Outrage + Optimism
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Face the climate crisis head on, but understand that we have the power to solve this. From former UN Chief Christiana Figueres and the team who brought you the Paris Agreement, this podcast about issues and politics will inform you, inspire you and help you realize that this is the most exciting time in history to be alive.
How can the law be used to champion human rights, drive progress and fight for climate justice? Paul Dickinson is joined by Laura Clarke, CEO of ClientEarth, the non-profit lawyers for the planet working to protect life on Earth.
Laura shares how ClientEarth has successfully challenged corporate greenwashing, from the Dutch courts ruling against airline KLM for misleading customers, to forcing a Polish company to change the misleading name of its ‘eco-pea coal’. And beyond corporate accountability, how they take on national governments to ensure they uphold their environmental commitments.
In this latest in our series on the new levers of change, co-presenters Tom Rivett-Carnac and Christiana Figueres join Paul to reflect on the ways in which law, climate and justice intersects. Christiana shares her excitement on the new ways in which the ‘web of jurisprudence’ is being woven in a field with little legal precedent.
Plus, each share their take on the news that former Outrage + Optimism guest Mark Carney will become the next Prime Minister of Canada. How will he deal with President Trump amid the ongoing US-Canada trade war?
Learn more
ClientEarth case study: KLM Greenwashing found illegal
https://www.clientearth.org/latest/news/we-re-joining-legal-action-against-dutch-airline-klm-for-greenwashing/
Read more about ClientEarth https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/client-earth-james-thornton/3713181?ean=9781911344810
Learn about how young people are taking action in court https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-law/assets/climatechangeandyoungpeople-shortversion.pdf
Find out how big oil’s campaign financing for Donald Trump’s re-election may have prevented a congressional investigation
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/big-oil-investigation-congress-republicans
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: Jarek Zaba
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
Are women the key to solving the climate crisis? Why are they - and children - so disproportionately affected by the issue? And how can men step up to support change?
To mark International Women’s Day, Christiana Figueres is joined by top climate scientist Dr Katharine Hayhoe.
As well as being Distinguished Professor and Endowed Chair at Texas Tech University, Katharine is an influential voice in communicating science at the ‘kitchen table’ level. She and Christiana reflect on the barriers women face in STEM roles, Katharine’s work with Science Moms highlights the impact of the crisis on children and the power of women in conversations about the climate.
Women make up just over a third of STEM professionals in the United States and only a quarter of earth science professors globally. In an era where diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are being rolled back by President Donald Trump’s government, there’s never been a more urgent need for diverse voices in science. Leading data scientist Hannah Ritchie asks how we communicate in this new landscape.
Plus, Katharine shares how her Evangelical Christian faith fuels—rather than conflicts with—her climate work, as she and Christiana they celebrate how love can be the driving force for all genders to unite for climate justice.
Together with Christiana, co-hosts Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson reflect on why diverse perspectives lead to better solutions and ask how men can support greater gender equality in STEM. Throughout, we hear from incredible women worldwide with inspiring messages for International Women’s Day. From Pat Mitchell and her work on Project Dandelion to Natalie Isaacs of 1 Million Women - plus a rallying cry from Fabian Dattner of Homeward Bound.
Learn more
Watch the Science Moms campaign ad broadcast during the Superbowl
Read the Science Moms guide on how to talk about climate change with friends, family, or strangers
Be inspired by Katharine Hayhoe’s TED Talk
And check out our newsletter!
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: Jarek Zaba
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
Development programmes across the world are still reeling from the swingeing cuts to USAID, whilst other western nations such as the UK and Germany have announced plans to scale back their own aid commitments.
With Mike Bloomberg agreeing to fill the gap in climate funding left by the US's withdrawal from Paris, is it up to wealthy philanthropists to fill the hole of state funding? Is it realistic or appropriate for them to do so? And do competing interests from funders compromise work on the ground?
Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson examine the potential for a slippery slope in which governments increasingly abdicate their responsibilities for minimising problems for people and the planet.
To delve into the topic more broadly, Christiana speaks to Helen Mountford, president and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation, a global platform of researchers, strategists and grantmakers aiming to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy.
Since 2008, ClimateWorks has granted over $2 billion to more than 850 grantees in over 50 countries. Whether electric vehicles or clean cooling for air conditioning units, Helen cites examples of philanthropic programmes that not only tackle climate destruction but also improve standard of living for people. And after expressing some much justified outrage, Christiana and Helen agree on a moment of optimism for bottom-up community coordination.
Learn more:
Read up on the ClimateWorks Clean Cooling programme.
Learn more about wider trends of slashing global aid
Let us know whether you think philanthropy can or should fill the gap left by governments by sending us a voice note!
Be a part of it: We’re very excited to announce we are hosting an event at The Conduit Club in London on the 22nd March and we’d like to invite you, our wonderful listeners, to join us. We’ll have just been to see the West End play Kyoto, an incredible dramatisation of the 1997 Climate Summit and will be hosting an evening of thought-provoking conversations with key insiders who were in the room at this negotiation, plus activists and thought leaders who can help us think about how we shape the next chapter of climate action. Click here to find out how to get your tickets.
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: Jarek Zaba
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
How does a nation transform its forest coverage from 21% to 60% in half a century? What are the policies that can place nature at the very heart of political thinking? And why does Christiana Figueres see a picture of her dad when she visits an ATM?
Christiana is joined in her home country by co-hosts Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson as they explore Costa Rica’s remarkable history and constitutionally guaranteed environmental safeguards. Our resident expert explains her very deep personal bond to her country’s politics as her father, former President José Figueres Ferrer, was also the father of the Second Republic, most famous for abolishing the country’s army.
It is perhaps Costa Rica’s policies towards nature that truly elevates this nation above its peers, from its drive on rewilding to carbon taxes. But this incredible progress is now under threat: Christiana and former President Luis Guillermo Solís reflect on the populist Trump-like measures implemented by the current administration, including plans for a regressive return to fossil fuels. Will the government go through with it?
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Learn more:
Check out Article 50 of the constitution of Costa Rica:
All persons have the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. For that, they are legitimated to denounce the acts that infringe this right and to claim reparation for the damage caused.
Read about the human right to a healthy environment
Have a suggestion for another country case study? Let us know by sending us a voice note!
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: Jarek Zaba
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
What is the future of climate action? Having previously interrogated the failures of multilateralism in the years since the Paris Agreement was signed, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson look to the future and the alternative ‘levers of change’ that will tackle the climate crisis.
These avenues are needed now more than ever after a whirlwind of executive orders and policies passed by President Donald Trump’s administration. These have placed climate action firmly in its crosshairs, whilst conflating it with other conservative talking points such as transgender rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes.
So what other levers can be pulled? Whether it’s the utilisation of technology; our interaction with the worlds of business and finance; mass engagement with the public at large; climate litigation that moves the debate into the courtroom; and the role of young people – not just as campaigners, but also as corporate advisors. Will these approaches help bypass increasing obstructionism in the fight for climate justice?
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Check out the graphs Paul mentioned about the power of wind and solar generation, as well as EV and battery sales!
Have we missed any exciting levers of change? Let us know by sending us a voice note!
WATCH: 10 years on from Paris, Christiana Figueres is forced to confront her negotiation style: “There’s no one less diplomatic than I am!”
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: Jarek Żaba
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
Christiana Figueres, the driving force behind the groundbreaking Paris Climate Agreement, reflects on the high-stakes negotiations that reshaped the global fight against climate change in the year that marks its ten-year anniversary. With the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, she reveals the relentless pushback from the fossil fuel lobby, and the ever-shifting geopolitical tensions that threaten progress. Will the world stay on course, or are we teetering on the edge of climate catastrophe?
Co-hosts Paul Dickinson and Tom Rivett-Carnac recall the final hours of the deal being adopted, the extraordinary feeling of seeing the world come together in unanimous support of climate action and make their predictions for how the business and political worlds will move forward in a new era of leadership. As Donald Trump kicks off his second term with a raft of immigration policies, the hosts discuss how the number of people set to be displaced due to climate is set to exceed a billion by 2050. Plus, whether 2025 is the year the insurance industry reaches an existential crisis as climate-related weather events, like the LA fires, become uninsurable.
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Want to share your views on how the Paris Climate Agreement changed the course of history? Send us a voice note!
Or understand more about today's episode:
Read about the state of California’s lawsuit against big oil.Dive into the 25-page Paris Climate Agreement, or read the preamble for all the crucial context as recommended by Christiana Figueres.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: Nina Pullman
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
What’s an NDC? What does El Niño tell us about global temperatures this year? And why could a landmark ICJ ruling unlock a wave of climate legal cases? Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, and Paul Dickinson break down the climate acronyms and buzzwords you need to know in 2025.
With a crucial year ahead for climate action, this podcast is your essential guide to the key terms shaping global discussions. From breaking down BRICS to how President Donald Trump’s return to the White House will change the climate conversation. Plus, Paul finally decodes the ultimate acronym soup of climate finance jargon and the hosts discuss whether scrapping acronyms altogether could make the climate conversation more accessible.
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Are there any major climate acronyms you think we missed? Send us a voice note!
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: Nina Pullman
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
What will a Trump presidency mean for the climate movement? Hours after Trump takes office for the second time, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson regroup to take stock and share their reactions to the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. Guest Greg Bertelsen, chief executive of the Climate Leadership Council, offers his perspective on positive ways in which to engage with the Trump presidency on climate and Paul Dickinson shares what business leaders will be discussing at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos.
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Do you have any views on how the climate community could move forward under a Trump presidency? Send us a voice note!
Follow us on social media for behind the scenes and video clips:
Instagram @outrageoptimism
LinkedIn @outrageoptimism
You can also contact us via this form.
Producer: Nina Pullman
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
The devastating fires in LA have dominated the headlines in a dramatic start to 2025. Christiana Figueres,Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson discuss their link with climate, as the newly-released Copernicus report confirms the world has exceeded 1.5 degrees of warming.
And, in the year that marks halfway in the decisive decade for world emissions, our hosts are here with your definitive guide to the biggest climate moments coming up in 2025.
What solutions will technology, AI and business people bring forward this year? What are the key meeting points and dates for the climate community? And just how did Tom and Christiana go from watching Costa Rica in the football World Cup in a pub in New York to delivering the history-making Paris climate talks?
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Did we miss any major climate dates in your diary? Send us a voice note!
Follow us on social media for behind the scenes and video clips:
Instagram @outrageoptimism
LinkedIn @outrageoptimism
Or contact us via this form
Producer: Nina Pullman
Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan
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.
Outrage + Optimism is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. Feeling exhausted at the thought of keeping up with climate news ahead of this pivotal year? Join Christiana, Tom and Paul in their weekly conversations to make sense of it all, bringing you expert insight, analysis and inspiring conversations with some of the world’s most visionary thinkers and influential decision makers. Subscribe to Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast.
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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.