A documentary about former vice president of the United States Al Gore's campaign to educate people on global warming.
The Cove (2009) – A documentary that analyses and questions dolphin hunting in Japan.
Smart Surfaces Coalition – Committed to the adoption of smart surfaces to enable cities to decrease urban heat, save money, reduce flooding risk, and strengthen urban liveability, resilience, and equity.
Doughnut Economics (2017) – Kate Raworth describes a cutting-edge economic model fit for the 21st century and the establishment of DEAL (Doughnut Economics Action Lab).
Future Generations Commissioner for Wales – A pioneering role advocating for the rights of future generations in policymaking.
ClientEarth – A non-profit using the power of law to bring about systemic change that protects the Earth.
Youth Demand – A youth-led nonviolent civil resistance campaign demanding the UK stops arming Israel and cancels all new oil and gas granted since 2021.
Just Stop Oil (JSO) – A UK-based nonviolent civil resistance group that halted its street campaigns in 2025 after achieving its major goals.
Rights of Nature – In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to change its constitution to state that nature has the same rights as people.
Impossible Foods – A leader in plant-based meat innovation, founded by Pat Brown.
John Elkington – A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable capitalism, a bestselling author and serial entrepreneur. Currently, he is Chief Pollinator at Volans.
We Don’t Have Time - The largest media platform for climate action, founded by Ingmar Rentzhog.

And here is the viral meme created by Elon Musk featuring Clover – discussed in the episode.

To learn more about different perspectives on climate activism and how it’s portrayed in the media:
Carbon Brief (2024) – Shows that 2023 saw a record number of UK newspapers opposing climate action, almost exclusively from right-leaning titles.
Green European Journal (2023) – Explores how the media portray climate activists as “enemies of society”.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

You can also now watch us on YouTube.

Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Environmental law is the law relating to environmental problems – but these problems are anything but simple. Traditional legal systems weren’t designed with challenges like climate change or biodiversity loss in mind, making this one of the most diverse, evolving, and demanding areas of law today.

In this episode, James and Daisy are joined by Philippe Sands KC – a leading international lawyer, professor at UCL and Harvard, and author of East West Street and the recently published 38 Londres Street. Together, they explore the role of international law in protecting the environment. When did international law begin to take environmental issues seriously? Can nature itself have legal rights? What might international environmental law look like for future generations? 

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Financial Times (2025) – Philippe Sands argues that our planet – not just its people – should have legal rights. 
• “Should Trees Have Standing?” by Christopher Stone (1972) – A landmark law review article that launched the idea of legal rights for nature. 
• LSE (2024) – Analysis of climate change litigation cases in 2023, drawing on the Sabin Center’s Climate Change Litigation Databases. 
• Stop Ecocide International – Leading the movement to make ecocide a crime. Philippe helped draw up the legal definition: “Ecocide" means unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.

KEY CASES AND LEGAL CONCEPTS: 

• Chernobyl – The most serious nuclear accident in history. Philippe’s book, Chernobyl: Law and Communication, explores the international legal aftermath of the disaster.
• ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons (1996) – Paragraph 29 recognised a state’s obligation to respect the global environment. A new ICJ advisory opinion on climate change is expected in 2025. 
• Chagos Islands – Philippe has long represented Mauritius in its legal battle against the UK over the Chagos Islands. In 2023, he argued that the UN’s International Telecommunication Union could deem UK-US activities there unlawful.
• The Gambia vs Myanmar – A landmark ICJ case against Myanmar for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to the Rohingya Muslims.
• Red Eagle vs. Colombia – A case involving Colombia’s protection of the pàramos ecosystems from mining. 
• The Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression – Proposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, aiming to hold individuals responsible. The proposal followed this article by Philippe.  
• Montreal Protocol – A successful international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances. 
• Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – An EU carbon tariff on carbon intensive products, such as steel, cement and some electricity. 
• The Law of Sea – Governs maritime conduct and environmental protection beyond national borders.

OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:

• Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) – A nonprofit focused on environmental law (founded in 1989). 
• Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law by Ian Brownlie – A foundational text in public international law. 
• Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane – At powerful book on the legal and imaginative rights of nature. 
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson – A groundbreaking book published in 1962 on the environmental harm caused by the widespread use of pesticides that reshaped environmental policy.   
• Bill McKibben – An American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming.
• Thomas Buergenthal – An Auschwitz survivor who became a judge with the UN war crimes court in The Hague. 
• Sir Nicholas Lyell QC – An Attorney General in the John Major government and Conservative MP.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Climate change is increasing the risk of damage from unexpected events such as extreme weather and natural disasters. While steps can be taken to reduce the risk, they can’t eliminate it entirely – that’s where insurance comes in. It allows people to transfer financial risk and protect themselves from financial losses. 

In this episode, James and Daisy discuss insurance. How is insurance changing with our changing climate? Will certain areas become uninsurable? Can the insurance industry help build a more resilient future?  

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Allianz SE (2025) – Allianz board member, Günther Thallinger, warns that the global financial system is at risk and that escalating extreme weather events could soon make some risks uninsurable. 
• Howden & BCG (2024) – This report highlights insurance as critical to mobilising $10 trillion of committed climate transition investment.
• David Howden is CEO of Howden and has written extensively about the problem of the insurance protection gap. 

OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:

• AXA (2024) – In the 2024 AXA Future Risks Report, climate change is identified as the top risk for both experts and the general public in all international regions surveyed. This marks the third consecutive year that climate change has been ranked as the top global risk by AXA.

• World Economic Forum (2024) – “Unlike traditional insurance, parametric policies focus on the magnitude of a specific type of an event, with a simple, straightforward payout process.”
• Environmental Finance (2025) – An innovative wildfire insurance product offers lower premiums and deductibles as incentives for sustainable forest management. 

• AccuWeather (2025) – Estimates total damage and economic loss from LA wildfires of between $250 billion and $275 billion. 
• News Statesman (2025) – “California created an insurer of last resort in 1968, the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan, following a spate of brush fires and riots in the state over the decade. (An insurer of last resort is an insurance company or government entity which provides insurance for entities which are considered high risk or uninsurable).”

• The Loss and Damage Fund – At COP27, it was agreed to create a fund that will help low-income developing countries offset the damage from natural disasters caused by climate change.
• Carbon Brief (2023) – An interview with Robert Van Lierop reflecting on the three-decade journey to a loss-and-damage fund. Countries negotiated the world’s first climate change treaty in 1991, which featured the word “insurance”. 

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Shortly after we recorded our episode on populism, two major developments in the UK prompted us to do this follow-up. First, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair called for a major rethink of the UK’s net zero policy. Then, the right-wing populist party Reform UK made significant gains in the English local elections.

In this episode, James and Daisy talk about these events and reflect on what they might mean for climate action in the UK. Was Blair’s report a missed opportunity to make a meaningful contribution? What did he get right – and where did he go wrong? And could this shift pose a threat to climate action? 

THE REPORT: 

• The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change (2025) – The report published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change on 29th April 2025. 

SOME RESPONSES TO THE REPORT: 

• LSE 
• techUK 
• Energy Transitions Commission 
• Michael Liebreich 
• Outrage + Optimism

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener – This strategy sets out the policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet its net zero target by 2050.
• IEA (2025) – As the Chinese economy and domestic transport sector undergo significant transformations, demand for the most widely consumed oil-based fuels – including gasoline, jet fuel and diesel – declined marginally in 2024. EVs currently account for about half of car sales in China. 
• BBC (2025) – “Nigel Farage's Reform UK has made big gains in English local elections, cementing it as a prime challenger to Britain's traditional main parties. It won 677 of around 1,600 seats contested on Thursday across a clutch of mainly Tory-held councils last contested in 2021.”

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: 

LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

You can also now watch us on YouTube.

Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.