Podcast

In this week’s episode, Nexus25 member Darlington Tshuma and guests take stock of the climate security nexus in the Sahel, particularly in light of recent U.S. disengagement. This episode covers the current development aid landscape, security challenges in the Sahel, and the broader connections between climate change and instability - as well as some potential pathways forward for the EU and other multilateral actors.

In this episode, Nexus25 co-lead Erin Sikorsky and guests take stock of the food-climate-security nexus one month into the second Trump Administration. Beyond the new multilateral posture of the United States, consequential German elections, the growing power of the BRICS, and persistent gaps in climate finance seem set to fundamentally reshape the global system in 2025. Erin and this episode’s guests sit down to discuss potential implications of a less-engaged United States - particularly when it comes to climate action, renewable energy, and investments in sustainable food systems; the current European response; and how other powers like China and the BRICS are navigating this transition.

In this episode, Nexus25 co-lead Michael Werz takes listeners on a deep dive of the global food system. From the supply chain fallout of the war in Ukraine to famine risks in Gaza, the intersections between hunger and security are clearer than ever. Michael and this week’s guests unpack this connection, reflect on the multilateral capacity to address these risks and make the case for governments to prioritize food as a core national security challenge.

In this episode, Nexus25 co-lead Erin Sikorsky takes listeners to the United States, where policymakers are gearing up for a make-or-break autumn. Erin, along with two guests from across the U.S. government, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Iris Ferguson and Senior Deputy Assistant to the Administrator Laura Pavlovic, discuss the national security risks of climate change, their reflections on the past four years, and how they are addressing climate pain points this fall.

In this episode, Nexus25 co-lead Nathalie Tocci takes listeners back to Europe to debrief the European Parliament elections. After a spring of protests from farmers, political uncertainty, and green backlash, the centrist majority managed to maintain control - but gains from the far-right and stunning decimations of the Greens across the continent are cause for concern. Nathalie and this week’s guests discuss what these elections could mean for the EU’s foreign policy, climate ambitions, and international leadership, as well as their perspectives on the critical national elections still to come.

Download the transcript

In this episode, Nexus25 contributor Thin Lei Win takes listeners to the world’s most populous - and climate-vulnerable - region: South Asia. From erratic monsoon seasons in India to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, policymakers and local populations alike are on the frontlines of climate change, grappling with extreme impacts of climate change on their livelihoods, agriculture, and security. Thin and this episode’s guests discuss regional nexus dynamics, opportunities for policy leadership, needed reforms to unlock climate finance, geopolitics and more - all in the hopes of catalyzing greater climate resilience in the region.

Download the transcript

In this episode, Nexus25 lead Michael Werz takes listeners to the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference where, in the age of a renewed Israel-Palestine conflict, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and debates over the China challenge, this year’s attendees attempted to broker agreements on the security implications of climate change - and how to build more resilient societies, militaries and food systems in response. Michael is joined by World Food Programme Berlin Director Dr. Martin Frick and Sudanese climate activist Nisreen Elsaim to discuss just how successful they were in addressing global food security - and what to keep an eye on in the multilateral space this spring.

Download the transcript

In this prologue episode of Nexus25 podcast "Reshaping Multilateralism," Nexus25 co-leads Erin Sikorsky, Michael Werz, and Nathalie Tocci offer their insights into today's nexus challenges and officially launch the Nexus25 podcast, Reshaping Multilateralism. Reshaping Multilateralism is a production of the Nexus25 project, a joint Istituto Affari Internazionali/Center for Climate and Security initiative funded by Stiftung Mercator, and produced in partnership with storielibere.fm.

Reshaping Multilateralism is a new podcast at the intersection of food, climate, security, and migration from the team at Nexus25. Throughout this series, the team will cover the latest in climate finance, multilateral disagreements, security challenges, and more - featuring experts from every corner of the globe. Reshaping Multilateralism is a production of the Nexus25 project, a joint Istituto Affari Internazionali/Center for Climate and Security initiative funded by Stiftung Mercator, and produced in partnership with storielibere.fm.