
Beyond the Oil Crisis: What’s actually blocking the transition?
From Outrage + Optimism by Persephonica and Global Optimism
April 23, 2026 · 43 min · Season 12 · Episode 46
About this episode
The episode discusses the barriers to transitioning away from fossil fuels amidst geopolitical instability and features insights from climate activists and former leaders.
The Iran crisis continues to prove how dangerously dependent the global economy is on fossil fuels. But what will it actually take to move beyond them? In this episode, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson look at what the latest oil shock continues to reveal. And they turn to the upcoming First Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, where governments, campaigners and other actors are gathering to build new relationships and explore new routes towards a just transition in an age of geopolitical instability. Christiana speaks with former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate , who lay out the big structural barriers still slowing the shift. From debt traps that make fossil fuel extraction a financial necessity, to vested interests, and subsidies flowing in the wrong direction. The evidence is clear: the transition is happening. The question is, will it be political machinations or economic urgency that determines how fast? Learn More: 🌍 Explore the official page for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, including its aims, format and participants 🛢️ Understand…
People in this episode
Hosts: Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Paul Dickinson
Guests: Mary Robinson, Vanessa Nakate
Topics covered
- fossil fuels
- climate change
- geopolitical instability
- energy transition
- renewable energy
- economic urgency
Keywords
- oil crisis
- energy transition
- fossil fuels
- climate activism
- geopolitical issues
- renewable energy
- debt traps
- subsidies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: First Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, UNFCCC, BloombergNEF
Places: Iran, Strait of Hormuz
More episodes of Outrage + Optimism
- Blocker or Blueprint? India on the World Stage · September 10, 2026 · 41 min
- What’s India Building?: Tales from the Biggest Transition on Earth · September 3, 2026 · 33 min
- India: Life Inside Delhi's 'Airpocalypse' · August 27, 2026 · 39 min
- The Clock is Ticking: Forty Seconds to Explain the Climate Crisis · August 20, 2026 · 34 min
- Beyond Politics: Should we take the heat out of the climate crisis? · August 13, 2026 · 46 min
- Cheapest Energy in History. Still Heading for 3 Degrees? · August 6, 2026 · 57 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Outrage + Optimism podcast page.