Podcast appearances and mentions of leslie hook

US stocks jumped yesterday after President Donald Trump said trade talks with the EU were headed in a "positive" direction, and McKinsey cut 10 per cent of its staff in an effort to increase profits. Plus, Asian currencies are getting a boost from investors' bets on US trade deals and the FT's Leslie Hook explains what's next for Rio Tinto after it asked its chief executive Jakob Stausholm to step down. Mentioned in this podcast:US stocks jump as Donald Trump touts ‘positive' progress on EU trade talksAsian currencies boosted by investor bets on US trade dealsMcKinsey sheds 10% of staff in two-year profitability drive Rio ousted chief Jakob Stausholm to seek boss with more mining experienceToday's FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Blake Maples and Michael Lello. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We present a Special Episode of SmarterMarkets™, bringing you exclusive interviews from the FT Commodities Global Summit 2025. SmarterMarkets™ returned to the annual Financial Times Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland this March, where commodity traders get together to talk about the markets and how they're navigating them. In retrospect, this year was the calm before the storm of the wide-ranging U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. We partnered with the FT to once again interview commodities markets participants to ask them about the big developments being discussed at the conference this year. We also discussed the ways that markets and market infrastructure need to change to keep pace with the changing commodities trading landscape and what tools and technologies they need most. We've compiled a selection of those interviews into this Special Episode of SmarterMarkets™ with an introduction by Leslie Hook, Natural Resources Editor for the Financial Times. If you would like to listen to the full interviews, they are available on the SmarterMarkets™ Presents media portal. Our guests in order of appearance in this episode are: Leslie Hook – Natural Resources Editor, FT Helima Croft – Managing Director and Global Head of Commodity Strategy, RBC Capital Markets Mark Kristoff – CEO, Traxys Fernanda Ávila – Congresswoman & Former Secretary of Mining, Ministry of Economy, Argentina JP Aubin – Co-CEO, BGC Group Sacha Lifschitz – Head of Battery Materials, Abaxx Exchange

This week, we present a special episode of SmarterMarkets™, bringing you exclusive interviews from last month's FT Live Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. SmarterMarkets™ host David Greely attended the summit and worked with the Financial Times to record interviews from this gathering of commodity experts, practitioners, and trading houses. The Financial Times' Natural Resources Editor, Leslie Hook, provides an introduction to this special release, with guest appearances from Goldman Sachs' Jeff Currie, RBC Capital Markets' Helima Croft, Vitol's Michael Curran, International Emissions Trading Association's Alasdair Were and Joe Raia of Abaxx Exchange. Throughout the interviews featured in this special episode, host David Greely sits down with these guests to examine the future of carbon markets and climate action, the under-appreciated risks to our commodity markets ecosystem, balancing critical mineral supply and demand, the need for clear regulatory messaging from governments, and energy security amidst a changing geopolitical landscape.

Construction of a massive oil pipeline in east Africa is underway. For the governments of the countries it will run through, it promises new economic opportunities. But for many others, it could spell trouble. Like the fight over North America's Keystone Pipeline, this one has become an important battleground for environmental groups around the world. The FT's Leslie Hook explains the approach activists are taking to fight it. Clips from UBC Television Uganda- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:The oil giants drilling among the giraffes in UgandaMarsh revealed in oil pipeline project shunned by leading banks and insurers- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On Twitter, follow Leslie Hook (@lesliehook) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07) Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 10th January 2022.Nuclear energy is one of the most controversial forms of alternative energy, and the least understood. Consumers can confuse a fear of nuclear weapons with nuclear energy, and naysayers cite plant explosions or the possibility of a terror attack employing misused nuclear energy materials. Yet advancements in safety measures, regulation and technology have made nuclear energy safer than ever. In this episode, listen to our expert panel break down what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to nuclear energy. Leslie Hook, the Environment and Clean Energy Correspondent for the Financial Times moderates a discussion between Dr Sama Bilbao y León, the Director General of the World Nuclear Association; Zion Lights, activist and Founder of the evidence-based, pro-nuclear energy climate activism group Emergency Reactor; Dr Douglas Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director at Greenpeace UK; and Dr Nina Skorupska, Chief Executive of the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology.

This week we discuss the chaotic events surrounding the botched reform of the parliamentary standards committee. We look at why No 10 was so eager to save disgraced MP Owen Paterson and where the row goes next. Political editor George Parker, political commentator Robert Shrimsley and political correspondent Laura Hughes will explain all.And we look back at the first week of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where more than 120 world leaders gathered to make headway on climate change. Breakthroughs were made on cash and deforestation, but there was scant progress on coal. Our environment correspondent Leslie Hook and chief political correspondent Jim Pickard take us behind the scenes.Audio source: Sky NewsProduced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineers were Breen Turner and Sean McGarrity.-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk-Follow @Seb Payne, @George Parker, @Robert Shrimsley-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/07579093-643e-4300-87c3-3b3e6b36526bGideon talks to Leslie Hook, the FT's environment correspondent, about what to expect from the UN climate change conference in Glasgow. Will determination to give teeth to the Paris accord survive the global energy crisis?Clips: UN; ITV News; Reuters  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/24a0e0ed-749d-4b6e-adbd-1f3c3a6cadb3The FT's clean energy and environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, has a curtain raiser on COP26, the most important climate summit since the 2015 Paris agreement. Plus, the FT's US financial commentator Rob Armstrong and US editor- at-large and Moral Money newsletter founder Gillian Tett go head-to-head in a debate over whether investing in environmental, social and governance causes can really change the world. COP26 summit is a pivotal moment for the planet - with Leslie Hook https://www.ft.com/content/6ad9c521-b5ae-4876-be89-97d978485d48The ESG investing industry is dangerous - with Robert Armstronghttps://www.ft.com/content/ec02fd5d-e8bd-45bd-b015-a5799ae820cfGillian Tett explains ESG's importance - with Gillian Tett https://www.ft.com/video/eba8dff7-ae9e-47db-b054-c8ed52ad8e79The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show's editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber, Gavin Kallmann and Michael Bruning. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/7344543b-aefa-4715-8494-7c92e1e531f2A court heard opening arguments in the case against the founder of the failed blood-testing technology start-up Theranos, Janet Yellen has warned that the US Treasury could run out of cash next month, and PayPal has acquired the Tokyo-based buy now, pay later company, Paidy. Plus, the FT's environment and clean energy correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains how the world's largest CO2 direct capture plant works. ‘Failure is not a crime,' Theranos founder's lawyers tell juryhttps://www.ft.com/content/b7462815-f022-4e11-a3fd-a7845b1191a2Janet Yellen warns US Treasury risks running out of cash in Octoberhttps://www.ft.com/content/4433d8ef-7d18-4c07-ba08-7f05fcbdb0b8PayPal to acquire buy now, pay later provider Paidy for $2.7bnhttps://www.ft.com/content/cdeccd3c-fe41-4228-ad11-9efc6f5c9d2dWorld's biggest ‘direct air capture' plant starts pulling in CO2https://www.ft.com/content/8a942e30-0428-4567-8a6c-dc704ba3460aEY will invest $2bn to improve audits after series of scandalshttps://www.ft.com/content/737dd635-dba2-49d7-bcdd-34f467b218ea?The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show's editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Gavin Kallmann, Michael Bruning, and Persis Love. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Tech Tonic, we ask whether AI's potential in the fight against the climate crisis justifies the massive amounts of energy it takes to run these systems. The computing power required to train AI concerns some researchers, who have built a calculator to count the tech's carbon footprint. But AI advances have also opened new avenues to fight climate change, by helping Arctic scientists, weather modellers, and green energy gurus. This week the FT's innovation editor John Thornhill and environment and clean energy correspondent Leslie Hook, debate AI's climate effects. We also hear from Jennifer Jackson, a molecular biologist at the British Antarctic Survey, and Sasha Luccioni, an AI researcher at Mila research institute in Quebec. Alice Fordham is the senior producer. Josh Gabert Doyon is the assistant producer. Oluwakemi Aladesuyi and Liam Nolan are the development producers. Sound design and mixing by Breen Turner. Cheryl Brumley is the executive producer for this series. Hydrophonic recordings kindly supplied by Ellen White at the University of Southampton. Review clips: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Sonos, Samsung, Google, Rogers, Universal Pictures, Three, NBC, Nintendo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Nasdaq Composite closed 2.5 per cent lower on Monday as rising inflation expectations undercut arguments for tech stocks’ high valuations, Brazilian markets were rattled after president Jair Bolsonaro removed the head of Petrobras, and American rapper Jay-Z signs a big champagne deal with LVMH. Plus, the FT’s clean energy and environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains how Big Tech companies became one of the world’s largest supporters of green energy. Global stocks fall on nerves over inflation outlookhttps://www.ft.com/content/cab2caee-60c9-40cb-a115-099287ab8bf4Brazilian markets rattled by Bolsonaro’s removal of Petrobras chiefhttps://www.ft.com/content/68b0c6cf-7d78-4e0e-9025-bfaca7e098e2LVMH signs champagne deal with rap star Jay-Zhttps://www.ft.com/content/840826e8-a70e-4f1d-82a4-1b83895eced5How tech went big on green energyhttps://www.ft.com/content/0c69d4a4-2626-418d-813c-7337b8d5110d? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

TikTok plans to expand into ecommerce in the US to compete with Facebook, Cuba has announced it will open most of the economy to private business, and Mercedes-Benz says by 2030 it will make as much from its electric cars as it does from its luxury combustion engine models. Plus, the FT’s environment and clean energy correspondent, Leslie Hook, looks at the global shift to renewable energy and how it could change the geopolitical landscape.TikTok takes on Facebook with US ecommerce pushhttps://www.ft.com/content/629c1c17-3daa-46af-8177-1814baaa2bed?Cuba lifts ban on most private business https://www.ft.com/content/3956b50f-621a-4289-90c3-247a2762fae2Mercedes’ electric profits to match those for combustion models by end of decadehttps://www.ft.com/content/6021706c-4f00-4547-9082-20e1d1d2d540?How the race for renewable energy is reshaping global politics https://www.ft.com/content/a37d0ddf-8fb1-4b47-9fba-7ebde29fc510 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A new report from the EU’s external auditor has found Brussels failed to tame Big Tech because it moved too slowly, the US Federal Aviation Administration issues an order on Wednesday allowing Boeing’s 737 Max to fly again, and Wall Street analysts expect the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine will send the dollar sinking next year. Plus, the FT’s environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains why critics say Boris Johnson’s plan for a green economy falls short. EU has been too slow to tame Big Tech, says bloc’s auditor ft.com/content/abb8ebe1-99e1-4547-8c42-df265bf5125c?US regulator clears Boeing’s 737 Max to fly againhttps://www.ft.com/content/43bb3ab1-598d-4ee3-a83b-ea0c22f08d4aVaccine arrival expected to trigger dollar slump in 2021ft.com/content/d2a226b8-574a-4d1c-9205-fa076ed97055?Boris Johnson’s green plan a ‘far cry’ from hitting net zero targetsft.com/content/dbd944e6-48a2-42d7-829e-ae1d64616bfc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joe Biden won Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday in two critical victories that boosted his chances of winning the presidential election while the Trump campaign launched lawsuits to delay vote counting. Meanwhile, investors are now changing course after Democrats missed an opportunity for a blue wave. Plus, the FT’s environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains how the outcome of the election is crucial for global efforts to tackle climate change. Biden boosted by Wisconsin and Michigan wins as count drags onhttps://www.ft.com/content/874f4401-aa3f-46c0-b4ca-2d06066c1f7eInvestors hold their poise in face of knife-edge US election resulthttps://www.ft.com/content/732afbb8-af6f-4bfa-9cd2-e7dab82873afUS formally withdraws from Paris climate agreementhttps://www.ft.com/content/54f600e0-183f-41fd-8d4b-69ab4403e331 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UK airlines demanded “urgent additional government support” on Sunday warning that Boris Johnson’s plans to introduce a 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the UK by air will exacerbate the crisis facing the sector. Plus, US businesses resuming operations after coronavirus lockdowns are confronting uncertain legal terrain over whether they are required to pay workers for time spent on health checks, and WeWork’s move to skip rent payments and renegotiate hundreds of its leases is rippling into the commercial mortgage market. Then, renewable energy is one of the few sectors that has managed to weather the devastating effects of coronavirus, with new deals and new records being struck, even while the rest of the world has been grappling with the pandemic. The FT’s environment and clean energy correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains. To get free access to the FT’s Coronavirus Business Update newsletter for 30 days, visit ft.com/newsbriefingcovid.--You might also be interested in a three-day digital conference hosted by the Financial Times. On 12-14 May, the FT will gather the most senior global decision makers and leading minds in policy, business, tech and finance for three days of online conversations with our top journalists – it's also free to join. Find out more at: https://globalboardroom.ft.com/. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Antarctica is barely accessible to humans but the ice-covered landmass - and the oceans around it - shelter rich wildlife, including many penguins. It also holds the keys for understanding the future of our planet, which is why scientific research into the isolated continent is stepping up. But as human activity encroaches, do we need to do more to protect Antarctica? Clive Cookson, FT science editor, talks to Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, about her recent trip to the region. Read Leslie's article hereContributors: Clive Cookson, science editor, and Leslie Hook, environment correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A deal to implement the new USMCA trade agreement was under threat after Mexico said it did not agree to certain provisions, Apple will face a shareholder vote next year calling for the iPhone maker to publicly commit to respecting freedom of expression as a human right and Boris Johnson plans to pour billions of pounds into the midlands and north of England after his election win. Plus, the FT’s Leslie Hook explains why UN climate delegates in Madrid could not reach a deal on the last article of the Paris climate accord. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the UK general election approaches, all parties are stepping up their rhetoric on climate change. What are their manifesto pledges and are they even realistic? Jim Pickard and Nick Butler talk to Leslie Hook about what a new government could spell for the environment and the need for an international approach to tackling the climate crisis.Contributors: Leslie Hook, environment and clean energy correspondent, Jim Pickard, chief political correspondent and Nick Butler, energy commentator. Producer: Persis Love See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Xerox said it would take its proposal for a $33bn takeover of HP directly to the personal computer maker’s shareholders, Nasdaq’s listings business is on course to eclipse that of bitter rival the New York Stock Exchange this year and Manchester City’s owner has agreed to sell a $500m stake to private equity firm Silver Lake in a deal that breaks a record in sports valuations. Plus, the FT’s Leslie Hook explains why China’s commitment to renewable energy has lagged in recent years, and why it’s causing alarm ahead of the annual UN climate talks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

GeneralSubscribe to Fully Vested on SimpleCast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.WeWork & SoftBank (Update)Section starts at 11m45sWeWork.comWeWork's Crunchbase ProfileSoftBank.jpSoftBank's Crunchbase ProfileFair.comFair's Crunchbase ProfileFair, the SoftBank-backed car subscription startup, lays off 40% of staff, sacks CFO (Ingrid Lunden for TechCrunch)Sprint.comSprint's Crunchbase ProfileSoftBank is turning to its Sprint leaders to bail out WeWork—they’ll need to do better this time (Ari Levy and Alex Sherman for CNBC)SoftBank’s Son uses rare structure for $93bn tech fund (Arash Massoudi in London, Kana Inagaki in Tokyo and Leslie Hook in San Franciscofor Financial Times)Zuckerberg TestimonySection starts at 33m15sFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces sharp questioning in Congress about Libra cryptocurrency (Irina Ivanova and Grace Segers for CBS)Zuckerberg’s testimony left lawmakers just as concerned about libra as they were beforehand (Lauren Feiner for CNBC)Blind TechnologySection starts at 54m35sAccessibility, the future, and why Domino’s matters (Kate Cox for Ars Technica)Be My EyesAbout The Co-HostsJason D. Rowley is a data journalist for Crunchbase News, volunteers with the Python Software Foundation as an organizer of Startup Row at PyCon US, and sends occasional newsletters from Rowley.Report.Graham C. Peck is a Venture Partner with Cultivation Capital and additionally helps companies build technology development teams in partnership with Brightgrove and other technology development organizations.

Start-ups and consumer giants are trying to find a solution to the deluge of plastic packaging that ends up in landfill or polluting our oceans. Finding a solution will be far more complex than just recycling more, Leila Abboud and Leslie Hook tell Pilita Clark. Read Leila's article here or listen to Ellen MacArthur talk about the plastics in our oceans here.Contributors: Pilita Clark, business columnist, Leila Abboud, consumer industries correspondent, and Leslie Hook, environmental correspondent. Producers: Fiona Symon and Persis Love. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Chicago start-up has found a way of turning microbes into edible protein, part of a growing trend towards a microbial revolution in food. Leslie Hook discusses why investors are increasingly interested in this area with Emiko Terazono, commodities correspondent, and Clive Cookson, science editor.Contributors: Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, Emiko Terazono, commodities correspondent, and Clive Cookson, science editor. Producers: Fiona Symon and Persis Love See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the world’s largest carbon emitter, China will be in the spotlight at this week’s UN climate summit in New York. Beijing has taken steps to tackle its pollution problems in recent years, but is it working? Pilita Clark puts this question to Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, and Lucy Hornby, deputy Beijing bureau chief. Contributors: Pilita Clark, business columnist, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, and Lucy Hornby, deputy Beijing bureau chief. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, opted to sail to the US from Europe this month, rather than catching a plane. Her choice reflected a growing recognition that air travel carries a heavy cost to the environment. Sylvia Pfeifer, acting industry editor, discusses how airlines are responding to the challenge with Janina Conboye and Leslie Hook. Contributors: Sylvia Pfeifer, acting industry editor, Janina Conboye, industry reporter, and Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Martin Sandbu discusses the prospects that leaders attending this year's G20 summit in Osaka will be able to patch up their differences on trade and climate with Chris Giles and Leslie Hook. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Indigo, a Boston-based agritech start-up, plans to pay farmers to store carbon in soil - part of a growing field of climate-related agricultural practices that seek to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Lauren Fedor discusses the growing focus on environmentally friendly farming methods with Leslie Hook and Emiko Terazono.Contributors: Katie Martin, capital markets editor, Lauren Fedor, technology reporter, Emiko Terazono, commodities correspondent, and Leslie Hook, environment correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Washington plans to impose fresh sanctions on Tehran and warns that Iran should not mistake US “prudence for weakness”, Ericsson’s head of US business says the UK’s plan to shut Huawei out of parts of its 5G network makes little technical sense and the US Federal Reserve quizzes Deutsche Bank over its “bad bank” plans. Plus, the FT’s clean energy and environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains why the world’s top 500 companies are set to miss the climate goals outlined in the 2015 Paris agreement. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two investor resolutions at BP’s annual meeting in Aberdeen this week showed how pressure is building on oil companies to take action on climate change and chairman Helge Lund acknowleged the need to repurpose the business towards a low carbon future. Pilita Clark discusses how oil companies are responding to the climate crisis with Anjli Raval and Leslie HookContributors: Suzanne Blumsom, executive editor, Pilita Clark, business columnist, Anjli Raval, senior energy correspondent, and Leslie Hook, environment correspondent. Producers: Danielle Manning and Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fresh evidence of the pollution that pervades the world’s oceans has come to light with the discovery of huge amounts of debris littering the coastline of some remote islands in the Indian Ocean. Clive Cookson, FT science editor, discusses the evidence and its implications with Leslie Hook, FT environment correspondent.Contributors: Josh Noble, weekend news editor, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, and Clive Cookson, science editor. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Iraq’s second city Basra sits on top of some of the world’s biggest oil reserves that fuel the country’s economy. But life in the city serves as a warning for how rapidly ordinary people can pay the environmental price for mismanagement even as the petrodollars flow in. Leslie Hook, FT environment correspondent, discusses the city’s water crisis with Chloe Cornish, Middle East correspondent.Contributors: Suzanne Blumsom, executive editor, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent and Chloe Cornish, Middle East correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl from Sweden, has transformed the debate on climate with an uncompromising message: all efforts to halt global warming have failed and it’s time to act now. Leslie Hook spent a day with Greta in Stockholm and she tells Alec Russell about her impressions.Read Leslie's article hereContributors: John Murray Brown, production editor, Alec Russell, FT Weekend editor, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May attempts to save her Brexit deal, Wall Street has another wobbly day and the US Senate votes over Yemen in defiance of senior Trump administration officials. Plus, Leslie Hook takes us to Poland, where ministers from around the world are scrambling to reach a climate agreement before annual talks end this weekend. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Countries that signed up to the Paris climate accord are meeting in Poland to discuss how to put their pledges into action. How will the funds for investment be raised and how much has been allocated so far? Leslie Hook puts these questions to Zoe Knight and Alice Ross.Read more on this topic in the FT’s Special Report on Sustainable FinanceContributors: Barney Jopson, Middle East and Africa news editor, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent, Zoe Knight, head of HSBC’s centre of sustainable finance and Alice Ross, wealth correspondent. Producers: Ruth Lewis-Coste and Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Environmentalists fear Brazil's incoming president Jair Bolsonaro will relax curbs on deforestation and the result will be an assault on the rainforest that helps regulate the earth's atmosphere. Leslie Hook talks to Joseph Leahy about why the forest may be at risk under Brazil's new president, and at an ambitious plan to map the DNA sequences of species in the Amazon basin that could help preserve the forest.Contributors: Josh Noble, weekend news editor, Leslie Hook, environment correspondent and Joseph Leahy, Brazil bureau chief. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ellen MacArthur, former round the world sailor turned campaigner, tells Leslie Hook the companies that create packaging for their products are starting to understand the responsibility they hold for helping eliminate the waste.Contributors: Katie Martin, capital markets editor, Ellen MacArthur and Leslie Hook, FT environment correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Darren Dodd discusses the impact of climate change on human health with Leslie Hook, FT environment correspondent, and Laurie Laybourn-Langton, director of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Leslie Hook, FT environment correspondent, discusses recent evidence that companies in China have been flouting rules banning the use of CFCs, with Steve Montzka and Matt Rigby, authors of a recent ozone report in Nature, and Julian Newman of the environmental investigations agencyTake up our subscriber offer at ft.com/offer50 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Despite some efforts at recycling, more than half of all plastic waste created in the industrialised world has been exported for recycling elsewhere, mainly to China. But now Beijing has banned imports of most plastic waste. So where will the waste go now and how much of it is ending up in the ocean? Leslie Hook puts the question to Amy Brooks and Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia, who’ve recently published a study on the global trade in plastic wasteRead the study by Amy Brooks and Jenna Jambeck hereContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Apple unveiled new tools this week to help consumers reduce their screen time and curb some of the techniques used by marketers to monitor people’s browsing activity. Leslie Hook asks the FT’s Tim Bradshaw whether this marks the start of a shift in the power balance between consumers and big tech companies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Antarctica contains vast untapped natural resources. But it is governed only by a treaty system that faces growing geopolitical challenges, say Leslie Hook and Benedict Mander. Many interested parties would like to exploit its riches. How can the continent be protected? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The latest salvo in a courtroom battle between Uber and autonomous driving rival Waymo has raised questions over Uber’s business tactics as its new chief tries to overhaul it and shepherd a multibillion-dollar share sale. Ravi Mattu talks to the FT's Chloe Cornish and Leslie Hook in San Francisco about events this week and what happens next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ride-sharing group has lurched from one management crisis to another this year. But now it faces its biggest challenge: keeping its drivers, says Leslie Hook See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Uber’s board has approved a sweeping governance overhaul that will tip the balance away from founding investors and open the way for an investment from SoftBank that could be worth $10bn. Chris Nuttall discusses the compromise, and what it means for new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi, with Leslie Hook, FT correspondent in San Francisco. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Uber has just received a $3.5bn investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, making it the best backed start-up in the world. Ravi Mattu asks Leslie Hook, the FT's San Francisco correspondent, and Simeon Kerr, Gulf correspondent, what the investment means for Saudi Arabia and for Uber's ambitions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Barack Obama intends to expand background checks on gun sales and target online firearm marketplaces like Armslist.com that have created a loophole for people prohibited from purchasing guns. US policy correspondent Barney Jopson explains. Then, as the Consumer Electronics Show wraps up in Las Vegas, correspondents Leslie Hook and Tim Bradshaw talk about the latest tech gadgets on display at the conference, including new developments in virtual reality and a smart phone-controlled running shoe. Finally, hosts Shannon Bond and Cardiff Garcia offer a few predictions for 2016. Music by: Blue Dot Sessions, Minden and Kevin MacLeod. Go to ft.com/alphachat for show notes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The headline valuations of some private tech companies are being tested by their IPOs, raising fears of an imminent correction, reports Leslie Hook. Numbers such as Uber's $50bn, Airbnb's $24bn and Snapchat's $15bn became symbolic of the huge ambitions of this generation of start-ups. But they are not all they seem See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Twelve years ago, Jeff Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, gave the green light for an experimental business that would rent out computing power by the hour. Amazon Web Services now dominates a multibillion dollar and growing market. Murad Ahmed talks to Leslie Hook about the group's decision to disclose details of its cloud service. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a World Weekly special on climate change, guest host Clive Cookson, science editor, is joined by Pilita Clark, environment correspondent, and Chris Giles, economics editor, to discuss how the conflict between the industrialised and emerging economies is shaping the discussions at the climate change summit in South Africa. Also on the show, Richard McGregor, Washington bureau chief, and Leslie Hook, Beijing correspondent, examine how trade in renewable energy technologies is raising new disputes between the two key countries at the talks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.