Climate Discourse Kate McKenzie

For our first episode of 2023, Kate speaks with Timo Leiter about his recent CCLR article, ‘Too Little, Too Slow? Climate Adaptation at the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations Since the Adoption of the Paris Agreement’. Timo takes the opportunity to provide further context and background on his framework for tracking and assessing negotiation outcomes, explains how the negotiations have evolved and identifies adaptation related gaps that can be addressed at a global level.
Timo is a PhD researcher at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, a lead author of UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report and a contributing author to the IPCCC 6th Assessment Report. 

In this special episode of Climate Discourse, Kate speaks with Joe DiMento about his new book Polar Shift: The Arctic Sustained. 

Joe explains how his previous work on regional seas, his travels in the arctic  and the increasing importance of the region  inspired his work. They also discuss the challenges in defining the region, some of the most pressing legal issues, the  existing legal gaps and the tremendous impact the region has on the rest of the world, environmentally, politically and legally.

Joe DiMento is a Professor in the Environmental Studies Department at the University of California, Irvine.

For this month’s episode, Kate sat down with Dr. Brian Mantlana. Brian leads the work on climate change at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and is a Commissioner on South Africa’s Presidential Climate Change Commission. Kate spoke to Brian about a paper he published in the most recent issue of CCLR which takes a look at the upcoming COP 27, Egypt’s role as this year’s host, the importance of the UNFCCC negotiations and the role coalitions play within that process. Brian also gives us his helpful tips on how to survive the gruelling two weeks of COP negotiations!    

In this episode of Climate Discourse, Kate speaks to CCLR board member Harro van Asselt. Harro is an SEI Affiliated Researcher at the SEI Oxford Centre and Professor of Climate Law and Policy at the University of Eastern Finland. In a wide-ranging discussion, Harro and Kate discuss climate change litigation, 'scholactivism', the evolution of climate law and governance and the potential for a future international agreement on fossil fuel non-proliferation. 

In this episode of Climate Discourse, Kate speaks with Lisa DeMarco. Lisa is on the CCLR Editorial Board and is a Senior Partner and CEO of Resilience LLP. She is also the Chair of the International Emissions Trading Association. Kate and Lisa talk about Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, carbon markets, food security and the importance of intergenerational perspectives. Lisa also recounts how her meditation practice and her love of long distance running have helped her both personally and professionally.

In this episode of Climate Discourse, Kate speaks with CCLR Associate Editor Lisa Benjamin. Lisa is an Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland Oregon and also a member of the UNFCCC Compliance Committee’s Facilitative Branch and the Race to Zero Expert Peer Review Group. Kate and Lisa speak about the role of non-state actors in reaching climate and temperature goals, climate risk exposure and corporate responsibility, the importance of equity in energy and climate transitions and what we can learn from our canine friends.