106. Warren East of Rolls-Royce says Nature is the Best Engineer
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Persephonica
4.7 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 June 2021
⏱️ 59 minutes
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Summary
This week, we take a look at the latest pledges to arise from the G7 heads of government, who met over the weekend in Cornwall. Are these announcements indicative that the seven biggest western economies are really showing up to achieve a 1.5 world? Can this close the Gigatons gap in the run up to COP26? Can the Group of Seven offer developing countries funding alternatives to Beijing’s so-called 'Belt and Road' Initiative? Christiana, Tom, and Paul help us sort out this mixed bag of a weekend for climate.
Our special guest this week is Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce, an engineer by training and now leading a business in one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise: Aviation.
Aviation accounts for a significant 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions today, and growing. As the sector starts to recover from huge losses as a result of the pandemic, how does Rolls-Royce see the future for the sector and beyond the pandemic and into the climate crisis? We’ll hear from Warren on how the historic innovation of Rolls-Royce has the potential to lead us into a cleaner, more sustainable future of flight.
And stick around 'til the end because our music this week is from Asher Monroe! He’ll be performing live for us his single, ‘Midnight Masquerade’.
Thanks for joining us!
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Thank you to our guest this week, Warren East!
Warren East
Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce
Join Rolls-Royce’s newsletter to get updates on their world record attempt.
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Our artist this week is Asher Monroe!
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Clay recommends you check out his Youtube Channel
See his conversation with Sir Elton John on Apple Music about his upcoming album.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to Outrage and Optimism, I'm Tom Riviccarnock. |
| 0:15.9 | I'm Cristiana Pigeras and I'm Paul Dickinson. |
| 0:19.5 | This week we pick up the pieces on the G7 commitments and ask what was achieved in Cornwall. |
| 0:24.6 | We speak to Warran East's CEO of Rolls Royce and we have music from Asherman Road. |
| 0:30.3 | Thanks for being here. |
| 0:46.3 | So last week on this podcast we pre-saged the G7 Summit in sunny Cornwall and now on what |
| 0:51.9 | is effectively the morning after we can pick up the pieces and it was a mixed bag in all |
| 0:56.0 | honesty. |
| 0:57.0 | On one side a firm commitment to end coal in G7 countries and a $2.8 billion fund to |
| 1:02.6 | help developing countries do the same, obviously not sufficient financing for the whole task. |
| 1:06.9 | But an interesting signal, there was also some clarity on net zero road map, something |
| 1:11.0 | the UK has been criticised for not doing and the communique stated that G7 countries |
| 1:16.2 | will now commit to setting out long term plans and concrete pathways. |
| 1:20.5 | There was also the G7 nature compact which has a whole bunch of stuff in it about biodiversity |
| 1:24.7 | negotiations but critically it commits G7 countries to supporting the goal of protection |
| 1:30.6 | of 30% land and ocean by 2030. |
| 1:33.4 | That last bit was expected but they also clearly stated interestingly that this should not |
| 1:38.3 | be an excuse for them or others to hold back on decarbonisation. |
| 1:42.7 | So that's all pretty good stuff. |
| 1:44.4 | On the other side we saw no more details on the commitment that rich nations will provide |
| 1:48.9 | a hundred billion a year in financing to help developing countries. |
| 1:52.6 | That was recommitted to but honestly that's pretty weak at this point and there was |
... |
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