Making sense of geopolitics in 2025

As geopolitics shifts, three experts on international relations answer fundamental questions, including: Why do humans have wars? What are the new challenges facing peacemakers and peacekeepers? And what has changed for the Global South? Guests:  Monica Toft, Professor and Director, Center for Strategic Studies; Academic Dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University Happymon Jacob, Founder and Director, Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR) Aparna Bharadwaj  Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Links: Global Future Council on Geopolitics: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council-on-geopolitics Related podcasts: After 2025's 'seismic' shock, what's next for development and aid: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/development-aid-devex/ Superpower rivalry and geopolitics in Trump 2.0: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/geopolitics-lynn-kuok-the-national/ We have entered the age of "persistent disruption" - Visa's Wayne Best on the Chief Economists Outlook: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-visa-wayne-best/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub    

"During those 102 hours, I connected with my soul, my brain, my body, to a level that I will probably never do again. And I discovered a part of myself that I couldn't think was capable of doing what I did." Noam Yaron swam from Corsica to just off the coast of Monaco, mainland Europe, to push himself to the limit and raise awareness about the marine environment. Here's what he learned about human endurance and the threats to nature posed by pollution, shipping and rising temperatures. Links: Friends of Ocean Action: https://www.weforum.org/friends-of-ocean-action/ The 30X30 Ocean Action Plan to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_30x30_Ocean_Action_Plan_2025.pdf Water Lover Challenge: https://www.waterlover.org/ Related podcasts: Ocean: how David Attenborough's new film will transform how you see Earth: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ocean-david-attenborough-colin-butfield/ Humans rely on the ocean. Here's how both can thrive: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ocean-marine-prosperity-areas/ Talks on creating a "Paris Treaty for plastics" just stalled - here's why, and what happens next: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/plastics-treaty-inc-gpap/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Can farming be productive and profitable but without damaging nature and adding to greenhouse gases? As COP30 begins in Belém, Brazil, we hear from a Brazilian entrepreneur involved in regenerative agriculture in Brazil, in a podcast co-hosted with the World Economic Forum's Tropical Forest Alliance. Hosts: Robin Pomeroy, host, Radio Davos Danielle Carreira, Head of Finance, Tropical Forest Alliance Guest: Luis Fernando Laranja da Fonseca, CEO, Grupo Caapora Links:  Tropical Forest Alliance: https://www.tropicalforestalliance.org/home Innovative Finance for the Amazon, Cerrado and Chaco (IFACC): www.ifacc-initiative.org Grupo Caapora: https://grupocaapora.com.br/ Related blogs: COP30 in Brazil: What is at stake:  https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/11/what-is-cop30-what-is-at-stake-climate-nature-action/ Ahead of COP30, a new era of forest restoration and resilience is taking root: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/11/cop30-new-era-of-forest-restoration-and-resilience/ Related podcasts: Why our future must be 'nature positive': https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/nature-positive-marco-lambertini/ Humans rely on the ocean. Here's how both can thrive: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ocean-marine-prosperity-areas/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Governments in the global North have slashed aid budgets at a time when humanitarian needs have reached record levels, forcing a rethink on global aid and development. In this podcast, co-hosted by humanitarian news agency Devex, we look at where things may go from here and what new models of cooperation might offer hope. Hosts: Robin Pomeroy, Radio Davos, World Economic Forum Raj Kumar, This Week in Global Development, Devex Guests: Carla Haddad Mardini, Director, Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Julienne Oyler, CEO, Inkomoko Links: Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/humanitarian-and-resilience-investing-initiative Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: www.schwabfound.org - look out for forthcoming report, Social Enterprise in Africa. UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/ Inkomoko: https://www.inkomoko.com/ Devex: https://www.devex.com/ Related podcasts: This Week in Global Development: https://www.devex.com/news/this-week-in-global-development-106893 Superpower rivalry and geopolitics in Trump 2.0: https://wef.ch/4oOOsys We have entered the age of "persistent disruption" - Visa's Wayne Best on the Chief Economists Outlook: http://wef.ch/4puuU3m What you might get wrong about progress - Lessons for leaders: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/steven-pinker-harvard-humanity-doing-better/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

How does the superpower rivalry between the US and China dictate international relations more broadly? And what does it mean for the future of trade, security and development?   Lyunn Kuok, Lee Kuan Yew, Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution, and a member of the Forum's Global Future Council on Geopolitics, analyses the state of the global relations almost a year into the second Donald Trump presidency.   This episode is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum's weekly Radio Davos and Beyond the Headlines, the flagship current affairs podcast of The National, the Middle East's leading English-language newspaper. It was recorded at the Forum's Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity in Dubai on 15 October, 2025. It is co-hosted by Mina Al-Oraibi, The National's Editor-in-Chief. Watch a video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel: https://wef.ch/43bySEO   Links: Network of Global Future Councils: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council Global Future Council on Geopolitics: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council-on-geopolitics Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/annual-meetings-of-the-global-future-councils-and-cybersecurity-2025/ The National: https://www.thenationalnews.com/   Related podcasts: Beyond the Headlines podcast: https://www.thenationalnews.com/podcasts/beyond-the-headlines/ Related Radio Davos episodes: We have entered the age of "persistent disruption" - Visa's Wayne Best on the Chief Economists Outlook: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-visa-wayne-best/ "New era, new mood, new challenges" - historian Adam Tooze on why things will never be the same again: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/adam-tooze-cnbc-china-us-history/ Check out all World Economic Forum podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub          

We all rely on nature to survive - but humans continue to destroy and degrade the environment to an extent that puts our own species at risk Nature conservationist Marco Lambertini puts the case for going 'nature positive' - getting companies and countries to account for their impact on nature and find ways to conserve and restore more than they destroy. Links: Nature Positive Initiative: https://www.naturepositive.org/ World Economic Forum's New Nature Economy reports: https://www.weforum.org/publications/series/new-nature-economy/ World Economic Forum's Bioeconomic Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/bioeconomy-initiative/home Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders: https://initiatives.weforum.org/alliance-of-ceo-climate-leaders Alliance of CEOs for Nature: https://initiatives.weforum.org/ceo-alliance/home Related podcasts: "All of this is teamwork" - how 'industrial clusters' are accelerating the energy transition: http://wef.ch/4h0W7aa Are we on track for the energy transition? Insights from three CEOs: http://wef.ch/4nyDxIZ Ocean: how David Attenborough's new film will transform how you see Earth: http://wef.ch/4729DHk Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub  

The transition to net-zero is a daunting challenge for any industry - but what if diverse sectors can help each other speed up progress? That's what can happen in an 'industrial cluster'. In the episode we hear from two such clusters - the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium and the Andalusia Green Hydrogen Valley in Spain - just two of the more than 35 industrial clusters around the world, supported by the World Economic Forum's Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) initiative, to drive economic growth, employment and cut greenhouse gas emissions. And we speak to the head of the Mission Possible Partnership - an organisation that works to advance the energy transition in industry which also puts a strong emphasis on industry clusters or 'clean industrial hubs'. Episode page with transcript: http://wef.ch/46rZO3T Links: Transitioning Industrial Clusters: https://initiatives.weforum.org/transitioning-industrial-clusters/home Mission Possible Partnership: https://www.missionpossiblepartnership.org/ Port of Antwerp-Bruges: https://www.portofantwerpbruges.com/en Andalusia Green Hydrogen Valley: https://www.moeveglobal.com/en/businesses/commercial-clean-energies/green-hydrogen/andalusian-valley Related podcasts: How to nudge heavy industry to sustainability: the First Movers Coalition: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/fmc-concrete-cement/ Can aviation ever be sustainable? Here are some paths to net zero: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/aviation-day-airports-sustainable-fuel-saf/ Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/climate-science-policy-business-response/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

One of the main things needed to achieve net zero that is to transform how we produce and consume energy. In this podcast, CEOs of three very different companies on the front lines of the energy transition around the world assess where the energy transition is now, and what the future may look like. Speakers: Christian Bruch, CEO, Siemens Energy Andrés Gluski, CEO, AES Corporation Lei Zhang, CEO, Envision Group Co-host: Charles Bourgault manager, electricity industry, World Economic Forum Episode page with transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/energy-transition-electrification-siemens-aes-envision Related podcasts: Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond? Getting sustainable, secure and equitable power to the people - how's the global energy transition going? Energy Transition: Amping Up or Powering Down? All Hands on Deck for the Energy Transition Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub  

Electronic devices that tap into a human's nervous system have been around for decades, for example to help paralysed people move and deaf people hear. Now, a new generation of neurotechnology promises to revolutionise treatments for a range of conditions that afflict billions of people. We look at the benefits and assess the risks with Jen French, a campaigner for access to neurotechnlolgy who has been using a device for 25 years since a snowboarding accident made her quadriplegic. And Tom Oxley, the CEO of neurotech startup Synchron, explains how 'brain computer interfaces' are giving paralysed patients the ability to use computers and smart phones.  They also address concerns about things such as data privacy, unequal access to health tech, and device 'abandonment'. Episode page with transcript: http://wef.ch/46Tt4Rm Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/KmIMQVUdHBc Links: Network of Global Future Councils: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council/ Related podcasts: 'We have the most to benefit, but also the most to lose': how AI could transform human health:  Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

The global economy is moving from experiencing "episodic shocks" to "a new operating regime, one that is defined now by persistent disruption." So says Wayne Best, chief economist at Visa, as he gives his take on the Chief Economists Outlook, the World Economic Forum's regular pulse check of the world economy and where it is headed. Episode page with transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-visa-wayne-best Links: Chief Economists Outlook: wef.ch/chiefeconsept25 Related podcasts: "New era, new mood, new challenges" - historian Adam Tooze on why things will never be the same again "Trillions of dollars added to the economy" - Google's chief economist on the macro impact of AI The global economy 'at a crossroads' ahead of Davos: Chief Economists Outlook Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub