In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr Duncan Depledge about climate change and its growing impact on the world's militaries.

This conversation looks at the geopolitics of the Arctic, the role of energy and logistics in warfare, and the growing competition across the High North, exploring how environmental change has become a central concern in defence planning.

Duncan explains why it is a problem for militaries today rather than in the future, and why armed forces now treat a warming world as a practical operational challenge instead of a distant environmental one.

The discussion examines whether militaries can decarbonise without compromising readiness and combat effectiveness, and why energy is both a necessity and a vulnerability in war. We also explore NATO's growing engagement with climate security, the rising competition for the critical minerals that green technologies depend on, and why the Arctic, the Baltic, and Northern Europe are now closely connected.

The conversation explores:

• Whether the Arctic is the new central theatre of military strategy
• How energy transitions create both resilience and vulnerability
• The role of critical minerals and resource competition in future conflict
• Why climate change is a present-day defence issue, not a future one

Dr Duncan Depledge is Senior Lecturer in Geopolitics and Security at Loughborough University, specialising in climate security, defence policy, and Arctic geopolitics. He has advised the Ministry of Defence, NATO, and the European Commission, and previously served as Special Adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee for its inquiry into UK defence policy in the Arctic.

The International Risk Podcast brings together global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers to explore the forces transforming our world — from geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare.

Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and one of Europe’s leading experts on international risk and crisis management. He advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across Europe on how to prepare for uncertainty, navigate crises, and build strategic resilience in an increasingly volatile world.

#Geopolitics #ClimateChange #Arctic #NATO #Defence #Military #HighNorth #Baltic #CriticalMinerals#EnergySecurity #China #ClimateSecurity #PoliticalRisk #InternationalRisk #Strategy

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This could be the most controversial World Cup in history. In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Professor Simon Chadwick, one of the world's leading experts on the geopolitical economy of sport, to unpack the politics behind the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Chadwick challenges the term "sportswashing," arguing it has been selectively applied by the global north while similar issues in co-hosts Mexico and Canada go largely unexamined. He explains why recent tournaments reveal the limits of soft power in sport, why hard power increasingly defines how host nations operate, and what the US, Mexico, and Canada are actually getting out of hosting. The conversation also covers dynamic ticket pricing, fan fears around ICE enforcement and border control, and whether FIFA's claim to political neutrality was ever true, particularly in light of the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to President Trump.

Simon Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School in Paris, and Director of its Global Executive MBA in Sport. His work examines the intersection of power, politics, money, and state interests in elite sport, and he has spent over 25 years researching and writing on football and the World Cup. He is the editor of The Geopolitical Economy of Sport: Power, Politics, Money, and the State, the first book to define and explore how sport, geopolitics, and economics interact at a global level. Chadwick has worked extensively across the sport industry with clubs, governing bodies, commercial partners, and governments, including FIFA, UEFA, Barcelona Football Club, Adidas, and the organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.

Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders.

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For more than six decades, USAID sat at the centre of the global humanitarian and development system. A little over a year ago, USAID became one of the first targets of the Trump administration’s DOGE campaign. Today, the hum and development sector is grappling with profound uncertainty at precisely the moment humanitarian needs are growing, especially with the rise in intrastate conflicts. What has the loss of USAID meant in practice? How are communities responding? And what does the future of international development look like in a world of shrinking aid budgets but rising humanitarian need?

And joining me to discuss this is Nicholas Enrich. He served as the former top global health official at USAID’s before becoming the acting assistant administrator for Global Health at USAID shortly before Trump’s second presidential inauguration. On March 2 2025 he was placed on administrative leave for exposing the Trump’s administration illegitimate and destructive dismantling of USAID which ended up going viral and his memo has been cited in a Supreme Court case on the legality of USAID’s dissolution. While the public release of his memos were ultimately not enough to save USAID, Enrich was one of the first government officials to publicly blow the whistle on DOGE’s reckless operations and inform other federal agencies of what was to come. Published in April Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID.

The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.

Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders.

This episode was produced by Anna Kummelstedt

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