General frustration with the result of the most recent UN climate conference (UNFCCC COP29) spurred the former UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres – under whose leadership the Paris Agreement was struck – to co-author a letter to the UN urging an overhaul to the COP process, and calling it “no longer fit for purpose.”

Figueres joins this episode to speak about why the world’s governments seemingly cannot agree to move decisively on climate action, and what can be done about it.

She shares why – despite these frustrations and disappointments – she remains optimistic about the global effort to decarbonize economies and transport systems, citing recent advancements in the deployment of renewable energy and the power of everyday actions:

“I used to think that it was our collective responsibility to guarantee to future generations that they would have a perfect world. And now that I am a recent grandmother, I really look back at that and I go, ‘my God, we cannot guarantee to future generations that they're going to have a perfect world.’ We cannot. So, what can we do? We can do our darndest and we can wake up every morning and make a choice and say ‘where am I going to put my energy today?’” she says.

Figueres is also the co-host of the popular podcast, Outrage + Optimism, which features conversations and analysis about the climate crisis. 

Related reading at Mongabay.com:

· COP29 ends in $300 billion deal, widespread dismay — and eyes toward COP30

· Top Mongabay podcast picks for 2024

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Timecodes

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(00:00) A disappointing COP process

(03:33) Has the Paris Agreement failed?

(08:01) The renewable energy adoption s-curve

(13:34) Electricity generation vs. consumption

(18:55) Decarbonizing without mandates

(23:29) Are we standing still?

(31:16) Courage in choosing optimism

(41:25) Reflections from a Colombian forest

(48:12) Rachel changes her mind