"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one, beheaded and skinned in front of in front of audiences." - Elizabeth MeLampy Elizabeth MeLampy is a lawyer dedicated to animal rights and protection, and her passion for this work shines through in her latest book, Forget the Camel, the Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human . To research the book, Elizabeth traveled across the country, immersing herself in a wide range of animal festivals — from the Iditarod dog sled race to the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Elizabeth examines these festivals as revealing microcosms of our broader relationship with animals. Whether it's rattlesnake hunts, frog-jumping contests, ostrich races, or groundhog celebrations, these events reflect the ways humans use animals to express cultural identity, community pride, and historical traditions. Yet beneath the pageantry and excitement lies a deeper question: Is our fascination with these spectacles worth the toll it takes on the animals involved? With compassion and insight, Elizabeth invites readers to consider whether there’s a more ethical and empathetic way to honor our stories — one that respects both animals and the traditions they inspire. Please listen, share and read, Forget the Camel. It will be released on April 8th, 2025. https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/…
IIED's mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others. We link local priorities to global challenges, and our 2019-2024 strategy details how we will Make Change Happen
IIED's mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others. We link local priorities to global challenges, and our 2019-2024 strategy details how we will Make Change Happen
In this episode, IIED’s climate diplomacy researcher Camilla More and senior climate finance researcher Sejal Patel discuss why so many countries missed the recent deadline for submitting their 2035 climate targets – and the implications for global climate action.
In this episode, IIED’s head of global climate governance, Subhi Barakat, and IIED’s senior press and PR manager, Simon Cullen, discuss what Donald Trump’s recent return to the White House means for international climate action.
Our latest episode revisits the key themes covered on Make Change Happen during 2025, including critical minerals, climate action and reform of the international financial architecture. As well as reflecting on the progress made, our hosts – IIED’s Simon Cullen and Lindlyn Moma – highlight the big opportunities for global action in 2025, discussing what it will take to see change in the nature, climate and inequality crises.…
There is a critical need to reform the international financial architecture (IFA) – the framework of institutions, policies, rules and practices that govern the global financial system. In the episode, IIED’s Laura Kelly and Mohsen Gul set the scene by explaining why the IFA needs to be fit for purpose and work for everyone, including the least developed countries (LDCs), and why discussions around IFA reforms must include the voices of lower-income countries, LDCs and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). IIED’s chief economist Paul Steele then outlines three priorities for reform of the IFA. We also hear from IIED’s Ritu Bharadwaj who discusses the Global SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service, co-designed by IIED to alleviate crippling levels of debt and build economic resilience, and IIED partner Isatou Camara, who calls for faster and more accessible funding to reach the most vulnerable countries.…
IIED has launched a 'Manifesto for a thriving world’ and the need for new responses to a range of compounding crises, greater uncertainty and growing injustice. In this episode, the chair of IIED's board of trustees Tara Shine and trustee John Taylor discuss the intitute's plans for the future and changing ways of working. Tom Mitchell, IIED's executive director, stresses the importance of IIED being outward looking and being grounded in evidence and including the knowledge and voices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. And Crissy Guerrero of the Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme in Asia gives a practical example, outlining a certification scheme designed by forest producers to replace a system created by external parties for designating what can be labelled as organic.…
Critical minerals – such as cobalt, lithium and copper – are in the headlines, attracting global attention for their potential in supporting the green energy pathway and accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels. They make green technologies including electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines possible. The opportunities are huge and demand is booming. But this doesn't come without issues. If not managed well, extraction can have negative impacts on communities, ecosystems and local economies. This episode is a conversation between IIED senior researcher Eric Bisil and executive director of Africa Resources Watch (Afrewatch) Emmanuel Umpula. They discuss the potential of critical minerals in speeding up the fossil fuel phase-out, and how they can support the productivity and economic growth of countries that are rich in these minerals. Other contributors include Ketakandriana Rafitoson, executive director of Publish What You Pay, IIED senior researcher Rose Mosi and IIED’s head of energy Ben Garside.…
Despite global efforts to tackle the impacts of climate change, we are failing to achieve critical climate objectives. IIED’s Hidden Handbrake campaign aims to reveal and explain the bureaucratic, political, legal and practical barriers to countries taking effective action in response to climate change. Progress on mitigation and adaptation measures and anticipatory actions to reduce the potential of loss and damage is drastically slowed where these barriers exist. They must be brought out into the open, challenged and removed. This episode is a conversation between Tom Mitchell, executive director of IIED, and Sejal Patel, a senior researcher in IIED focusing on climate finance and climate-resilient development. The episode also has vital contributions from three climate and environment specialists: Megan Rowling and David Shukman, both highly regarded journalists, and Achala Abeysinghe, regional director and head of programmes at the Global Green Growth Institute. Read more: https://www.iied.org/hidden-handbrakes-whats-holding-back-climate-action…
This special guest episode, produced by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) looks at the work of a social network in Delhi that delivered food relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delhi Coordinated Relief Network succeeded in reaching some of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in the city during an unprecedented crisis. This episode of Make Change Happen is hosted by Rashee Mehra of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, with guests Juhi Jain, deputy director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research and Dr Gautam Bhan, the associate dean of the School of Human Development at IIHS.…
According to UNHCR, the global number of people forcibly displaced by conflict, violence, human rights abuses, and other forms of persecution has reached 110 million. When asked to imagine the living conditions of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), rows of white tents or temporary structures often come to mind. In fact, around 60% of refugees and IDPs live in towns and cities. This episode of Make Change Happen is hosted by Lucy Earle, director of IIED's Human Settlements research group, and features Nassim Majidi, co-founder and executive director of Samuel Hall; Jack Makau, associate director of Slum Dwellers International in Kenya; and Samer Saliba, director of city practice at the Mayors Migration Council. The podcast discusses challenges and lessons from ‘participatory forums’ – part of a 3.5-year research project – that bring together different stakeholders and refugee representatives together. Read more: https://www.iied.org/help-cities-help-people-bringing-everyone-together-refugee-response-make-change-happen-podcast As a listener of IIED's Make Change Happen podcast, we value your opinion and are keen to understand your preferences and gather valuable feedback to enhance our podcast. Please, take this survey to help us create content that resonates with you: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/IIEDpodcastsurvey Your responses will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Make Change Happen podcast, making it an even more informative experience for all.…
In this episode of Make Change Happen, marking LGBTQI+ Pride month, we want to spark conversations about how urban development and climate action can be truly inclusive of queer communities. What can we learn from queer thinking and practice? How can we challenge LGBTQI+ erasure in decision making to deliver stronger and more equitable change? Hosted by Tucker Landesman, senior researcher in IIED’s Human Settlements research group, this podcast features lawyer and urban planner Rodrigo Faria G. Iacovini, working with the Instituto Pólis in Sao Paul, Brazil and queer activist Sarah Louis Montgomery, project coordinator at the global network GenderCC-Women for Climate Justice in Berlin, Germany. Both guests share their experience working with queer communities and activists to bridge gaps between LGBTQI+ civil society and urban development and climate action, respectively, to achieve a just result.…
In this episode, launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, an all-women panel share the transformative change driven by women as they take on leadership roles at every level – from remote rural villages to international conventions. Hosted by James Persad, director of IIED’s Communications group, this podcast features Ritu Bharadwaj, principal researcher in IIED’s Climate Change research group; Omaira Bolaños, director of the Latin America and Gender Justice programmes at Rights and Resources Initiative; and Ivonne Higuero, secretary-general of CITES. Participants discuss what women leadership looks like, why spaces must be created for women leaders in climate and biodiversity, and practical measures to make this happen. Read more: https://www.iied.org/ripple-effects-revolutions-women-leaders-climate-biodiversity IIED’s ‘Make Change Happen’ podcast provides an opportunity to hear our researchers and guests discuss key global development challenges and explain what we are doing to support positive change.…
Our last episode of 2022 brings together experts from across the world to explore how far climate mitigation action can respond to pervasive urban poverty in the global South – seen in a lack of housing and basic services such as water, sanitation and energy – and contribute to more just and equitable cities. This special episode is hosted by Anna Walnycki, principal researcher in IIED’s Human Settlements research group. Alongside two IIED colleagues, principal researcher Aditya Bahadur and researcher Tucker Landesman, she is joined by two experts working on urban mitigation projects. Bijal Brahmbhatt is executive director of the Mahila Housing Trust in Gujarat, India; Daniel Kozak is senior researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina and director of the Research Center Habitat and Energy.…
At COP26, political leaders called for more action to address biodiversity loss and climate change together. In this episode of Make Change Happen, we discuss how this must be financed and the possible mechanisms for spurring actions on the ground. Hosted for the first time by James Persad, IIED’s new director of communications, this episode features Mandy Barnett from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Moses Egaru of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Yiching Song from the Farmers’ Seed Network China and Xiaoting Hou Jones, senior researcher at IIED's Natural Resources research group.…
In this episode of Make Change Happen, we discuss racism and decolonisation in the development sector. Hosted by Liz Carlile, IIED’s outgoing director of communications, this episode features Natalie Lartey, IIED’s advocacy and engagement manager; Maryam Mohsin, head of media and communications at Bond; and Mpho Tapela, executive director of Youth Unlimited Network in Botswana. We explore how development organisations have responded to the Black Lives Matter movement, with a particular focus on language and narratives.…
As IIED celebrates its 50th birthday, this episode of Make Change Happen brings together four established members of the IIED family to reflect on key movements in the journey towards sustainable development. Host Liz Carlile, IIED's director of communications, is joined by ex-colleagues Steve Bass, now a consultant in sustainable development; Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD); and former IIED director Camilla Toulmin, who is now a professor at the University of Lancaster’s Environment Centre and an associate at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. All three are also senior associates working with IIED. They discuss some of the key movements that have pushed sustainable development forward in recent decades, how the landscape has changed, and what might come next.…
To reflect on International Women’s Day, and the 2022 theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, this episode of Make Change Happen discusses how gender equity and intersectionality approaches are central to climate justice, and that means putting people’s rights, lived experiences and priorities at the centre of every response. Heather McGray, director of the Climate Justice Resilience Fund, Vitumbiko Chinoko, project manager at the Open Forum on Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi, and IIED’s Tracy Kajumba join host Liz Carlile. We explore what is meant by the term ‘climate justice’, and unpack how through shifting the dynamics of oppression, and taking an intersectional approach to climate responses, the burdens of climate change are more likely to be shared fairly and equitably.…
In the year IIED celebrates 50 years of working for a fairer and more sustainable world, we invite two eminent former colleagues to look back at where we came from, how we have developed, and where we should be going. Achala Abeysinghe, Asia regional director for the Global Green Growth Institute and ex-IIED vice-president David Runnalls, a fellow with the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Canada, join host Liz Carlile for the discussion. Among the issues that arise are climate finance, partnerships and how to support the poorest and the most vulnerable to ensure their voices are heard and they are able to achieve their goals in vital decision-making arenas – from village councils to international conventions.…
Experts discuss the connections between the climate emergency, loss of biodiversity and rising inequalities, and why it is important to include nature in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to address these crises globally. The latest episode of the Make Change Happen podcast focuses on why and how developing countries are incorporating nature-based solutions in their NDCs to increase and deliver their climate ambitions. Guests include Nathalie Seddon, professor of biodiversity and director of the Nature Based Solutions initiative at the University of Oxford; Bob Natifu, acting commissioner on climate change in the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda; Maria Caballero Espejo, climate adaptation specialist from the Ministry of Environment of Peru (website in Spanish); Sarshen Scorgie, director of climate strategy at Conservation South Africa; and Harriet Drani, programme officer at IUCN in Uganda.…
Forest and farm smallholders are fighting for their livelihoods and food security. New research shows producers’ practical measures for climate resilience have impact, but barriers remain to scaling the work up and out. In this ‘super year’ of climate and nature, the latest episode of the Make Change Happen podcast hosts a discussion on what support smallholders need, and who should provide it. Guests include Ugandan young agriprenuer Elizabeth Nsimadala, IIED Climate Change director Clare Shakya and Duncan Macqueen, leader of IIED's forest team and an expert on locally controlled forestry, climate-resilient forest enterprises and forest governance approaches.…
The urban dimensions of COVID-19 have been largely ignored and yet the economic impacts of the pandemic are especially severe in cities and towns in the global South, where low-income residents have been disproportionately affected. In this episode of Make Change Happen, expert practitioners discuss the effects of the pandemic in urban areas, and they share a range of inclusive, locally led responses from the global South.…
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities have been the guardians of biodiversity for thousands of years. As a result, today, they conserve the world’s richest biodiversity on their lands and territories. In this Make Change Happen episode we learn about the term biocultural heritage, which comes from the lived experience of Indigenous Peoples, and is critical to the success of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework up for negotiation in Kunming later this year. Hosted by Liz Carlile, this podcast features IIED’s principal researcher Krystyna Swiderska; Alejandro Argumedo, Quechuan native from southern Peru and coordinator of the Mountain Indigenous People’s Network; Pierre Du Plessis, expert negotiator in the Convention on Biological Diversity from Namibia; and Joji Carino, Ibaloi Igorot from the Philippines, senior policy adviser with Forest People’s programme, and Indigenous Peoples’ negotiator on biodiversity. You can follow some of the people you have heard in this episode on Twitter at @lizcarlile and @KrystynaSwider4. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
Climate change has devastating impacts on our planet and people. Some impacts are very noticeable, but many go unmentioned. In this episode of Make Change Happen, we acknowledge the untold loss and damage from climate change having devastating effects on culture and communities. Hosted by Liz Carlile, this edition’s podcast features IIED’s senior associate director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh Saleem Huq, senior researcher in IIED’s Climate Change research group Brianna Craft, and Gladys Hub, a climate activist from the Solomon Islands, who is also a UNICEF Pacific Supporter and a full-time pharmacist. You can follow some of the people you have heard in this episode on Twitter at @lizcarlile, @SaleemulHuq, @pbnclimate, and @Gladys_H. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
2020 set us back in achieving environment and development progress, leaving an unprecedented challenge ahead. But recovery is possible if we learn from last year and move ahead quickly. In the first ‘Make Change Happen’ episode of 2021, we learn that early action, youth participation and collaborative policymaking are pivotal to making change happen and a better future for us all. Hosted by Liz Carlile, this episode’s conversation features IIED director Andrew Norton; Ineza Umehoza Grace, founder and chief executive officer of the Rwandan organisation, The Green Fighter; and Dr Tara Shine, chair of the board of trustees of IIED and director of Change by Degrees. You can follow some of the people you have heard in this episode on Twitter via @lizcarlile, @andynortondev, @InezaGrrace, and @shine_tara. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates…
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns over debt owed by developing nations are increasing substantially. The burden of developing country debt stands at eight trillion US dollars, so action on debt relief is now more pressing than ever. Debt swaps for climate and nature could help relieve debt and offer great gains for the wellbeing of the planet. But they are a controversial idea. In this episode of ‘Make Change Happen’, guests discuss the challenges and potential of debt swaps for climate and nature, highlight a lived example of a marine debt swap from the Seychelles, and analyse what is needed for these programmes to work. Hosted by Liz Carlile, IIED’s director of communications, the discussion features Yacouba Dem, from Mali, country director at the Near East Foundation; Jean-Paul Adam, director for technology, climate change and natural resource management in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; and Laura Kelly, director of IIED’s Shaping Sustainable Markets research group. You can follow some of the people you have heard in this episode on Twitter via @lizcarlile, @LauraKellyIIED, @AdamJeanPaul and the @NearEastFdn organisation. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates. More details: https://www.iied.org/debt-swaps-for-climate-nature-innovation-for-resilience-make-change-happen-podcast-episode-8…
Cities and towns are hugely impacted by both climate change and public health crises. This combined (and intertwined) threat weighs heaviest on the poorest urban communities. Health and climate specialists are already working hard on reducing urban risk and increasing resilience, but what has COVID-19 shown us about how these experts could learn from each other, and how they could work better with knowledgeable local actors? Hosted by Anna Walnycki, senior researcher in the Human Settlements group of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the discussion features principal researcher Aditya Bahadur, climate change researcher Sarah McIvor, both also of IIED; and Annie Wilkinson, an anthropologist and health systems researcher at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). This episode also includes valuable reflections from climate change researcher Anmol Aurora, based in India, and Dr Joseph M. Macarthy, executive director of the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), who joins the conversation from Freetown. In this episode of ‘Make Change Happen’, the guests discuss the similarities between public health crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impacts of climate change on urban settings in the global South. One significant element in common: both have devastating human consequences. More information: https://www.iied.org/shared-vulnerabilities-connecting-climate-health-cities-make-change-happen-podcast-episode-7 You can follow some of the people you have heard in this episode on Twitter via @AnnaWalnycki, @adibahadur, @wordsbyanmol and @ALSWilkinson. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
Of the approximately 71 million people displaced by conflict and violence worldwide, nearly 26 million are considered refugees. But are more secure futures hindered by a collective failure to see refugees as diverse people, with skills to offer, and preferences about where they call home? For World Refugee Day, we discuss new IIED research comparing refugees’ experiences of life in urban areas to that in camps, examining Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Jordan and Kenya. And we hear about an energy access project that captures some of the complexity of working with displaced people. Hosted by Liz Carlile, IIED’s director of communications, the discussion features Lucy Earle, principal researcher, and Deena Dajani, researcher, both working in IIED’s Human Settlements research group; alongside Kevin Johnstone, researcher in IIED's Shaping Sustainable Markets research group. The episode also features contributions from two experts working in Kenya: Dr Michael Owiso, dean of the School of Development & Strategic Studies at Maseno University, and Dyfed Aubrey, inter-regional advisor at UN-Habitat. More information: https://www.iied.org/reimagining-refugee-futures-cities-not-camps-make-change-happen-podcast-episode-6 You can follow the organisations and panellists on Twitter: @lizcarlile and @lucyearleurban. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
Globally, we are producing more food than ever. But for many of the world’s poorer citizens, secure access to safe food is becoming less certain. To counter this, an advocacy programme called Sustainable Diets for All is asking: how can we create food systems that are fairer, healthier and more sustainable? Over the last four years, Dutch NGO Hivos and IIED have worked with local organisations in Uganda, Bolivia, Indonesia, Zambia and Kenya to find out how we can make sustainable diets – those that serve both planet and people – available to everybody. The Sustainable Diets programme is bridging the gap between informal actors and policymakers, working to nurture local initiatives around food and food systems. It supports civil society organisations fighting for diverse food production and better, affordable diets for everybody. Hosted by Liz Carlile, IIED’s director of communications, this podcast discussion features Alejandro Guarin, senior researcher in IIED's Shaping Sustainable Markets research group, and Costanza de Toma, who led on communications and advocacy for IIED through 2019; it features contributions from partners Vladimir Garcia in Bolivia, Emma Blackmore in Kenya and Mangiza Chirwa in Zambia. To find out more about this episode, visit: https://www.iied.org/what-makes-sustainable-diet-who-decides-make-change-happen-podcast-episode-5 More on IIED's work in this area is available via https://www.iied.org/sustainable-diets-for-all. You will also find recent briefings and papers in our Publications Library at https://pubs.iied.org/search/?k=hivos+food You can follow the organisations and panellists on Twitter: @hivos , @migabolivia, @ILRI @lizcarlile and @cos_detoma. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
Growth is usually measured by gross domestic product (GDP). But while this can indicate the health of other factors – such as jobs, livelihoods and even poverty reduction – it paints a limited picture. GDP does not capture inequality, despite the effect this has on wellbeing. It excludes the environment and the care economy – meaning a huge amount of work done by women literally doesn’t count. GDP also largely overlooks greenhouse gas emissions, failing to count the cost to vulnerable countries. In fact, damaging climate shocks can even count as ‘positive’ when we focus on GDP, as destruction prompts recovery spending. Discussing these and other issues are IIED director Andrew Norton, Essam Yassin Mohammed, IIED’s head of blue economy; Clare Shakya, director of the Climate Change research group; and Paul Steele, IIED's chief economist. To find out more about this episode, visit https://www.iied.org/trouble-growth-make-change-happen-podcast-episode-4. More on IIED's work in this area is available via https://www.iied.org/economics. You will also find recent briefings and papers in our Publications Library at pubs.iied.org/economics. You can follow the panellists on Twitter: @andynortondev, @clareshakya and @EYMohammed. Follow the podcast on @IIED_Voices for all the latest updates.…
A quarter of the world’s urban population live in informal settlements, mostly in the global South. In advance of the 2020 World Urban Forum in February 2020, this episode looks at how IIED’s work with marginalised urban communities developed, and what opportunities exist now for building more inclusive cities. To discuss these and other related issues, in this podcast our director of communications, Liz Carlile, talks with two urban experts, David Satterthwaite and Anna Walnycki. Both guests explain why they feel optimistic about the opportunities for inclusive, low-carbon sustainable urbanisation, inspired by successful community-led projects and the urban residents doing this vital work. To find out more, visit www.iied.org/urban. You will also find recent briefings and papers in our Publications Library at pubs.iied.org/urban.…
Access to electricity in the poorest countries has begun to accelerate, energy efficiency continues to improve, and renewable energy is making gains in the electricity sector. Despite this progress, around a billion people remain without access to electricity while some 3 billion are without access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. Off-grid and mini-grid solutions can be designed to provide affordable electricity to poor communities in hard-to-reach areas, but Governments hoping to harness these technologies to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 — universal access to energy by 2030 — need to find new ways to attract more finance as they currently receive only a fraction of the annual global investment in energy provision. To discuss these and other related issues, in this podcast our Director of Communications, Liz Carlile, talks with three expert colleagues from our energy team. To find out more, visit www.iied.org/energy. You will also find recent briefings and papers on our publications library site at https://pubs.iied.org/energy.…
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