The Green Alliance Podcast

For the first time, over 100 UK public bodies have had to say in their annual reports whether climate change is a significant risk to their services and finances. Ruth Chambers, Green Alliance senior fellow, is joined by Catherine Barber, Director - Environment and Climate Change at the National Audit Office, to discuss what the NAO found in 31 of them. They cover flooded NHS sites, prisons at risk of overheating, wildfire threats to army training and Defra’s surprise rating of climate change.

The government’s consultation on the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate has closed, with a final decision expected around the end of the year. The mandate sets rising sales targets for new electric cars and vans, and some carmakers want it weakened.In this episode, adapted from a Green Alliance webinar chaired by Roz Bulleid, research and policy director at Green Alliance, Ben Nelmes of New AutoMotive, James Court of Octopus Electric Vehicles and Bob Hancké of Political Economic Analysis, Consulting & Strategies (PEACS) ask whether the mandate is really failing. They discuss the case for policy stability, the planned pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicles and why the transition needs a plan for workers and regions. They also look at how electric vehicles connect to cheaper motoring and energy security.

What do five consecutive heatwaves, months of drought and a record breaking summer tell us about the years ahead?  In this episode, Cath Smith, Green Alliance’s head of social impact, speaks to meteorologist Gemma Plumb about the climate science driving extreme heat and Deputy Mayor Mete Coban MBE about how London is adapting. Together, they explore what it will take to turn the lessons of this summer into lasting resilience for the years to come. 

Two weeks into Andy Burnham's premiership, what does it mean for UK climate and environmental policy?  Green Alliance's Director of Politics Holly Brazier Tope is joined by Caitlin Prowle (Co-operative Party), Paul McNamee (LCEF) and Sarah Williams (Green Alliance) to unpack the politics of devolution, place-based power and a reshuffled DESNZ and Defra. They explore whether the environmental sector should worry if this government delivers green wins without ever saying "climate" and ask when we can expect the next election.

After more than a decade of campaigning, a natural history GCSE for England is finally on the table. In this special episode, former MP Caroline Lucas and conservationist Mary Colwell sit down to unpack the government’s new consultation: what it gets right, what it’s missing and what bumblebees have to do with it.

In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, Ruth is joined by Bethan Sayed from Climate Cymru and Annie Smith from RSPB Cymru to take stock of what Wales's new Plaid Cymru-led government and expanded Senedd means for nature and climate. From the Sustainable Farming Scheme to the long-awaited Office of Environmental Governance Wales, the conversation covers the big policy tests ahead and what it will take to turn commitments into delivery.

Wales has passed landmark legislation to strengthen environmental governance and restore biodiversity. Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies joins Green Alliance Senior Fellow Ruth Chambers to discuss what the new laws mean and what must happen next to deliver for nature.

What if saving money, creating jobs and tackling climate change all went hand in hand? In this episode, we leave the policy talk behind and meet the people making the circular economy happen, from repair café volunteers and reuse hubs to engineers refurbishing tools and fashion workers giving textiles a second life. Their stories reveal five simple reasons people love the circular economy. This isn’t a distant ambition. It’s already here and people want more of it.

What does effective environmental scrutiny look like in parliament? In this episode, Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, joins Ruth Chambers to discuss cross party working, real time influence on legislation and how committees can drive change, even when government resists.

Environmental rights are under growing pressure in the UK. With new limits on peaceful protest and worrying developments from the recent Aarhus Convention, questions are mounting around transparency, accountability and whether the public can meaningfully participate in environmental decision making.Ruth Chambers speaks with Chris Packham, Carol Day and Katie de Kauwe. They discuss the impact of recent laws on campaigners, what the Aarhus Convention means for access to justice and why protecting these rights is essential for both democracy and the environment.