Insights on the evolving process of global environmental governance with Felix Dodds
Select Season
Listen to this episode: Duration: 50 min.
Quick Overview
In this insightful episode, we talked with Environmental leader Felix Dodds, reflecting on the leadership of characters like Maurice Strong and the importance of stakeholder engagement in global policy environmental policy. He also explores the current state of the SDGs, and what could be the next stage of that, the process towards UN reform, and the possibilities of change in the global environment governance scenario, in particular around the environment conventions.
Questions and Topics Addressed in this Episode
- You wrote a book titled Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage. What is the essence and purpose of this book? In the book, there is a chapter about the story of Maurice Strong, who was the man and what was his story in addition to being the UN Secretary General of both the UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 and the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. What can we learn from him, his key achievements in global environmental movements, and his leadership style?
- About the SDGs and the UN 2030 Agenda: while many argue that little progress has been made on their implementation, others disagree. Could you share your thoughts on their implementation so far? What can be said about the concrete and valuable progress that has been made over the past 20 years since the launch of the SDGs? Is there any specific SDG you think is progressing faster than others in terms of awareness and implementation? What is your take on the valuable progress of SDG 6 on water and sanitation? What do you think should take place after 2030? What do you know about what is being envisioned regarding the post-2030 agenda?
- What are the key happenings around the UN reform for the current time? What are your thoughts on the idea of bringing environmental conventions together? With regards to COP30, what are your thoughts on what’s happening and what should happen in the near future? Do you still keep your hopes on the value of COPs on climate change?
- How do you see the value of the Earth Charter as an instrument to clarify the ethical foundations and the roadmap from an ethical perspective on how to address the current challenges we face?
Felix Dodds
Insights on the evolving process of global environmental governance
Who is Felix Dodds?
Felix Dodds is a British writer, activist, and futurist with over 30 years of experience in global water and sustainability policy. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina Water Institute where he directs a project on disaster risk reduction and governance. Throughout his life, Dodds has been involved in numerous international sustainability conferences and is widely recognized for pioneering stakeholder engagement in UN processes. For 20 years (1993-2012), he served as the Executive Director of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. He was also the co-director of the UNC Nexus Conferences on climate, energy, food, and water and of the Water and Climate coalition from 2007 to 2012. A trusted advisor to major UN summits, including Rio20+, the Bonn Water and Energy conferences, and the Eye of the Earth Summit 2011 Conference, he was nominated by the UK government to head the UN Environment Programme in 2019. He has authored 20 books, including Stakeholder Democracy (2019) and Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals (2016). His earlier book Human and Environmental Security (2005) was nominated for the ISA Sprout Award. In 2010, Dodds was named one of “25 Environmentalists Ahead of Their Time” and today, he remains an influential voice in shaping the global sustainability agenda.
This podcast is developed by Earth Charter International as part of our work as UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter.
