It’s the trillion-dollar problem: funds are on the table - but the money isn’t always flowing to where it’s needed most. As Hurricane Melissa batters the Caribbean, it leaves behind a stark reminder of what’s at stake when finance fails to reach the most climate-vulnerable places.

This week on Inside COP, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith unpack what it will take to fix the world’s climate finance system, and make COP30 a turning point from pledges to real investment.

The team are joined by guest host Sue Reid, Climate Finance Advisor at Global Optimism, to demystify the landscape of public and private finance and explain how smarter systems - not just bigger sums - can unlock climate action at scale. And Avinash Persaud of the Inter-American Development Bank, outlines the major finance innovations to watch in Belém, from debt-swap facilities to the ReInvest+ initiative.

Plus, the team considers the latest NDC synthesis report, which highlights the gap between where we are and where we need to be. But do these nationally determined contributions reflect the real-world momentum already underway - or just mirror the politics of the moment?

Learn more:

🌎 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

💰 Read about the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap to $1.3 Trillion

🌳 Discover the Tropical Forests Forever Facility

📈 Explore the latest NDC Synthesis Report

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

And we want to hear from you! What do you want to hear more of in Inside COP? Get in touch with us. Get in touch with us via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly 9 out of 10 people worldwide want their governments to do more on climate. So why does it feel like progress is so slow? And what happens when countries start bending the rules?

This week on Inside COP, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith react to the shock postponement of the IMO’s net-zero shipping deal, derailed by US pressure. What does this setback reveal about power, diplomacy, and the fragile state of cooperation.

Meanwhile, the COP Presidency is turning a national idea into a global invitation: the Mutirão - a uniquely Brazilian, Indigenous-rooted concept of coming together to get things done for the common good.

Christiana and Paul speak with André Guimarães, the COP Special Envoy for Civil Society, who unpacks the deeper meaning of the Global Mutirão and how it could unite citizens, communities and governments behind climate action that feels both personal and collective. And to bring that spirit alive, Laura Moraes of Earth FC joins to share how the world’s most-loved sport is joining Team Earth - using football’s passion and global reach to rally millions around climate action.

From grief to agency, from stadiums to summits, from Outrage to Optimism, this episode asks: what does it take to feel part of something bigger? And how can each of us play our part in the world’s greatest team effort yet?

Learn more:

🌎 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

🤝 Learn how COP30 is defining “Global Mutirão”

⚽ Get onside and learn more about Earth FC

🚢 Find out how the US torpedoed the IMO’s shipping emissions levy

📋 Read about the Global Goal on Adaptation on the UN Climate Change site

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

And we want to hear from you! What do you want to hear more of in Inside COP? Get in touch with us. Get in touch with us via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The global balance of power is shifting. Can climate diplomacy keep up?

As China rises, the BRICS expand and the United States retreats, new power blocks formed by competition and conflict will take centre stage in the negotiations in Belem.

In this week’s Inside COP, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith ask: what will it take for COP30 to foster genuine cooperation in a changing world? And who will get a slice of the new green economy?

They are joined by Bernice Lee of Chatham House, who explores how multipolar geopolitics, resource security, and the race to ‘share the green pie’ are transforming climate diplomacy. And Joanna MacGregor, Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, sets out why progress is still being made despite global headwinds - and what implementation success could look like in Belém.

From populism to geopolitics, the team asks: can climate ambition survive an age of competition? And what lessons from past COPs might help Brazil carve out space for collaboration in a fractured world?

Learn more:

🌍 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

💡 Dive into Chatham House’s work on subjects including climate policy, energy transitions, and natural resources

🤝 Read ‘Will China and the BRICS fill the ‘leadership gap’ on climate change?’ from Carbon Brief

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

Instagram @outrageoptimism

LinkedIn @outrageoptimism

And we want to hear from you! What do you want to hear more of in Inside COP? Get in touch with us. Get in touch with us via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

Commissioning Editor: Sarah Thomas

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.