The summer of '26: A turning point for the climate crisis?

The summer of '26: A turning point for the climate crisis?

Author: Chatham House August 21, 2026 Duration: 33:22

The climate crisis has seldom been dramatized so vividly as in the summer of 2026. Apocalyptic fires, widespread droughts and drained rivers in Europe made clear a worsening situation that even the most fervent denier can't wave away. But is there the necessary time, commitment and technology to slow or reverse the climate spiral – even in the face of a US administration that is committed to fossil fuels? How do the two approaches of mitigation and adaptation translate into real life on the ground? And is there any good news amid the smoke and gloom?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by water and climate specialist Dr Beatrice Mosello and sustainability expert Dr Patrick Schröder from Chatham House, and special guest Oliver Morton, The Economist's planetary affairs correspondent.

Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Sara Seth and Stephen Farrell.

Explore Chatham House's latest work:

Comment | Wildfires and extreme heat show climate change is now Europe's biggest security threat

Video | Burning questions facing Burnham

Comment | Melting ice and power shifts: Europe and Canada should seize their Arctic moment

Magazine issue | The World Today summer issue

Audio | Africa Aware🎧

Audio | The Climate Briefing

Follow Independent Thinking on your favourite podcast apps.


Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Independent Thinking
Podcast Episodes
China rising, America in decline? The Trump-Xi summit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:11
President Donald Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to Washington with the US-China dynamic in a moment of historic flux. China is rising economically and militarily, while the US is mired in the Iran war, alienating allies and p…
Artificial Intelligence, Real Fears: Is it time to slow down? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:38
A call by leaders of the tech giants on the frontier of Artificial Intelligence to 'slow the pace' of its development has sparked debate over the risks associated with AI. Does AI represent an existential threat, and if…
How did 9/11 shape the world we live in? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:08
Twenty five years ago the deadliest terrorist attacks in human history, on 11 September 2001, saw 2,977 people killed in New York, Washington, and aboard the planes hijacked by 19 members of Al-Qaeda. An immediate respon…
What is the United Nations for? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
The United Nations convenes for its 81st General Assembly next week amid turmoil around the world that it seeks to bring together. The conflicts in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza, and the US, China and Russia's undermining of th…
The foreign policy challenges Labour can't ignore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:26
Britain's new prime minister Andy Burnham is not known for his interest in foreign affairs, but foreign affairs are eternally and often unforgivingly interested in Britain. What should Burnham and his new foreign secreta…
Is the AI boom about to bust? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:09
The $2.6 trillion spent on artificial intelligence, data centres and advanced chipmaking dwarfs the cost of previous infrastructure megaprojects. Yet AI has become a money pit for tech giants like Amazon, Google, Microso…
Can Andy Burnham remake Britain at home and abroad? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:44
Andy Burnham took over as UK prime minister with a vow to restore hope in British politics – and an early volley of voter-friendly policy promises. But are they quite as significant as billed? How much room to manoeuvre…
Has Trump made the presidency too powerful? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:08
The 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey may represent the pinnacle of soft power for the USA and a moment of global prestige for President Donald Trump. But at home, concerns are growing over his ever-expanding vision of…