Climate Dialogues with Jerry Brown

In episode eleven, Institute chair Jerry Brown speaks with Kevin Rudd, President and CEO of The Asia Society, and the former prime minister of Australia. The pair discuss the COP26 UN climate talks, US-Chinese bilateral relations and the prospects for managed strategic competition and opportunities for coordination, as well as the role of corporate and subnational actors-like California- in advancing climate action.

In episode ten, Institute chair Jerry Brown speaks with Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for Pacific Gas and Electric. The pair discuss key issues facing California with respect to climate change, including catastrophic wildfires, renewable integration with the grid and building grid resilience, and incentive structures to advance a cleaner energy future.

In episode nine, Institute chair Jerry Brown speaks with Dr. Liz Hadly, of Stanford’s Department of Biology. Hadley is expert in organismal biology and ecological systems. The pair discuss the scientific consensus on climate change, and climate’s biodiversity implications, including species loss, and the risks climate presents for humans and nature ecosystems alike.

In episode 8, Institute Chair Jerry Brown interviews leading climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann. The pair discuss the latest climate science, including the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the need to tackle short-lived climate pollutants, and Mann’s new book, “The New Climate War.”

In episode 7, Institute Chair Jerry Brown speaks with Laurence Tubiana, renowned for her role in achieving the Paris agreement in 2015, and now the CEO of European Climate Foundation. The pair discuss how to elevate global climate change on the world stage, carbon border adjustment mechanisms and carbon pricing, and climate diplomacy and international climate leadership in the lead-up to COP 26.

In episode six, Institute Chair Jerry Brown speaks with Christiana Figueres, one of the chief architects of the Paris Agreement in her former role as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Figueres is an internationally-recognized leader on international climate policy and author of the book, “The Future we Choose.” The pair discuss the role of the U.S. and China in combating the climate issue, COVID-19 recovery efforts, and the need for international climate finance.

In episode five, Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland, joins Institute chair Jerry Brown to discuss their expectations for COP26, the need for international climate finance, and the effects of the global pandemic on efforts to address global climate change. Robinson, Chair of The Elders, an international organization focused on peace and human rights, is renowned for her work on intergenerational and climate justice, which the pair also discuss.

In episode four, Dr. Martin Rees, British astrophysicist and cosmologist, joins Institute chair Jerry Brown to speak about some of the world’s most significant global threats, including climate change, nuclear, and cybersecurity risks. Rees is the cofounder of the Center for the Study of Existential risk at the University of Cambridge, and author of “On the Future: Prospects for Humanity” among several other books.

In episode 3, Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Professor of Climate, Atmospheric Science & Physical Ocean at UC San Diego, and renowned climate scientist speaks with Institute Chair Jerry Brown on the latest climate science and its policy implications. Dr. Ramanathan was the first to discover the harms chlorofluorocarbons were causing to the earth’s atmosphere, and over his career has advised leaders in academia, government, and even the Vatican on climate change issues.

In episode 2, Mary Nichols, the former Chair of the California Air Resources Board and Institute Vice Chair, joins Institute Chair Jerry Brown to discuss carbon markets, low-carbon transportation, and California climate policy. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Mary Nichols has played a pivotal role in shaping California’s environmental and climate policy, following her training as an environmental lawyer.