COP30 Outcomes, the Amazon & the Rise of the Bioeconomy with Author, Tim Christophersen, VP Climate of Climate Change at Salesforce
In this episode of Constructive Voices, Jackie is joined again by Tim Christophersen, Vice President of Climate Action at Salesforce and author of Generation Restoration. Fresh back from COP30 in Belém, Tim shares why – out of roughly 15 COPs he has attended – this one felt like a genuine turning point for climate, nature, and the emerging bioeconomy.
"The Blue Zone in Belem: A long way to go, but the direction is clear!" Photo by Tim Christophersen
Drawing on decades of experience inside the UN system and now in the private sector, Tim takes us behind the headlines – beyond disappointment over the lack of fossil fuel phase-out language – into the real energy that’s building around solutions, especially in and around the Amazon.
He talks about dawn boat rides past parrots and agroforestry plots, industrial-scale ecosystem restoration on degraded pastureland, and the quiet revolution happening in food, finance, and cities. At the heart of it all is one simple shift: treating nature as core infrastructure, not decoration.
“For the first time at a COP, I had the feeling that the excitement about building something new is bigger than the anxiety about dismantling the old, extractive, unsustainable economy.” Tim Christophersen
Photo credit: Deposit Photos
COP30 Outcomes – Listen To The Podcast To Fully Understand
Why COP30 in Belém, Brazil, felt different from previous climate summits – and why Tim sees it as a pivot point rather than just “another COP”.
How Brazil used the location – right in the Amazon – to showcase a new kind of bioeconomy, from deforestation-free cattle to forest-based products and restoration concessions.
What the new long-term forest finance facilities, including the Tropical Forests Forever concept, could mean for paying countries to keep forests standing.
The rise of ecopreneurs and large-scale restoration projects turning degraded pasture into thriving forests – powered by carbon markets and better tech.
Why Tim believes the real story now is building something new, not just fighting the old fossil-fuel system.
How cities like Paris and Singapore are quietly proving that climate action can make daily life better – cleaner air, more green space, healthier people.
What it means to see food and regenerative agriculture as the frontline of the bioeconomy, from Amazonian superfoods to local, seasonal diets in Europ...
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Building Climate-Ready Streets, Homes & Transit with Feljin Jose
Public transport advocate and Dublin City Councillor Feljin Jose joins interviewer Ciara to unpack how streets, housing and rail policy shape daily life—and climate action.
We connect DART+, MetroLink and better buses to the built environment: denser homes near stations, safer walking and cycling, revived main streets, and public spaces that welcome everyone.
Feljin also reflects on Irish climate advocacy—what’s working, what isn’t—and how these lessons scale into global city solutions.
“Housing policy is transport policy.”
Why listen
A clear, human explainer of how infrastructure + planning drive emissions down and quality of life up.
Concrete links between transit corridors and housing supply, vacancy fixes, and public realm design.
First-hand insights from Irish climate advocacy with takeaways for other
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Healthcare's Role in Climate Change with Irish Doctors for the Environment
The built environment and of course, the environment in general, are inextricably linked to our health and well-being. With so much media coverage on climate change and biodiversity loss, it is hard to ignore these facts.
Places and people are also connected in various ways. The people who live in nature-blessed places have a higher chance of good health than those whose homes are in concrete jungles with little or no nature. We have investigated these topics in earlier episodes with guests such as Dr. Nadina Galle and Jane Findlay.
But did it ever occur to you that when a health issue affects you, your treatment may be bad for the environment?
This is the topic that Ciara O’Brien investigates in their interview with Dr. Lisa McNamee of Irish Doctors for the Environment.
“Healthcare is the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter.”
Irish Doctors for the Environment Spreading Awareness to the Public
Tune into this episode, to hear GP and sustainability lead Dr. Lisa McNamee unpack the true footprint of healthcare—and how smarter choices in clinics, hospitals, and our communities can cut emissions while improving patient outcomes.
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Damien Queally of Plan International on Empowering Youth for Sustainable Change
In this Youth Month special, Plan International’s Chief Programme Officer Damien Queally joins youth host Ciara O’Brien to unpack what truly locally led, gender-responsive programming looks like—especially where climate shocks meet the built environment.
“If you’re not bringing young voices in, you’re making decisions with your eyes closed.”
From safe, climate-resilient schools and health centres to inclusive streets, water systems, and shelters that protect girls, Damien makes the case for community-owned solutions that put young people—particularly girls—at the centre of how we design, govern, and maintain the places we live.
Tune into Plan International Chief Programmes Officer, Damien Queally, and Plan International Global Young Influencer, Ciara O’Brien, as they discuss their work with Plan International, a global organisation focused on improving the lives of girls and women in the developing world in a sustainable and equitable way. Their conversation focuses around their approach to this work, youth leadership within the organisation, and current affairs.
Damien Queally Plan International
“We shouldn’t be in a community for 30 or 40 years—our job is to help build self-reliance and shift ownership locally.”
As Plan International focuses on International Day of the Girl 2025, we dive into the campaign in more detail. The launch of the 2025 State of the World Girls Report has caused a stir in the international community. Damien and Ciara explore the specifics of the research and the gl...
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Generation Restoration: A Call To Action With Tim Christophersen
"Generation Restoration wonderfully weaves together the most important ingredients of how we can heal ourselves and the planet. The book is the culmination of Tim’s last twenty-nine years of work and life experience.
Experience that has included leading parts of the United Nations’ Environment Programmes to his current role as VP of Climate Action at Salesforce.
It is hard to imagine anyone better placed to illustrate to the human race how restoration is the key to health, wealth and happiness. We are nature. When we restore nature, we restore ourselves.
Read Generation Restoration to find out how.” Jackie De Burca
Tim Christophersen podcast Constructive Voices
Tim Christophersen Podcast Available From Tuesday 14th October
A gripping, hopeful roadmap to repair our relationship with nature—within a single generation.
What if the next step in human evolution is learning to restore rather than extract?
In this episode, Jackie de Burca speaks with first-time author and renowned nature leader Tim Christophersen to explore his new book, Generation Restoration (launching 14 October 2025).
From East Africa’s shrinking migrations to a small Danish farm buzzing back to life, Tim makes the case that restoration at planetary scale is not only possible—it’s already underway.
Constructive Voices is an award-winning global platform that aims to break down silos in the built environment to accelerate positive change.
Through global conversations with change-makers, we inform our audience about some of the most important concepts and solutions of today.
The Constructive Voices team investigates topics such as green building, biodiversity, renewable energy, nature-positive solutions, AI, resilient building and more.
Hosts to date have included Jackie De Burca, Henry McDonald, Peter Finn, Steve Randall, Emma Nicholson and Sarah Austin.
Our vision is to partner with as many companies and individuals as possible to feature the positive work that they are doing. Making Constructive Voices the Go-To resource for global information and ideas on positive methods for a more sustainable built environment and world.
Our team is dedicated to exploring and promoting sustainability, biodiversity and innovation.
We talk to world-renowned experts, local people, businesses and students in our quest to document and inspire positive, historic changes required for these challenging times.
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