On 12 December 2015, the world came together to adopt a landmark climate accord — the Paris Agreement — aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to keep it under 1.5°C. This agreement, born out of the COP21 negotiations, was a historic step in global environmental governance and, borrowing from the US President at the time, Barack Obama, was hailed the "best chance we have to save the one planet that we've got". Ten years later, where do we stand?
Marking this occasion, the team at the Climate Expertise Centre prepared a special kick-off episode and a teaser for the upcoming third season of the Climate Breakdown podcast. In this special episode, two leading experts from the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) reflect on the journey since the Paris Agreement’s adoption. Our Climate Breakdown host, Paulina Raniecka, is joined by Dr. Mathieu Blondeel (Assistant Professor Energy & Climate Politics, IVM, VU Amsterdam) and Dr. Oscar Widerberg (Associate Professor Environmental Politics & Policy, IVM, VU Amsterdam). They discuss the evolution of global environmental governance over the past decade, examine how the shifting political landscape has influenced climate action, and offer candid insights into the successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned from the Agreement.
This episode is a teaser for Season 3 of the Climate Breakdown podcast, launching in early 2026. To celebrate the kick-off, we surprise our guest speakers with questions submitted by colleagues from IVM and students of VU Amsterdam. This episode was originally recorded in a video format. We kindly invite you to check it out on the YouTube channel of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute.