The Overshoot Conference Podcast

Episode 9: Legal and justice implications of overshoot with Lavanya Rajamani

In this ninth and final episode of the IIASA podcast series with session chair Lavanya Rajamani [https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani], we explore the eighth theme: International Law and Justice under Overshoot. Overshoot reveals the limits of international legal frameworks to address climate harms, accountability, and equity. Vulnerable communities and future generations face irreversible loss and damage, rising costs, and reliance on unproven technologies. We ask: How can law and justice frameworks confront overshoot? What responsibilities do states bear, and how might negotiation or litigation secure accountability and reparative justice? Subscribe to follow the full nine-part series on the urgent challenges of climate overshoot.

Episode 8: Loss and Damage with Sindra Sharma

In this eighth episode of the nine-part IIASA podcast series with session chair Sindra Sharma [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sindrasharma/?originalSubdomain=uk] , we explore the conference’s seventh theme: Loss and Damage under Overshoot. Overshoot will leave a legacy of lasting loss and damage to societies and ecosystems. These impacts will fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable countries, communities, and people—eroding health, education, cultural heritage, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. We ask: What does it mean to exceed the limits of adaptation? How can societies address the disaggregated harms faced by marginalized groups, and what role should human rights play in guiding responses? This episode explores approaches to addressing loss and damage at multiple scales—from local to global—through policy frameworks, institutional arrangements, and transformational adaptation. Subscribe to follow all nine episodes and join us in unpacking the urgent challenges of climate overshoot.

Episode 7: Adaptation and adaptation limits under overshoot with Kristie L. Ebi

In this seventh episode of the nine-part IIASA podcast series with session chair Kristie L. Ebi [https://globalhealth.washington.edu/faculty/kristie-ebi], we explore the conference’s sixth theme: Adaptation Limits under Overshoot. The severity of climate risks in overshoot scenarios depends not only on rising temperatures but also on how societies can adapt—or fail to. Overshoot combined with low adaptive capacity can magnify risks, threatening climate-resilient and equitable development, especially for the most vulnerable. We ask: Can adaptation planning keep pace with the challenges of overshoot, and how should equity and fairness shape these strategies? This episode examines the complexities of adapting to climate change when overshoot is on the horizon, the possibility of irreversible impacts on sensitive ecosystems, and whether long-term reversal prospects matter for adaptation decisions today. Subscribe to follow all nine episodes and gain insights into navigating a world beyond 1.5°C.

Episode 6: Overshoot legacy and tipping elements with Jonathan Donges

In this sixth episode of the nine-part IIASA podcast series with session chair Jonathan Donges [https://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/donges/homepage], we turn to the conference’s fifth theme: Overshoot Legacies and Global Tipping Elements. Overshoots may trigger irreversible Earth system changes, from sea level rise to disrupted ocean dynamics, with consequences that persist long after temperatures peak. We ask: What risks are locked in by near-term (in)action, and can reversing global warming still reduce them? This episode explores tipping dynamics, overshoot legacies, and the limits of undoing climate damage. Subscribe to follow all nine episodes and gain insights into navigating a world beyond 1.5°C.

Episode 5: Climate impact (ir)reversibility with Debra Roberts

In this fifth episode of the nine-part IIASA podcast series with session chair Debra Roberts [https://www.ipcc.ch/people/debra-roberts/], we turn to the conference’s fourth theme: Climate Impact (Ir)reversibility. Declining global temperatures after overshoot does not mean local impacts will reverse. Earth system components like oceans and the cryosphere will keep adjusting, reshaping regional climates and exposing communities to new vulnerabilities. We ask: How is a world after overshoot different from one without it—and for whom? What benefits does warming reversal bring compared to stabilization at peak levels? With a focus on impacts that are irreversible on human timescales and on the socio-economic dynamics of overshoot, this episode explores the implications for justice, equity, and possible social tipping points. Subscribe to follow all nine episodes and gain insights into navigating a world beyond 1.5°C.