317: Inside COP: A New Economy Rising - from promises to progress

Can COP30 be the moment when implementation promises become reality? This week, we unpack the COP ‘Action Agenda’ - the voluntary climate action driving business, cities, and civil society - and explore how global energy systems and capital flows are already being transformed.

About this episode

Will COP30 be the COP of ‘implementation’? And what would that actually mean?

Beyond the famous negotiating halls, climate action is already happening. Businesses, investors and cities are driving real change, and the new green economy is rising in tandem with diplomacy.

So can Belém mark the moment when implementation promises turn into reality?

This week, Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith explore the COP ‘Action Agenda’ - the broad range of voluntary climate action that mobilises the private sector, regional governments and civil society. Plus, they consider the extraordinary transformation already reshaping global energy systems and the flow of capital worldwide.

Paul and Fiona hear from leading voices who explore how the real economy is accelerating climate action - from boardrooms and bond markets to startups across Latin America. Contributing are Marina Grossi, COP30 Special Envoy for the Private Sector; Aniket Shah, Global Head of ESG and Sustainable Finance at Jefferies; Sue Reid, Senior Advisor at Global Optimism; and Daniel Gajardo, Chilean entrepreneur and co-founder of Reciprocal. Together, they outline what to look for this November in Brazil, and ask how we can tell when implementation is truly happening - not just promised.

Learn more:

🌍 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

⚡ Dive into the details of Ember’s Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025, highlighting the scale of the energy transition

🌳 Discover more about the proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility

📋 Read about the themes and key objectives of the COP30 Action Agenda

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

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Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Video Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Audio Editor: Ned Carter Miles

Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid

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.