In 2021, the UK is hosting the annual UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, where politicians and experts from across the world gather to cooperate on addressing the threat of climate change.

This podcast, from the Energy, Environment and Resources Programme at Chatham House, explores the major issues that shape international debates on climate change.

The Climate Briefing

Undercurrents - Season 4

Africa Aware

Independent Thinking is a regular podcast hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists, and Chatham House experts to provide insight on the latest international issues.

Independent Thinking

In this episode Dr Alex Vines from Chatham House provides his insights on what the UK Government's Integrated Review will mean for its engagement with Africa. Then Shuvai Nyoni from the African Leadership Centre in Nairobi discusses how East Africa can leverage burgeoning interest for the benefit of its citizens and why approaches to tackle widespread insecurity in the region must be reframed.&nbsp; Credits: Speakers: Shuvai Nyoni, Alex Vines Host: Yusuf Hassan Editor: Jamie Reed Producers: Yusuf Hassan, Ben Horton Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 3: The pivot to East Africa

In this episode of Africa Aware, Dame Rosalind Marsden discusses the state of Sudan’s transition, while Dr Adam Elhiraika speaks about the country’s economic reform priorities and international support.

Episode 4: Sudan’s Economic Stabilization

In this episode of Africa Aware, Ahmed Soliman discusses the context in which the Ethiopian elections are taking place, while Lidet Tadesse emphasizes the importance of peacebuilding and intercommunal dialogue during and after the elections.

Episode 5: Peacebuilding Amidst Elections in Ethiopia

Amid political chaos in the UK, with the resignation of Liz Truss, Bronwen Maddox speaks with Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times, and Orysia Lutsevych, Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, about the latest developments surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Putin's nuclear threats. Joining them is Dr Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow for Chatham House’s Asia Pacific program, to break down Xi Jinping’s speech at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party Read more of our expertise:    Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please, listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.&nbsp;

War in Ukraine, Congress in China – with Gideon Rachman

Rishi Sunak enters Downing Street as the youngest prime minister in modern times, whilst also this week Chatham House welcomed the US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate, John Kerry, to discuss what lies ahead for COP27. To discuss all this, Bronwen Maddox is joined by John Kampfner, Executive Director of Chatham House’s UK in the World Initiative, Simon Fraser, formerly of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hans Kundani an Associate Fellow with the Europe Programme and Anna Åberg, a Research Associate with our Environment and Society Programme. Read our expertise here:    Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.

Rishi Sunak in Downing Street, John Kerry at Chatham House

In Brazil, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by the narrowest of margins. Meanwhile in the United States, the Democrats are fighting to retain the House and Senate from a resurgent Republican Party, still enamoured with Donald Trump. Joining Bronwen Maddox this week are Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of our US and Americas Programme, Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow on Latin America and Ana Yang, Executive Director of our Sustainability Accelerator.&nbsp;

Lula wins in Brazil, US midterms approach

In the United States, the midterm elections threw up some surprising results, with the anticipated Republican ‘red wave’ failing to materialise. Meanwhile at COP27 in Egypt, world leaders met in the first week of the summit. What did their presence achieve? To find out, returning to the podcast this week with Bronwen Maddox are Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of our US and Americas Programme who was in Atlanta Georgia for the midterms and Anna Aberg Research Associate, Environment and Society Programme who is on the ground at COP27. Joining them are Peter Trubowitz, a Professor of International Relations, and Director of the Phelan US Centre at the London School of Economics and Antony Froggart, the Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow of our Environment and Society Programme. Read our expertise:    Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.

The US midterms surprise, COP27 commences

In Iran, since September the country has been swept by thousands of women-led protests, demanding an end to the morality police and the even the fall of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile at Chatham House this week, we hosted our long-awaited Iraq conference, which delved heavily into the multiple challenges facing Iraq two decades on from the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Joining Bronwen Maddox on the podcast this week are Dr Sanam Vakil, the Deputy Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme, Dr Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow, for the Middle East and North Africa Programme and the Project Director of our Iraq Initiative and Sanya Burgess, a digital investigations journalist with Sky News. Read our expertise:    Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.

Protests sweep Iran, the legacy of invasion for Iraq

This episode of Africa Aware discusses the current state of the Commonwealth and the relevance of language-based intergovernmental organizations to African states as they seek to diversify their international relations. We are joined on the episode by HE Professor Robert Dussey, Foreign Minister of the Togolese Republic, and HE Michael Moussa-Adamo, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Gabon, who outline the reasons why both their countries with colonial ties to France joined the Commonwealth in October 2022, and how they seek to contribute to the development of the organisation.

Episode 19: The Commonwealth Reimagined

In this episode, Khalid Omer Yousif discusses how Sudan’s broadest anti-war, pro-democracy coalition, Tagadom, aims to bring civilian voices to the fore in a war dictated by military powers, and their plans to the end of Sudan’s war despite mounting atrocities engulfing the country.

Tagadom’s vision for ending the war in Sudan

The public health systems in Africa are under growing pressure. The sharp 70% drop in official development assistance (ODA) risks weakening critical health programmes, while a rise in public health emergencies continues to stretch already fragile infrastructure.  

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) – the public health agency of the African Union – recognises that these are not isolated challenges. They present a fundamental threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, with far-reaching implications to global stability.  

In this episode, Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General at the Africa CDC, discusses the agency’s mandate to support AU member states in advancing public health priorities and strengthening the capacity of national health institutions to respond to disease threats. 

Strengthening Africa’s Health Security

Ahead of the landmark COP30 in Belem, Brazil, this November, calls for reform of the UNFCCC and COPs are growing, as are concerns that the only formal global forum for climate negotiation and cooperation is under threat. In a series of conversations, Anna, Ruth and Bhargabi interview thought leaders in the climate world about what the future of climate diplomacy should look like. The second guest in this mini-series is Kaveh Guilanpour, Vice President for International Strategies at C2ES, former lead of the UK’s UNFCCC negotiations, co-lead negotiator for the EU, co-lead negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, and head of secretariat for the High Ambition Coalition, and senior advisor to the UNDG’s Climate Action Team.

Episode 59: The Future of Climate Diplomacy 2: Kaveh Guilanpour

In this third instalment of the Future of Climate Diplomacy mini-series, Climate Briefing hosts Anna and Bhargabi explore what lessons that can be drawn from the history of the climate negotiations and how this can inform the future of climate diplomacy. To do this, they are joined by long-time COP researcher Dr Joanna Depledge (Research Fellow at the Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance and at Centre for Science and Policy, both at the University of Cambridge).

 

This week’s Climate Briefing also includes a chat with Dr Patrick Schröder (Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House’s Environment and Society Centre), who explains why the negotiations on a global plastics treaty are important and why the recent round of talks, once again, ended with no deal.

Episode 61: The Future of Climate Diplomacy 3: Dr Joanna Depledge

Are we moving into a post-American world and if so will China try to lead and set the rules for it?

In the face of American withdrawal, China senses an opportunity to shape a new world order. This week on Independent Thinking, Samir Puri and James Kynge join Bronwen Maddox to discuss the changing nature of the international order.

Will China lead a post-American world?

President Donald Trump brought AI and tech CEOs on his second state visit for a deal pledging £31 billion in investment for the UK. 

Olivia O’Sullivan and Laurel Rapp join host Bronwen Maddox to discuss the politics and dealmaking behind the pageantry, on Chatham House’s weekly international affairs podcast.

Trump’s UK visit sealed deals, but at what cost?

The United Nations is a guardian of international law, its leader assured member states this week. But President Trump questioned the point of the UN. Marc Weller and Christopher Phillips join Bronwen Maddox to assess challenges to the global order in a world of strongmen and multipolarity.

The UN must adapt to the Trump era. How?

Forests play a critical role in the fight against climate change. With COP30 taking place in the Amazon, addressing deforestation is likely to be a topic of high priority at the meeting. But what can actually be achieved? To find out, Anna and Bhargabi speak to Mauricio Voivodic, Executive Director of WWF-Brazil, and Edward Davey, Head of the UK Office of the World Resources Institute. In their introduction to the episode, Anna and Bhargabi speak about key developments at the opening of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and New York Climate Week. &nbsp;

Episode 63: How can COP30 help tackle deforestation?

It's party conference season in Britain. Both ruling Labour and opposition Conservatives are nervous about the rise of Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK, successor to the Brexit Party.

Pollster Joe Twyman and Olivia O’Sullivan, Director of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme, join host Bronwen Maddox for this week's podcast.

In UK politics is Reform now the party to beat?

At home the US is mired in domestic dysfunction with a government shutdown now in its second week. But abroad, President Trump has brokered a deal that - although it didn’t win a Nobel Peace Prize - could end the two-year Gaza war. Laurel Rapp and Max Yoeli join guest host Christopher Sabatini.

They discuss the effects of the government funding crisis and protracted political deadlock on the US economy, international investment, the military and foreign policy.

Trump, Gaza and shutdown

The multilateral development banks (MDBs) play a critical role in addressing climate change and have a key role to play in delivering on the ‘New Collective Quantified Goal’ on climate finance, agreed at COP29. This Climate Briefing episode focuses on the newest of the MDBs: the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), launched in 2016. What are the similarities and differences between the AIIB and the other MDBs? What is the AIIB doing to address climate change?&nbsp; To find out, Anna and Bhargabi speak to Kim-See Lim (Chief Investment Officer, Public Sector (Region 1) &amp; Financial Institutions and Funds (Global) Clients at the AIIB) and Hans Peter Lankes (Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive at the Overseas Development Institute; Visiting Professor in Practice at the LSE Grantham Research Institute; and a Senior Fellow at the LSE/Oxford International Growth Centre).&nbsp; In the introduction to the episode, Anna and Bhargabi speak about growth trends in global renewable energy generation, climate politics in the UK, the US-China trade spat and the ratification of the High Seas Treaty.

How can the AIIB help deliver on the new climate finance goal?

Beset by early ceasefire disputes between Israel and Hamas, international backers of President Trump’s Mideast project must move quickly to elevate it from vague wish list to viable framework. Rapid delivery of aid, reconstruction - and security for Palestinians and Israelis – are essential. But without a political end game, it will founder.

Sanam Vakil, Marc Weller and Stephen Farrell join host Bronwen Maddox in this week’s podcast from Chatham House.

How to advance Trump’s Gaza plan from magical thinking to lasting peace

China’s ruling Communist Party leadership met in Beijing to frame the next five-year-plan. Amid a trade war with the United States, they set priorities for economic policy and technology, including how to build artificial intelligence into key sectors of society.  

New faces appeared and old ones vanished, with a purge of senior military officials and others as President Xi Jinping sacked some officials he had earlier promoted. As Xi prepares to meet with US President Donald Trump in South Korea, Chatham House senior research fellows Yu Jie and James Kynge join host Bronwen Maddox.

AI Plus. Generals purged. China's leaders plan for 2030

Will elections in Tanzania bring change?

The incoming COP30 host, Brazil, has signalled it wants COP30 to mark the moment the UNFCCC transitions to a ‘post-negotiation’ phase, and that efforts should focus on action and implementation going forward. As part of its work to make this a reality, Brazil is reforming the UNFCCC’s ‘Action Agenda’, a process bringing together cities, regions, businesses, investors, civil society and governments to implement the Paris Agreement. 

To find out more about Brazil’s vision for the Action Agenda, co-hosts Anna and Bhargabi speak to Dan Ioschpe, Brazil’s High-Level Climate Champion for COP30.

In the introduction to the episode, Anna and her colleague Chris Aylett (Research Fellow at Chatham House) discuss the EU’s commitment to phase out Russian energy imports by 2028 and US efforts to block a plan for decarbonizing international shipping. 

What is Brazil’s vision for the ‘Action Agenda’?

Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders suffered a setback in Wednesday’s elections, with centrists poised to take back power.  

Rob Jetten, 38, leader of the centre-progressive Democrats 66 party, is set to become the Netherlands’ youngest leader in modern history after running on the upbeat slogan ‘Yes we can’. But the hard right remains influential.  

To discuss the outcome, and what it tells us about Europe beyond the Netherlands, guest host Grégoire Roos, Director of Chatham House’s Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes, is joined by Sébastien Maillard, a Chatham House Associate Fellow and special advisor to the Jacques Delors Institute. And, joining down the line, is Karien van Gennip, a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Europe after the Dutch elections. Goodbye far right? Not so fast.

COP30 is about to begin. Where do we stand ahead of the conference? What are the key issues to watch, and how might the complex geopolitical context influence the discussions in Belém? To find out, Anna is joined by three Chatham House colleagues: Ana Yang (Director of the Environment and Society Centre), Bernice Lee (Distinguished Fellow and Senior Advisor) and Nick Bridge (Associate Fellow at Chatham House and former UK Special Representative for Climate change).&nbsp; For additional analysis, please see:    The expert comment ‘What can COP30 achieve, following US withdrawal and underwhelming climate plans’, available .   The explainer ‘What is COP30 and why does it matter for the climate?, available .   The expert comment ‘The UN climate process remains indispensable’, available .

COP30: Key issues to watch

Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York’s mayoral race this week – and other electoral successes – energized Democrats in the US and left-wing parties worldwide. The new standard-bearer of the American left is hailed by progressives as a generational shift of leadership – at 34 he will be the first Muslim mayor of New York, and one of its youngest ever. 

But he faces opposition from many quarters over his plans to raise taxes on the wealthy. Not least from President Donald Trump, who has threatened to hold back federal funds from the city where he was born.  

This week’s podcast assesses the significance of the first major elections of Trump’s second term, and what it means for the Democratic Party’s chances of winning back the House of Representatives in midterm elections next November. 

In the US, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme, and Bruce Stokes, an associate fellow at Chatham House and a former director of global economic attitudes at the Pew Research Center. Joining from London is Stephen Farrell, head of News and Comment, who covered the 2013 New York City mayoral election for The New York Times. 

Mamdani won in New York. For Trump, was it a setback or backlash?

Nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials and analysts look at the prospects for a ceasefire, and at the military, economic and human cost that President Vladimir Putin’s campaign has inflicted on the country. 

They discuss the Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, intended to demoralise the civilian population, and what European allies should do to bolster its defence efforts, and to rebuild the country if there is a ceasefire. 

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Minister of Defence of Ukraine; Daryna Marchak, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture; Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the Opora Civic Network; Simon Smith, Chair of Chatham House’s Ukraine Forum and Dominic Nicholls, Associate Editor of The Telegraph. 

The discussion came as Chatham House hosted a conference - 'War in Ukraine: The battleground for the future of Europe'. https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/research-event/war-ukraine-battleground-future-europe

Read our latest analysis here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/11/ukraines-best-defence-against-putins-energy-war-more-attacks-russias-oil-refining-sector

What does Ukraine need to get through the winter?

After the North Darfur capital El Fasher fell to the Rapid Support Forces, aid agencies and survivors talk of civilians being massacred in the streets. The international affairs podcast of Chatham House examines the human toll, and the dynamics of a war fuelled by regional powers and their proxies seeking to control Sudan’s territory, gold, natural resources, and access to key waterways.&nbsp; Host , is joined by , a Senior Research Fellow in Chatham House’s Africa Programme; , a Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellow; , director of the think tank Confluence Advisory, and , a researcher at the University of Sussex who focuses on migration, human rights, and humanitarian action. Read the Chatham House report . It covers how Sudan’s main warring parties – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – were in competition for the country’s natural resources, and how the fight to control gold assets has been one of the drivers of the conflict. &nbsp; Read our latest:    Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by&nbsp;. &nbsp; &nbsp;🎧&nbsp; &nbsp;🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Sudan – the internal and external forces tearing it apart

COP30 in Belém is over. What happened at the conference? What were the main outcomes? And what needs to happen next? &nbsp; To find out, Anna speaks to Jennifer Morgan (Senior Fellow at the&nbsp;Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance; and former State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action at the German Federal Foreign Office) and David Waskow (Director for the International Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute).

What happened at COP30?

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves published her – widely leaked – budget this week. How does it leave her ruling Labour Party positioned in Britain? And what do the calculations look like from overseas, where other countries have adopted different solutions to the problems facing them? For this discussion on Chatham House’s international affairs podcast, host  is joined by , Director of the UK in the World Programme. And, giving an international perspective on UK finances, are , an Associate Fellow in the Europe Programme and , a Senior Research Fellow for China and the World in the Asia-Pacific Programme. Read our latest:    Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by . &nbsp; &nbsp;🎧&nbsp; &nbsp;🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Britain’s budget – a recipe for growth or decline?

How are Europe and Ukraine reacting after the US and Russia sought to strike their own deal, and Putin warned that Moscow – while not planning for war with Europe – is ‘ready right now’. Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by , Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes; , a Senior Research Fellow and former Georgian Ambassador, and , Research Fellow with our Ukraine Forum.&nbsp; Read Chatham House’s report '' about how the current international sanctions regime is failing, and how to fix it. Read our latest:    Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by&nbsp;. &nbsp; &nbsp;🎧&nbsp; &nbsp;🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Europe scrambles to avoid being sidelined on Ukraine

This is a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking international affairs podcast, recorded at the Doha Forum 2025. 

Many of the official and backroom discussions at Qatar’s annual gathering of more than 5,000 world leaders, policymakers, dialogue, corporate and humanitarian organizations from 162 countries were dominated by discussions of President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy, which was released on the eve of the forum. At one of the first events in the Doha Forum, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox questioned US Ambassador to NATO Mathew Whitaker about it. 

The podcast examines the implications for Europe, Asia, the Middle East and US foreign policy generally of the NSS document, which reinforces the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ strategy, and contains stark language about Europe, talking about its ‘economic decline’ and ‘the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure’. It also says: ‘The days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over.’ 

Joining host Bronwen Maddox in Doha were: Leslie Vinjamuri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Yu Jie, a Senior Research Fellow on China in Chatham House’s Asia-Pacific Programme, and Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

What does Trump’s National Security Strategy mean for Europe, China and Middle East?

In the last Independent Thinking podcast of 2025, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by , Senior Research Fellow with Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Programme; , Director of the International Security Programme; and , a senior research fellow on China in Chatham House’s Asia-Pacific Programme. For further analysis read ‘’ by David Lubin, examining how President Trump’s actions seem to indicate the emergence of a hemispheric US foreign policy. Read our latest:    Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by . &nbsp; &nbsp;🎧&nbsp; &nbsp;🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Trump Year One – China’s economic rivalry with the US is here to stay

In the final episode of the year, Anna speaks to Professor  (Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter) about climate tipping points – the thresholds where a tiny change could lead to large and often irreversible transformations in the Earth system, with potentially disastrous consequences. Examples of such ‘negative’ tipping points include the dieback of the Amazon rainforest, the melting of the Greenland icesheet, and the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). But not all tipping points are bad. In the interview, Anna and Tim also discuss how the triggering of ‘positive tipping points’ within human societies could lead to rapid decarbonization. &nbsp; For further reading, please see:    Tim Lenton’s  ‘Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis’.   Tim Lenton’s  ‘Why some tipping points may be positive for the planet’ in Chatham House’s magazine ‘The World Today’.

Positive and negative tipping points

Reflecting on research conducted as part of a joint Chatham House and UNDP research project on ‘African Peace Processes: Lessons Learned’, this episode examines what makes peace processes ‘stick’. Lisa Musumba is joined by project researchers Dr Abel Abate Demissie and Leonard Onyonyi to discuss the lessons learned from the Pretoria process linked to Ethiopia’s Tigray war and Burundi’s Arusha Accords.

The episode closes with reflections from AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, from our conference in Addis Ababa on Africa’s rising influence in foreign policy and global governance, exploring how African-led peace and security initiatives can be strengthened moving forward.

Strengthening African-led peace and security initiatives

The Climate Briefing is a monthly podcast from Chatham House, exploring the major issues shaping international debates around climate change.&nbsp; In this first episode, the team focus on what happened – and what didn’t happen - at the last UN Climate Change Conference, the COP25 in Madrid, and what it will mean for the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow. Anna and Johanna are joined by two guests; Archie Young, the UK’s lead climate negotiator, and Peter Betts, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House with long experience from the UN climate negotiations. Read the Meeting Summary: Outcomes of the Madrid COP25 and what this means for 2020. [Forthcoming] Follow us on Twitter:  Credits: Speakers: Peter Betts, Archibald Young Hosts: Anna Aberg, Johanna Tilkanen, Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced at Chatham House.

Episode 1: What Does Success Look Like At COP26?

The Climate Briefing returns with interviews on European approaches to climate action, and the role that business can play in achieving the Paris Agreement goals. Johanna and Ben are joined in the studio by two guests; Imke Lubbeke, Head of EU Climate and Energy Policy at the , and Jen Austin, Policy Director of the  coalition. Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the postponement of COP26 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read the Meeting Summary:  Follow us on Twitter:  Credits: Speakers: Imke Lubbeke, Jen Austin Hosts: Johanna Tilkanen, Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced at Chatham House.

Episode 2: European Climate Ambitions

Extreme weather, rising sea levels and a melting Arctic - the effects of climate change are posing an increasingly large threat to national security worldwide. In this episode the team explore the implications of climate change for national security, and how the defence establishment is incorporating environmental concerns into its military planning.&nbsp; Anna speaks to  about the threats posed by climate change, before Ben asks  how militaries and international organisations are adapting to these threats.&nbsp; Follow us on Twitter:  Credits: Speakers: Neil Morisetti, Patricia Lewis Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced at Chatham House.

Episode 3: Climate Change and National Security

In this bonus episode , Director of the Energy, Environment and Resources Programme at Chatham House, speaks to Anna about the environmental implications of COVID-19. How might manmade pressures on the environment have contributed to the emergence of the virus? What are the environmental impacts of the virus-driven economic slowdown? And how can we rebuild society in a more sustainable way in the wake of this crisis?&nbsp; Read the BBC article:  Read the Expert Comment:  Credits: Speaker: Tim Benton Host: Anna Aberg Producer: Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 4: Coronavirus and Climate Change

Finance plays a key role in enabling climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is also a contested issue in the UN climate negotiations. The UK Government has made climate finance one of its top thematic priorities for COP26 and 2020 constitutes the deadline for developed countries to mobilise USD 100 billion per year to support climate action in developing countries.&nbsp; This week the Climate Briefing team speak to three experts to find out more. , from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explains the key debates surrounding climate financing. Tenzin Wangmo, Lead Negotiator for the  outlines how developing countries view these financial concerns. Finally, Rachel Ward from the &nbsp;provides an insight into how investors are approaching the issue.&nbsp; Read the meeting summary:  Credits: Speakers: Matias Frumerie, Tenzin Wangmo, Rachel Ward Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton, Johanna Tilkanen Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Producer: Ben Horton Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 5: How to Finance Climate Action

The media cycle in the US and across the world is consumed by the final weeks of the 2020 presidential election, with incumbent Donald Trump hoping to win a second term against the challenge of former Vice-President Joe Biden. Much of the debates around the election have focused on the response to COVID-19, and the candidates' positions on issues related to 'law and order'. But what will the election mean for climate policy? And how will the result affect the international negotiations at COP26 and beyond? To find out Anna speaks to , an energy and climate change reporter at Axios, about Trump's first term of climate policy and the campaign pledges of the respective candidates. Then Ben discusses the international implications with , the Executive Director of Greenpeace International.&nbsp; Credits: Speakers: Amy Harder, Jennifer Morgan Hosts: Anna Aberg, Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 9: What Does the US Election Mean for Climate Change?

Undercurrents returns for its first episode of 2021 with an extended interview on the future of UK foreign policy. The United Kingdom is emerging from four long years of intense debate abouts its relationship with the European Union. While the effects of Brexit are still to be felt, questions now confront policymakers about how the UK should position itself in an increasingly complex global landscape.&nbsp; In this episode Ben is joined by Chatham House Director Dr Robin Niblett to discuss his new report, Global Britain, Global Broker, which proposes a new approach to understanding Britain's international role.&nbsp; Read the Chatham House report:  Credits: Speaker: Dr Robin Niblett Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 69: Global Britain and the Future of UK Foreign Policy

As African states find themselves in the midst of severe economic difficulty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yusuf speaks to  on the topic of debt on the continent, African risk perception and how the current system must be transformed to ensure it delivers for Africa. &nbsp; Read the Chatham House Expert Comment:  &nbsp; Credits: Speakers: Tighisti Amare, Alex Vines, Carlos Lopes Host: Yusuf Hassan Editor: Jamie Reed Producer: Ben Horton Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Africa Aware: The Economic Burden of COVID-19

As countries across the world begin to roll out vaccine programmes to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, questions are emerging over how to ensure that competition for supply does not derail the global response. In this week's Undercurrents, Amrit Swali speaks to  about the looming threat of vaccine nationalism and what can be done to realize more equitable distribution.&nbsp; Next, Ben learns about the legal regimes that govern how militaries behave in the 'greyzone' between war and peace, with . They cover how militaries respond to threats such as cyber and economic warfare, and how the national security establishment can adapt to an evolving battlespace.&nbsp; Read the Expert Comment:&nbsp;  Read the Expert Comment:  Watch the Chatham House Event:  Credits: Speakers: Juliet Skingsley, Rob Yates Hosts: Ben Horton, Amrit Swali Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House&nbsp;

Episode 70: Vaccine Nationalism, and Military Action in the Greyzone

This week Undercurrents is collaborating with the Asia Matters podcast to bring you two episodes on recent events in Southeast Asia.&nbsp; In this episode, Dr Champa Patel, Director of the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House, and Tin Htar Swe, the BBC’s former Burmese editor, provide their reaction to the ongoing coup in Myanmar. This episode was first published on 8 February 2021, and events on the ground since may have developed beyond those mentioned in this conversation.&nbsp; Read the Expert Comment:  Credits: Speakers: Champa Patel, Tin Htar Swe Host: Andrew Peaple Introduction: Ben Horton Recorded and produced by the Asia Matters podcast.

Bonus: The Coup in Myanmar

This week, Ben is&nbsp;joined by Claudia Sadoff, Managing Director for Research Delivery and Impact, to discuss the relationship between food systems, climate change and security. Claudia was speaking ahead of the launch of a new campaign from CGIAR and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Transforming Agricultural Innovation for Climate, Nature and People calls for half of public investments in agricultural innovation to focus on innovations that provide new solutions across the entire spectrum of our food and agricultural industries to support the UN Global Goals that related to food, climate and the environment. Then Mariana Vieira speaks to David Veveers, a historian at Queen Mary, University of London, about his recent article on the mis-remembering of British imperial history. They discuss how empire has shaped modern British society, and the troubling signs that the UK government may attempt to define the 'right' interpretation of the nation's history.&nbsp; Find out more:  Read The World Today article:  Credits: Speakers: Claudia Sadoff, David Veveers Hosts: Ben Horton, Mariana Vieira Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 71: Sustainable Food Systems, and the Politics of National History

In this episode of Africa Aware, Gita Honwana Welch highlights historical development challenges in the Sahel, and Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos discusses how responses to Jihadist groups in the Sahel must be rethought. Credits: Speakers: Gita Honwana Welch, Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos Host: Yusuf Hassan Editor: Jamie Reed Producers: Yusuf Hassan, Ben Horton Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 2: Responding to Crises in the Sahel

This week, Undercurrents takes a deep dive into relations between North Korea and its neighbours. Dr John Nilsson-Wright from the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House interviews Mr Thae Yongho, a North Korean-born politician and member of South Korea's National Assembly. After serving as North Korea's Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Mr Thae defected from Kim Jong-Un's regime in 2016. In this discussion he shares his perspective on the domestic situation in North Korea, as well as how South Korea and the United States should be approaching relations with Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp; Then Amrit Swali is joined by Laura Dunkley from the Research Partnerships team to discuss a new toolkit developed by Chatham House, BASIC and the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy which sets out ways to mainstream gender in think tank research and events.&nbsp; Read the publication:&nbsp;  Credits: Speakers: Laura Dunkley, John Nilsson-Wright, Thae Yongho Hosts: Ben Horton, Amrit Swali Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Episode 72: Politics on the Korean Peninsula, and Gender in Think Tank Research

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