The Climate Briefing

South Asia is home to one-quarter of the global population who reside in only 3.5 per cent of the world's land area, making it the most populous and most densely-populated region in the world. It is also one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change: a recent study found that Chittagong in Bangladesh and Ahmedabad in India are two of the fastest-sinking coastal cities, leaving millions of people vulnerable to rising sea levels. This episode takes place during COP15, the UN's Biodiversity Conference, and explores how climate change is threatening coastal cities, including megacities like Mumbai, Karachi, and Dhaka, and how community initiatives such as the Fishing Cat Conservancy are responding to adapt and build resilience. The discussion also considers whether there are alternative models to foster regional cooperation and to encourage working together on a common climate agenda. Speakers: Yusuf Jameel, Research Manager, Project Drawdown Ashwin Naidu, Founder, Fishing Cat Conservancy Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Anum Farhan, Programme Coordinator, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham House

Earlier this year, India and Pakistan witnessed a prolonged heatwave, starting in March months before usual hot weather. This was followed by, and was in part the cause of, major flooding in Pakistan, as well as in parts of India. The heatwave severely affected agriculture, while the flooding came with immense cost to property and infrastructure. Millions of people were affected. South Asia has experienced devastating climate extremes – more than half of all South Asians have been affected by at least one climate-related disaster in the last two decades. In this episode, Gareth speaks to Aisha Khan, Executive Director, Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change; Dr Daanish Mustafa, Professor in Critical Geography, King's College London; and Jakob Steiner, Glacier Hydrologist, ICIMOD. They discuss how climate risks in South Asia are being felt, and how the region can work to build resilience to these threats.

Negotiators left COP26 in Glasgow with a relatively ambitious outcome. What progress has been made on the climate agenda since COP26, and what are some of the key issues to watch at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh? Mere days before COP27, Anna is joined by Bernice Lee (Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House) to discuss these important questions. Read the explainer: What are the key issues at COP27?

The crossover between water security and climate change is hugely important especially given that the next two COPs are taking place in Africa and the Middle East, both with a history of being water stressed. What should policymakers and negotiators from these regions working on water security focus on at COP27? What does it mean to achieve water security? What are the main barriers or challenges? How is water security relevant to climate change? Carol Chouchani Cherfane – Director, Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies; Cluster Leader, Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Sareen Malik – Executive Secretary of the African Civil Society Network for Water and Sanitation (ANEW) and Vice Chair of the Steering Committee for the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Partnership Chair: Antony Froggatt – Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham House This podcast was produced in collaboration with the UK Aid-funded Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development (K4D) programme which facilitates the use of evidence and learning in international development policy and programming.

The Climate Briefing podcast returns! The new season kicks off with an episode focusing on the next UN climate change conference (COP27), which takes place 7-18 November 2022 in Egypt. Anna speaks to Tom Evans from E3G about what the conference aims to achieve, what the main challenges are, and what needs to happen in the run-up to the summit to enable a good outcome.

Quamrul Chowdhury has been involved in the climate negotiations for almost three decades. He currently serves as a lead negotiator for the G77 and the least developed countries group, and is a member of Bangladesh's negotiating team. In this bonus episode of the Climate Briefing, Anna speaks to Mr. Chowdhury about the outcome of COP26. Find out more: COP26: What happened, what does this mean, and what happens next? >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/cop26-what-happened-what-does-mean-and-what-happens-next Undercurrents: COP26 analysis, and the politics of language survival >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/undercurrents-cop26-analysis-and-politics-language-survival How to ensure the COP26 forest declaration is a success >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/how-ensure-cop26-forest-declaration-success Credits: Speakers: Quamrul Chowdhury Host: Anna Aberg Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

What was achieved at COP26? And what do different parties make of the outcome? In this episode, Anna speaks to a range of negotiators, advisers and experts about the results of the Glasgow conference. Interviewees include Camilla Born (policy adviser to the COP26 president), Farhana Yamin (deputy-chair of the expert advisory group of the climate vulnerable forum), Jacob Werksman (head of the EU delegation), Isatou Camara (climate finance negotiator for the least developed countries group), and Aglaja Espelage (consultant at Perspectives Climate Group). Find out more: COP26: What happened, what does this mean, and what happens next? >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/cop26-what-happened-what-does-mean-and-what-happens-next Undercurrents: COP26 analysis, and the politics of language survival >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/undercurrents-cop26-analysis-and-politics-language-survival How to ensure the COP26 forest declaration is a success >> https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/how-ensure-cop26-forest-declaration-success Credits: Speakers: Camilla Born, Isatou Camara, Aglaja Espelage, Jacob Werksman Farhana Yamin Host: Anna Aberg Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Due to gender inequalities, women are disproportionately affected by climate change, and Indigenous women and women in the Global South are on the front lines of these impacts. The UNFCCC has increasingly recognised these gender-differentiated impacts and the need to support the leadership of women and girls in addressing them. In this episode, Nina Jeffs (Schwarzman Academy Fellow in the Environment and Society Programme) explores the relationship between gender and climate change. First she speaks with two young climate justice activists - Renata Koch Alvarenga and Zainab Yunusa - to find out more about how climate change is affecting women and girls in Brazil and Nigeria, and how women and girls are leading solutions to these challenges. Then she is joined by Gotelind Alber (Co-founder of Gender CC) to discover how gender-responsive approaches are being embedded within UNFCCC negotiations. Read more: Glasgow Womens Leadership Statement on gender equality and climate change: https://www.gov.scot/publications/glasgow-womens-leadership-statement-gender-equality-climate-change/ Credits: Speakers: Gotelind Alber, Renata Koch Alvarenga, Zainab Yunusa Host: Nina Jeffs Editor: James Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

COP26 is finally upon us, and The Climate Briefing team are on the ground in Glasgow to bring you all of the latest updates and developments from the summit. In this episode, Ben introduces a round-up of the first week of the negotiations. Antony Froggatt (Deputy Director, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) provides an overview of the key agenda items at COP26, including the updated NDCs and progress on adaptation, finance and the Paris Rulebook. Then Nina Jeffs (Academy Fellow, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) explains some new developments on the interrelationship between gender and climate action, including the newly announced Glasgow Women's Leadership Statement. These interviews are followed by conversations with two youth activists. Calling from Botswana, Pato Kelesitse (Host of the Sustain 267 podcast) shares her perspective on how to amplify African expertise and priorities within the climate negotations. Finally, UN Youth Delegate for Iceland Finnur Ricart Andrason joins Ben on the fringes of the conference to discuss how far youth voices are being meaningfully engaged with at COP26. Read the Chatham House Expert Comments: COP26: Preliminary progress as world leaders exit Climate finance is the elephant in the room at COP26 Explore Chatham House's activities at COP26: https://chathamhouse.cplus.live/sign-up/chatham-house-climate-risk-and-security-pavilion Credits: Speakers: Finnur Ricart Andrason, Antony Froggatt, Nina Jeffs, Pato Kelesitse Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House Please note: this episode was recorded on Friday 5 November.

The crises of climate change and biodiversity destruction are closely linked. In this episode, Anna speaks to Sam Geall (CEO of China Dialogue, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Associate Faculty at the University of Sussex) about ongoing efforts within the UN to agree a new international biodiversity framework. The interview also zooms in on China's evolving role in international climate and environmental politics. Kindly note that this interview was recorded on the 26th of October - before China announced its new nationally determined contribution.