It’s one of the thorniest issues in the shift to low carbon economies – what happens to those whose lives, livelihoods and communities are left behind as we move away from fossil fuels. To help examine these transitions we've put together a podcast miniseries that looks at the challenges, opportunities and solutions of just transition. 

In this Just Transition In Action podcast series we’ve this opening podcast looking at the broad issues, and then we'll examine three case studies – from Australia, India and the US – and ask what we can learn from them. 

We’ve also got a special resource section of our website where you can find out much, much more – go to wri.org/just-transitions. 

Go to wri.org/podcasts for many more of these WRI podcasts on all sorts of environment-related issues from cities and energy to forests, oceans, restoration and food - or you can subscribe using any podcast app. And don't forget to rate us! Thank you.

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #53: What is a Just Transition?

What happens to the workers and communities connected to an Australian coal-fired power station when it is closed down? As the world shifts towards renewable energy more fossil fuel-fired power stations will close down. Learning from what's happened in previous case studies will help us to identify challenges, opportunities and solutions. 

This case study from Australia is the second in WRI's Just Transition In Action podcast series. In the opening episode we looked at the broad issues, and after this one we'll be looking at two further case studies in India and in the US. 

We’ve also got a special resource section of our website where you can find out much, much more – go to wri.org/just-transitions.

Go to wri.org/podcasts for many more of these WRI podcasts on all sorts of environment-related issues from cities and energy to forests, oceans, restoration and food - or you can subscribe using any podcast app. And don't forget to rate us! Thank you.

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #54: Just Transition in Australia

When a coal-fired power station near the US-Canada border closed, what happened to the local community, shorn of its jobs and the healthy tax revenues that it brought in? As the world shifts toward renewable energy we need to grasp the challenges that this throws up, finding new funding and sources of jobs and economic growth, while enjoying opportunities such as reduced pollution and lower carbon emissions. Learning from what's happened in previous case studies will help us to identify challenges, opportunities and solutions.

This case study from upstate New York is the third in WRI's Just Transition In Action podcast series. In the previous two episodes we dealt with broad just transition issues and looked at a case study of finding new jobs for workers in Australia. In the next episode we'll be looking at the development of a vast solar farm in India. 

We’ve also got a special resource section of our website where you can find out much, much more – go to wri.org/just-transitions.

Go to wri.org/podcasts for many more of these WRI podcasts on all sorts of environment-related issues from cities and energy to forests, oceans, restoration and food - or you can subscribe using any podcast app. And don't forget to rate us! Thank you.

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #55: Just Transition in the United States

Some cases of just transition are obvious - such as finding replacement jobs and taxation money when a local coal-fired power station closes down. But as we transition towards a low-carbon economy some other impacts on livelihoods and communities may not be so easy to predict. 

This case study from Karnatka in India examines the unintended consequences of building a vast new solar energy farm on seemingly underused land. It is the fourth in WRI's Just Transition In Action podcast series. In the previous three episodes we dealt with broad just transition issues and looked at case studies in both Australia and the United States. 

We’ve also got a special resource section of our website where you can find out much, much more – go to wri.org/just-transitions.

Go to wri.org/podcasts for many more of these WRI podcasts on all sorts of environment-related issues from cities and energy to forests, oceans, restoration and food - or you can subscribe using any podcast app. And don't forget to rate us! Thank you.

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #56: Just Transition in India

Is it possible to predict conflict? That's what the Water, Peace and Security Partnership's machine learning early warning tool sets out to do. Four times a year the predictions are analyzed and turned into a quarterly report.

In this third WPS quarterly report podcast we look at the water stresses facing Iraq, from water shortages to water quality, and hear why they're undermining governance in the south of the country. The interviewee is Laura Birkman, head of the Climate and Security Program at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, and the producer and presenter is Nicholas Walton of WRI.

https://waterpeacesecurity.org/
https://hcss.nl/expert/laura-birkman/

Big Ideas Into Action #58: Iraq and the Water Peace and Security Quarterly Update

The World Resources Institute is now 40 years old, but how have the world's climate challenges changed in that time? And how has WRI evolved to meet them? 

In this podcast, Ani Dasgupta talks about 4 decades of climate action, about technology, growing global awareness of climate change, and the need to make sure climate action is about equity as well as carbon reduction. Former WRI presidents Gus Speth and Jonathan Lash also feature. 

WRI Big Ideas Into Action podcasts are produced and presented by Nicholas Walton.

Big Ideas Into Action #59: 40 years of climate action at WRI

Why is climate finance such an important issue, and how does it affect the world's most climate-vulnerable countries? In this podcast we look at the Pacific island nation of Fiji, which is on the frontline of climate change-related impacts such as coral bleaching, sea level rises, and extreme weather events. 

Fiji's attempts to meet this challenge were dealt a severe blow by Cyclone Winston and then - especially - the Covid 19 pandemic, which hit the tourism-dependent economy very hard. In this WRI podcast we hear about the challenges, the solutions that are being found, and the central role that climate finance plays in this.

The interviewees are Caitlin Smith and Prashant Chandra of WRI, and Prelish Lal of Fiji's Ministry of Economy. The podcast is presented by Nicholas Walton, who also produced it with significant help from Hayden Higgins from WRI's Finance team.

Big Ideas Into Action #60: Fiji and the Climate Finance challenge

Tackling climate change and its impacts is complex and multifaceted, and involves everything from simply reducing the fossil fuel emissions in energy generation through to looking at agricultural land use. And then there’s the role of the circular economy in making a decisive impact on tackling climate change. That’s the subject of a new report led by the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, or PACE, titled 'Circular Economy as a Climate Strategy: current knowledge and calls-to-action'. 

In this podcast we hear from three of the report's authors: Ke Wang of PACE; Patrick Schröder of Chatham House; and Garvin Heath of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States. The presenter and producer is Nicholas Walton of WRI. 

You can find out more at www.pacecircular.org and @pacecircular.

Big Ideas Into Action #61: the circular economy and climate action

What is being done to stop marine biodiversity loss? Marine ecosystems are essential for all life on earth, providing benefits ranging from food to economic and recreational opportunities and more – with 3 billion people depending directly on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, it is being lost at an alarming rate.  

COP15 in Montreal saw governments from around the world take a step towards addressing this threat to nature by agreeing ‘30 by 30’, effective conservation and management of at least 30% of the world’s lands, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030. 

In this podcast, we learn about the cost of marine biodiversity loss in Mexico, a megadiverse country and home to almost 70% of the world’s diversity of species. We hear how Mexico are working to go above and beyond ‘30 by 30’, to manage 100% of the ocean under national jurisdictions, as part of their role on the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.  

Global Director of WRI’s Ocean Program, Kristian Teleki sat down with Martha Delgado and Andrew Rhodes from the government of Mexico during COP15, to discuss what these targets mean and what happens next for the future of our ocean.

Big Ideas Into Action #63: COP15 and Mexico's biodiversity

What are the big stories to watch for 2023? In this World Resources Institute podcast Ani Dasgupta and Nicholas Walton discuss four: the longer term impact of Russian's invasion of Ukraine on energy; what the re-election of President Lula in Brazil means for tropical forests; why 2023 is a big year for climate finance; and how is the Inflation Reduction Act affecting the US and beyond? 

You can see Ani's full presentation of Stories To Watch 2023 at https://www.wri.org/events/2023/1/stories-watch-2023

Big Ideas Into Action #64: four Stories To Watch for 2023

Carbon Dioxide Removal promises to be an important tool in fighting climate change, but how can countries best use it as they reduce their emissions? WRI recently published a working paper on the challenges and questions surrounding carbon dioxide removal, such as equity, its role in mitigation, and how its use can be monitored. In this WRI podcast Nicholas Walton asks the authors - Katie Lebling, Clea Schumer and Danielle Riedl - about their findings and recommendations.

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #65: where does Carbon Dioxide Removal fit in?

Modern supply chains are global, complex, and touch nearly everyone in some way — you’re either part of the production process for a given commodity, a consumer of that product or service, or both. However, current supply chain practices fail to properly value our natural resources and the people working within them.

Over the course of three episodes, you'll hear from a dozen experts who will explain why centering people is an effective strategy for large corporations to meet their supply chain sustainability goals. This first episode is focused on a key missing ingredient in most corporate plans: the voices of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their workers.

Across any global supply chain, workers upstream and the small businesses they work for typically share one thing; a lack of representation and decision-making power when it comes to the buyers furthest downstream setting sustainability targets for the whole value chain.

In fact, as Dan Viederman from the Working Capital Fund points out, there are more than 1,000,000,000 workers who don't make enough money from their jobs to support their livelihoods. While supply chains are increasingly more complex, a simple solution to improve them is by treating the most vulnerable workers better.

This series — hosted, produced and edited by Daniel Baker —  is funded by the Ares Charitable Foundation as part of their CREST Initiative; a 5-year career preparation and reskilling project that aims to close the gap between the demand for a skilled workforce for green jobs and the number of people prepared for these opportunities to build an equitable, low-carbon economy.

Episode 2 premiers on Wednesday, April 24. Episode 3 premiers on Wednesday, May 1. Make sure to subscribe to WRI's Big Ideas Into Action podcast to hear the rest of the series.

Episode 1 Featured Guests:
Adel Guitouni | Associate Professor of Business, University of Victoria
Andrew Olah | Founder, Ethical Denim Council
Becca Coughlan | Senior Advocacy Manager, Remake
Brian Lipinski | 10x20x30 Initiative Project Manager, WRI
Dan Viederman | Partner, Working Capital Fund 
Jacques Leslie | Yale Environment 360 & LA Times Writer
Jason Judd | Executive Director, Global Labor Institute & Professor, Cornell University
Lydia Elliott | Deputy Director of Supply Chain Decarbonization, We Mean Business Coalition's SME Climate Hub
Namit Agarwal | Social Transformation Lead, World Benchmarking Alliance
Rene Zamora | Restoration Policy Senior Manager, WRI
Sheri Hinish | Global Sustainable Supply Chain Leader, Ernst & Young (EY) & Podcast Host, Supply Chain Revolution
Taj Eldridge | Managing Director for Climate Innovations, Jobs for the Future (JFF) Labs

Voices on Supply Chains Episode 1 - The Lack Of Worker Power

The approach that many corporations take with their supply chains passes the environmental and monetary costs down to the small businesses and workers that rely on them. These workers are far more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions – which are becoming more frequent and more destructive as climate impacts worsen.

In part two of this three-part series, we discuss the ways that large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can establish partnerships founded on trust and transparency. The ripple effects of strong partnerships could improve supply chains and working conditions for workers around the globe.

Voices on Supply Chains Episode 2 - The Power Imbalance

Ultimately, the story of supply chains is a story about people. We spoke with a dozen different supply chain experts from around the world who guided us through the relationships between large corporations and the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make up their supply chain.

As we wrap up this three-part series, our guests explain what companies stand to gain by working more intentionally and in partnership with small businesses in their supply chains. These partnerships may look different within a single supply chain or specific sector, but many share similar elements. 

The experts we spoke with highlight the best partnership examples from the corporate world in Part 3 of Voices on Supply Chains.

Voices on Supply Chains Episode 3 - The Power Of Partnerships

As ACEF 2024 wraps up, WRI brings you a closer look at the innovative aspects of agrivoltaics that China is tapping into to reach its goal of tripling renewable energy by 2030. Looking beyond the clean energy conference, Shengnian Xu, a research associate in WRI China’s Energy program, sees WRI being well-positioned to help lead the global discussions around critical minerals...a topic that dominated the discussions at the Asian Development Bank’s week-long event.

Check out our full coverage of ACEF at: https://www.wri.org/podcasts

WRI at ACEF - Behind The Scenes #2

Looking back on the Asian Development Bank’s Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF), WRI experts, Marlon Apanada and Jennie Chen explain the important role that WRI plays as a thought-leader, as well as convening stakeholders and implementing innovating solutions  to help Asia achieve its clean energy transition goals.  

Apanada and Chen explore pre-conference predictions and anticipate upcoming major regional agreements that will impact the future of renewable energy on the continent, as well as how WRI’s work aids Asia in meeting these goals while ensuring benefits for people, nature and climate.

Impact of the 2024 Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF)

All eyes are on Asia as it attempts to complete a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels. National governments will have to work with the private sector to achieve their ambitious climate goals. That’s where the Climate Solutions Partnership (CSP) comes into play. 

With financial support from HSBC, WRI researchers are innovating and implementing data-backed solutions to steer more private finance toward the scaling up of renewable energy across Asia. Hear from three experts at the forefront of the nexus between capital and clean energy to see how the Asian countries where the CSP operates in – China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam – are leading the way toward a decarbonized future, as well as the challenges they face in completing that journey. 

Guests include:
- Justin Wu, Asia-Pacific Co-Head of Climate Change, HSBC 
- Beni Suryadi, Acting Manager of Sustainable & Renewable Energy, ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE) 
- Deepak Krishnan, Deputy Director, Energy Program, WRI India

Turning Up Clean Energy in Asia: A Brief History of Clean Energy in Asia

Delivering healthcare is a 24/7 job. But what happens when the electricity supply – necessary for so many critical procedures and equipment, medications, and operating facilities – is unreliable? Hear how HSBC India partnered with WRI India to finance solar power and battery energy storage solutions for rural healthcare facilities across three Indian states of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Assam. 

Creating a consistent electrification plan has improved service for more than 400,000 patients. Ensuring reliable, renewable energy means that health facilities can focus on what they do best; serving their patients safely. Shivani Shah, Senior Communications Manager, talks about the successes and challenges of scaling solar-based healthcare to thousands of facilities across the country, with multiple WRI and non-WRI experts. Guests for the episode include: 

- Dr. Rajni Gupta – Program Manager, Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) 
- Romit Sen –  Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India 
- Lanvin Concessao – Program Manager, WRI India Energy Program   
- Rishikesh Mishra – Senior Program Associate, WRI India Energy Program

Turning Up Clean Energy in Asia: Decarbonizing Healthcare in India

China’s impact on global supply chains is unparalleled, so decarbonizing the businesses that set up shop in that country — from fashion sector leaders like Decathlon to food & beverage behemoths like Budweiser – is paramount to meeting international energy targets.

In the third episode of this series, you’ll hear about the different strategies the CSP team in China is using to slash Scope 3 emissions, which typically make up a majority of a corporation’s carbon footprint. 

WRI China researchers laid out a sector-wide blueprint to begin their science-based decarbonization journey and partnered with major brands to model a new strategy for increasing renewable energy use up and down supply chains. Pairing the economic influence of big companies with the ambition of small businesses that make up their supply chain is a replicable recipe to reduce emissions... rapidly. 

Episode Host:
- Wenquan Zhang - WRI China Research Associate

Episode Guests:
- Mofan Zhang - WRI China Research Analyst
- Anthony Wei - Decathlon’s North Asia Zone Sustainability Director
- Terry Yao - Budweiser's Sustainability & Agriculture Development Director of Procurement APAC

Turning Up Clean Energy in Asia: Slashing Scope 3 Emissions in China

The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) is the annual COP of energy where the major drivers of responses to climate change and clean energy solutions can hammer out what the future global energy system could and should look like. It’s a perfect chance ahead of COP29 to gather, deliberate and plan for a decarbonized planet. 

WRI experts will be on the ground in Brazil all week (September 30 – October 4) sharing their expertise and collaborating with renewable energy industry leaders to advance clean energy in Latin America, a region that’s surprisingly less dependent on fossil fuels than most. .  

In addition to providing an opportunity to forge stronger partnerships, CEM demonstrates how WRI is well-positioned to help ensure a just and equitable future for people, nature and climate. Alex Dolan, Communications and Engagement Lead for WRI’s Global Energy Program, explores the role that South America countries will play at the conference and beyond. 

Episode Guests: 
- Javier Bustos-Salvano, Executive Director for ACENOR 
- Tatsatom Goncalves | Research Fellow, WRI Energy

Latin America Leads the Clean Energy Transition: WRI Previews the Clean Energy Ministerial

Paving the way to COP29 next month and COP30 in 2025, Brazil hosted an impactful Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) at the beginning of October. WRI experts met with global leaders all week, laying a foundation for Latin American countries to demand enabling regulatory frameworks for renewable energy deployment and financing  — two topics that regional expert peers also highlighted during our discussion. It’s critical to enact policies in emerging markets that allow private and public finance to flow into and upgrade energy systems. 

Episode Guests: 
- Sylvana Bohrt, International Clean Energy Associate, WRI Energy Program 
- Ana Teixeira, Country Transition Analyst, Bloomberg NEF 
- Juan Paredes, Senior Renewable Energy Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Additional BNEF Resources:
- Energy Transition Factbook 2024, launched in October 2024:
https://assets.bbhub.io/professional/sites/24/Clean-Energy-Ministerial-Factbook-2024.pdf
- Brazil Transition Factbook, launched in September 2024:
https://assets.bbhub.io/professional/sites/24/Brazil-Transition-Factbook.pdf

Preparing the World for Proactive Energy Planning: WRI Recaps the Clean Energy Ministerial

What do the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries need global leaders to achieve at this year’s COP29 UN climate summit? Experts from the Allied for Climate Transformation by 2025 (ACT2025) consortium — a unique coalition amplifying the voices of climate-vulnerable countries in climate negotiations — discuss their  hopes, ambitions and concerns going into this year's climate conference, and reflect on progress since COP28.  

Topics in this episode include the agreement in Baku on a new climate finance goal (NCQG), which will replace the $100 billion goal set in 2009, progress on addressing loss and damage, next-generation nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that are due early next year, and how to close the significant gaps that remain in finance for adaptation.

With Gabrielle Swaby of WRI, Alejandra Lopez from Transforma, and Saqib Huq from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

ACT2025: what do climate-vulnerable countries want from COP29?

Measuring the impact of nature-based solutions (NBS) interventions takes consistent ground-level data alongside independent, verifiable, satellite-based data. When collected together, the door opens for more private sector investment, helping to close the nature finance gap that’s at least $700 billion large. We bring you examples from Bangladesh and India to explore how projects are enticing more resources through the capture and use of remote sensing data.
Episode Guests include: 
- Paulina Villalpando, Associate Director for Nature, HSBC 
- Fred Stolle, Land & Carbon Lab Director of Impact, WRI 
- Dipak Zade, Social Sciences Thematic Lead, WOTR 
- Tapas Ranjan Chakrabotry, Climate Change Senior Programme Manager, BRAC

Nature-Based Solutions for Enhancing Climate Resilience: Data Drives Impact

Forests and farmland are part of the lives of more than 700 million people in India, but they need to be kept healthy if those people are to flourish. At a time of climate and biodiversity crises, nature-based solutions are a vital part of the answer. This WRI podcast explores the role of nature-based solutions in India. It is presented by Anjali Koppala, and features Romit Sen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability at HSBC India, and Siddharth Edake, Senior Manager in the Food, Land and Water program at WRI India.

Restoring India's Landscapes

On this episode of the WRI Podcast, Lawrence MacDonald sits down with Ani Dasgupta, global director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.

Dasgupta highlights two recent developments that shed light on how city leaders can tackle these challenges. 

The recent Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador, brought together leaders from around the world to discuss housing and sustainable urban development. World leaders ultimately agreed on a New Urban Agenda, which will set a course for the next two decades of urban development.

Dasgupta also previews the World Resources Report (WRR), which focuses on how to make cities more equitable and sustainable places to live. Moving developing cities away from car-centric roads, investing in services for the poor, and the interconnection between environment and economy stand out as central conclusions. Preliminary findings suggest that if decision-makers view climate change, economic productivity and quality of life as interconnected urban challenges, they’ll ultimately create more sustainable cities that work better for all citizens.

WRI Podcast #10 - Planning the City of the Future With Ani Dasgupta

In his first week of office, President Trump has issued orders that would implement sweeping changes to the way the United States deals with a pressing challenge that demands international cooperation: climate change. If the United States pulls out of the Paris Agreement, as many have suggested, it would join Uzbekistan, Syria and Nicaragua as the only nations not party to the landmark Agreement on climate change.

WRI Podcast #11: What Does the US Stand to Lose if it Pulls Out of Paris Agreement?

In this episode, WRI Vice President for Communications Lawrence MacDonald interviews Jessica Seddon, director of integrated urban strategy for the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, about her work to improve air quality around the world. Beginning with her time as an academic in San Diego, where she first realized the importance of air quality, we follow her through years in India before she came to WRI, learning about the ways that air quality intersects with health, agriculture, and even renewable energy.

WRI Podcast #29: Air Quality with Jessica Seddon

WRI Water Program Director Betsy Otto knows the world should be stressed about water: her team's research showed this year that one-quarter of the world's population lives in extreme water stress. In this conversation with WRI Vice President for Communications Lawrence MacDonald, though, she talks about the solutions--technological, political, and managerial--that we can apply to alleviate the strain.

WRI Podcast #39: Solutions to the Global Water Crisis with Betsy Otto

Combining socioeconomic data and WRI's Aqueduct water stress tool  with record of conflict, the Water, Peace and Security project attempts to track indicators of resource-fueled conflict as they arise. Nicholas Walton talks to Charlie Iceland, director of national and global water initiatives at WRI, about the tool's development and promise.

WRI Podcast #41: Water, Peace and Security with Charlie Iceland

Andika Putraditama, sustainable commodities manager with WRI Indonesia, breaks down how producers and consumers of palm oil can work together through certification programs to protect vulnerable peatlands, reverse deforestation and avoid associated carbon pollution, all while continuing to grow Indonesia's economy. WRI Vice President for Communications Lawrence MacDonald hosts.

WRI Podcast #42: Making Palm Oil Sustainable with Andika Putraditama

Adaptation is a vital tool to help combat the impacts of climate change, helping us to prepare for everything from changing weather patterns to rising sea levels. This podcast looks at Locally-Led Adaptation, which involves local communities in the process, giving them a say in what happens and how. We hear why this is critical from WRI practitioners and activists at the local level, from South Africa to India.

Big Ideas Into Action Podcast #10: Locally Led Adaptation

"Big Ideas Into Action" is the relaunched podcast from the World Resources Institute, bringing you the big ideas that combat the world's most pressing environmental and developmental challenges. You'll hear the voices of those meeting the challenges on the ground across the globe and find out about the way we're finding the answers and translating them into action. 

We'll be podcasting in series of six to eight at a time, once a week, with occasional special episodes to add our insights and analysis in response to big events. 

The World Resources Institute works around the globe to turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We focus on seven urgent global challenges that must be addressed to reduce poverty, grow economies and protect natural systems: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, cities, and the ocean.

Popular tracks by WRI's Big Ideas Into Action podcast