Ten years after the Paris Climate Agreement

This eight-part podcast series examining the Paris Agreement ten years on, featuring global climate leaders discussing progress, challenges, and the dramatic shift in power towards emerging economies. The series explores how multilateral cooperation has evolved despite geopolitical fractures, from industrial transformation and innovative financing to the changing rules of climate leadership.  This episode looks at the challenges in adapting to climate change.The podcast is based on 28 interviews carried out globally by journalist Sophie  Larmoyer on behalf of IDDRI, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. A decade after the Paris Agreement, climate adaptation has emerged as an urgent priority as impacts intensify globally, yet implementation remains fragmented and catastrophically underfunded despite mounting evidence of existential threats. Rising seas and mounting losses Sea levels have risen 23 centimetres since the early twentieth century, now accelerating at 4.4 millimetres annually - twice the rate of the 1990s. For atoll nations such as the Marshall Islands, barely two metres above sea level, this poses existential threats. Wells once used for washing now contain only brackish water, forcing complete reliance on rainwater. Impacts have become ubiquitous and severe. In India, 75 percent of districts are now hotspots for extreme climate events affecting 80 percent of the population. Europe has suffered €738 billion in climate damages and 240,000 deaths over four decades, with summer 2025 alone costing €43 billion. The adaptation funding gap The Paris Agreement established a Global Adaptation Goal in 2015, but progress remains disconnected. Adaptation fundamentally addresses inequalities, as vulnerability stems from poverty and lack of resources. Maladaptation poses significant risks when well-intentioned actions worsen problems—sea walls may flood neighbouring areas, whilst irrigation systems become unsustainable as droughts intensify. Adaptation plans require massive financing, primarily from public funds. A 2023 UN report estimated needs at 10 to 18 times current financial flows dedicated to adaptation. Adaptation remains fundamentally local, varying dramatically between regions. The construction sector faces challenges scaling existing solutions for both cold and heat protection as urbanisation accelerates, particularly in Africa. Agriculture represents a critical frontier. Sahel and North African countries lead in reimagining farming through agroecological transitions, whilst India promotes climate-resilient millets and solar-powered irrigation. Wealthy countries with high productivity resist change, claiming competitive pressures preclude environmental protection. According to the experts interviewed for this series, businesses must measure climate risks across supply chains to adapt effectively. Insurers increasingly refuse coverage in California and Florida, with certain properties becoming uninsurable earlier than anticipated. The fundamental challenge, they agree, remains defining risk tolerance, which varies greatly between societies. Current trajectories suggest global warming of three degrees - four degrees for France - rendering adaptation to such conditions illusory.

This eight-part podcast series examining the Paris Agreement ten years on, featuring global climate leaders discussing progress, challenges, and the dramatic shift in power towards emerging economies. The series explores how multilateral cooperation has evolved despite geopolitical fractures, from industrial transformation and innovative financing to the changing rules of climate leadership.  This episode looks at need for energy and how its production is aggravating the climate crisis. The podcast is based on  28 interviews carried out globally by journalist Sophie  Larmoyer on behalf of IDDRI, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. A decade after the Paris Agreement, renewable energy has achieved remarkable progress with costs plummeting and deployment accelerating, yet fossil fuels maintain their grip through political resistance and economic lock-in. Energy accounts for two-thirds of global emissions. Fossil fuels represent 66 percent of primary energy despite declining share, whilst the remaining third comprises nuclear and renewables. Nuclear generates 9 percent of global electricity yet remains inaccessible for many developing nations due to high investment costs. The renewable revolution arrives The renewable energy revolution has arrived spectacularly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced in summer 2025 that $2 trillion went into clean energy: $800 billion more than fossil fuels. Solar costs have fallen 41 per cent below fossil fuels, offshore wind 53 per cent. By 2024, one-third of global electricity came from renewables. The sector now employs 35 million people, exceeding fossil fuel employment. Distribution remains inequitable. For every 100 renewable installations globally, 80 are in wealthy countries and China, fewer than 2 in Africa. Africa possesses extraordinary potential, with projections suggesting it could produce ten times its electricity needs from renewables by 2040. China has become the dominant partner, manufacturing 80 per cent of solar panels, 70 per cent of wind turbines, and 60 per cent of electric vehicles globally. Emerging economies increasingly favour renewables for development. India has surged from under 20 megawatts of solar in 2010 to over 100,000 megawatts today. Europe demonstrates transition feasibility, with renewable energy dropping the energy sector's emissions share from nearly 40 per cent to below 20 per cent. Poland saw renewables overtake coal in June 2025. Fossil fuels resist retreat Fossil fuel resistance remains formidable. Coal still provides the world's largest energy source. China generates 60 per cent of its electricity from coal without clear signals for phase-out. India builds new coal plants whilst South Africa has slowed coal decommissioning despite accepting $8.5 billion to accelerate it. New hydrocarbon developments continue. Countries cite development needs whilst Brazil's petroleum revenues remain essential for public finances. The Trump administration has reversed American climate action, encouraging oil drilling with "drill baby, drill" rhetoric. Oil companies promote "climate realism", arguing emissions increases are inevitable, though economic data increasingly favour renewables over unprofitable fracking. Energy efficiency and sufficiency remain inadequately addressed. "We cannot rely solely on decarbonised supply but the question of energy demand must also arise", warned Michel Colombier of IDDRI. These questions are becoming central to avoiding unbearable transition costs.

Ten years after Paris, this eight-part series brings together leading voices on climate action to assess what's been achieved and what's gone wrong. Through conversations with experts from across the globe, it charts how international cooperation has adapted amid rising geopolitical tensions, tracks the evolution of climate finance and policy, and examines the shifting balance of influence as developing nations claim greater authority.This episode focuses on worldwide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and evaluates their outcomes.The podcast is based on 28 interviews carried out globally by journalist Sophie  Larmoyer on behalf of IDDRI, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. A decade after the Paris Agreement, global decarbonisation efforts reveal mixed results with notable regional progress undermined by continued emissions growth, leaving the world on track for dangerous warming levels despite improved climate governance and private sector engagement. Temperatures continue rising at 0.3 degrees per decade due to human activities, with 2024 marking 1.52 degrees above pre-industrial levels. At current emission rates of 40 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C will be exhausted within three years. Carbon sink effectiveness is diminishing as ecosystems weaken under climate stress, with French forests halving their carbon capture capacity in fifteen years whilst Czech forests have become net emitters. The Paris Agreement's framework of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) has achieved incremental progress. "What we have seen in ten years is really an improvement, level by level, where we have managed to contain projections", observed Sébastien Treyer of IDDRI. Initial projections of 6°C warming have been reduced to approximately 2°C if all policies are implemented. Second-generation NDCs demonstrate significantly improved quality, featuring sectoral plans, economy-wide targets and comprehensive gas coverage rather than merely aspirational targets. Regional leaders emerge Ten G20 countries or regions have reached peak emissions, marking declining trajectories. Europe, the United States since 2005, and China in the first quarter of 2025 have reduced greenhouse gas output. Around 23 to 25 countries globally have decreased emissions since the early twenty-first century. Europe demonstrates strongest leadership with one-third emissions reductions achieved and trajectory towards 55 percent reduction by 2030. The clean energy sector contributed one-third of EU growth in 2023. China presents the most dramatic transformation, potentially reaching peak emissions in 2025—five years ahead of its 2030 target. "China has become the superpower of clean technologies in the world", noted Li Shuo of the Asia Society Policy Institute. This shift occurs despite continued heavy coal dependence. Brazil's emissions trajectory depends entirely on political will regarding deforestation. Under President Lula, annual deforestation rates have fallen 40 percent compared to 2022, following devastating increases under Bolsonaro. Between 2004 and 2010, Brazil reduced emissions by one billion tonnes annually through cutting deforestation to one-fifth previous levels. Strong governance mechanisms prove crucial for sustained progress. South Africa's presidential climate commission sits directly with the president, creating robust institutional capacity. Chile's inclusive stakeholder process produced carbon budgets and climate plans resilient to government changes. Some 70 countries have adopted long-term strategies whilst 145 have made carbon neutrality commitments. Resistance and obstacles Progress faces significant obstacles. Emerging economies question whether development without fossil fuels is achievable at scale. Political regression threatens existing targets, with European elections in June 2024 strengthening conservative and far-right forces. "We would be satisfied with the unsatisfactory because there is a strong threat of regression", warned climatologist Christophe Cassou. Social barriers have emerged prominently since 2019–2020 as transition losers resist change. Disinformation campaigns contest solution effectiveness despite scientific evidence, particularly regarding electric vehicles. Fossil fuel subsidies remain nine times greater than renewable energy support. The fossil fuel sector maintains strong presence in climate negotiations whilst continuing massive investments in new oil and gas fields alongside renewables. "When you add fossil fuels and renewables, that's not what we call the energy transition", observed Treyer. Private sector engagement remains uneven. The We Mean Business coalition has grown from 150 companies in 2015 to 20,000 today, including 10,000 SMEs through the SME Climate Hub. Yet greenwashing persists alongside genuine transformation efforts. Difficult-to-decarbonise sectors show mixed results. Swedish steel group SSAB has demonstrated green hydrogen steel production at scale, cutting Sweden's national emissions by 3 percent initially with plans for additional 7 percent reductions through a €4.5 billion investment by 2028. Automotive customers demand low-carbon steel to meet their own decarbonisation targets. Construction sector progress has been offset by growth. Saint-Gobain reduced emissions by 34 percent between 2017 and 2024, yet global materials production increases in China, India and high-growth countries have compensated for these efforts. Projections suggest as many buildings will be constructed in the next thirty years as currently exist, creating unprecedented challenges despite improved building codes such as France's RE2020.

This eight-part podcast series examines the Paris Agreement ten years on, featuring global climate leaders discussing progress, challenges and the dramatic power shift towards emerging economies. It explores how multilateral cooperation has evolved despite geopolitical fractures, from industrial transformation and innovative financing to changing climate leadership rules.This episode examines the discussions and politics leading to the agreement's signing. The series draws on 28 interviews with climate experts conducted worldwide.The podcast is based on 28 interviews carried out globally by journalist Sophie  Larmoyer on behalf of IDDRI, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. A decade after the Paris Agreement, renewable energy has achieved remarkable progress with costs plummeting and deployment accelerating, yet fossil fuels maintain their grip through political resistance and economic lock-in. Energy accounts for two-thirds of global emissions. Fossil fuels represent 66 percent of primary energy despite declining share, whilst the remaining third comprises nuclear and renewables. Nuclear generates nine percent of global electricity yet remains inaccessible for many developing nations due to high investment costs. The renewable revolution arrives The renewable energy revolution has arrived spectacularly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced in summer 2025 that $2 trillion went into clean energy: $800 billion more than fossil fuels. Solar costs have fallen 41 percent below fossil fuels, offshore wind 53 percent. By 2024, one-third of global electricity came from renewables. The sector now employs 35 million people, exceeding fossil fuel employment. Distribution remains inequitable. For every 100 renewable installations globally, 80 are in wealthy countries and China, fewer than two in Africa. Africa possesses extraordinary potential, with projections suggesting it could produce ten times its electricity needs from renewables by 2040. China has become the dominant partner, manufacturing 80 percent of solar panels, 70 percent of wind turbines, and 60 percent of electric vehicles globally. Emerging economies increasingly favour renewables for development. India has surged from under 20 megawatts of solar in 2010 to over 100,000 megawatts today. Europe demonstrates transition feasibility, with renewable energy dropping the energy sector's emissions share from nearly 40 percent to below 20 percent. Poland saw renewables overtake coal in June 2025. Fossil fuels resist retreat Fossil fuel resistance remains formidable. Coal still provides the world's largest energy source. China generates 60 percent of its electricity from coal without clear signals for phase-out. India builds new coal plants whilst South Africa has slowed coal decommissioning despite accepting $8.5 billion to accelerate it. New hydrocarbon developments continue. Countries cite development needs whilst Brazil's petroleum revenues remain essential for public finances. The Trump administration has reversed American climate action, encouraging oil drilling with "drill baby, drill" rhetoric. Oil companies promote "climate realism", arguing emissions increases are inevitable, though economic data increasingly favour renewables over unprofitable fracking. Energy efficiency and sufficiency remain inadequately addressed. "We cannot rely solely on decarbonised supply but the question of energy demand must also arise", warned Michel Colombier of IDDRI. These questions are becoming central to avoiding unbearable transition costs.