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Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

By: Persephonica and Global Optimism
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Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. For unrivalled conversations with decision makers, visionary thinkers and a community of like-minded climate optimists, join former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac and sustainable business consultant Paul Dickinson. Each week they make sense of all the top climate news stories, go behind the scenes at crucial talks and ensure you stay informed and inspired ahead of what is set to be the consequential year for climate action.



As we approach the middle of the decisive decade for world emissions, and the 10 year anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, subscribe to Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast


And join us for our special Inside COP series with co-host Fiona McRaith where we bring you behind the scenes of COP30 in Belém!


And to see video content from the show, follow us on LinkedIn, and Instagram.



Got a question? Send us a voice message.



This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Persephonica Politics & Government Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Can $30k Change the World? The Power of Climate Giving

    Can $30k Change the World? The Power of Climate Giving
    May 28 2026

    When climate wins happen, we often credit the market. Or the policy. But is philanthropy the most underappreciated force in the climate fight? And can less than 2% of global giving actually change anything?


    Behind the headlines, people like Jennifer Kitt of Climate Lead are identifying where finite resources can be spent in order to make a real difference, and helping to grow the pie. Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, and Paul Dickinson sit down with her to ask: what does well-targeted philanthropic money actually unlock? Who decides where it goes? And why, when it works, do we so rarely notice? From the coalition that quietly accelerated the EV transition by decades, to the $30,000 grant that helped take climate responsibility all the way to the World's Court.


    The uncomfortable truth is that climate action is becoming reliant on the generosity of a wealthy few. The good news is that this money is growing; the bad news is that it needs to grow much, much more. So how much would it take to start solving some of tomorrow’s problems today? And are there risks in expecting a small and privileged group to fund a movement that belongs to everyone?


    Learn More:

    🌱 Learn more about Climate Lead and and their work advising philanthropists new to climate giving

    ⚖️ Catch up on the ICJ advisory opinion on climate obligations of states

    ⚡ Explore the Drive Electric Campaign, the global NGO coalition whose story Jennifer tells in the episode

    🌍 Learn more about ClientEarth and the legal battles Tom references

    📊 Track progress on climate transitions with the Systems Change Lab, referenced by Jennifer in the episode

    📺 Read about the Trump AI video throwing Stephen Colbert in a dumpster, posted and reposted by the White House the day after the Late Show ended, via The Hill


    🎤 Leave us your voice notes and questions for upcoming episodes on SpeakPipe


    Join the conversation:

    Instagram @outrageoptimism LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

    Or get in touch with us via this form.


    Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

    Edited by: Miles Martignoni

    Planning: Caitlin Hanrahan

    Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford


    This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Can the rules keep up?: Lawsuits, LLMs and the looming oil recession

    Can the rules keep up?: Lawsuits, LLMs and the looming oil recession
    May 21 2026

    An unprecedented government move to outrun the courts. A country racing to write AI into its constitution. And a global energy crisis that's already moved faster than any possible fix. Are our institutions and the rules they rest on still fit for the world they're supposed to protect?


    This week, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, and Paul Dickinson look at three stories the headlines may be missing.


    In New Zealand, the government has moved to retroactively kill a landmark climate lawsuit - before it even reaches trial. Tom shares a voice note from ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke who gives us the inside scoop on what is actually at stake. If this works, where does it end?


    Then Greece, which wants to write a legally binding obligation for human-centred AI into its constitution. But can a national document meaningfully govern a borderless technology? And as we increasingly rely on AI for our information, where do these large language models actually go for their climate science?


    Finally, the Strait of Hormuz. Financial markets think the situation is priced in. Geopolitical analysts disagree. We ask which sectors might unexpectedly accelerate the energy transition, why the climate movement seems frozen at exactly the moment it should be loudest, and whether this decade's decisive window is already starting to close.


    Learn More:

    ⚖️ Learn more about ClientEarth and its work

    🌿 Read about New Zealand amending its climate law via Inside Climate News

    🌐 Catch up on the ICJ case on climate obligations of states

    🏛️ Discover more about Greece's constitutional AI proposal via the Washington Post

    🛢️ Dive into the Strait of Hormuz disruptions with analysis from UNCTAD


    🎤 Leave us your voice notes and questions for upcoming episodes on SpeakPipe


    Join the conversation:

    Instagram @outrageoptimism LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

    Or get in touch with us via this form.


    Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

    Edited by: Miles Martignoni

    Planning: Caitlin Hanrahan

    Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford


    This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • The Jet Fuel Crisis: What’s next for aviation?

    The Jet Fuel Crisis: What’s next for aviation?
    May 14 2026
    Are flights across the world about to be grounded? Is a terrible war about to create an unlikely good news story for the climate? As conflict in the Middle East threatens the Strait of Hormuz, jet fuel shortages are forcing aviation to confront a structural vulnerability it has spent decades avoiding.This week, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson examine what the shortage reveals: aviation's near-total dependence on fossil fuels, the structural reasons it has proved so hard to break, and whether it’s ever going to be possible to fix. They speak with Karel Bockstael and Roxanne van Rijn, former aviation insiders who co-founded Call Aviation to Action, a movement designed to reach the industry’s senior leaders and push for much-needed change. They explain why kerosene remains the only viable option for long-haul flight, how thin margins trap airlines into opposing the very regulation they need, and why this fuel shock may be the scarcity event that finally forces the model to shift. Could this crisis become aviation’s turning point? And in a world where up to 80% of people have never set foot on a plane - and 1% account for half of all aviation emissions - what would a truly fair future for flight actually look like?Learn More:✈️ Explore Call Aviation to Action - the movement co-founded by Karel and Roxanne and others, pushing for industry-wide transformation from within📊 Read the UK Climate Change Committee’s aviation analysis, and understand why aviation is on course to become the UK’s single largest emitting sector by 2040⛽ Get up to date on IEA data on global oil and jet fuel markets, including what the Strait of Hormuz disruption means for aviation fuel supply🌿 Learn more about Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) via IATA: what it is, why it currently accounts for less than 1% of aviation fuel use, and what scaling it would require💸 Pay the true price of your next flight via the Future Friendly Fund’s calculator, or check your CO₂ estimate on Google Flights. Check out Bumprints for practical tips or Travel Alternative, Roxanne’s recently launched platform highlighting alternatives to flying🎤 Leave us your voice notes and questions for upcoming episodes on SpeakPipeJoin the conversation:Instagram @outrageoptimism LinkedIn @outrageoptimismOr get in touch with us via this form.Producer: Ben Weaver-HincksEdited by: Miles Martignoni Planning: Caitlin Hanrahan Exec Producer: Ellie CliffordThis is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
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