Sustainable Views

In this episode of the Sustainable Views podcast, deputy editor Elizabeth Meager speaks to editor, Philippa Nuttall about the challenges facing COP17, following her recent reporting trip to Armenia and conversations with the summit's president.

With the world falling behind on its biodiversity commitments, they discuss whether the targets agreed under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework are achievable, why nature finance is struggling to attract investment, and what businesses and governments need to do differently.

They also examine the striking imbalance in global spending on nature, with $30 spent on activities that degrade the environment for every $1 invested in protecting it, and why the success of COP17 may depend on bringing finance ministers and businesses into the negotiations.

Timestamps
00:00 – What is biodiversity COP17?
01:06 – Armenia's priorities as host of COP17
02:24 – The world's ambitious 2030 biodiversity targets
03:49 – Why countries are falling behind on their commitments
05:54 – What can COP17 realistically achieve?
06:13 – The Cali Fund and the challenge of raising private finance
08:05 – Why the nature finance gap is so large
09:33 – Why protecting nature also means stopping harmful investment
11:47 – Can countries be held accountable for missed targets?
13:36 – How biodiversity and climate COPs are connected
14:39 – Why finance ministers and businesses need to be involved
18:23 – Is there still hope for international cooperation?
20:08 – Why biodiversity loss threatens businesses and the global economy

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As Climate Week NYC prepares for its biggest edition yet, what does corporate climate action look like in a world where businesses are increasingly reluctant to even use the word “climate”?

In this episode of the Sustainable Views podcast, deputy editor Elizabeth Meager speaks to Helen Clarkson OBE, chief executive of Climate Group, the organisation behind Climate Week NYC. They discuss whether sustainability is genuinely becoming embedded in businesses or simply disappearing from public view, and why Clarkson believes staying silent on climate creates space for misinformation.

The conversation explores the growing links between climate action, energy security and affordability; how US climate policy is affecting businesses; and why China and other parts of Asia are increasingly important to the global clean-energy transition.

Clarkson also discusses the huge energy demands of AI, whether technology companies can maintain their climate ambitions as data-centre investment accelerates, and why she believes the economics of renewable energy still provide reasons for optimism.

With businesses moving from climate commitments towards implementation, what will determine whether the transition happens quickly enough—and can Climate Week help turn conversations into action?
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In this episode of the Sustainable Views podcast, deputy editor Elizabeth Meager speaks to reporter Ben Steel about his coverage of AI and data centres, from their growing demands for energy and water to the political backlash emerging across the US.

They discuss concerns raised by communities living near major data centre developments, why opposition is becoming a bipartisan political issue, and whether businesses and investors have underestimated the scale of public resistance. The conversation also examines the sustainability claims made by hyperscalers, the scrutiny facing frontier AI companies, and how businesses using AI should think about the environmental footprint of the technology.

With AI investment continuing to accelerate, what will determine whether the infrastructure needed to support it can expand sustainable and how much could local opposition change the economics of the boom?
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In this episode of Sustainable Views, journalist Florence Jones speaks to leading climate scientist Professor Tim Lenton OBE, chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter and chair of the Global Tipping Points initiative.

They discuss what climate tipping points are, why they make conventional climate risk planning more difficult, and whether the 1.5°C target still matters. Lenton also explains where the economic consequences could emerge and offers a more optimistic perspective through positive tipping points, moments when changes in technology, markets and behaviour become self-reinforcing and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy.

They discuss what businesses, policymakers and individuals can do to help trigger these positive changes, and whether influential companies can use their scale to accelerate climate action.
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Energy and climate policy are divisive issues in the United States but is there still room for bipartisan action?

In this episode of the Sustainable Views Podcast, deputy editor Elizabeth Meager speaks with Alex Flint, Executive Director of the Alliance for Market Solutions and a former member of President Trump's transition team, about the future of climate policy in the US.

They discuss why Republicans have become quieter on climate change, where there is still potential for cross-party cooperation, how businesses are shifting their focus from climate mitigation to adaptation, and what rising energy demand from AI and data centres means for the energy transition.
Sustainable Views is an intelligence service by the Financial Times Group. To stay up-to-date, subscribe to our newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.