The Polycrisis

In this final bonus season episode, Kate and Tim reflect on the morality of focusing on the "co-benefits" of war, and whether they are techno-optimists or techno-pessimists.  Hosted by energy and climate finance expert Kate Mackenzie , and Tim Sahay from the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab at Johns Hopkins University. They co-author The Polycrisis newsletter , which explores connections b...

The Polycrisis is sharing some episodes from other podcasts around the world while we develop our next season. This episode is from the Brazilian ClimaInfo podcast . It's about how Brazil has become a focal point in the global race for green industrialisation, and what that means for the future of the second largest economy in the Americas. We hear from Tulio Cariello of the Brazil-China Busi...

The Polycrisis team’s taking a short break, we’ll be back next week.  In the meantime we’re sharing an episode from NuVoices where they interview Kate Mackenzie.  NuVoices host Solarina Ho asks Kate whether the topic of climate change has been weaponised amid the US-China trade war. Also how the global rush to electric vehicles served global needs, both strategically and environmentally. Kate shar...

The Polycrisis team’s having a short break, so we’re sharing a couple of episodes from other podcasts that are very relevant to our themes.  Chinese EVs are just beginning to arrive in Canada this week; but – as we wrote back in January – the more significant element was Carney’s government making a promise to Canada’s own auto manufacturers: that they could attract new investment and tech from Ch...

US-China relations have evolved because of the Middle East war. Trump recently made the first presidential visit to China in nine years. So what are the implications for energy and international development? And why it's not so much a  “China shock” but a “China Squeeze”. Hosted by energy and climate finance expert Kate Mackenzie , and Tim Sahay from the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab at John...

Why exactly is this 2026 energy shock so different from the 1970s & 2022 shocks? Kate and Tim discuss our current energy security landscape, and outline some of the arguments made in their recent Polycrisis essay , just published with Phenomenal World. They also look at whether it matters that financial markets are becoming re-enthused about renewable energy. Hosted by energy and climate finan...

Is the UAE's departure from OPEC mostly about Gulf geopolitics and kings defending their regimes, or the outlook for oil demand? There is, as ever, a lot of context required to answer this question. Hosted by energy and climate finance expert Kate Mackenzie , and Tim Sahay from the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab at Johns Hopkins University. They co-author The Polycrisis newsletter , which exp...

In this first bonus episode, we discuss why the Middle East war is accelerating the destruction of demand for fossil fuels, and why the US won’t become the new provider of "geopolitically secure” oil and gas. We also argue about whether the data is sufficient – *yet* – to prove our point that this is already happening.  Hosted by energy and climate finance expert Kate Mackenzie , and Tim Saha...

Can the US stop the electric wave? In 2022 the US introduced its first ever set of serious climate policies. That took an unprecedented collaboration of racial justice, environment and labour interests. But oil and gas interests fought back quickly and effectively. Now the 2nd Trump administration is using sanctions, trade wars, and military power in a bid to slow the energy transition.  Guests: ...

China didn’t set out to fix climate change. Its production of clean energy and electrification tech is changing the world, but this particular green revolution is a byproduct of China’s economic strategy and its quest for energy independence. The global financial crisis, the US shale boom, and the US attitude towards China have all contributed to China’s new dominance of clean energy manufacturing...

How is the Middle East war going to change the energy strategies of many countries?  Global powers have long relied upon the threat of cutting off fossil energy flows – or the revenues from selling them – to discipline and coerce other countries. The US has done this for decades with oil. Five of the seven countries attacked by the US under the second Trump administration are rich in oil. But the...

What does the US dollar have to do with energy access in Africa?  Mark Blyth explains why countries are so keen to cut back their US dollar dependence; and how that’s connected to the way they get energy. Also, why Germany is afraid of Chinese EVs. Then we talk to Adjekai Adjei about how these constraints actually play out in the African continent. Guests:  Mark Blyth - professor of international...

The second wave of the energy transition is already happening: Since 2022, developing countries have been rapidly ramping up their use of solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. And the subsequent energy crisis of 2026 makes cleaner, electrified energy even more compelling. This episode explores how a surge of affordable, high quality clean tech is rewiring global energy; and why China is m...

This first season of The Polycrisis podcast tells the story of the clash between new and old energy regimes. Just like other energy transitions before it, this is a geopolitical story - not a climate one. Developing countries are leapfrogging their wealthy counterparts by rapidly deploying cheap solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles imported from China. This gives them a low-cost supply th...

The Polycrisis Podcast original theme music. Composed by Russell Stapleton