Make Change Happen International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Critical minerals – such as cobalt, lithium and copper – are in the headlines, attracting global attention for their potential in supporting the green energy pathway and accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels.

They make green technologies including electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines possible. The opportunities are huge and demand is booming.

But this doesn't come without issues. If not managed well, extraction can have negative impacts on communities, ecosystems and local economies.

This episode is a conversation between IIED senior researcher Eric Bisil and executive director of Africa Resources Watch (Afrewatch) Emmanuel Umpula. They discuss the potential of critical minerals in speeding up the fossil fuel phase-out, and how they can support the productivity and economic growth of countries that are rich in these minerals.

Other contributors include Ketakandriana Rafitoson, executive director of Publish What You Pay, IIED senior researcher Rose Mosi and IIED’s head of energy Ben Garside.

Despite global efforts to tackle the impacts of climate change, we are failing to achieve critical climate objectives. IIED’s Hidden Handbrake campaign aims to reveal and explain the bureaucratic, political, legal and practical barriers to countries taking effective action in response to climate change.

Progress on mitigation and adaptation measures and anticipatory actions to reduce the potential of loss and damage is drastically slowed where these barriers exist. They must be brought out into the open, challenged and removed.

This episode is a conversation between Tom Mitchell, executive director of IIED, and Sejal Patel, a senior researcher in IIED focusing on climate finance and climate-resilient development. The episode also has vital contributions from three climate and environment specialists: Megan Rowling and David Shukman, both highly regarded journalists, and Achala Abeysinghe, regional director and head of programmes at the Global Green Growth Institute.

Read more: https://www.iied.org/hidden-handbrakes-whats-holding-back-climate-action

This special guest episode, produced by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) looks at the work of a social network in Delhi that delivered food relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delhi Coordinated Relief Network succeeded in reaching some of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in the city during an unprecedented crisis.

This episode of Make Change Happen is hosted by Rashee Mehra of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, with guests Juhi Jain, deputy director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research and Dr Gautam Bhan, the associate dean of the School of Human Development at IIHS.

According to UNHCR, the global number of people forcibly displaced by conflict, violence, human rights abuses, and other forms of persecution has reached 110 million. When asked to imagine the living conditions of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), rows of white tents or temporary structures often come to mind. In fact, around 60% of refugees and IDPs live in towns and cities.

This episode of Make Change Happen is hosted by Lucy Earle, director of IIED's Human Settlements research group, and features Nassim Majidi, co-founder and executive director of Samuel Hall; Jack Makau, associate director of Slum Dwellers International in Kenya; and Samer Saliba, director of city practice at the Mayors Migration Council.

The podcast discusses challenges and lessons from ‘participatory forums’ – part of a 3.5-year research project – that bring together different stakeholders and refugee representatives together.

Read more: https://www.iied.org/help-cities-help-people-bringing-everyone-together-refugee-response-make-change-happen-podcast

As a listener of IIED's Make Change Happen podcast, we value your opinion and are keen to understand your preferences and gather valuable feedback to enhance our podcast. Please, take this survey to help us create content that resonates with you: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/IIEDpodcastsurvey

Your responses will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Make Change Happen podcast, making it an even more informative experience for all.

In this episode of Make Change Happen, marking LGBTQI+ Pride month, we want to spark conversations about how urban development and climate action can be truly inclusive of queer communities. What can we learn from queer thinking and practice? How can we challenge LGBTQI+ erasure in decision making to deliver stronger and more equitable change? 

Hosted by Tucker Landesman, senior researcher in IIED’s Human Settlements research group, this podcast features lawyer and urban planner Rodrigo Faria G. Iacovini, working with the Instituto Pólis in Sao Paul, Brazil and queer activist Sarah Louis Montgomery, project coordinator at the global network GenderCC-Women for Climate Justice in Berlin, Germany. 

Both guests share their experience working with queer communities and activists to bridge gaps between LGBTQI+ civil society and urban development and climate action, respectively, to achieve a just result.

In this episode, launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, an all-women panel share the transformative change driven by women as they take on leadership roles at every level – from remote rural villages to international conventions.

Hosted by James Persad, director of IIED’s Communications group, this podcast features Ritu Bharadwaj, principal researcher in IIED’s Climate Change research group; Omaira Bolaños, director of the Latin America and Gender Justice programmes at Rights and Resources Initiative; and Ivonne Higuero, secretary-general of CITES.

Participants discuss what women leadership looks like, why spaces must be created for women leaders in climate and biodiversity, and practical measures to make this happen.

Read more: https://www.iied.org/ripple-effects-revolutions-women-leaders-climate-biodiversity

IIED’s ‘Make Change Happen’ podcast provides an opportunity to hear our researchers and guests discuss key global development challenges and explain what we are doing to support positive change.