Ultimately, the story of supply chains is a story about people. We spoke with a dozen different supply chain experts from around the world who guided us through the relationships between large corporations and the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make up their supply chain. As we wrap up this three-part series, our guests explain what companies stand to gain by working more intentionally and in partnership with small businesses in their supply chains. These partnerships may...

The approach that many corporations take with their supply chains passes the environmental and monetary costs down to the small businesses and workers that rely on them. These workers are far more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions – which are becoming more frequent and more destructive as climate impacts worsen. In part two of this three-part series, we discuss the ways that large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can establish partnerships founded on trust and...

Modern supply chains are global, complex, and touch nearly everyone in some way — you’re either part of the production process for a given commodity, a consumer of that product or service, or both. However, current supply chain practices fail to properly value our natural resources and the people working within them. Over the course of three episodes, you'll hear from a dozen experts who will explain why centering people is an effective strategy for large corporations to meet their supply...

What do climate-vulnerable countries want from the forthcoming COP28 conference? In this podcast Nicholas Walton talks to Mark Bynoe and Maria Laura Rojas, two members of the ACT2025 grouping, a coalition amplifying the voices of vulnerable countries in the climate negotiations. What are they hoping for, what are their concerns, and how optimistic are they ahead of COP28?

Carbon Dioxide Removal promises to be an important tool in fighting climate change, but how can countries best use it as they reduce their emissions? WRI recently published a working paper on the challenges and questions surrounding carbon dioxide removal, such as equity, its role in mitigation, and how its use can be monitored. In this WRI podcast Nicholas Walton asks the authors - Katie Lebling, Clea Schumer and Danielle Riedl - about their findings and recommendations.

What are the big stories to watch for 2023? In this World Resources Institute podcast Ani Dasgupta and Nicholas Walton discuss four: the longer term impact of Russian's invasion of Ukraine on energy; what the re-election of President Lula in Brazil means for tropical forests; why 2023 is a big year for climate finance; and how is the Inflation Reduction Act affecting the US and beyond? You can see Ani's full presentation of Stories To Watch 2023 at...

What is being done to stop marine biodiversity loss? Marine ecosystems are essential for all life on earth, providing benefits ranging from food to economic and recreational opportunities and more – with 3 billion people depending directly on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, it is being lost at an alarming rate. COP15 in Montreal saw governments from around the world take a step towards addressing this threat to nature by agreeing ‘30 by 30’, effective...

The evidence continues to mount that the climate crisis is urgent, and action needs to be taken now to avert it and to minimise its impacts. Nowhere is this more true than for those vulnerable countries who are most at risk from its impacts. Many of these countries are part of a grouping called ACT2025, which tries to ensure that their voices are heard. So what exactly do they want? In this podcast we hear from Preety Bhandari of WRI, and Maria Laura Rojas of Transforma, an ACT2025 partner...

Tackling climate change and its impacts is complex and multifaceted, and involves everything from simply reducing the fossil fuel emissions in energy generation through to looking at agricultural land use. And then there’s the role of the circular economy in making a decisive impact on tackling climate change. That’s the subject of a new report led by the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, or PACE, titled 'Circular Economy as a Climate Strategy: current knowledge and...

Why is climate finance such an important issue, and how does it affect the world's most climate-vulnerable countries? In this podcast we look at the Pacific island nation of Fiji, which is on the frontline of climate change-related impacts such as coral bleaching, sea level rises, and extreme weather events. Fiji's attempts to meet this challenge were dealt a severe blow by Cyclone Winston and then - especially - the Covid 19 pandemic, which hit the tourism-dependent economy very hard. In...

The World Resources Institute is now 40 years old, but how have the world's climate challenges changed in that time? And how has WRI evolved to meet them? In this podcast, Ani Dasgupta talks about 4 decades of climate action, about technology, growing global awareness of climate change, and the need to make sure climate action is about equity as well as carbon reduction. Former WRI presidents Gus Speth and Jonathan Lash also feature. WRI Big Ideas Into Action podcasts are produced and...

Is it possible to predict conflict? That's what the Water, Peace and Security Partnership's machine learning early warning tool sets out to do. Four times a year the predictions are analyzed and turned into a quarterly report. In this third WPS quarterly report podcast we look at the water stresses facing Iraq, from water shortages to water quality, and hear why they're undermining governance in the south of the country. The interviewee is Laura Birkman, head of the Climate and Security...

The Inflation Reduction Act that has been signed into law by President Biden is seen as good news for US efforts to combat climate change. But what are the international implications of the Act? In this short podcast the President of WRI, Ani Dasgupta, talks about how the Act will add momentum to international climate action with Nicholas Walton. You can find out more here: * 6 benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act: https://www.wri.org/insights/inflation-reduction-act-benefits * WRI...

Some cases of just transition are obvious - such as finding replacement jobs and taxation money when a local coal-fired power station closes down. But as we transition towards a low-carbon economy some other impacts on livelihoods and communities may not be so easy to predict. This case study from Karnatka in India examines the unintended consequences of building a vast new solar energy farm on seemingly underused land. It is the fourth in WRI's Just Transition In Action podcast series. In...

When a coal-fired power station near the US-Canada border closed, what happened to the local community, shorn of its jobs and the healthy tax revenues that it brought in? As the world shifts toward renewable energy we need to grasp the challenges that this throws up, finding new funding and sources of jobs and economic growth, while enjoying opportunities such as reduced pollution and lower carbon emissions. Learning from what's happened in previous case studies will help us to identify...

What happens to the workers and communities connected to an Australian coal-fired power station when it is closed down? As the world shifts towards renewable energy more fossil fuel-fired power stations will close down. Learning from what's happened in previous case studies will help us to identify challenges, opportunities and solutions. This case study from Australia is the second in WRI's Just Transition In Action podcast series. In the opening episode we looked at the broad issues, and...

It’s one of the thorniest issues in the shift to low carbon economies – what happens to those whose lives, livelihoods and communities are left behind as we move away from fossil fuels. To help examine these transitions we've put together a podcast miniseries that looks at the challenges, opportunities and solutions of just transition. In this Just Transition In Action podcast series we’ve this opening podcast looking at the broad issues, and then we'll examine three case studies – from...

How has Africa been affected by the growing food crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine? In this podcast we hear from three experts, their analysis of the situation, and their solutions - both to the immediate challenge and to making Africa's food system more resilient in the face of challenges such as climate change and conflict. The podcast features Lawrence Haddad of GAIN, Ndidi Nwuneli of Sahel Consulting, and Assan Ngombe of AGRA, along with voices from Addis Ababa's food...

Many governments and authorities started to build cycling infrastructure during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but were these developments temporary or the foundation of a permanent shift towards truly cyclable cities? In this WRI Big Ideas Into Action podcast we hear that many of those cities are starting to make things permanent, and - of course - why helping to get more people out of cars and onto bicycles is a good thing for them, for the cities, and for the environment as well. In this...

Is it possible to predict conflict? That's what the Water, Peace and Security Partnership's machine learning early warning tool sets out to do. Four times a year the predictions are analyzed and turned into a quarterly report. In this second WPS quarterly report podcast we'll look at the countries most at risk of conflict thanks to the fall out of the war in Ukraine, which has led to much higher fuel and food prices, along with serious predicted future food supply problems. The guest for...

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has delivered its latest three reports, covering climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the actions necessary to minimise the damage. In this podcast we hear from two WRI experts, Sophia Boehm and Preety Bhandari, on the content of the reports and what they will be watching to see if the world is turning their analysis into effective action. WRI Big Ideas Into Action podcasts are written, produced and presented by Nicholas Walton....

Beyond the immediate human suffering, what are the wider implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on energy and food? This is an edited, public version of a WRI press call examining the issues and the questions that will need to be asked in the coming months and years. The podcast features four WRI experts: Stientje van Veldhoven, Craig Hanson, Jennifer Layke and Dan Lashof. It was produced and presented by Nicholas Walton. For more, go to www.wri.org/podcasts

What is climate justice, and how do we ensure that climate action helps to address rather than exacerbate inequalities in the world? After all, those that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are often in poorer countries with fewer means to address their worsening situation - and yet they have done less to cause the problem of climate change than those in richer countries. This deeper dive looking at climate justice is the fourth of a short series of WRI podcasts looking at...

How much do air quality and pollution issues affect women and girls, and how much can solutions to those problems be helped by making sure they have a seat at the decision-making table? These are the decisions addressed in this podcast timed to coincide with International Women's Day. The podcast features Gillian Caldwell of USAID, Azra Khan of WRI, and Debby Thalita of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law. Alice Gottesman helped with the interviews, and it was presented and produced...