The CGD Podcast Center for Global Development

Olu Verheijen from the Nigerian government and Vijaya Ramachandran from the Breakthrough Institute join Gyude to discuss the scale and nature of the energy crisis in Africa, the role that renewable energy can (and can't) play in addressing it, and what steps African countries—and partners—can take to address both climate and energy challenges.

Bjørn Lomborg, author of Best Things First, joins CGD's Gyude Moore to discuss the 12 "most efficient" policy solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, how they were assessed and identified, and the tradeoffs they may require.

Gillian Pais of McKinsey & Company returns to Lagos to Mombasa to discuss the importance of localizing climate solutions, strategies to promote the uptake of climate-smart agriculture, and the role of regional organizations in sharing best practices.  
 

Stephanie von Friedeburg of Citi and formerly the International Finance Corporation joins CGD’s Karen Mathiasen and Clemence Landers for a conversation on how to balance risk and impact in investment, why blended finance needs a rethink, and what mechanisms offer the most promising solutions to the development finance problem. 

Africa is home to 30 percent of the world’s critical minerals reserves, which play a key role in clean energy. How can African communities benefit? Gyude speaks with Ayaan Adam (Africa Finance Corporation) and Juliet Akamboe (formerly Standard Bank Group) about how to strengthen processing and refining operations across the continent, build regional cooperation, address the detrimental impact of mines in local communities, and harness critical minerals to uplift mining regions. 

Over three years since it emerged, is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Amanda Glassman speaks with Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, about ending the emergency phase of the pandemic. Then Javier Guzman joins to reflect on the first season of Pandemic Proof.