The climate crisis is a systemic and complex global issue that threatens the way we live and causes extreme uncertainty about the future. With its impacts being felt more often and more severely around the world, we are left wondering: How could we have left this happen?
A growing number of people and organisations have recognised that working through gradual, incremental changes is not enough. What we need today is a fundamental transformation of economic, social and financial systems that will trigger exponential change in decarbonisation rates and strengthen climate resilience.
We launched a podcast to shine a light on the solutions making a real difference. Join us for a series of conversations about building hope, curiosity – and excitement – for a just and desirable future that is compatible with our planetary boundaries. We will explore how innovation in human systems could be at the heart of re-imagining our future, and hear from some remarkable people who are putting truly transformative solutions into practice. We ask them: How could we achieve a climate resilient, inclusive and beautiful world for everyone?
The first series of EIT Climate-KIC podcast How Could We? focuses on land use, sustainable forestry and the dilemma of using trees for timber:
- In the first episode, we talk to Daniel Zimmer on the dilemma that comes with using wood to substitute fossil-based products,
- In a second episode, we talk to Syakaa William about the opportunities and challenges of building a sustainable mass timber market in East Africa
- In a third episode, we talk to Tena Petrovic about a Berlin-based project that aims to develop Europe’s first ‘Forest-to-City’ value chain for affordable housing
In our second season, we talked to three projects selected by the EIT Community New European Bauhaus initiative, which aims to co-create public spaces through citizen engagement.
- In the first episode, we talk to Anabella Costache, a cultural project manager at the Faber Cultural Centre in Timișoara (Romania). Anabella works on the CONNECT project, which helps integrate Ukrainian people, particularly women, fleeing the war into the development of the city through artistic gatherings and sharing of history.
- In the second episode, we talk to Blanca Calvo Boixet and Raquel Colacios Parra, two architects from Barcelona, Spain, about ASD Publics. The project has created new tools and methods for urban planning professionals to design sustainable and inclusive play areas for and with children with ASD and their families.
- In the third season, we talk to Mathilde Rubinstein, Deputy Director of La Citadelle de Marseille, an association that uses nature-based solutions to tackle soil pollution in a historical site that will soon be opened to the public.
Our third season was inspired by conversations we had with experts about the climate emergency, and we decided to dig into three themes that are important to our work: Climate Narratives, Confusion & Crisis and Radical Collaboration.
- In the first episode, we talk to Neha Misra, a storyteller, climate justice advocate and a visual artist. We ask her how we can build stories of a future worth living in, talk about how art helps us tell the story of climate change, and discuss the importance of including – and valuing – the work of artists and diverse voices.
- In the second episode, we talk to Tonny Nowshin, a Bangladeshi economist currently based in Berlin. Tonny is also a degrowth and climate justice advocate, who focuses on centring the concept of justice in the climate movement.
- In the third episode, we talk to Yiannis Chrysostomidis, Principal and Head of London Office at REOS Partners, a global organisation solving complex problems through the lens of radical collaboration. Yiannis’ work supports changemakers to help shift the root causes of societal challenges, such as climate change
In our fourth season, we looked at the need to redefine development funding. We delved into the transformative potential of development funding, highlighting its crucial role in achieving a climate-resilient, inclusive, and beautiful future for all.
- In the first episode, we talk to Any Sulistyowati, a distinguished Donella Meadows Leadership Fellow and one of the Community Grantmakers for the SILP project. She brings a wealth of experience from her work in Indonesia, mentoring in systems thinking, and engaging with various community groups. Her insights into the role of community grant-makers and the importance of participatory decision-making are invaluable to understanding the shifts needed in development funding.
- In the second episode, we talk to Kanika Verma and Shrashtant Patara, from Development Alternatives, an organisation based in India that supports women e-rickshaw entrepreneurs in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Since its inception in 2018, the project has developed a model for how low-carbon transportation can improve safety, empower women and reduce carbon emissions.
- In the third episode, we talk to Marion Iceduna, of the Join for Water organisation in Uganda. In this episode, Marion shares the inspiring work she is doing to strengthen the capacity of women in knowledge development and conservation planning.