WRI's Big Ideas Into Action podcast

World Resources Institute Podcasts Plus

Science EN ↓ 155 episodes

"Big Ideas Into Action" is the relaunched podcast from the World Resources Institute, bringing you the big ideas that combat the world's most pressing environmental and developmental challenges. You'll hear the voices of those meeting the challenges on the ground across the globe and find out about the way we're finding the answers and translating them into action. We'll be podcasting in series of six to eight at a time, once a week, with occasional special episodes to add our insights and analysis in response to big events. The World Resources Institute works around the globe to turn big idea...

Author

WRI's Big Ideas Into Action podcast

Category

Science

Podcast website

www.wri.org

Latest episode

Feb 27, 2025

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Episodes

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #56: Just Transition in India 06.07.2022

Some cases of just transition are obvious - such as finding replacement jobs and taxation money when a local coal-fired power station closes down. But as we transition towards a low-carbon economy some other impacts on livelihoods and communities may not be so easy to predict. This case study from Karnatka in India examines the unintended consequences of building a vast new solar energy farm on se...

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #55: Just Transition in the United States 30.06.2022

When a coal-fired power station near the US-Canada border closed, what happened to the local community, shorn of its jobs and the healthy tax revenues that it brought in? As the world shifts toward renewable energy we need to grasp the challenges that this throws up, finding new funding and sources of jobs and economic growth, while enjoying opportunities such as reduced pollution and lower carbon...

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #54: Just Transition in Australia 28.06.2022

What happens to the workers and communities connected to an Australian coal-fired power station when it is closed down? As the world shifts towards renewable energy more fossil fuel-fired power stations will close down. Learning from what's happened in previous case studies will help us to identify challenges, opportunities and solutions. This case study from Australia is the second in WRI's Just...

WRI Big Ideas Into Action #53: What is a Just Transition? 23.06.2022

It’s one of the thorniest issues in the shift to low carbon economies – what happens to those whose lives, livelihoods and communities are left behind as we move away from fossil fuels. To help examine these transitions we've put together a podcast miniseries that looks at the challenges, opportunities and solutions of just transition. In this Just Transition In Action podcast series we’ve this op...

Big Ideas Into Action #52: solutions to the African food crisis caused by the Ukraine War 16.06.2022

How has Africa been affected by the growing food crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine? In this podcast we hear from three experts, their analysis of the situation, and their solutions - both to the immediate challenge and to making Africa's food system more resilient in the face of challenges such as climate change and conflict. The podcast features Lawrence Haddad of GAIN, Ndidi Nwuneli...

Big Ideas Into Action #51: Cycling and the Sustainable City 20.05.2022

Many governments and authorities started to build cycling infrastructure during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but were these developments temporary or the foundation of a permanent shift towards truly cyclable cities? In this WRI Big Ideas Into Action podcast we hear that many of those cities are starting to make things permanent, and - of course - why helping to get more people out of cars and onto bic...

Big Ideas Into Action #50: Water Peace and Security Quarterly Update 2 10.05.2022

Is it possible to predict conflict? That's what the Water, Peace and Security Partnership's machine learning early warning tool sets out to do. Four times a year the predictions are analyzed and turned into a quarterly report. In this second WPS quarterly report podcast we'll look at the countries most at risk of conflict thanks to the fall out of the war in Ukraine, which has led to much higher f...

Big Ideas Into Action #49: the IPCC reports on climate change 13.04.2022

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has delivered its latest three reports, covering climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the actions necessary to minimise the damage. In this podcast we hear from two WRI experts, Sophia Boehm and Preety Bhandari, on the content of the reports and what they will be watching to see if the world is turning their analysis into effective actio...

Big Ideas Into Action #48: Ukraine, energy and food 31.03.2022

Beyond the immediate human suffering, what are the wider implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on energy and food? This is an edited, public version of a WRI press call examining the issues and the questions that will need to be asked in the coming months and years. The podcast features four WRI experts: Stientje van Veldhoven, Craig Hanson, Jennifer Layke and Dan Lashof. It was produced an...

Big Ideas Into Action #47: Stories To Watch deeper dive into climate justice 18.03.2022

What is climate justice, and how do we ensure that climate action helps to address rather than exacerbate inequalities in the world? After all, those that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are often in poorer countries with fewer means to address their worsening situation - and yet they have done less to cause the problem of climate change than those in richer countries. This de...

Big Ideas Into Action #46: achieving clean air for girls and women 08.03.2022

How much do air quality and pollution issues affect women and girls, and how much can solutions to those problems be helped by making sure they have a seat at the decision-making table? These are the decisions addressed in this podcast timed to coincide with International Women's Day. The podcast features Gillian Caldwell of USAID, Azra Khan of WRI, and Debby Thalita of the Indonesian Center for E...

Big Ideas Into Action #45: Stories To Watch deeper dive into the environment/pandemic link 24.02.2022

With the world continuing to struggle with the cost of the Covid 19 pandemic, what are the chances that humanity's continued ill-treatment of nature will lead to the emergence of future diseases? What are the issues and questions behind the link between environmental degradation and disease that we need to be examining? This deeper dive looking at pandemics and biodiversity is the third of a short...

Big Ideas Into Action #44: Stories To Watch deeper dive on electric mobility 17.02.2022

One of the biggest challenges of a transition to a low carbon world is to change the way we get around. Electrifying transport is a key element of this, but it's about far more than selling electric cars and installing charging points in the cities of the rich world. But what are the issues and questions that we need to be examining? This deeper dive looking at electric mobility is the second of a...

Big Ideas Into Action #43: Stories To Watch deeper dive on coal 10.02.2022

Coal is one of the most potent drivers of climate change. Phasing it out is critical for cutting harmful emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Yet despite rising commitments to do so, many countries seem to want to hang on to coal. Why? This deeper dive looking at coal is the first of a short series of WRI podcasts looking at the individual subjects of our Stories To Watch project f...

Big Ideas Into Action #42: Water Peace and Security Quarterly Update 1 03.02.2022

Is it possible to predict conflict? That's what the Water, Peace and Security Partnership's machine learning early warning tool sets out to do. Four times a year the predictions are analyzed and turned into a quarterly report. We'll be doing a short podcast about the headline story from each quarterly report - this time the focus is on the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia, Somalia and northern...

Big Ideas Into Action #41: WRI's Stories To Watch 2022 19.01.2022

What are the Stories To Watch for 2022? Every year WRI works out what the important ones are for the year ahead and presents them to the world. This podcast - with Ani Dasgupta interviewed by Nicholas Walton - looks at the background and inside story of those Stories, and the big changes in the world that have informed them. To read more about WRI's Stories To Watch 2022 go to www.wri.org/stories-...

Big Ideas Into Action #40: ACT2025 - The Final Outcome 30.11.2021

This series of ACT2025 podcasts from the World Resources Institute looks at climate from the point of view of vulnerable countries. In this podcast we hear an evaluation of the outcomes from the COP26 conference, from Preety Bhandari, Senior Advisor in WRI’s Global Climate Program and the Finance Center. She was interviewed by Molly Bergen. ACT2025 was formed to make sure their voices are heard —...

COP26 Shorts: Air Quality 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at Air Quality with Jessica Seddon. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Circular Economy, Energy, Food and Land Use, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: the Ocean 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at the Ocean with Kristian Teleki. Other episodes look at Cities, Circular Economy, Energy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: Food and Land Use 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at Food and Land Use with Morgan Gillespy. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Circular Economy, Energy, Clean Air, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: Cities 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at Cities with Rogier Vandenberg. Other episodes look at Oceans, Circular Economy, Energy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: Circular Economy 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at the Circular Economy with Stientje van Veldhoven. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Energy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: Business 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at the Business world with Kevin Moss. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Circular Economy, Energy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: The Overview 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton gets an overview of what to expect from COP from Helen Mountford. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Circular Economy, Energy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, and Business. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

COP26 Shorts: Energy 19.10.2021

This new series of short WRI podcasts looks at why COP26 matters for different issues. In this episode Nicholas Walton looks at Energy with Jennifer Layke. Other episodes look at Oceans, Cities, Circular Economy, Food and Land Use, Clean Air, Business, and an overall look ahead to COP26. For more on #COP26 go to our resource hub: www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub

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