Interviews

Business and policy: climate ambitions beyond greenwashing

It is the ambition loop. It involves science-based knowledge, business support and policy action. It is about raising “the bar higher and higher” towards climate targets and backing them with concrete commitments. Sophie Punte tells us all about the link between business action and policy advocacy by the We Mean Business Coalition.

Growing the new green commons

Urbanization has altered the way cities and the people that inhabit them interact with nature. In countries such as Japan, where high levels of urbanization and a rapidly aging population is leading to abandoned spaces in cities, there is a unique chance to reimagine the role of urban green spaces. “How we design green urban spaces is key for both human and planetary wellbeing,” says urban ecosystem development expert Juan Pastor Ivars.

Yes, it was a success: All the merits of the Kyoto Protocol

 It all started 20 years ago when the signing of the protocol laid the foundation for climate negotiations. Now we consider it outdated, and some criticise it harshly, but it was the starting point of a process that continues to change the world. Nada Maamoun tells us about her research and the positive outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol.

No, it wasn’t successful: Failures and lessons from the Kyoto Protocol’s ashes

From overarching great consensus treaties to smaller agreements between countries, the future of international climate agreements has to learn from the failures of the Kyoto Protocol and its inability to stem the flow of greenhouse gas emissions. Ralph Winkler, international environmental cooperation expert, on the contradictions and opportunities of the agreement signed in 1997.

Carrot and stick: The competitiveness of sustainability

How to find a balance between incentives and disincentives? Two different visions from either side of the Atlantic. With the USA launching its Inflation Reduction Act, Basile Chartier and Thorfinn Stainforth from the Institute for European Environmental Policy, walk us through some of the most important American and European environmental policy developments.

We are brokers of sustainability: The science, policy and business nexus

CEOs, shareholders, voters and policy-makers: there is a way of communicating with all of them that helps build a common, sustainable future. However, it requires a holistic perspective of the climate crisis. With experience in international diplomacy and private consultancy, the eclectic journalist Ione Anderson underscores what holds together business people in meeting rooms and young generations marching during climate strikes.

Know your audience: Journalism vs clickbaiting according to Leo Hickman

Everything you need to know about climate change. Fighting boredom and, at the same time, building a bridge between academia and journalism with accurate scientific reporting. Journalists and their audiences are aware of the causes and impacts of climate change, but what comes next? Leo Hickman, editor-in-chief of Carbon Brief, has a very clear answer to the question.

Teresa Anderson: Human rights and the long shadow of the climate crisis

Inequality. Injustice. Missed opportunities. Yet, there is still room for optimism. “The more we tell this story, the more the politicians will feel the heat”, global lead on climate justice Teresa Anderson explains why “climate is, at its core, a human rights issue” and what it will take to get a successful COP27 that lays the groundwork for lasting positive change.

Adelle Thomas: Putting the most vulnerable at the centre of COP27

“It’s a trend: record-breaking hurricanes are not isolated episodes, extreme events are increasing in intensity and negative impacts are being experienced by the most vulnerable”. For Small Island Developing States, loss and damage is the key issue at the upcoming UNFCCC conference: IPCC author and director of the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre, Adelle Thomas, explains why and provides insight on science, policy and implementation of adaptation strategies.

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Zeke Hausfather: Every tenth of a degree counts

From how to deal with climate uncertainties that could threaten to upend our plans for a low carbon future to the role of carbon dioxide removal and technological progress. Climate scientist and modelling expert Zeke Hausfather outlines the challenges that lie ahead whilst reminding us that the future looks a lot less bleak than it did just a decade ago.

Paul Hawken: Climate does not exist

Humanity is at a crossroads, it can choose to continue to damage the planet and deprive itself of a future, or it can begin a process of profound regeneration. Acclaimed author Paul Hawken walks us through the ongoing climate crisis and what a truly restorative process may look like. “Climate is a part of human life and nature. We should learn to embrace it and its flows without seeing ourselves as other to it.”

Julien Vincent

Julien Vincent: Individuals make market forces

Through collective action individuals can strong-hand financial institutions into divesting from environmentally damaging projects. Winner of the 2022 Goldman Environmental prize, Julien Vincent, explains how climate advocacy revolves around bringing the right information and solutions to the right people at the right time.