Undercurrents: Climate geopolitics and legal justice for global warming

During the first week of COP26, Undercurrents explores how great power competition is affecting climate action, and hears about legal attempts to hold governments accountable for climate change.

Audio Published 7 November 2021 55 minute listen

As the first week of the UN climate change summit, COP26, takes place in Glasgow, Ben and Mariana return with two contrasting interviews on the climate crisis. 

Ben speaks to Kevin Rudd about the geopolitics of climate action. They discuss China’s role in the climate negotiations, how great power competition with the United States is influencing the COP process, and why Australia remains reluctant to increase its ambitions for emissions reduction. 

Then Mariana is joined by Julia Olson, who leads a non-profit public interest law firm at the heart of legal cases on behalf of children which seek compensation from governments for their historic role in causing global warming.