Climate Talks – Details, episodes & analysis

Linh Do, lead of the Wattle Fellowship, University of Melbourne and chair of Climate Action Network Australia, Gregor Robertson Special Envoy for Cities in CHAMP and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Global Ambassador, Longest Serving Mayor of Vancouver, and Steve Davison, Deputy Director, Cambridge Zero at the University of Cambridge and international lead, UK Universities Climate Network, join hosts Jackie Peel, Bek Markey-Towler and Cathy Oke, in the seventh episode of Season 4 of Climate Talks to talk about who else, besides governments, will go to COP29.  

The clip at the beginning of the episode is from Eduardo Maher, First Nations climate activist, speaking with ABC Radio National.  

You can hear the clip in full here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/climate-activists/104326986  

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. Climate Talks acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the unceded land on which this podcast was produced. 

Subscribe to Climate Talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/climate-talks

In this fourth episode we kick things off with the Executive Director of the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure, Ms. Savina Carluccio and Ms. Joanna Masic, Lead Urban Specialist and Global Lead, Urban, Disaster Risk Management and Land Global Practice at the World Bank. We also have Mr. Georges Youssef, Mayor of Menjez, Lebanon discussing the finance of urban sustainability at the local government level. These guests join hosts Ben Jance, and Cathy Oke in the latest episode of City Climate Innovation, special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast produced by GCoM. This marks the third series of special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast series produced in partnership with GCoM, now focused on the key themes of the 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference. Today, we will explore the enduring need for finance to catalyze climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban environments.

The clip at the beginning of the episode is Ms. Savina Carluccio speaking at the IABSE Manchester 2024 keynote address. 

You can hear the clip in full here. 

The City Climate Innovation podcast series is produced by GCoM and the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. And this podcast is produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.  

Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. 

Follow the City Climate Innovation podcast series by subscribing to the ClimateTalks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

Stephen Minas, Professor at the School of Transnational Law, Peking University, and Senior Research Fellow at the Transnational Law Institute, King’s College London and Janine Felson, Enterprise Fellow, Melbourne Climate Futures at the University of Melbourne, join hosts Jackie Peel, Bek Markey-Towler and Cathy Oke, in the first episode of Season 4 of Climate Talks to talk about bridging the gap between COP28 and the road ahead to COP29 and COP30.  

The clip at the beginning of the episode is from COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber speaking at an International Energy Agency event in February. 

You can hear the clip in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Br5yq2seY  

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. Climate Talks acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast was produced, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and pays respect to Elders past and present. 

Subscribe to Climate Talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/climate-talks

In this episode we speak with Abigail Binay, Mayor of Makati, Philippines. Since 1975, the City of Makati has been part of the National Capital Region comprising the greater Manila area, incorporated as the seventh city in Metro Manila in 1995. With a population of over 629,000 within an area of 21.57 square kilometres, Makati is one of the most densely inhabited urban environments on the planet, which gives rise to a range of governance considerations. Seeing an average temperature during summer months reaching 34 degrees Celsius with consistently high humidity, inhabitability is an imminent threat with wet bulb temperatures of 35 degrees becoming increasingly common. Additionally, subjected to the threat of the world’s most severe typhoons, the exposure to climate hazards is particularly pronounced for Makati. 

To address climate threats and improve resilience for the residents of Makati, Mayor Binay’s office has initiated a range of interventions, including the declaration of a climate emergency, and the establishment of their CafeTalks climate outreach series. With an Investment and Incentive Code put in place to reorient private sector action, mobilized capital, primarily through public-private partnerships, has helped to bridge adaptation financing gaps for major projects, with adaptation finance incorporated into core administrative policies.

We also have joining us today some crucial team members from the City of Makati, Merlina Panganiban - Head of the Makati City Urban Development Department, Xenon Walde - Environmental Planner and Manager, Department of Environmental Services, and Liza Velle Ramos - Research & Planning Division Head, Makati City Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office. 

Providing a broader perspective on the value of municipal action, we’re joined by Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary-General, UCLG-ASPAC. These guests join hosts Ben Jance and Cathy Oke, in the third episode of City Leaders, special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast produced by GCoM, a series of special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast series, to discuss Innovate4Cities and consider the potential for multilevel support for climate action.  

The clip at the beginning of the episode is Mayor Binay speaking at the 14th Brunel International Lecture Series.

You can review the clip in full here: 

https://www.ice.org.uk/events/past-events-and-recordings/recorded-lectures/14th-brunel-international-lecture-series-south-east-asia 

The City Climate Innovation podcast series is produced by GCoM and the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, and is produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri  Woi  Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.  

Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. 

Follow the City Climate Innovation podcast series by subscribing to the ClimateTalks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or where you listen to your podcasts.

Australia's second-oldest capital is jumping into the future climate-first with its new Climate Futures Strategy, which involves modelling potential climate impacts across Tasmania with the support of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. 

Fostering the development of Local Government Area Climate Profiles, a range of climate variables were factored into the decision-making process to examine potential challenges Hobart and the rest of Tasmania may face in the decades leading up to 2100. Working with the community to build a Climate Strategy, the broader Hobart community across all sectors was brought into the consultation process from October through December 2023.

The Strategy will outline the actions Hobart knows it must take as a Council and a community to reach the intended goal of a Climate Ready Hobart.

In this episode we hear from Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, talking about research and innovation in the City of Hobart, and how it will shape  the new City climate-ready. Jess Robbins, Climate Futures Lead, City of Hobart talks aout the participatory process underway to develop the new strategy,  - and speak with ICLEI World Secretariat's Pourya Salehi to understand just how important digital transformations are for city climate action.

The City Climate Innovation podcast series is produced by GCoM and the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, and is produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri  Woi  Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.  

Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. 

Follow the City Climate Innovation podcast series by subscribing to the ClimateTalks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

In this episode, we speak with the mayor of the municipality of Kloto I in Togo, Monsieur Winny Yawo Dogbatsè.  Mayor Dogbatse also serves as GCoM Board Member and the Chair of the Regional Mayors Forum of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA).  He is joined by Monsieur Koffi Alowonou, Director of Community Technical Services for Kloto I.  They have taken time to outline some of the details involved in rolling out the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) across the unique, multifaceted jurisdictions of Kloto from their current positions in Kloto I.

“The cities of Kloto are located in a geographical area with particularly favourable climatic conditions, which give their territory major assets, especially flourishing agriculture and important forestry resources. These assets favour the economic development of the region, while ensuring food security and carbon sequestration in the country. The Minister of the Environment and Forest Resources, Foli-Bazi Katari, described the Grand Kloto and Plateaux regions as "the lungs of Togo".”

The city of Kloto I , is the seat of Kloto Prefecture, home to approximately half the population of the area, and the challenge Mayor Dogbatse has recognized is one of the, “question of creating urban forests within the populations to mitigate the heat, to sow plants that can resist global warming and to bring sustainable added value to the coffee and cocoa sector,” providing appropriately considered livelihood opportunities for one of the more populous regions of Togo.

Mayor Dogbatse also recognized the leadership displayed by Kloto I sets precedent not only for National Committee for Sustainable Development (CNDD), but as a representative of Sub-Saharan Africa in the Global Covenant of Mayors, and Climate Talks is grateful to have these perspectives to share in this latest episode of the City Leaders series.

Join hosts Jackie Peel, Cathy Oke and Bek Markey-Towler in the tenth and final episode of Season 3 of Climate Talks to discuss their reflections on COP28. We will back for another series in 2024 to follow the journey to COP29.  

You can hear the clip of UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell from the start of the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?lv=366vDJk14_s  

Other recordings played include Antonio Gueterras UN Secretary General and Vanessa Nakate Ugandan climate justice activist. You can listen to the clips in full here https://www.youtube.com/live/QqReqrHwfHY?si=62DUWmwpD5gecCh8 and here https://twitter.com/vanessa_vash/status/1734646886118707304/video/1  

The CHAMP pledge full details and list of endorses can be found here: https://www.cop28.com/en/cop28-uae-coalition-for-high-ambition-multilevel-partnerships-for-climate-action  

The $7 billion for the cost of the COP comes from here, which was the cost of building the venue: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/five-major-outcomes-from-the-latest-un-climate-summit/k8uaak3hn  

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. Climate Talks acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast was produced, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and pays respect to Elders past and present. 

Subscribe to Climate Talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or here. 

In this special episode we speak with Carolina Basualdo, Mayor of Despeñaderos, Argentina. We also have Jorge Rodríguez, Coordinator, Permanent Technical Secretariat, Mercociudades, and Valentina De Marco, Coordinadora, Alianzas y Proyectos Internacionales, RAMCC. These guests join hosts Ben Jance and Cathy Oke in the fifth episode of City Climate Innovation, special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast produced by GCoM, a series of special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast series, to discuss Innovate4Cities and consider the potential for multilevel support for climate action.  

Fifty kilometres south of the state capital of Córdoba, Despeñaderos stands out for the progressive action Mayor Basualdo has taken towards gender equality and community engagement of all citizens, young and old, in climate change action to safeguard the future of their city.

When Despeñaderos joined GCoM in March of 2022, they were in the midst of launching the innovative “Resilient Women” program, aiming to achieve climate change mitigation goals while providing opportunities for women who have experienced gender-based violence to engage in entrepreneurship in circular economy initiatives. 

Recognized by the Ibero-American Union of Municipalities and the government of Córdoba, Despeñaderos is leading the way in the fight against gender-based violence and promoting gender equality in the region.

The clip at the beginning of the episode is Mayor Basualdo speaking at #Innovactoras2022 on the topic of including youth in the urban planning process.

You can hear the clip in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9JWTuQp-ag

The City Climate Innovation podcast series is produced by GCoM and the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, and is produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri  Woi  Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.  

Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. 

Follow the City Climate Innovation podcast series by subscribing to the ClimateTalks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or where you listen to your podcasts.

Dr Janine Felson, senior level diplomat of the Government of Belize and Enterprise Fellow of Melbourne Climate Futures and Professor Robyn Eckersley, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor in Political Science at the University of Melbourne and Professor Kathryn Bowen Deputy Director of Melbourne Climate Futures, join hosts Jackie Peel, Bek Markey-Towler and Cathy Oke, in the ninth episode of Season 3 of Climate Talks to talk about their best predictions for COP28.  

The clip at the beginning of the episode features Greta Thunberg condemning the London oil conference at a rally in October 

You can hear the clip in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEWpn_M-R7I  

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. Climate Talks acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast was produced, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and pays respect to Elders past and present. 

Subscribe to Climate Talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Professor Kathryn Bowen, Deputy Director, Melbourne Climate Futures and Professor, Climate, Environment and Global Health at the University of Melbourne and Professor Don Henry, Director, Climate Reality Project, Asia-Pacific Branch, join hosts Bek Markey-Towler, Associate Professor Cathy Oke, Deputy Director of Melbourne Centre for Cities, and Professor Jackie Peel, Director, Melbourne Climate Futures and Professor, Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne in the seven episode of Season 3 of Climate Talks to talk about the global stocktake.  

The clip at the beginning of the episode is from Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Simon Stiell speaking at the launch of the technical paper for the Global Stocktake. 

You can hear the clip in full here.

Climate Talks is produced by Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne. Our theme music is by Music for a Warming World. Climate Talks acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast was produced, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and pays respect to Elders past and present. 

Subscribe to Climate Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts