How can leaders support future generations to flourish? Why do we need to invest in young people’s future? And, can we shape policy to ensure the future strength of our communities, environment, economy and society as a whole?In this discussion, we explored the role of youth empowerment in building a better society. Paul Lindley, author of ‘Raising the Nation’ and ‘How to Build a Better Future For Our Children (And Everyone Else)’ was joined in conversation with two Aspen UK Rising Leaders to discuss this complex topic.This discussion is brought to you by the Aspen UK Rising Leaders Fellowship: a community of leading young leaders in the UK who are keen to understand their own ethics and values and how these influence their actions and decisions as leaders.This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 4 December 2023.

More and more people are living in our cities and as urban populations grow, so does the need to provide housing. Yet, building homes is often perceived to come at a high price: the destruction of natural landscapes and biodiversity. What are the innovative solutions in this space?  And, is there political will to help promote these projects?In this panel discussion, we were joined by Anis Abou Zaki,  Partner in Environmental Design and Sustainability at Foster + Partners; Aileen Evans, CEO of Grand Union Housing Group; Dusty Gedge, International Ambassador for the European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations and Jess Kennedy, Climate & Sustainability Associate Director at Arup. The discussion was moderated by Kate Turner, a consultant, working in the space between decarbonisation and the digital sector. This event was hosted in partnership with Mars Wrigley UK and recorded as part of a live webinar on 6 November 2023.

Join a Boomer, Millennial, and Gen Zer as they discuss the possible consequences of the unprecedented biggest wealth transfer in history, certain to have a seismic impact on the future of capitalism and society.Our panel features Ken Costa, a boomer, and two Aspen UK Rising Leaders, a Millennial working in investment management, and a Gen Z-er who is an Economic Advisor in the Department for Transport (UK). Ken Costa is the author of The 100 Trillion Dollar Wealth Transfer, which explores how we will need the wisdom and experience of Boomers – Hindsight – plus the social, ethical and environmental purpose motivating Zennials – Insight – to allow us to work together with Foresight. This event was recorded as part of a live webinar hosted by the Rising Leaders Fellowship on 27 October 2023.

Climate change and a growing population are putting an increased strain on our food systems – will bananas and beef burgers become a thing of the past? The speed at which we are adapting is a long way off, but there are promising solutions available. This discussion convened expert speakers to discuss these solutions. We were joined by Catherine Chong, ESG Advisor; Adele Jones, Executive Director at the Sustainable Food Trust; Jean Moreau, CEO of Phenix and Liv Phoenix, Head of External Affairs at the NFU. This conversation was moderated by Naomi Jones, Corporate Affairs Director at Mars Wrigley UK. This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 4 October 2023.

In recent years, the way we talk about climate change has shifted significantly, influenced both by an increased public awareness of the issue and the imminent need for urgent action. In this discussion, we look at the meaningful ways the stories across our media landscape can drive climate action. The panel discusses innovative methods to weave sustainability into stories, from positive re-framing in the news to micro-messaging in our favourite sitcom shows.This episode is part of our ‘Critical Conversations’ series with Mars Wrigley UK bringing together pioneers from different technologies looking to build our net-zero and no-carbon future. It features Justin Forsyth, Co-Founder of the Count Us In Campaign; Joi Lee, Head of Editorial at Earthrise Studio; and Dan McDougall, Film Director and Writer. This conversation was expertly led by Juliet Riddell, Head of New Formats at the Financial Times. This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 20 September 2023.

The food system is responsible for one third of global emissions and it is estimated that livestock farming alone makes up 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions – that’s almost as much as the entire transport sector.  But, with technology continuing to advance, will we be able to eat meat sustainably in the future?In this webinar, we explored the revolutionary food technology making its way on to the market with Thin Lei Win in conversation with Jim Mellon, Executive Director of Agronomics. This is the second discussion in our new ‘Critical Conversations’ series with Mars Wrigley UK bringing together pioneers from different technologies looking to build our net-zero and no-carbon future. This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 10 July 2023.

Both the government and the refugee advocacy sector are calling for more safe routes for people seeking asylum to enter the UK. But tens of thousands of refugees continue to arrive by unsafe means every year because they are unable to access safe passage. For this conversation in our series ‘Voices from a broken system: Rethinking refugee integration in the UK’, we will focus on how to ensure safe passage for refugees from different countries looking to find sanctuary in the UK. Our panel features Jacqueline Broadhead,  Director of the Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity at the University of Oxford; Lord David Blunkett, former Home Secretary; David Goodhart, Head of Policy Exchange’s Demography, Immigration, and Integration Unit and Enver Solomon, CEO of Refugee Council. The discussion was moderated by Martine Dennis, international news anchor. This episode was recorded as part of a live webinar on 7 June 2023.

Solar and wind energy used to be considered speculative, prototype ideas of no-carbon energy solutions. Yet the enormous growth seen in these two forms of renewable energy over the last decade has soared past pessimistic predictions. Off the back of this success, the question for other promising innovations is how can they do the same? How can we apply the lessons learned from the success of solar and wind energy to other innovations? And, what solutions should we be betting on?This is the first discussion in our new ‘Critical Conversations’ series with Mars Wrigley UK bringing together pioneers from different technologies looking to build our net-zero and no-carbon future. The panel features Steven Lua, CEO at Unitrove; Natasha Patel, Director at Baringa Partners; Gaurav N. Sant, Director of the Institute for Carbon Management at UCLA and Beena Sharma, CEO of CCU International. The moderator is Kate Turner, Sustainability and Innovation Consultant. This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 22 May 2023.

In recent years, there has been an increased visibility of social justice movements as a result of social media and global connectivity. But, as the work of social change movements builds momentum, what role can it play in encouraging intercultural diversity. How do social justice actors build more interculturally diverse communities? And how can intercultural exchange between activist groups impact their advocacy work?For this conversation, we brought together social justice actors from various groups into conversation to discuss everything from collaboration between movements to how to prevent burnout whilst working towards social change. For the discussion, we were joined by Nathan Law, Hong Kong Activist; Jackie Driver, Strategic Lead for equality, diversity, and inclusion at Greater Manchester Integrated Care and Poku Osei, CEO at Babbasa.This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 15 May 2023.

Tackling climate change requires urgent action and the race to reach net zero is on. One single flight from London to New York produces roughly 986 kilograms of carbon dioxide, that’s more than most people in Africa, Asia or South America produce in an entire year. But with everybody’s love for travel and the need for international mobility, how can this industry adapt to help save our planet?This panel features Christopher de Bellaigue, Author of ‘Flying Green: On the Frontiers of Aviation’; Cait Hewitt, Policy Director at the Aviation Environment Federation; Sergey Kiselev, Chief Business Officer at ZeroAvia; Maja Rosén, Co-Founder of We Stay On The Ground; and Aaron Munetsi, Chief Executive Officer of Airlines Association of Southern Africa.This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 25 April 2023.

In recent years, international cooperation has become more important than ever. From coordinating a global strategy to combat COVID-19, to uniting in response to the conflict in Ukraine and collaborating on the road to net zero, the crucial role of diplomacy is clear. But what’s it really like to be an international diplomat and what lessons can we learn from one of Europe’s most successful envoys?In partnership with the Aspen Institute France, we hosted the Former First Vice President of the European Commission to discuss diplomacy in the 21st century. The Right Honourable Catherine Ashton has had an illustrious political career, from various ministerial roles in the UK to becoming the first woman British European Commissioner. In this conversation, Baroness Ashton joined Jean-Christophe Bas, Acting Executive Director of the Aspen Institute France, to provide insights from her diplomatic career following the release of her new book: And Then What? Inside Stories of 21st Century Diplomacy.This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 17 April 2023.

Art is often seen as a medium for self-expression, a place for artists and creatives to share their personal experiences, and so offers a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. Yet, as we live in increasingly multi-cultural societies, artistic influences and sources are becoming more various and plural – so the urgent question is how do we navigate celebrating other cultures without crossing the line of cultural appropriation? What is the definition of ‘high culture’ in the UK – and is it changing? And how do we ensure artistic work is celebrated and valued equally, regardless of its cultural origins?This event brings together speakers from across the Arts to discuss how to make space for cultural exchange in artistic expression, along with the nuances, challenges and rewards this may bring. Our discussion will explore a variety of art forms, from visual pieces to music and literature.This panel features Soheila Sokhanvari, Iranian-born artist; Dr Gus Casely Hayford OBE, inaugural Director of V&A East; Syima Aslam, Founder of the Bradford Literature Festival; Freddie Opoku Addaie, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella Festival and Roger Wilson,  Director of Operations of Black Lives in Music (BLIM). This event was moderated by Waqas Ahmed, Executive Director of the Khalili Foundation and Curator of the World Festival of Cultural Diversity. This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 20 March 2023.

This is the first conversation in our series 'Voices from a broken system: Rethinking refugee integration in the UK' in partnership with the Woolf Institute and the independent Commission on the Integration of Refugees. The discussion will focus on the UK refugee experience. Bringing together refugees from different countries to speak about their experience in the UK, we will hear how their experiences differ and resemble each other, what has challenged them since arriving in the UK, and how they have succeeded in making a home.The panel features Alina Prokopenko, a Ukrainian refugee living in the UK; Alphonsine Kabagabo, the Director of Women for Refugee Women; Iyad Yousef, a Syrian Data Analyst at the Centre for Metrics; and Mishka Pillay, campaigner and advocate with a focus on refugee rights and immigration detention in the UK. The conversation was moderated by Yasmeen Serhan, staff writer at TIME. This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 15 March 2023.

Despite more content being shared through media outlets than ever before, the issue of whose stories are being told or highlighted in the news remains persistent. There is an ongoing shift towards increased diversity both in the newsroom and in the way we tell news stories, in an attempt to better reflect the society the industry reports. Is there still a way for our media platforms to be used as tools to expose its users to a variety of cultural influences and experiences? What is the best way to tell stories of people from different backgrounds for the audiences at home?This event brings together industry leaders, academics, and creatives to discuss how our media landscape can best share a more diverse range of stories, art forms, and creative endeavours, moving beyond a surface level ‘diversity’ to creating an environment that facilitates intercultural exchange.The panel features Marcus Ryder MBE, Head of External Consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity; Meera Selva, Chief Executive of Internews Europe; Andrea Medrado, Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, University of Westminster; and moderator Luba Kassova, journalist, co-Founder of AKAS, and award-winning author of Missing Perspectives of Women in News report series. This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 22 February 2023.

Baroness Casey of Blackstock sat down with Ruth Warder, Co-CEO UK & EMEA Brand Chair at Edelman, to discuss the breakdown of trust in UK society. The conversation explored how this disintegration contributes to the polarisation we are currently witnessing and, most importantly, what measures should be taken to counteract its driving forces. Baroness Casey is a leading expert when it comes to this topic; a long time independent advisor on social welfare, her previous roles include: Chair of the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness, Crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords, former head of the COVID-19 Rough Sleeping Task Force, and leader of the independent review of the Met Police. This event is part of the Edelman-Aspen Trust Dialogue series put on in partnership with Edelman UK to understand the causes behind the polarisation that we are seeing in society today and, critically, how its driving forces can be countered.Edelman has studied the dynamic shifts in trust for more than 20 years. Over the last decade their Trust Barometer study, which measures trust in institutions across 28 markets globally, has shown a deepening divide in trust levels between the elite minority in society and the disenchanted majority.We will be joined by an expert guest for each event and will seek to understand this trust deficit by identifying key issues for public and private institutions, exploring why mistrust is so pervasive and try to identify how trust can be re-built.This episode was recorded as a live webinar on 8 December 2022.

The rise of ‘Circular Fashion’ is defined by a shift by producers and consumers in global fashion value chains to products which retain their value for longer. There is a changing consumer market for circular fashion driven by new government policies, shifts in business practices by producers, and consumer demands that are prioritising responsibly sourced and more sustainable fashion products.This event explored these steps to reduce the fashion sector’s impacts and what the most effectives tools will be to move towards improving sustainability in the clothes we wear. It was held in partnership with the Netherlands Embassy and the EU Delegation to the UK.This event was recorded live on November 24 2022 at the National Gallery. Moderator:Bella Webb - Sustainability Editor at Vogue Business Panellists: Shailja Dubé – Institute of Positive Fashion Programme Lead at British Fashion CouncilEmilien Gasc – Climate & Environment attaché at the Delegation of the European Union to the UKHasna Kourda – CEO and co-founder of Save Your WardrobeSafia Minney - founder of People Tree and Fashion Declares and author of Regenerative Fashion

Distrust has become the default for the public’s trust in government and trust in our political leaders is broken. And after a chaotic few months in British politics, the disconnect between politicians and the electorate only seems to be worsening. Do we need a new type of politics to begin to rebuild trust in government? In this episode, we heard The Rt Hon. Baroness D'Souza CMG in conversation with Hugh Taggart, Co–CEO UK & Ireland, and Global Head of Crisis at Edelman. This event is part of the Edelman-Aspen Trust Dialogue series put on in partnership with Edelman UK to understand the causes behind the polarisation that we are seeing in society today and, critically, how its driving forces can be countered.Edelman has studied the dynamic shifts in trust for more than 20 years. Over the last decade their Trust Barometer study, which measures trust in institutions across 28 markets globally, has shown a deepening divide in trust levels between the elite minority in society and the disenchanted majority.We will be joined by an expert guest for each event and will seek to understand this trust deficit by identifying key issues for public and private institutions, exploring why mistrust is so pervasive and try to identify how trust can be re-built.This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 2 November 2022.

The question of how employers can create truly diverse workforces is being asked more and more. From corporate spaces to hospitality, diversity quotas in the recruitment of employees often rely on a tick-box exercise. But once in these spaces, what do organisations do to create a work culture that brings individuals of different backgrounds together in meaningful exchange? And how can such workplaces, which may have in the past been designed to facilitate a narrower group of employees, evolve into an environment that suits the needs of a diverse workforce?Our experts discuss how employers can recruit and maintain a more diverse workforce, and what are the possible paths to creating an environment respectful of intercultural diversity.The panel features Marc de Swaan Arons, the Founder of the Institute for Real Growth; Anu Law, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader at the EY Foundation; Christin Owings, Managing Director and Partner in the People & Organization Practice at BCG in London; Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV; and Esther-Miriam Wagner, Executive Director of the Woolf Institute. Emma Jacobs, Work and Careers Features writer at the Financial Times, moderates the conversation.This event was recorded as part of a live broadcast on 21 November 2022.

After one of the most historic elections in Brazil’s history that saw Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva be elected to the presidency, the future direction of the country is in a uncertain place. President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will have to navigate stagnated growth and high crime levels, balance supporting agri-business while preventing deforestation and protecting indigenous peoples, and build unity in an increasingly polarised society.Chargé d’Affaires Melanie Hopkins, United Kingdom Acting Ambassador in Brazil; Richard Lapper, a consultant on Latin America and the author of the book ‘Beef, Bible, and Bullets: Brazil in The Age of Bolsonaro’; Pamella Lessa, Impact Director of the social organisation SEJA; and Dr Carlos Nobre,  Earth System Scientist currently associated with Institute for Advanced Studies, University of São Paolo speak with Michael Stott, Latin American Editor at the Financial Times on the future of Brazil at this historical inflection point. This event was recorded at a live event on 15 November, 2022.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the travel industry. International travel ground to a halt in 2020 as four-fifths of countries around the world closed their borders in an attempt to slow down the spread of the virus. The UN World Tourism Organisation estimates that international arrivals fell by 70-75% in 2020.With border restrictions lifted across the EU and the UK, passenger travel is rapidly ramping up. Airlines and travel carriers are coping with a number of challenges, including increased demand, rising oil prices, staff shortages, flight cancellations, and transition to low-carbon.This event brought together travel industry professionals, consumer advocacy experts, and policymakers to discuss how the EU and UK travel industries are coping with the post-COVID rebound in tourism and how we can better build resiliency for the future. We explored how travel providers can adapt to meet fast rising demand, scale up staffing, and deal with the impact of the war in Ukraine. We also discussed how to protect passengers in times of uncertainty and explore how travel between the EU and UK is changing.What will it take for the travel industry to recover? What steps are airlines and airports taking to minimise the chaos? Can we safeguard against future shocks? How can we create better assurances for consumers protection?This was recorded live on 24 October 2022. Moderator: Ben Clatworthy – Ben is the Transport and Travel Correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times. Panellists:Rhea Chatterjee – Rhea is the Assistant Section Secretary to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Services Sections of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).Simon McNamara – Simon is the UK & Ireland Country Manager for the International Air Transport Association (IATA).Bob Schumacher – Bob is the Director of Sales (United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel Jordan, South Africa and Off-line markets) for United Airlines.Pierpaolo Settembri – Pierpaolo is an EU official since 2007, currently working as Head of Unit for Coordination and Planning in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).Christopher Snelling – Christopher is Policy Director at Airport Operations Association (AOA)