The Climate Briefing

What was achieved at COP26? And what do different parties make of the outcome? In this episode, Anna speaks to a range of negotiators, advisers and experts about the results of the Glasgow conference.

Interviewees include Camilla Born (policy adviser to the COP26 president), Farhana Yamin (deputy-chair of the expert advisory group of the climate vulnerable forum), Jacob Werksman (head of the EU delegation), Isatou Camara (climate finance negotiator for the least developed countries group), and Aglaja Espelage (consultant at Perspectives Climate Group).

Find out more:

COP26: What happened, what does this mean, and what happens next? >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/cop26-what-happened-what-does-mean-and-what-happens-next

Undercurrents: COP26 analysis, and the politics of language survival >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/undercurrents-cop26-analysis-and-politics-language-survival

How to ensure the COP26 forest declaration is a success >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/how-ensure-cop26-forest-declaration-success

Credits:

Speakers: Camilla Born, Isatou Camara, Aglaja Espelage, Jacob Werksman Farhana Yamin

Host: Anna Aberg

Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Due to gender inequalities, women are disproportionately affected by climate change, and Indigenous women and women in the Global South are on the front lines of these impacts. The UNFCCC has increasingly recognised these gender-differentiated impacts and the need to support the leadership of women and girls in addressing them.

In this episode, Nina Jeffs (Schwarzman Academy Fellow in the Environment and Society Programme) explores the relationship between gender and climate change. First she speaks with two young climate justice activists - Renata Koch Alvarenga and Zainab Yunusa - to find out more about how climate change is affecting women and girls in Brazil and Nigeria, and how women and girls are leading solutions to these challenges. Then she is joined by Gotelind Alber (Co-founder of Gender CC) to discover how gender-responsive approaches are being embedded within UNFCCC negotiations.

Read more:

Glasgow Womens Leadership Statement on gender equality and climate change: https://www.gov.scot/publications/glasgow-womens-leadership-statement-gender-equality-climate-change/

Credits:

Speakers: Gotelind Alber, Renata Koch Alvarenga, Zainab Yunusa

Host: Nina Jeffs

Editor: James Reed Sound Services

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

COP26 is finally upon us, and The Climate Briefing team are on the ground in Glasgow to bring you all of the latest updates and developments from the summit.

In this episode, Ben introduces a round-up of the first week of the negotiations. Antony Froggatt (Deputy Director, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) provides an overview of the key agenda items at COP26, including the updated NDCs and progress on adaptation, finance and the Paris Rulebook.

Then Nina Jeffs (Academy Fellow, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) explains some new developments on the interrelationship between gender and climate action, including the newly announced Glasgow Women's Leadership Statement.

These interviews are followed by conversations with two youth activists. Calling from Botswana, Pato Kelesitse (Host of the Sustain 267 podcast) shares her perspective on how to amplify African expertise and priorities within the climate negotations. Finally, UN Youth Delegate for Iceland Finnur Ricart Andrason joins Ben on the fringes of the conference to discuss how far youth voices are being meaningfully engaged with at COP26.

Read the Chatham House Expert Comments:

COP26: Preliminary progress as world leaders exit

Climate finance is the elephant in the room at COP26

Explore Chatham House's activities at COP26:

https://chathamhouse.cplus.live/sign-up/chatham-house-climate-risk-and-security-pavilion

Credits:

Speakers: Finnur Ricart Andrason, Antony Froggatt, Nina Jeffs, Pato Kelesitse

Host: Ben Horton

Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Please note: this episode was recorded on Friday 5 November.

The crises of climate change and biodiversity destruction are closely linked. In this episode, Anna speaks to Sam Geall (CEO of China Dialogue, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Associate Faculty at the University of Sussex) about ongoing efforts within the UN to agree a new international biodiversity framework. The interview also zooms in on China's evolving role in international climate and environmental politics.

Kindly note that this interview was recorded on the 26th of October - before China announced its new nationally determined contribution.

A series of recent scientific studies have found that the world is on course for global warming far exceeding the 1.5 degree goal enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile across the globe communities are grappling with extreme weather events and natural disasters related to the climate crisis.

But beyond the obvious impacts of climate change, a whole host of further risks are emerging, exacerbated by the interconnectedness of the global economy. To find out more about these 'cascading' climate risks, Ben speaks to Professor Tim Benton, Director of the Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House.

Read the Chatham House research papers:

What near-term climate impacts should worry us most?

Climate change risk assessment 2021

September 2021 saw a series of significant diplomatic events which could be key to successful climate negotiations at COP26. Now with mere weeks to go before the main event, attention is increasing on the major actors in Glasgow. To find out the state of play, Anna speaks with Bernice Lee, Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow for Sustainability at Chatham House.

Read The World Today article:

Ideology: Storms lie ahead in clash of climate champions

Credits:

Speaker: Bernice Lee

Host: Anna Aberg

Editor: Jamie Reed

Recorded and produced at Chatham House

The G20 - an international gathering of leaders from 19 major states and the European Union - has a significant role to play in coordinating global action on climate change. Accounting for around two-thirds of the world's population and by some estimates 84% of global carbon emissions, agreeing on reforms within this forum could be a game-changer ahead of COP26.

In July 2021, G20 ministerial meetings are taking place ahead of the leaders summit in October.

To assess the prospects for progress on climate change at the G20, Ben is joined by Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of ECCO, the Italian climate think tank.

Watch the Chatham House event:

John Kerry on the urgency of climate action

Read the Chatham House briefing:

Kick-starting the green recovery

Credits:

Speaker: Luca Bergamaschi

Host: Ben Horton

Editor: Jamie Reed

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Ahead of the G7 Summit in June 2021, the Climate Briefing returns to the question of financing climate action.

While the economic challenge of dealing with climate change was already well-established before the pandemic, the costs of responding to COVID-19 threaten to limit the fiscal capacity of governments to fund climate action.

In this episode, Anna and Ben speak to two experts about the relationship between economic development, developing country debt and climate action.

Ben speaks to Farhana Yamin, a leading environmental lawyer who is also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. They discuss the economic threat posed by climate change and the need for a paradigm shift away from conventional, carbon-intensive, approaches to economic development.

Then Anna is joined by Paul Steele, Chief Economist for Shaping Sustainable Markets at the International Institute for Environment and Development, to find out how developing country debt relates to climate finance, and what can be done to address the so-called triple crisis of debt, climate change and biodiversity loss.

Credits:

Speakers: Farhana Yamin, Paul Steele

Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton

Editor: Jamie Reed

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

In 2021 the UK is hosting COP26, but also presiding over the G7. How can it leverage its presidency of the G7 to accelerate climate action in the run-up to COP26? To discuss this, Anna is joined by Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. They consider the key opportunities and debates that will emerge at the G7 Leaders Summit.

Read the Chatham House briefing:

Kick-starting the green recovery in 2021

Credits:

Speaker: Rachel Kyte

Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton

Editor: Jamie Reed

Recorded and produced by Chatham House

This week the Climate Briefing turns its attention to how societies are can deal with the real-time effects of climate change. While mitigation remains a central focus of the international climate negotiations, vulnerable states and communities are calling for greater cooperation on addressing the fallout from climate-related environmental devastation.

To discuss this, Anna is joined by H.E. Saida Muna Tasneem, Bangladesh's High Commissioner to the UK and Ambassador to Ireland and Liberia. They discuss the international politics around climate adaptation, and the contested issue of 'loss and damage'.

Then Ben discusses how governments and aid agencies can improve adaptation practices through locally-led approaches, with Marek Soanes from the International Institute for Environment and Development.

Read the IIED report:

Principles for locally-led adaptation

Credits:

Speakers: Saida Muna Tasneem, Marek Soanes

Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton

Editor: Ben Horton

Recorded and produced by Chatham House