Devoted podcast listeners often spend hours a day streaming the news and listening to political discourse. While informative, it might not always be the best experience for one’s nervous system.
And urgent, scary news doesn’t always show us the full picture.
In fact, a media diet without good news is seriously lacking.
That’s part of why The Global Goals, a United Nations project amplifying 17 development goals for a more sustainable and equitable future, launched the Be Hope campaign.
Be Hope includes a podcast takeover with some of the world’s most popular podcasts, like “Pod Save the World” and “The Rest Is Politics,” to feature stories of real progress and solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The Global Goals calls it “a powerful week of conversations designed to cut through the noise, spotlight stories of real progress, and remind the world that change is possible.”
Premiering in tandem with the UN General Assembly in New York this week, the episodes in the campaign speak to the UN’s sustainable development goals, 17 goals agreed by all world leaders to end poverty, reduce inequality, and tackle climate change by 2030.
If it seems lofty, that’s because it is. But that’s why stories of hope and milestones of progress are so vital to the cause.
The podcast episodes, listed below, premiered during the week of September 17-25, 2025 and are all available to stream now.
They include interviews with leaders, activists, and experts, questions from high-profile figures, and conversations about holding hope – even when the challenges look impossible.
- The Rest Is Politics: Leading with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart: With special guest England Rugby Captain Maro Itoje
- The Rest Is Politics US with Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci: Reflecting on what gives them hope in these challenging times and areas of progress and innovation that can still drive the world forward
- Electoral Dysfunction with Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson: Guest Harriet Harman, UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls, asks: How far have we come with gender equality? And what progress do we need to make?
- Pod Save the UK with Nish Kumar and Coco Khan: With special guest Josie Fernandez Marelli, CEO and Co-Founder of Choose Love
- Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth: With special guest author Jung Chang and her thoughts on hope
- Pod Save the World with Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes: With special guest Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs
- Outrage and Optimism with Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson and special co-host Sophia Li: With special guests Adam Met, musician and climate activist, and Peter Neronha, Rhode Island’s 74th Attorney General
- Cities 1.5: A hopeful look at how cities can put economist Herman Daly’s ideas into practice to create a climate-safe, healthier, more prosperous future for all
- How To Change The World: A History and Future of Innovation: Exploring how humanity can build new systems to overcome the growing challenges of the 21st century
- The Week Junior Show: With special guest Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia
- Political Currency with Ed Balls and George Osborne: With questions submitted by Comic Relief Co-Founder Richard Curtis, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Seyi Akiwowo, Advisor on Tech & Democracy, hosts ask: Is there room for optimism in politics?
- The Rest Is Money with Robert Peston and Steph McGovern: With special guest Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark
Spotify supported the campaign by spotlighting episodes on its homepage, but according to Alastair Campbell, co-host of “The Rest Is Politics,” listeners have already been seeking out more hope-inducing content.
“Last week a listener wrote to me saying she needed more hope and less despair from our podcast. I suppose she was reacting to the many hours we’ve spent discussing reasons for despair — Gaza, Russia-Ukraine, the climate crisis, the rise of the far right, and more,” he said.
“But she is right: amid the darkness we must always search for hope.”
As a first-time participant in the Be Hope collaboration, Campbell added that he felt inspired by this listener — and all the young people who are building a better future.
“History has shown that even in the bleakest times, the world keeps turning, producing great people, movements and cultures,” Campbell said in a statement.
“Every time I visit a school, I feel hope. Young people seem to understand the scale of the challenges we face, and they know we need fresh energy and ideas to fix them.”
Christiana Figueres, host of “Outrage and Optimism,” also found the takeover to be a much-needed perspective shift.
As the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, she said: “Too often, climate narratives lean towards despair. And while the threats we face are real, a constant focus on alarmist news can paralyze rather than mobilize.”
In her Be Hope episode, Figueres explored how cities, states, and communities are “holding the line” on climate progress, even when federal leaders fail to do so.
She added that climate narratives leaning towards despair “misses the point.”
“We need to lift up the voices, innovations, and movements that show progress is not only possible, but already happening,” Figueres said.
“This week, I’m proud to stand alongside fellow podcasts to turn up the volume on hope, and to remind the world that we are far from powerless in the face of challenge.”
The global podcast initiative was backed by Project Everyone, a nonprofit marketing arm of The Global Goals. Its co-founder Kate Garvey said bringing together these audiences is especially important in 2025, as it marks the final five-year push for The Global Goals.
“For the first time, leading podcasts are coming together for hope — harnessing their powerful connection with millions of listeners to inspire action,” she said in a statement. “It’s never been more important to spotlight progress and remind the world that change is possible.”
While the goals of eradicating poverty, hunger, and inequality may still seem out of reach, the most influential voices have come together to remind anyone listening: It’s still possible.
“The Global Goals remain the best plan we have to end poverty, fight inequality, and tackle climate change,” Campbell concluded. “This is the moment to find pockets of hope and use them as momentum.
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Header image courtesy of The Global Goals
