This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler War on the world – Are conflicts leading us to climate oblivion?
Nov 20, 2025
Nick Mabey, the CEO of climate think tank E3G and founder of London Climate Action Week, joins the conversation to explore the intersection of geopolitics and climate action. He discusses how US political dynamics and global conflicts distract from vital climate initiatives. Mabey delves into the challenges of energy security and the tension between short-term political goals and long-term climate strategies. He also highlights China's potential leadership in the climate sphere and the role of competition in driving emissions reductions, despite the risks it poses to vulnerable nations.
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Climate Diplomacy Has Real Wins
- The global climate diplomacy is the most successful diplomatic project in history, cutting predicted temperatures and boosting clean investment.
- The next hard step is shrinking current fossil fuel use, not just stopping future increases.
Climate Action Is An Industrial Geopolitical Contest
- Climate action now sits inside a global industrial transformation with clear winners and losers.
- Geopolitical tensions shape clean-tech trade, tariffs and national industrial policy decisions.
China's 15-Year EV Bet
- China publicly decided 15 years ago to prioritise electric vehicles and invited foreign firms to invest and learn.
- That industrial bet delivered cheap, sophisticated EVs and aligned China more with climate goals.