Best Sustainabledevelopment Podcasts (2025)

1
WHAT ABOUT WAR? Essential for security or a dangerous distraction from climate action? 37:44

9d ago37:44

37:44

War engages our fight or flight instincts. When immediate threats like conflict arise, they often overshadow slower-burning, long-term crises like climate change. In this episode, James and Daisy talk about war. How does climate change fuel conflict? How does war, in turn, hinder efforts to combat the climate crisis? How do we avoid trading one exi…

1
WHAT ABOUT ESG? A path to a better world or a threat to returns? 43:14

21d ago43:14

43:14

ESG – short for Environmental, Social, and Governance – is a framework for evaluating how companies manage sustainability-related risks and opportunities. In ESG investing, environmental, social, and governance factors are integrated into investment decisions, alongside traditional financial metrics. In this episode, James and Daisy discuss ESG. Ho…

1
WHAT ABOUT WATER? A boundless resource or a crisis in the making? 38:12

1M ago38:12

38:12

Water is essential for all life on Earth, yet climate change is disrupting the natural water cycle, altering where, when, and how much water is available. In many ways, climate change expresses itself through water. In this episode, James and Daisy talk about the vital role of water. What is the water cycle? How will water security will be impacted…

1
WHAT ABOUT AVIATION? A remarkably valuable system for society or a carbon-intensive luxury? 41:14

2M ago41:14

41:14

Flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities. In fact, if you fly, it is probably the most polluting thing that you do. Yet, aviation remains one of the toughest sectors to decarbonise, as battery technology and alternative fuels still struggle to match the efficiency of jet fuel. In this episode, James and Daisy – who both love travelling…

1
WHAT ABOUT AI? A promising tool to find solutions or a waste of valuable energy? 39:31

2M ago39:31

39:31

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, enabling computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can seem human. This powerful technology is already being used to benefit the environment – optimising efficiencies, predicting weather patterns, and mapping ecological impacts. However, the immense computing power required for AI com…

1
WHAT ABOUT FASHION? An example of groundbreaking innovation or a major polluter? 40:17

3M ago40:17

40:17

The fashion industry is huge. Fuelled by social media, influencer culture, and powerful marketing, we’re constantly tempted to buy new clothes at low prices. But behind these bargains lie devastating consequences for the environment and poor conditions for garment workers. In this episode, James and Daisy dive into our obsession with fast fashion a…

1
WHAT ABOUT PLASTICS? A lifesaving innovation or a threat to our planet and health? 35:23

5M ago35:23

35:23

Plastics have revolutionized modern life with their versatility and usefulness, but their overwhelming abundance has led to a mounting crisis. Plastic waste is everywhere: in the air we breathe, the ice on Mount Everest, the water we drink, the fish we eat, and even in human placentas. This pollution is not only devastating ecosystems but also harm…

1
WHAT ABOUT COP? A complex, outdated process or an important platform for vulnerable countries? 46:57

6M ago46:57

46:57

The COP, or ‘Conference of the Parties,’ is the main decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), meeting annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change. This year, COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this episode, James and Daisy talk about the COPs. How did they begin? Is the proce…

1
WHAT ABOUT NATURE? A separate issue to solve or critical to tackling climate change? 43:55

6M ago43:55

43:55

Nature is essential to our survival and wellbeing, yet we are rapidly destroying it. Human activities like urbanisation, pollution, deforestation and commercial fishing are all degrading Earth’s biodiversity at an alarming rate. While they have historically been treated as two separate issues, climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply connect…

1
WHAT ABOUT FOOD? An unavoidable source of emissions or an untapped climate solution? 34:10

7M ago34:10

34:10

Food is often overlooked in conversations about climate change, yet our food system contributes roughly one-quarter to one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the leading cause of biodiversity loss, and agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. Beyond environmental impacts, the food system is significantl…

1
WHAT ABOUT OFFSETS? An effective incentive or a distraction from meaningful decarbonization? 34:49

7M ago34:49

34:49

Carbon offsetting is a carbon trading mechanism that allows entities to compensate for their residual carbon emissions by investing in projects that reduce, avoid, or remove emissions elsewhere. While this approach can contribute to climate goals, it often faces criticism for potentially allowing companies to sidestep substantial decarbonization ef…

1
WHAT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL COST? A burdensome expense or a worthwhile investment? 44:05

8M ago44:05

44:05

It’s too expensive to make the change, isn’t it? The financial cost of addressing climate change is often used as a reason not to act. However, while estimates for how much the green transition will cost are indeed high, these numbers are dwarfed by the increased social and economic costs that we will incur if we continue with business as usual. In…

1
WHAT ABOUT NUCLEAR? A low-carbon energy source or a threat to our safety? 38:39

8M ago38:39

38:39

Nuclear energy holds great potential to contribute to power sector decarbonisation. It is a carbon-free and extremely energy dense resource that produces no air pollution. However, it comes with significant drawbacks: not only is nuclear energy very expensive, but the byproduct is radioactive material that can be extremely toxic and is long-lasting…

1
WHAT ABOUT CRITICAL MINERALS? A necessity for clean energy technologies or a harmful new dependency? 41:25

9M ago41:25

41:25

Nearly every aspect of our lives depends on minerals. From mobile phones and cars to medical devices and laptops, these essential elements are everywhere. The transition from fossil fuels to clean energy hinges on critical minerals. However, their mining and processing can lead to significant environmental and social challenges. In this episode, Ja…

1
WHAT ABOUT CHINA? The largest emitter of greenhouse gases or the driver of the green transition? 37:42

9M ago37:42

37:42

China is often called out for its excessive contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly due to its huge reliance on coal power. However, at the same time it is the world leader in renewable energy generation and has a rapidly expanding electric vehicle industry. In this episode, James and Daisy discuss China’s centrality to globa…

1
WHAT ABOUT FOSSIL FUELS? An Important Essential Energy Source or a Dangerous Threat to Our Planet? 49:00

10M ago49:00

49:00

Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—have been a dependable and efficient energy source for over a century. However, their combustion releases greenhouse gases, making fossil fuel emissions the primary driver of climate change. Reducing fossil fuel consumption is imperative to mitigate global warming. In this episode, hosts James and Daisy delve…

1
Introducing an Intergenerational Conversation on Climate Change Challenges 44:25

10M ago44:25

44:25

Welcome to the first episode of Fossil vs Future! Join hosts Daisy and James as they introduce themselves and their backgrounds in the climate movement, and discuss the importance of intergenerational dialogue as a tool for driving meaningful change in the face of climate challenges. KEY ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS EPISODE: Daisy sh…

1
What we learned about 17 Rooms and growing the community 19:41

3y ago19:41

19:41

In this final episode of the “17 Rooms” podcast, co-hosts John McArthur and Zia Khan distill what they learned from the show’s guests about what makes the 17 Rooms process actually work and how other communities can use 17 Rooms approaches to make concrete progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. If you are interested in using 17 Rooms ap…

1
Positive influence of faith for gender equality 53:36

3+ y ago53:36

53:36

In this seventeenth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Jean Duff and Blessing Omakwu discuss their efforts to accelerate the positive influence of faith actors for gender equality. Duff, president at the Partnership for Faith and Development and Omakwu, deputy director of Goalkeepers at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, moderated Room 5 focus…

1
Valuing local knowledge and solutions for SDG progress 46:32

3+ y ago46:32

46:32

In this sixteenth interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Jamie Drummond and Kennedy Odede discuss shifts in power, process, and funding to uplift proximate leaders and value local knowledge and community-based solutions. Drummond, co-founder of ONE and Odede, CEO and co-founder of Shining Hope for Communities, moderated Room 11 focused on Sustainable…

1
Reimagining teaching and learning spaces 49:00

3+ y ago49:00

49:00

In this fifteenth interview of the “17 Rooms" podcast, Elizabeth King and Urvashi Sahni discuss the power of learning teams and their efforts to move education systems beyond the one teacher, one classroom model. King, nonresident senior fellow at the Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution and Sahni, founding president and CEO …

1
Reducing inequality has no easy answers 50:12

3+ y ago50:12

50:12

In this fourteenth interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Martín Abregú and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos discuss how COVID-19 vaccine inequity could be improved globally and how it reveals the underlying issues of global inequality more broadly. Abregu, vice president for International Programs at the Ford Foundation and Sidiropoulos, CEO at the South Afri…

1
New targets and metrics for energy reliability, productivity, and quality 44:35

3+ y ago44:35

44:35

In this thirteenth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Clare Boland Ross and Todd Moss discuss new “measurable metrics” to reframe SDG7 energy targets to be more ambitious and location-specific. Ross, managing director of the Power and Climate Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation and Moss, executive director at the Energy for Growth Hub, mode…

1
Advancing best practices for just COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts 49:25

3+ y ago49:25

49:25

In this twelfth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Elizabeth Andersen and Sarah Mendelson discuss bridging local, national, and global layers of action to assess and foster accountable COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts that reduce inequalities and increase access to justice. Andersen, executive director at the World Justice Project and Mendel…

1
A local problem-solving framework that benefits people and oceans 50:47

3+ y ago50:47

50:47

In this eleventh interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Lisa Dreier and David Obura discuss their efforts to develop a framework that can help local communities identify and catalyze systemic action that benefits people, ocean biodiversity, and ocean-based economic activities. Dreier, managing director of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvar…

1
Making human waste a resource at scale 39:08

3+ y ago39:08

39:08

In this tenth interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Letitia Obeng and Jennifer Sara discuss reframing sanitation from “out of sight and out of mind” to a resource for humankind. Obeng, chair at the Water Integrity Network and Sara, global director of the Water Global Practice at the World Bank, moderated Room 6 focused on Sustainable Development Goa…

1
Digital public goods for SDG attainment 46:35

3+ y ago46:35

46:35

In this ninth interview of the “17 Rooms" podcast, Lucy Harris, Sanjay Jain, and Liv Marte Kristiansen Nordhaug discuss how digital public goods can enable digital cooperation, sustainable development, and innovation. Harris, co-lead of the Digital Public Goods Alliance, Jain, partner at the Bharat Innovation Fund, and Nordhaug, co-lead of the Digi…

1
Digital health tools for pandemic preparedness 45:34

3+ y ago45:34

45:34

In this eighth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Steve Davis and Pardis Sabeti discuss the uptake of participatory digital health tools for pandemic preparedness and response. Davis, senior strategy advisor and Interim China Country director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Sabeti, professor at Harvard University, moderated Room 3 foc…

1
Digital cash transfer infrastructure 41:52

3+ y ago41:52

41:52

In this seventh interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Michael Faye and Minister Cina Lawson discuss building digital cash transfer infrastructure for emergency response and adaptive social protection. Faye, CEO and co-founder of GiveDirectly and Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation in Togo, moderated Room 1 focused on Susta…

1
A "breakthrough" agenda on climate finance 41:16

3+ y ago41:16

41:16

In this sixth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Amar Bhattacharya and John Podesta discuss a “breakthrough” agenda on climate finance, which is necessary to deliver on greater climate ambition and ensure synergy with the sustainable development agenda. Bhattacharya, senior fellow at the Center for Sustainable Development at The Brookings Instit…

1
Investing in nature to protect and benefit people 46:46

3+ y ago46:46

46:46

In this fifth interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Rosina Bierbaum and Richard Florizone discuss near-term opportunities and challenges for scaling nature-based solutions. Bierbaum, professor at University of Maryland and University of Michigan, and Florizone, president at International Institute for Sustainable Development, moderated Room 15 focus…

1
Business journalism as a lever for SDG accountability 45:54

3+ y ago45:54

45:54

In this fourth interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Matthew Bishop and Raj Kumar discuss the role of business journalism in accelerating a data and reporting ecosystem to unlock private capital’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. Bishop, co-founder of the Social Progress Index, and Kumar, founding president and editor-in-chief at …

1
Optimizing the “True Cost/True Value” of food 42:28

3+ y ago42:28

42:28

In this third interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Jane Maland Cady and Pradeep Prabhala discuss frameworks for investors to channel investments into the food system in a way that optimizes for the “True Cost/True Value” of food. Cady, program director at the McKnight Foundation, and Prabhala, partner at McKinsey & Company, moderated Room 2 focuse…

1
Metrics for job quality, mobility, and equity 44:32

3+ y ago44:32

44:32

In this second interview of the “17 Rooms'' podcast, Marcela Escobari and Ethan Rouen discuss elevating the “S” in ESG through a streamlined set of firm-level metrics that capture job quality and economic mobility. Escobari, senior fellow at the Center for Sustainable Development at The Brookings Institution, and Rouen, professor at Harvard Busines…

1
The fight against forced labor and modern slavery 47:32

3+ y ago47:32

47:32

In this first interview of the “17 Rooms” podcast, Kristen Leanderson Abrams and Carsten Stendevad discuss the role institutional investors can play in the fight against forced labor and modern slavery. Abrams, senior director for combatting human trafficking at the McCain Institute, and Stendevad, co-CIO for Sustainability at Bridgewater Associate…

1
Getting the world unstuck on the Sustainable Development Goals 23:05

3+ y ago23:05

23:05

“The world feels pretty stuck in taking on its biggest issues—things like poverty, climate change, inequality,” says Brookings Senior Fellow John McArthur in this debut episode of “17 Rooms,” a podcast about actions, insights, and community for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the people driving them. In this new podcast, McArthur—who d…

1
Introducing 17 Rooms, a podcast about the people driving a new approach for the Sustainable Development Goals 0:55

3+ y ago0:55

0:55

Welcome to 17 Rooms, a podcast about actions, insights, and community for the Sustainable Development Goals and the people driving them. The podcast is part of the 17 Rooms initiative, where diverse participants meet in their own “Rooms,” one for each of the SDGs, to identify concrete actions they can take over the next 12-18 months toward the Goal…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Sustainabledevelopment Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen