Welcome to a new season of How Could We? - recorded live at the Paris REALITY Tour, organised by The Climate Reality Project, which aims to build public momentum and political will for ambitious climate commitments leading up to COP 30 in Brazil.

This week, Anne-Sophie Garrigou interviews Marina Gil Velasco, Project Lead at Climate KIC for the recently-launched Climate KIC Academy.

Marina explains how the Climate KIC Academy bridges the green skills gap by equipping leaders with the technical knowledge and transversal skills needed to tackle the climate crisis. The Climate KIC Academy accelerates the green transition by empowering climate leaders to turn knowledge into action and equipping businesses, industries, and policymakers with essential skills for lasting change.

If you enjoyed this episode, we recommend checking out our episode on equipping young leaders for climate negotiations with Veena Balakrishnan, Co-Founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, as well as our Radical Collaboration episode with Yiannis Chrysostomidis from REOS Partners.

Interested in finding out more about the Climate KIC Academy? You can register your interest here.

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This episode was presented and produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anne-Sophie Garrigou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and co-produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bárbara Mendes-Jorge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Climate KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community. We are here to help create climate-resilient societies and fight the climate breakdown, building better futures for local communities, globally.

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In this new episode of How Could We?, recorded in front of the LDC’s delegation office during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Anne-Sophie Garrigou interviews Binyam Gebreyes, diplomacy lead at IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development), where he supports the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group.

Binyam's role ensures that LDC priorities and needs are amplified throughout the COP negotiations.

In this conversation, Binyam talks about the power dynamics that shape climate negotiations, highlighting the challenges faced by LDCs in these spaces.

He discusses the importance of the LDC group’scollective approach to counteract the influence of larger, more powerful nations, and how strategic engagement through high-level dialogue and early communications helps elevate their voice.

Binyam also explains the significant progress made on the loss and damage agenda, where the LDC group has beenpushing for tangible financial solutions to address climate impacts that are no longer preventable or adaptable.

Binyam also talks about the lessons he’s drawn from his work on the LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE AR), highlighting the need for programmatic, community-led adaptation solutions that reduce transaction costs and allow local communities to own and drive their own adaptation strategies.

This episode provides insights into the role of LDCs at COP29 and their ongoing fight for climate justice in the face of systemic power imbalances.

Visit the IIED website: iied.org

Visit climate-kic.org and reach out to us at media@climate-kic.org with any questions.

This episode was presented and produced by Anne-Sophie Garrigou.

In this new episode of How Could We? recorded in the streets of Baku during COP29, Anne-Sophie Garrigou interviewed Rich Wilson, CEO of the Iswe Foundation, about the state of our democracies today and the role of citizen assemblies in making our democracies stronger.

In this episode, Rich says that we are at a pivotal moment for democracies today. Despite growing public demand for action, our governments and democratic systems are struggling to effectively address the climate crisis.

Rich discusses how citizen assemblies can help strengthen democracies by building agency for citizens, fostering learning, and being grounded in principles of solidarity and inclusion. The challenge, however, is in scaling them.

One of Iswe Foundation’s projects is to create a global, permanent citizen assembly to bring to COP30 in Brazil. Their goal is to support a new form of democracy and governance that can help address the climate crisis, by empowering citizens to drive change within their communities.

Visit the Iswe Foundation website to learn more: Iswe

Visit the Global Citizen Assembly website: Address the climate and ecological crisis | Global Assembly

Visit ⁠climate-kic.org⁠, and reach out to us at media@climate-kic.org with any questions.

This episode was presented and produced by ⁠Anne-Sophie Garrigou⁠.

In this new episode of How Could We?, Anne-Sophie Garrigou interviews Megan Rowling, editor of Climate Home News, to discuss the main objectives and challenges of COP29.

With years of experience covering international climate negotiations, Megan unpacks what’s at stake at this year's conference in Azerbaijan. From the urgent need for a new climate finance goal to support developing countries, to the implications of a potential U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, this conversation highlights key challenges and anticipated outcomes.

Megan explains why, despite criticisms, the COP process remains crucial in mitigating global climate risks, preventing what could otherwise be “runaway climate change.” She shares insights on the obstacles to securing sufficient climate finance, especially in light of geopolitical tensions and pressures on both wealthy and emerging economies to contribute.

They also discuss topics expected to dominate media headlines, like the global transition from fossil fuels and the evolving dynamics in climate finance governance.

This episode sheds light on the pressing issues shaping COP29 and why the decisions made here will affect climate action worldwide.

For updates from the COP29, follow Climate Home News’ reporting on their website, subscribe to their newsletter and visit the Climate Home News Whatsapp channel.

Visit climate-kic.org, and reach out to us at media@climate-kic.org with any questions.

This episode was presented and produced by Anne-Sophie Garrigou.

In this episode of How Could We?, Daniel Zimmer from ⁠EIT Climate-KIC⁠ joins us just after returning from COP16, the UN’s Biodiversity Summit hosted by Colombia.

In this conversation, we explore the challenges faced by indigenous communities, who manage 80% of the world’s biodiversity but are increasingly threatened by deforestation and land degradation.

Daniel shares insights on the pressing need for finance—estimated at $700 billion by 2030—and the critical importance of ensuring that this funding reaches local levels, where it can have a meaningful impact.

We also discuss the tension between agricultural expansion - driven by rising demand for meat and land and biodiversity conservation.

Additionally, we explore the role of value chains and the necessity of reconnecting local producers with the benefits derived from their resources.

This episode shows the connection between finance, local communities, agricultural practices, and biodiversity, highlighting the need for integrated approaches to tackle these challenges effectively.

Join the Climate-KIC Community: https://www.climate-kic.org/sign-up-now/

Visit ⁠climate-kic.org⁠ to learn more and contact us at ⁠media@climate-kic.org⁠ if you have any questions.

This episode was presented and produced by Anne-Sophie Garrigou.

In this episode of How Could We?, Sebastian Bustamente from EIT Climate-KIC joins us from Cali, Colombia, where COP16, the UN’s Biodiversity Summit, is underway.

This episode is all about biodiversity. We discuss the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the challenges of turning those ambitious commitments into implementation.

Sebastián shares insights into his work with Climate-KIC's fundraising task force and his experience at COP16, where intense discussions on conservation, finance mobilisation, and community involvement are shaping the biodiversity landscape.

He introduces climate SAFE, which provides innovative financial solutions for climate start-ups, and reflects on the importance of partnerships between the public, private, and community sectors to drive change.

Visit climate-kic.org to learn more and contact us at media@climate-kic.org if you have any questions. This episode is presented and produced by ⁠Anne-Sophie Garrigou⁠.

In this special Climate Week NYC episode, we chat with Veena Balakrishnan, Co-Founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, to explore how her organisation equips young people with essential skills and tools to engage in climate negotiations.

Discover how these future climate leaders are empowered to shape global discussions, ensuring their needs and ambitions are heard.

Veena shares insights on nurturing the next generation of educated, confident, and proactive negotiators driving meaningful change in the fight against the climate crisis.

This episode is presented and produced by Anne-Sophie Garrigou.

Contact us at media@climate-kic.org for more information.

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Zacharzewski, President of Democratic Society, and talk about his journey from working in the UK government to leading efforts that empower citizens in decision-making. Anthony explains horizontal democracy and its role in strengthening civic trust, particularly as democratic institutions face increasing pressure.

We also discuss the NetZeroCities program, working toward climate neutrality in 112 European cities by 2030, and the importance of inclusive, active citizen participation. Anthony also mentions the need for accountability, thoughtful engagement design, and collective action for a sustainable future.

This episode was presented and produced by Anne-Sophie Garrigou.

Contact us at ⁠media@climate-kic.org⁠ for more information.