The global balance of power is shifting. Can climate diplomacy keep up?

As China rises, the BRICS expand and the United States retreats, new power blocks formed by competition and conflict will take centre stage in the negotiations in Belem.

In this week’s Inside COP, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith ask: what will it take for COP30 to foster genuine cooperation in a changing world? And who will get a slice of the new green economy?

They are joined by Bernice Lee of Chatham House, who explores how multipolar geopolitics, resource security, and the race to ‘share the green pie’ are transforming climate diplomacy. And Joanna MacGregor, Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, sets out why progress is still being made despite global headwinds - and what implementation success could look like in Belém.

From populism to geopolitics, the team asks: can climate ambition survive an age of competition? And what lessons from past COPs might help Brazil carve out space for collaboration in a fractured world?

Learn more:

🌍 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

💡 Dive into Chatham House’s work on subjects including climate policy, energy transitions, and natural resources

🤝 Read ‘Will China and the BRICS fill the ‘leadership gap’ on climate change?’ from Carbon Brief

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

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And we want to hear from you! What do you want to hear more of in Inside COP? Get in touch with us. Get in touch with us via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will COP30 be the COP of ‘implementation’? And what would that actually mean?

Beyond the famous negotiating halls, climate action is already happening. Businesses, investors and cities are driving real change, and the new green economy is rising in tandem with diplomacy.

So can Belém mark the moment when implementation promises turn into reality?

This week, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith explore the COP ‘Action Agenda’ - the broad range of voluntary climate action that mobilises the private sector, regional governments and civil society. Plus, they consider the extraordinary transformation already reshaping global energy systems and the flow of capital worldwide.

Paul and Fiona hear from leading voices who explore how the real economy is accelerating climate action - from boardrooms and bond markets to start-ups across Latin America. Contributing are Marina Grossi, COP30 Special Envoy for the Private Sector; Aniket Shah, Global Head of ESG and Sustainable Finance at Jefferies; Sue Reid, Senior Advisor at Global Optimism; and Daniel Gajardo, Chilean entrepreneur and co-founder of Reciprocal. Together, they outline what to look for this November in Brazil, and ask how we can tell when implementation is truly happening - not just promised.

Learn more:

🌍 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

⚡ Dive into the details of Ember’s Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025, highlighting the scale of the energy transition

🌳 Discover more about the proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility

📋 Read about the themes and key objectives of the COP30 Action Agenda

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

And we want to hear from you! What do you want to hear more of in Inside COP? Get in touch with us. Get in touch with us via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the sad news this week of Jane Goodall’s passing, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac remember her extraordinary work, personality and humility. They are joined by Mary Lewis, Vice President of the Jane Goodall Institute and Jane’s long-time friend, who shares her memories of her remarkable colleague and her reflections on the incredible legacy she leaves behind. Plus, we share an interview from one of our very earliest episodes with Jane herself, originally released in May 2019.

Learn more

🌳 Discover more about the work of the Jane Goodall Institute, and its impact across the world

🐝 Read the original 2019 report on nature and biodiversity loss from the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) referenced in the re-released episode with Jane

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

Or get in touch with us via this form.

Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Producer: Caillin McDaid

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.