How does a nation transform its forest coverage from 21% to 60% in half a century? What are the policies that can place nature at the very heart of political thinking? And why does Christiana Figueres see a picture of her dad when she visits an ATM?

Christiana is joined in her home country by co-hosts Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson as they explore Costa Rica’s remarkable history and constitutionally guaranteed environmental safeguards. Our resident expert explains her very deep personal bond to her country’s politics as her father, former President José Figueres Ferrer, was also the father of the Second Republic, most famous for abolishing the country’s army.

It is perhaps Costa Rica’s policies towards nature that truly elevates this nation above its peers, from its drive on rewilding to carbon taxes. But this incredible progress is now under threat: Christiana and former President Luis Guillermo Solís reflect on the populist Trump-like measures implemented by the current administration, including plans for a regressive return to fossil fuels. Will the government go through with it?

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Learn more:

📝 Check out Article 50 of the constitution of Costa Rica:

All persons have the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. For that, they are legitimated to denounce the acts that infringe this right and to claim reparation for the damage caused.

🌱 Read about the human right to a healthy environment

💬 Have a suggestion for another country case study? Let us know by sending us a voice note!

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Producer: Jarek Zaba

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the future of climate action? Having previously interrogated the failures of multilateralism in the years since the Paris Agreement was signed, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson look to the future and the alternative ‘levers of change’ that will tackle the climate crisis.

These avenues are needed now more than ever after a whirlwind of executive orders and policies passed by President Donald Trump’s administration. These have placed climate action firmly in its crosshairs, whilst conflating it with other conservative talking points such as transgender rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes.

So what other levers can be pulled? Whether it’s the utilisation of technology; our interaction with the worlds of business and finance; mass engagement with the public at large; climate litigation that moves the debate into the courtroom; and the role of young people – not just as campaigners, but also as corporate advisors. Will these approaches help bypass increasing obstructionism in the fight for climate justice?

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📊 Check out the graphs Paul mentioned about the power of wind and solar generation, as well as EV and battery sales!

💡 Learn more about Flooded People UK

💬 Have we missed any exciting levers of change? Let us know by sending us a voice note!

📺 WATCH: 10 years on from Paris, Christiana Figueres is forced to confront her negotiation style: “There’s no one less diplomatic than I am!”

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

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LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

Or get in touch with us via this form.

Producer: Jarek Żaba

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christiana Figueres, the driving force behind the groundbreaking Paris Climate Agreement, reflects on the high-stakes negotiations that reshaped the global fight against climate change in the year that marks its ten-year anniversary. With the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, she reveals the relentless pushback from the fossil fuel lobby, and the ever-shifting geopolitical tensions that threaten progress. Will the world stay on course, or are we teetering on the edge of climate catastrophe?

Co-hosts Paul Dickinson and Tom Rivett-Carnac recall the final hours of the deal being adopted, the extraordinary feeling of seeing the world come together in unanimous support of climate action and make their predictions for how the business and political worlds will move forward in a new era of leadership. As Donald Trump kicks off his second term with a raft of immigration policies, the hosts discuss how the number of people set to be displaced due to climate is set to exceed a billion by 2050. Plus, whether 2025 is the year the insurance industry reaches an existential crisis as climate-related weather events, like the LA fires, become uninsurable.

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Want to share your views on how the Paris Climate Agreement changed the course of history? Send us a voice note!

Or understand more about today's episode:

• Read about the state of California’s lawsuit against big oil.
• Dive into the 25-page Paris Climate Agreement, or read the preamble for all the crucial context as recommended by Christiana Figueres.

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

Or get in touch with us via this form.

Producer: Nina Pullman

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.