Governments in the global North have slashed aid budgets at a time when humanitarian needs have reached record levels, forcing a rethink on global aid and development.

In this podcast, co-hosted by humanitarian news agency Devex, we look at where things may go from here and what new models of cooperation might offer hope.

Hosts:

Robin Pomeroy, Radio Davos, World Economic Forum

Raj Kumar, This Week in Global Development, Devex

Guests:

Carla Haddad Mardini, Director, Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Julienne Oyler, CEO, Inkomoko

Links:

Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/humanitarian-and-resilience-investing-initiative

Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: www.schwabfound.org - look out for forthcoming report, Social Enterprise in Africa.

UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/

Inkomoko: https://www.inkomoko.com/

Devex: https://www.devex.com/

Related podcasts:

This Week in Global Development: https://www.devex.com/news/this-week-in-global-development-106893

Superpower rivalry and geopolitics in Trump 2.0: https://wef.ch/4oOOsys

We have entered the age of "persistent disruption" - Visa's Wayne Best on the Chief Economists Outlook: http://wef.ch/4puuU3m

What you might get wrong about progress - Lessons for leaders: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/steven-pinker-harvard-humanity-doing-better/

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

How does the superpower rivalry between the US and China dictate international relations more broadly? And what does it mean for the future of trade, security and development? Lyunn Kuok, Lee Kuan Yew, Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution, and a member of the Forum's Global Future Council on Geopolitics, analyses the state of the global relations almost a year into the second Donald Trump presidency. This episode is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum's weekly Radio Davos and Beyond the Headlines, the flagship current affairs podcast of The National, the Middle East's leading English-language newspaper. It was recorded at the Forum's Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity in Dubai on 15 October, 2025. It is co-hosted by Mina Al-Oraibi, The National's Editor-in-Chief. Watch a video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel: https://wef.ch/43bySEO Links: Network of Global Future Councils: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council Global Future Council on Geopolitics: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council-on-geopolitics Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/annual-meetings-of-the-global-future-councils-and-cybersecurity-2025/ The National: https://www.thenationalnews.com/ Related podcasts: Beyond the Headlines podcast: https://www.thenationalnews.com/podcasts/beyond-the-headlines/

Related Radio Davos episodes:

We have entered the age of "persistent disruption" - Visa's Wayne Best on the Chief Economists Outlook: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-visa-wayne-best/

"New era, new mood, new challenges" - historian Adam Tooze on why things will never be the same again: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/adam-tooze-cnbc-china-us-history/

Check out all World Economic Forum podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

We all rely on nature to survive - but humans continue to destroy and degrade the environment to an extent that puts our own species at risk

Nature conservationist Marco Lambertini puts the case for going 'nature positive' - getting companies and countries to account for their impact on nature and find ways to conserve and restore more than they destroy.

Links:

Nature Positive Initiative: https://www.naturepositive.org/

World Economic Forum's New Nature Economy reports: https://www.weforum.org/publications/series/new-nature-economy/

World Economic Forum's Bioeconomic Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/bioeconomy-initiative/home

Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders: https://initiatives.weforum.org/alliance-of-ceo-climate-leaders

Alliance of CEOs for Nature: https://initiatives.weforum.org/ceo-alliance/home

Related podcasts:

"All of this is teamwork" - how 'industrial clusters' are accelerating the energy transition: http://wef.ch/4h0W7aa

Are we on track for the energy transition? Insights from three CEOs: http://wef.ch/4nyDxIZ

Ocean: how David Attenborough's new film will transform how you see Earth: http://wef.ch/4729DHk

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

The transition to net-zero is a daunting challenge for any industry - but what if diverse sectors can help each other speed up progress? That's what can happen in an 'industrial cluster'.

In the episode we hear from two such clusters - the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium and the Andalusia Green Hydrogen Valley in Spain - just two of the more than 35 industrial clusters around the world, supported by the World Economic Forum's Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) initiative, to drive economic growth, employment and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

And we speak to the head of the Mission Possible Partnership - an organisation that works to advance the energy transition in industry which also puts a strong emphasis on industry clusters or 'clean industrial hubs'.

Episode page with transcript: http://wef.ch/46rZO3T

Links:

Transitioning Industrial Clusters: https://initiatives.weforum.org/transitioning-industrial-clusters/home

Mission Possible Partnership: https://www.missionpossiblepartnership.org/

Port of Antwerp-Bruges: https://www.portofantwerpbruges.com/en

Andalusia Green Hydrogen Valley: https://www.moeveglobal.com/en/businesses/commercial-clean-energies/green-hydrogen/andalusian-valley

Related podcasts:

How to nudge heavy industry to sustainability: the First Movers Coalition: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/fmc-concrete-cement/

Can aviation ever be sustainable? Here are some paths to net zero: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/aviation-day-airports-sustainable-fuel-saf/

Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/climate-science-policy-business-response/

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

One of the main things needed to achieve net zero that is to transform how we produce and consume energy.

In this podcast, CEOs of three very different companies on the front lines of the energy transition around the world assess where the energy transition is now, and what the future may look like.

Speakers:

Christian Bruch, CEO, Siemens Energy

Andrés Gluski, CEO, AES Corporation

Lei Zhang, CEO, Envision Group

Co-host: Charles Bourgault manager, electricity industry, World Economic Forum

Episode page with transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/energy-transition-electrification-siemens-aes-envision

Related podcasts:

Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond? Getting sustainable, secure and equitable power to the people - how's the global energy transition going? Energy Transition: Amping Up or Powering Down? All Hands on Deck for the Energy Transition

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

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Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Electronic devices that tap into a human's nervous system have been around for decades, for example to help paralysed people move and deaf people hear. Now, a new generation of neurotechnology promises to revolutionise treatments for a range of conditions that afflict billions of people.

We look at the benefits and assess the risks with Jen French, a campaigner for access to neurotechnlolgy who has been using a device for 25 years since a snowboarding accident made her quadriplegic. And Tom Oxley, the CEO of neurotech startup Synchron, explains how 'brain computer interfaces' are giving paralysed patients the ability to use computers and smart phones.

They also address concerns about things such as data privacy, unequal access to health tech, and device 'abandonment'.

Episode page with transcript: http://wef.ch/46Tt4Rm

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/KmIMQVUdHBc

Links:

Network of Global Future Councils: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council/

Related podcasts:

'We have the most to benefit, but also the most to lose': how AI could transform human health:

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

The global economy is moving from experiencing "episodic shocks" to "a new operating regime, one that is defined now by persistent disruption."

So says Wayne Best, chief economist at Visa, as he gives his take on the Chief Economists Outlook, the World Economic Forum's regular pulse check of the world economy and where it is headed.

Episode page with transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-visa-wayne-best

Links:

Chief Economists Outlook: wef.ch/chiefeconsept25

Related podcasts:

"New era, new mood, new challenges" - historian Adam Tooze on why things will never be the same again

"Trillions of dollars added to the economy" - Google's chief economist on the macro impact of AI

The global economy 'at a crossroads' ahead of Davos: Chief Economists Outlook

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

How can you keep up with the rapidly changing skills needed in a job market being transformed by artificial intelligence?

Kian Katanforoosh, founder of tech startup Workera, has advice for all of us on how to ensure we are 'AI-ready'.

Episode page with transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ai-skills-workera-kian-katanforoosh

Related podcasts:

Stock markets and supermarkets: how business is deploying AI: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ai-financial-services-consumer-goods-industries/

Beyond the hype, how industries are deploying AI at the heart of their operations: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ai-industries-in-the-intelligent-age/

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Around the world, people are developing low-emissions technologies - but they can only succeed if there is market demand.

In this episode, we hear how the First Movers Coalition helps create that market by getting big companies to invest in emerging technologies that aim to de-carbonise the 'hard to abate' sectors. And we meet the buyer and seller of low-emissions cement doing just that.

Speakers:

Noam Boussidan, Programme Head, First Movers Coalition

Julia Fidler, Head of Materials and Fuels Decarbonisation, Microsoft

Joe Hicken, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Policy, Sublime Systems

Links: First Movers Coalition: https://initiatives.weforum.org/first-movers-coalition/home

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

The European Union is implementing a 'Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism' (CBAM) that will levy a fee on importing certain goods that are produced in countries that lack regulations forcing producers to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

It's an idea that other countries are considering, but is also hugely complex and may be challenged by exporter countries. Two expert guests explain the policy and its implications for business and global trade.

Speakers:

Aaron Cosbey, Senior Associate, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Dandy Rafitrandi, researcher at the Department of Economics, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia

Kimberley Botwright, Head, Sustainable Trade, World Economic Forum (co-host)

Links:

World Economic Forum Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics: https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-regions-trade-and-geopolitics/home

Emissions in trade: Where are they and how do we measure them?: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/03/emissions-in-trade-how-we-measure-them/

CBAM: What you need to know about the new EU decarbonization incentive: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/12/cbam-the-new-eu-decarbonization-incentive-and-what-you-need-to-know/

What future for climate and trade? Scenarios and strategies for carbon competitiveness?: https://www.weforum.org/publications/what-future-for-climate-and-trade-scenarios-and-strategies-for-carbon-competitiveness/

Countries must deal with imported emissions in a fair and flexible way: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/08/27/countries-must-deal-with-imported-emissions-in-a-fair-and-flexible-way/

European Commission on CBAM: https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism-cbam

International Institute for Sustainable Development: https://www.iisd.org/

Centre for Strategic and International Studies: https://www.csis.or.id/

Podcasts:

Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/climate-science-policy-business-response/

It was 'no deal' on a global plastics treaty - so what happens now?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/plastics-treaty-inc5-gpap/

Tariffs, globalization, and democracy, with Harvard economist Dani Rodrik: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/dani-rodrik-economics-globalization-tariffs/

The global economy 'at a crossroads' ahead of Davos: Chief Economists Outlook: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-ralph-ossa-wto/

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub