Send us a text Oil fueled the 20th century—its cars, its wars, its economy and its geopolitics. As the US returns to the Paris Climate accord and after President Biden pledged to halve carbon emissions by the end of 2030, the world is speeding up the shift to a new, greener order. But what does that really mean? Will we finally say goodbye to fossil fuels? This week, The Agenda Podcast with Stephen Cole talks to people in "power" to see what the future of energy may look like. First on the podca...
May 17, 2021•25 min
Send us a text Before the pandemic, tourism was growing faster than the world's economy and traveling had never been easier. Then COVID-19 brought globetrotting to a halt and left the trillion-dollar industry in tatters. But with rapid vaccination bringing optimism, can the sector now get back on the move? How different will the travel experience be? And which parts of the world are open for business? First on the podcast we talk to Eduardo Santander, CEO of the European Travel Commission. He ex...
May 11, 2021•25 min
Send us a text Is the world ready for electric cars on a large scale? The Agenda Podcast finds out whether Europe – and remote parts of the world – are prepared for such an accelerated change to the way we travel. First on the podcast is Bjorn Annwall, head of Volvo's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region and newly-appointed Chief Financial Officer. He tells us how the Swedish car manufacturer plans to make electric-only vehicles by its 2030 deadline and talks about the challenge of convi...
Apr 29, 2021•24 min
Send us a text Since January 1, the UK has been trading under new systems agreed in the post-Brexit trade deal. So what problems have the first 100 days exposed for the UK and Europe? Agenda is joined by the CEO of Eurochambres, Ben Butters, and the head of international affairs for small businesses, James Sibley. They discuss the impact of Brexit on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the continent and try to dissect how much of the 40% decrease in trade across the channel is down ...
Apr 20, 2021•25 min
Send us a text Questions over efficacy, blood-clot fears, threats to block exports, and its sluggish supply – the distribution of vaccines has been causing a major division across Europe, particularly between the EU and the UK. This week on the Agenda Podcast we look at how the two blocs have approached the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and how today's disputes could affect the vaccine procurement of tomorrow and beyond. With France and Germany both having witnessed vaccine hesitation within...
Apr 12, 2021•24 min
Send us a text For more than a year now, millions of people have been forced out of their offices by the pandemic to work from home. But is that a situation that's here to stay or a temporary blip – an "aberration," as Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon has put it? The Agenda Podcast with Stephen Cole considers the future of work, and asks what are the real benefits and potential pitfalls of a post-pandemic return to the office? First we talk to Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics...
Apr 06, 2021•25 min
Send us a text As a relatively new invention, cryptocurrencies have up to now largely escaped regulation. But if they're ever to really cross over into the mainstream that will have to change. So what rules are actually needed? How might they be enforced? And how exactly might that shape the future of digital currencies? Today on the Agenda Podcast, we look at what could be the future of money. First we’re joined by Laith Khalaf, financial analyst at stockbroker AJ Bell. Khalaf explains why inve...
Mar 29, 2021•25 min
Send us a text Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and Google – it's become nearly impossible to live in the modern world without the services of these five companies. In this episode of The Agenda Podcast , Stephen Cole looks at what sets Big Tech apart from other digital platforms and why it's now facing unprecedented levels of scrutiny and calls for regulation. First he speaks to Stephen Scheeler, former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, who explains whether Australia's landmark medi...
Mar 22, 2021•25 min
Send us a text With global interest rates at record lows, and pandemic volatility everywhere you look, The Agenda podcast with Stephen Cole looks at the safer and more risky options for investors. [00:39] Moira O'Neill, head of personal finance at Interactive Investor, who explains why ethical investment is a trend that's here to stay, and which sectors we should be watching for a decent return in a post-pandemic world. [07:14] Arturo Bris, professor of finance at Geneva's International Institut...
Mar 15, 2021•25 min
Send us a text In the past, addicts were considered weak-willed but now the medical profession is starting to treat addiction as a disease. Also, as times change, the kinds of things we become addicted to change too, as does the number of people who fall victim to addiction. In this episode of the Agenda podcast we look at why people become addicts and the approaches different countries and cultures have to treating addiction. First we talk to Alexis Goosdeel, director of the European Monitoring...
Mar 08, 2021•25 min
Send us a text One in 18 people around the world now owns their own business, and experts predict that far from proving a hindrance, the current COVID-19 pandemic will actually be a help to millions more who may be using lockdown to perfect their potentially billion-dollar business ideas. On this episode of The Agenda podcast, Stephen Cole talks to Dan Vahdat, Founder and CEO of Huma – an A.I. business designed to democratize healthcare – about how he came up with his idea and how the pandemic h...
Mar 01, 2021•25 min
Send us a text Are vaccines interchangeable? Who should get priority? If your parents received the vaccine can you visit them? In this episode of The Agenda podcast, Stephen Cole puts some of the most prominent queries and concerns from listeners to Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute. Stephen also talks to Jane Williams, doctor of Public Health Ethics at the University of Sydney's Center for Values, Ethics and the Law, who explains the various strategies and toug...
Feb 22, 2021•27 min
Send us a text It's virus versus vaccines... but which countries are leading the fight? If vaccine nationalism can be overcome, what other obstacles are there in the vaccine supply chain? How concerned should we be about new variants? To discuss vaccine nationalism and the risk it could pose to global progress, we speak to Siddhartha Datta, regional adviser for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO) [00:51]. We’re also joined by Chen Jian, former adjunct professor of finance at Johns Hopk...
Feb 15, 2021•24 min
Send us a text This year, the world's space superpowers are set to launch brand new lunar missions. This week on the Agenda podcast we set our sights on space, and see what the future of space exploration might look like. First on the podcast we’re joined by Xu Yansong, the Director for International Cooperation in the China National Space Administration [01:41] He explains what China’s ambitions are in space. We also speak to veteran space journalist Leonard David about the first phase of NASA'...
Feb 08, 2021•19 min
Send us a text With Donald Trump out of the White House, attention now shifts to how Europe and the United States continue their relationship. But just because there's a new man in the White House, does that mean all wounds are healed, and that both sides are ready to work together to create a new world order? Or will Europe, now it's had a taste of true transatlantic independence, be ready to tread its own path going forward? On this edition of the Agenda podcast with Stephen Cole we speak to A...
Feb 01, 2021•25 min•Ep. 43
Send us a text The number of obese people in the world has tripled in the past 50 years – costing health services across the globe trillions of dollars. Recent research shows people who are obese are twice as likely as those of a healthy weight to be hospitalized with COVID-19. They are also 78% more likely to end up in intensive care and 50% more likely to die from the virus. We speak to Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, who explains why COVID-19 is more ...
Jan 25, 2021•24 min
Send us a text 2020 will go down as one of the most extraordinary years on record. The COVID-19 pandemic, as unexpected as it was all-encompassing, changed all our lives, perhaps forever. On this special podcast, we'll hear the views of some of the world's top experts on what we can expect from 2021 and how the world will be dealing with the fallout from 2021. Economy First on the podcast we speak to former head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O'Neill. He tells us why he expects a signifi...
Jan 14, 2021•29 min
Send us a text [00:00:11] Britain has left the European Union, the transition period is over, a new deal has been done. But just what does the future hold for relations between the UK and the EU? Today on the Agenda podcast we look at the deal struck between the EU and Britain and what we can expect in the future. To discuss this further we’re joined by Pieter Cleppe, policy analyst at Open Europe in Brussels, and Amelia Hadfield, head of politics and the director of the Center for Britain and E...
Jan 11, 2021•25 min
Send us a text This year the United Nations released a devastating report revealing how the world failed to meet a single one of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets agreed in Japan in 2010. Some of these goals included harvesting fish sustainably, improving the conservation status of endangered species and minimizing the impact on coral reefs. This week on the Agenda Podcast we look at why these goals weren’t met and what will happen if we don’t get serious about promoting biodiversity. First on t...
Dec 14, 2020•19 min
Send us a text As the world's population continues to expand, and climate change bites harder across the globe, access to water has never been a bigger issue. Today on the Agenda Podcast, we look at how access to water has become a vital issue in many countries around the world. First on the podcast we speak to Piers Clark, the founder & Chair of Isle Utilities. Clark explains why climate change is making it difficult for us to hold on to rain water and why this contributes to water shortage...
Dec 07, 2020•17 min
Send us a text This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. On this episode of the Agenda Podcast with Stephen Cole, we sit down for an exclusive interview with Zhang Ming – China's Ambassador to the European Union. Zhang gives an in-depth explanation of the level of cooperation between China and the EU when it comes to creating and sharing a Covid-19 vaccine. The ambassador also explains why he thinks certain groups are ...
Nov 30, 2020•25 min
Send us a text Today on the Agenda Podcast we talk to Frederick Forsyth, acclaimed author of espionage thrillers like The Day of the Jackal , The Odessa File and The Fourth Protocol . We ask him about how the genre has changed since he first started writing and where he sees it going in the future. Forsyth explains how he started writing spy fiction and what he did differently compared to his peers [04:16]. He tells us why technology has changed the genre forever and how he would write a spy nov...
Nov 16, 2020•25 min•Ep. 37
Send us a text As technology races ahead, the future of war is uncertain. On this episode of The Agenda Podcast with Stephen Col e, we consider what the future of war could look like. Has technology rendered boots on the ground irrelevant? What will be the new theater of war? What weapons will we be using? For the answers to these questions and more we speak to Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London. He explains why cyber attacks are likely to play an incre...
Nov 09, 2020•21 min•Ep. 36
Send us a text In this episode we’ll be looking at the future of news, including the challenges facing the industry and how the way we get our information is changing. First on the podcast we talk to David Boardman, former editor at The Seattle Times and dean of Temple University in Philadelphia. He explains how newsrooms are trying to combat fake news in increasingly fractious times. He also explains why “solutions journalism” is valuable and outlines how it can positively impact society [04:11...
Nov 02, 2020•24 min•Ep. 35
Send us a text This week we look at how scientists have fared in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine. We speak to Helen Yang, senior director of global strategy and business development at Sinovac Biotech. She tells us how her company has been fighting the coronavirus. Yang explains why it's been difficult to trial a vaccine in China and why her company has been testing them in Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia instead [02:20]. We also speak to Paul Offit, head of the Vaccine Education Center at the Ch...
Oct 26, 2020•21 min•Ep. 34
Send us a text For many, COVID-19 will change the way we look at work forever. This week on The Agenda podcast with Stephen Cole we look at how the pandemic has changed where we work and also where we live. First on the podcast we speak to Carlos Moreno, professor at the Sorbonne and scientific advisor to the Mayor of Paris. He is a driving force behind the concept of the 15-minute city: a city where you can live, work and play all within a 15-minute walk. He tells us why this concept could chan...
Oct 19, 2020•17 min•Ep. 33
Send us a text The video game sector is now the biggest entertainment industry in the world. There are an estimated two and a half billion players worldwide. And it’s not just the social impact - there’s a lot of money to be made too. In fact, the global gaming market is worth 10 times as much as the film or music industry. At the end of last year, one of the world’s most popular games, Fortnite, brought in revenues of $1.8 billion while the world of eSports generated over $1.1 billion globally ...
Oct 12, 2020•26 min•Ep. 32
Send us a text The latest predictions suggest that without a complete step change in our relationship with plastics, by 2050 there will be more of it in our oceans than there are fish. First on this episode of the Agenda podcast, we talk to Costas Velis from Leeds University. Velis is one of the lead investigators on a report that shows how we can cut the amount of plastic flowing into our oceans [00:53]. We also talk to David Katz, the CEO of The Plastic Bank who explains why the key to keeping...
Oct 05, 2020•18 min•Ep. 31
Send us a text At a virtual summit on 14 September leaders from China and the European Union gathered online to consider the future of the relationship between China and the EU. Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel had their own points to make – the Chinese president calling for commitment to peaceful coexistence and multilateralism, and the EU making it clear they were looking for a more balanced relationship. On this episode of the Agenda podcast, we talk to exper...
Sep 28, 2020•15 min•Ep. 30
Send us a text International students make up a significant proportion of the intake at many of the world’s top universities, and an even more significant amount of their income.This week on the podcast we look at international university students, and how they will have to adapt to a post COVID-19 world. First on the podcast we speak to Vivienne Sterne, the director of Universities UK International, the umbrella group that represents all UK universities. Vivienne tells us why international stud...
Sep 21, 2020•19 min•Ep. 29
