NUS Launches "Voices from Asia" podcast series to deepen and decipher climate conversations around COP28

The NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) today announced the launch of a new podcast series, "Voices from Asia."

Hosted by award-winning journalist and NUS CNCS Science Communication and Outreach Lead Audrey Tan, this four-part series aims to connect the global discussions at the annual United Nations climate conference, COP28, with audiences across Asia.

Each part of the series tackles a specific hot topic expected to be discussed at COP28:

• Part 1: Why is COP28’s global stocktake so important?

• Part 2: Will the new climate finance target hit the mark for developing countries?

• Part 3: Will COP28 be a gamechanger for the loss and damage fund?

• Part 4: The climate conundrum faced by COP28 host UAE

Listeners can tune in to "Voices from Asia" for insights, engaging discussions, and a deeper understanding of the key topics at COP28 from the following experts:

• Ms. Melissa Low, Research Fellow, NUS CNCS

• Ms. Illari Aragon, Climate Justice Policy Lead, Christian Aid

• Ms. Danielle Yeow, Adjunct Associate Professor, NUS Law

• Dr. Aisha Al-Sarihi, Research Fellow, NUS Middle East Institute

Full synopses of each episode are available at the end of this article.

Podcasts are an extremely influential channel in Singapore and globally, providing insightful information for busy audiences on-the-go. According to a recent study, 93 percent of respondents in Singapore embrace podcasts as part of their daily routine, and over a third of respondents stated that podcasts are motivational, thought-provoking, and highly useful for learning.

“The aim of this series is to relate the COP28 climate negotiations, which can be complex and full of technical jargon, to our audience in a bite-sized, easy-to-consume format,” said Audrey. “The climate negotiations can also be broad in scope, covering a large range of issues. This series shines the spotlight on key topics that will directly impact our audiences in Asia, helping people in this region understand why the UN climate conferences are important for everyone - not just the negotiators at the event. 

“Voices of Asia” is available now on popular platforms including Spotify and more.

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“Voices of Asia” — Episode titles and synopsis

Part 1: Why is COP28’s global stocktake so important?

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) chats with Ms Melissa Low, a long-time observer of the UN climate conferences and a research fellow at CNCS, about a key event at this year’s COP – the conclusion of the global stocktake, the first since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015.

Hear from Ms Melissa Low as she breaks down the significance of the Global Stocktake, and the importance of COP28 negotiations in bringing the report from paper to implementation.

Part 2: Will the new climate finance target hit the mark for developing countries?

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions chats with Ms Illari Aragon, the Climate Justice Policy Lead at Christian Aid, the relief and development agency of 41 Christian churches in the UK and Ireland. Ms Aragon is also an expert in climate finance — one of the topics that negotiators will be discussing at COP28.

Countries are expected to continue negotiations on the new collective quantified goal on climate finance at COP28. This new goal will replace the climate finance commitment set in 2009, which aimed to mobilize $100 billion per year for developing countries by 2020. The $100 billion commitment – which has not been met anyway – will expire in 2025. Discussions on this new climate finance target started in 2022, and will continue at COP28. The hope is that an agreement for this new quantum will be reached by COP29 next year.

Tune in to this episode to find out what are the roadblocks to the establishment of this new goal, and the importance of negotiations on climate finance to countries in Asia - among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Part 3: Will COP28 be a gamechanger for the loss and damage fund? 

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) chats with Ms Danielle Yeow, an adjunct senior research fellow at the Centre for International Law at NUS, on an issue that will be closely watched at this year’s conference: Whether countries will agree on the sources of funding for the newly established loss and damage fund.

At COP27 last year, history was made when countries finally agreed to establish a loss and damage fund, after failing to reach a consensus on this for years. This fund is widely considered a mechanism by which developing countries – who are suffering from climate impacts caused by the historical emissions of wealthy countries – are compensated for the losses and damages caused by climate disasters. But details of the fund, such as its sources of financing and the criteria for which countries are eligible for financing, were left to this year’s conference.

Tune in to hear from Ms Yeow on the expectations for loss and damage at COP28, and why this negotiation track is one that developing countries - including those in Asia - are watching closely.

Part 4: The climate conundrum faced by COP28 host UAE

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions speaks to Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi, a research fellow at the university’s Middle East Institute, on the climate conundrum faced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is hosting the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference.

Tune in to hear her analysis of why the UAE, like other countries in the Middle East, is calling for a “phase down”, instead of a “phase out”, of fossil fuels; and how carbon markets could help the oil-producing region buy time in its green transition.