ZSL #044 Nature's Negotiators: The UN's Wildest Diplomatic Mission - Part 2

2024 has been a big year for international climate policy, with two UN Conference of Parties, or COPs, taking place in quick succession; COP16 in Colombia followed just a few weeks later by COP29 in Azerbaijan. In this episode of Wild Science, we follow on from part one of our Nature’s Negotiators miniseries, and are once again joined by Bethan Laughlin, ZSL Senior Policy Specialist. We discuss the challenges and successes of the two biodiversity and climate COPs, tackle some new UN lingo, and hear about key hopes for the future of climate policy.

Overview

00:12     Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, Episode introduction 

01:12     Bethan Laughlin, ZSL’s Senior Policy Specialist, speaking from COP16 in Cali, Colombia

02:13     Interview with Bethan Laughlin on the successes of COP16

04:05      Insights on the ground at COP16: Davi Teles, Mónica Franco Gutiérrez & Liliana Patricia Saboyá Acosta

07:47     Georgina Chandler, ZSL’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, on digital sequence information

10:34     Continued: Interview with Bethan on the challenges of COP16 and opportunities for the future

17:56     Carly Siege, Manager for International Policy Conservation International

19:30     Thomas Pickford, UK Partnerships and Policy Lead, The Nature Conservancy

30:45     Final reflections, an update from Bethan, and outro

Resources

• If there’s a topic you’d like to hear on a future podcast, or if you’d like to share your thoughts, email the ZSL Wild Science Podcast at: [e-mail]
• Check out our science and conservation work at: www.zsl.org/Science or www.zsl.org/conservation
• Bethan Laughlin: https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/bethan-laughlin
• Georgina Chandler: https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/georgina-chandler
• Read more about our EDGE Fellows: https://www.edgeofexistence.org/edge-fellows/
• ZSL’s COP16 position statement: https://cms.zsl.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/CBD%20COP16%20Key%20Asks%20-%20October%202024.pdf
• “Negotiations ran out of time, but action on biodiversity loss cannot be postponed…” Blog written by Georgina Chandler: https://www.zsl.org/news-and-events/feature/cbd-cop16-negotiations-ran-out-time-action-biodiversity-loss-cannot-be  

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