The Climate Question

There’s been a lot happening in our warming world and so The Climate Question is taking a break from its usual analysis to catch you up with the latest news. From worsening turbulence and plummeting planes to new rocket launches with satellites on board that hope to unlock one of the Earth’s big mysteries: clouds... and how they might impact, and be impacted, by global heating.

Plus, a look at the latest trends in clean, green energy technology. Are we investing enough in renewables to put the brakes on climate change?

Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are joined by Tim Gould from the International Energy Agency to find out about their new World Energy Investment Report and by BBC Climate Journalist Esme Stallard to discuss worsening air turbulence and what we can do about it.

Do you have any questions or comments? Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com

Show Notes: Check out Jordan’s YouTube videos, covering the climate basics here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYTEotCJw8&t=5s BBC Bitesize website for kids can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z2np6g8

Production Team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown Sound Engineers: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Billions of dollars have been pumped into the promise of a climate-friendly way of producing meat, but is growing a steak in a lab any better for the planet than rearing a cow on a farm? Supporters of the idea say it will dramatically reduce the impact of livestock, which is responsible for about 15% of the world’s planet-warming gases, as well as returning huge amounts of land to nature. But studies suggest cultivating meat in a lab might actually be worse for the planet, at least in the long-run – we put both claims to the test. Graihagh Jackson presents an update of a programme first broadcast in 2023.

Guests: Tasneem Karodia, co-founder of Mzansi Meat, in South Africa; John Lynch, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Oxford, in the UK; Nick Marsh, the BBC’s Asia business correspondent, in Singapore

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Graihagh Jackson is joined by her regular panel to answer climate-related questions from listeners. BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Prof Tamsin Edwards of King's College London, and Dr Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News, discuss telling children about climate change, solar panels, nuclear fusion and more.

Plus, Graihagh finds out if playing music really helps plants to grow.

If you have got a climate question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Neil Churchill, Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

China is scouring the globe for the raw materials of the future. How will we be affected? Graihagh Jackson investigates.

Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities – and as our numbers swell, so will our cities, especially those around the Pacific Rim, where it’s predicted our largest megacities of 10 million plus will be situated. And herein lies an opportunity: 60% of the buildings needed for 2050 are not yet built.

Could we shape our cities into places that are good for the climate and also good for our mental health? Can we design buildings and infrastructure that make green decisions easier and also help us deal with stress or depression?

Jordan Dunbar hears about examples in the Netherlands and Egypt. Are there win-win options out there that can help the world deal with two of its biggest challenges? Contributors: Houssam Elokda -Urban Planner, with Happy Cities, Vancouver Sally Nabil - BBC Arabic Egypt Correspondent, Cairo Anna Holligan - BBC Correspondent, The Hague, Netherlands

Production Team: Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts Sound Design: Tom Brignell

email theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Experts say we need to be 40 per cent more energy efficient to meet our climate goals. Is that doable? And might it save us money too?

It's a solution that's been called the main route to net zero: energy efficiency - or using less energy to get the same or better results. But there’s an issue – it's got an image problem as many people think it’s boring. And it is hard to get excited about the idea of better lightbulbs!

But energy efficiency could save us money on our bills too - especially in a warming world, where many countries will need air conditioning just to function. So does this crucial area in the fight against climate change need a rebrand. And could it even become sexy?

Presenter Jordan Dunbar talks to: Dr Rose Mutiso - Research Director Energy for Growth Hub Prima Madan – Director, Cooling & Energy Efficiency, International Natural Resources Defence Council, India Kofi Agyarko – Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Ghana Energy Commission Thomas Naadi – BBC Correspondent Ghana

Production Team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts Sound Design: Tom Brignell

email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

NOTE: The speech made by President Jimmy Carter mentioned in the programme, was made in 1977 not 1974, as stated.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores the new field of climate attribution science with leading climatologist Dr Friederike Otto. Dr Otto's team of experts can now rapidly assess to what extent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts or floods have - or have not - been caused by man-made climate change.

Graihagh finds out how this information is becoming crucial for disaster planning and response. She is also joined by BBC World Service disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield to discuss how Dr Otto's data can help fight a growing tendency by politicians and journalists to overstate the role of climate change.

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Jacqui Wakefield Producer: Osman Iqbal Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

In this extra episode, Graihagh Jackson hears from our friends on BBC podcast The Global Story about a case that could change the history of climate activism.

For nearly a decade, a group of elderly women argued that Switzerland’s weak climate policies violated their human rights. Their victory – the first of its kind in the European Court of Human Rights – sets a precedent 46 countries must now follow. The BBC's climate reporter, Georgina Rannard, has been covering the case for years. She shares the women’s personal stories with presenter James Reynolds, while climate lawyer Sophie Marjanac explains what it could mean for those seeking climate justice everywhere.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. They want your ideas, stories and experiences to help them understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email: theglobalstory@bbc.com or message/leave a voice note via WhatsApp: +44 330 123 9480.

And remember you can also email your climate-related questions and comments to Graihagh and The Climate Question team at theclimatequestion@bbc.com.

Production team for The Global Story: Laurie Kalus, Alix Pickles, Neal Razzell, Mike Regaard, Sergi Forcada Freixas, Sam Bonham.

Corals protect humans and sustain 25% of all marine life. But reefs are under threat from climate change, and mass bleaching events mean that some scientists estimate they could disappear by 2100.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson is joined by BBC CrowdScience presenter, Caroline Steel. We go to Puerto Rico to see how self-duplicating, carnivorous coral could be the solution. We also speak to the scientist who helped discover what was causing coral bleaching in the first place - back when climate change was commonly denied.

Guests: Dr Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane Dr Stacey Williams, Executive Director at the Institute for Socio Ecological Research

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Caroline Steel Producer: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too.

Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green.

Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh

Delhi’s roads are being taken over by electric mopeds, scooters and rickshaws. More than fifty per cent of two- and three-wheelers are already electric, and the market is expected to continue growing. It’s good news for the fight against climate change. Why has the transition to green vehicles been so swift in India and what can the rest of the world learn from it?

Graihagh Jackson speaks to reporter Sushmita Pathak, who’s been chatting to those who’ve made the switch to electric as well as those who haven’t. Akshima Ghate from the RMI Foundation and Louise Ribet of C40 cities explain why these small vehicles are so popular and what countries like India and others gain from encouraging electric uptake. From better air quality and healthier children to energy security and manufacturing expertise, there are many benefits beyond mitigating climate change.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Co-Ordinator: Brenda Brown

Got a question you’d like us to answer? Send an email to: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com

Every year, the great migration sees hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, zebras and antelopes migrate from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, in search of water and juicy grass. But rising temperatures and unpredictable weather are changing this epic animal journey dramatically. It’s the same for great white sharks, which are being spotted in areas where they’d never normally live.

Tanzanian safari guide Neema Amos takes us into the Serengeti to explain why the wildebeest migration is so important. And shark expert Trisha Atwood reveals how these changes affect not just the animals, but our fight against climate change itself.

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh is joined by:

Neema Amos, Safari Guide in Tanzania

Trisha Atwood, Associate Professor of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University

Joseph Ogutu, Senior Statistician at University of Hohenheim

Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Octavia Woodward Editors: Graihagh Jackson and Tom Bigwood

Series Producer: Simon Watts Sound design and mixing: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown

Archive from the Sir David Attenborough programme, ‘Wildebeest: The Super Herd’, BBC Two, 2008

The BBC’s Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar investigates how extreme heat fuelled by climate change is affecting pregnant women in India. New research shared with the BBC suggests that pregnant informal workers in Tamil Nadu who were exposed to high temperatures saw double the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage.

Discussing her reporting from India with The Climate Question host and fellow mum Graihagh Jackson, Tulip hears the heart-breaking stories of women affected and explores simple solutions that would make their work in scorching agricultural fields safer.

Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Produced by Sophie Eastaugh, Graihagh Jackson and Camilla Horrox Editor: Sophie Eastaugh Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown

You asked, we answered. This week our expert panel dive into your questions. Can climate change cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? How bad are avocados for the environment? Is climate change reversible?

Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Plus, a look at biofuels and vertical farming, China’s electric vehicle boom, and the apparent contradiction between more renewable energy and the continuing rise in planet-warming gases Join Graihagh Jackson and our expert panel: Dr Akshat Rathi, senior reporter for climate, Bloomberg; Justin Rowlatt, climate editor, BBC News; Prof Tamsin Edwards, climate scientist, Kings College London.

As governments and industry find ways of reducing emissions to keep climate change under control, some people are taking responsibility for their own carbon footprints.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores some different ways of living a green life – from setting up an eco-friendly commune in Denmark, to making small adjustments to our lifestyles in cities such as London. Graihagh also talks to one of the UN's top experts on the social aspects of fighting climate change: what's the right balance between action by individuals and action by governments?

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producers: Ben Cooper and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed "Chief Heat Officers" to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures. Graihagh Jackson speaks to two women who have done the job in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico. What does their role involve? What solutions are out there? And do they get enough funding?

Plus, Umaru Fofana reports from Freetown on the extreme heat gripping the city. Umaru talks to locals forced to sleep outside because of the temperature, despite risks to their health and safety. And he also investigates a new piece of building design that might help people living in informal settlements. Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Sierra Leone: Umaru Fofana Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineers: James Beard and Tom Brignell

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but the idea of assembling giant solar farms in space and then beaming the renewable energy back down to Earth is gaining real life traction. Some advocates have claimed it could supply all the world’s energy needs by 2050.

But how would these solar farms be assembled, how much fuel and money would it take to blast them into space in the first place, and how would we safely beam their energy back to Earth?

In 2023, Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones spoke to Sanjay Vijendran, in charge of space-based solar at the European Space Agency, learn about the history of the idea from Rick Tumlinson, founder of SpaceFund, and hear words of caution from Dr Jovana Radulovic, head of mechanical and design engineering at Portsmouth University in the UK. Plus, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet describes life on the International Space Station and how it’s powered.

Thanks to the Space Studies Institute for extracts of their interview with Gerard O’Neill.

Let us know what you think about the show – email theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Simon Tulett Researchers: Matt Toulson and Graihagh Jackson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator - Siobhan Reed

Graihagh chats to the BBC World Service's Global Story podcast about a plan for a super-category for storms. Is climate change making them so powerful that we need a new grade?

At the big COP climate summit last December, more than 20 countries pledged to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 to help cut carbon emissions. The signatories included familiar nuclear names such as the US, France and Japan...but also newcomers, like Ghana.

Although Ghana doesn’t currently have any nuclear power plants, president Nana Akufo-Addo says he wants to build one or two by 2030. So why is this African nation turning to nuclear? How will it pay for the multi-billion-dollar power plants? And will this help fight climate change?

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: on-the-ground reporter Thomas Naadi; Dr Michael Bluck, Director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London; and Dr Kacper Szulecki, research professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs.

Production team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis.

Sound design by Tom Brignell.

The world's wetlands store carbon and can help us tackle some of the impacts of climate change. Are we overlooking their importance? And what can we do to protect them more?

Graihagh Jackson travels to wetlands near her home in East Anglia while Qasa Alom reports from the Bay of Bengal. And The Climate Question catches up with an old friend of the show, Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General of the Convention on Wetlands.

Production team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound design by Tom Brignell.

Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Global temperatures have already increased by around 1.3C above pre-industrial levels, but this warming is not spread evenly across the planet. The Arctic, despite being one of the coldest regions on Earth, has become a hotspot for global warming.

Local temperatures there are rising as much as four-times faster than in other parts of the world. This rapid warming is unsettling the delicate environmental balance, causing significant ice loss – with implications for both the region and the wider world.

In a previous episode on the Arctic region, Graihagh Jackson explored the impact that climate change was having on the people – and ice sheet – of Greenland. In the second part of The Climate Question's focus on the High North, she explores the implications of an increasingly ice-free region on global politics, military relations, and trade.

Guests: Mathieu Boulègue, consulting fellow at Chatham House and global fellow at the Polar Institute of the Wilson Centre Julie Brigham-Grette, professor of Earth Sciences in the Department of Earth, Geographic and Climate Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Malte Humpert, senior fellow at the Arctic Institute Amund Trellevik, Norwegian journalist with Investigate Europe

Producer: Ben Cooper Series Producers: Simon Watts and Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford, Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson

2024 will see billions of voters head to the polls in a record-breaking year for elections. It follows 2023 – another record-breaking year for the climate... so could global warming impact the way people vote? Or will it be eclipsed by the other big issues that dominate news headlines, like inflation and the cost of living, healthcare, education, and jobs.

In this episode, presenter Graihagh Jackson hears from voters all over the world, and dives into research examining their priorities and what motivates them when they’re at the ballot box. She also finds out how climate change policies affected the outcome of recent elections in the Netherlands and Australia.

Guests: Jessica Long, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance Consulting at IPSOS UK Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands Noora Firaq, Deputy CEO of Climate Outreach Phil Mercer, BBC correspondent in Australia

Got a Climate Question for us? Email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

You asked, we answered. In this episode, a panel of experts dive into your questions. How does war impact climate change? What are the carbon footprints of pets? Can so-called "green" or "living roofs" increase the resilience of cities?

Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Join Presenter Graihagh Jackson and her guests: Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg Esme Stallard, Climate and science reporter, BBC News Prof Tamsin Edwards, Climate scientist, Kings College London

Production Team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar, Tom Brignell

Lake Sihwa in South Korea is home to the world’s largest operating tidal power station, using the tides to generate enough power for a city of half a million people. This regular rise and fall of the seas is more predictable than sunny or windy weather and can be forecast years in advance. Nine thousand miles away in Northern Ireland is Strangford Lough. A narrow inlet leading to the mighty Atlantic Ocean means it’s one of the world’s best sites for harnessing tidal energy. The fast and strong currents have led to the world’s first commercial-scale tidal energy power station being built here. But now that’s being decommissioned.

The technology for harnessing tidal energy has been around for more than half a century and the potential to create energy from the sea is huge. Yet tidal power only accounts for a tiny proportion of the global renewable energy mix. Presenter Graihagh Jackson finds out what’s holding tidal power back. Thanks to our contributors: Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe Dr Carwyn Frost, Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast Choi Jae-baek, Senior Manager of K-water Email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Reporters: BBC’s Jordan Dunbar in Norther Ireland and freelance journalist Malene Jensen in South Korea Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward and Shorouk Elkobrosi Editor: Alex Lewis Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The future of flying might depend on used cooking oil, plants and green electricity. Sustainable aviation fuels, known as SAF, are made from less carbon-intensive processes and renewable sources. Airlines are touting them as the key to decarbonising flying.

The aviation industry has pledged to move from 2.5% of all global CO2 emissions to net zero by 2050 – with these alternative fuels being the cornerstone of the strategy. However, there’s little SAF actually being produced, it, and it’s much more expensive than fossil fuels. Can the technologies really take off?

Climate Question host Graihagh Jackson investigates, with reporting from the BBC's Monica Miller in Malaysia and Singapore.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Emma Tracey starts 2024 by hearing from Kenya and Costa Rica, two of the countries ranked highest in the fightback against climate change. She talks to on-the-ground reporters in Nairobi and San Jose, while Climate Question regular Mia Moisio explains which nations score well on the Climate Action Tracker and what the rest of the world can learn from them.

Reporters: Michael Kaloki in Kenya and Cindy Regidor in Costa Rica Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Shorouk Elkobrosi Series producer: Simon Watts Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Budding comedian (and Climate Question presenter) Jordan Dunbar sets out to discover if humour can help us understand - and cope with - global warming. Jordan gets advice from comics and academics from around the world, and then performs his own climate change routine at a stand-up comedy venue in London.

Presenter and part-time comedian: Jordan Dunbar Full-time comedians: Dr Jason Leung, Njambi McGrath, Esteban Gast Comedy history guru: Aaron Sachs, professor of history at Cornell University and author of Stay Cool: Why Dark Comedy Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change

Researcher: Octavia Woodward Producer: Osman Iqbal Series producer: Simon Watts Sound mix: Tom Brignell

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

2023 was the hottest year on record. How did the planet cope? And what has the world actually done to tackle climate change?

The BBC’s Graihagh Jackson is joined by a panel of journalists and experts for an annual stocktake of the climate crisis. Under review from the past twelve months are wonky weather patterns, clever energy solutions and tense diplomatic negotiations. Graihagh Jackson: Presenter of The Climate Question Najma Mohamed: Head of Nature Based Solutions at the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre Justin Rowlatt: BBC Climate Editor Akshat Rathi: Senior Environment Reporter at Bloomberg News

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Nick Holland Researcher: Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound: James Beard, Tom Brignell & Graham Puddifoot

The deal at this year's COP conference in Dubai is being hailed as "historic" because it's the first time nearly 200 countries have all acknowledged the role of fossil fuels in Climate Change. But critics says the agreement is riddled with loopholes, and that the pledge to "transition" from oil, gas, and coal is too weak.

So who's right? And what difference will this year's discussions make? Graihagh Jackson gets the low-down from COP from BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, and she talks to three leading experts on Climate Change diplomacy.

Guests: Adil Najam - Professor of International Relations, Earth and Environment at Boston University's Pardee School, USA Dr Musonda Mumba – Secretary General for the UN Convention on Wetlands David Victor - Professor of Innovation and Public Policy University of California, San Diego, USA.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound mix: Graham Puddifoot and Tom Brignell

As part of the BBC's 100 Women season, Mercy Juma in Nairobi talks to three leading activists from Africa. What are the particular effects of Climate Change on women? Are their voices being heard? And what positive action can be taken?

Presenter: Mercy Juma Guests: Dr Susan Chomba, World Resources Institute; Dr Sahondra Kiplagat, Environmental Psychologist and Lecturer at University of Nairobi; Temilade Salami, Founder of the Ecochampions mentorship programme for youth climate leaders across Africa. Producers for 100 Women: Valeria Perasso, Paula Adamo Idoeta Series Producer for The Climate Question: Simon Watts Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and BBC Nairobi Engineers Team

As the world’s attention turns to this year’s COP summit in the UAE, questions remain about the host country and conference president.

It’s not the first time that an oil-producing country has hosted the climate change summit. But some environmental campaigners are unhappy about COP28 being held in the United Arab Emirates, and the choice of conference president, Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber – the CEO of the national oil company, ADNOC.

However, supporters say that the country is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, so it has as much of a right to host the conference as anyone else. Meanwhile, Dr Al-Jaber boasts considerable experience working in renewables – having previously run the UAE’s renewable energy company MASDAR.

So what’s really going on? To find out more, presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Sam Fenwick, presenter of the BBC World Service programme ‘Business Daily’ Fiona Harvey, Environment editor at The Guardian Zeina Khalil Hajj, Head of Global Campaigning and Organising at 350.org Mia Moisio, climate policy expert at New Climate Institute and Climate Action Tracker

Producer: Ben Cooper Researchers: Shorouk Elkobrosi and Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production co-ordinators: Jacqui Johnson and Sophie Hill

Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt team up with the BBC's Global News Podcast to answer listeners' questions. They cover everything from the big COP summit in Dubai to tree-planting, nuclear fusion and what action to take personally on Climate Change.

Presenter: Nick Miles Guests: Climate Question Host Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt Producers: Osman Iqbal, Stephen Jensen, Phoebe Hopson Series Producer: Simon Watts Editors: China Collins and Karen Martin

It's the world's biggest - and most controversial - climate conference. But how does it actually work? And does it make a difference? Jordan Dunbar investigates.

To help get some simple answers to simple questions, Jordan is joined by climate experts- Dr Mosunda Mumba, Secretary General of the Wetlands Convention Professor David Victor of Innovation and Public Policy University of California, San Diego, USA Adil Najim, Professor of International Relations and Environment at Boston University's Pardee school in the United States.

Check out the other explainers in these series including – ‘What Is Climate Change?’ and ‘Why Is 1.5 Degrees Important?’

In his latest Climate Change 101, Jordan Dunbar finds out why 1.5C is the world's target for limiting global warming. Why 1.5 degrees? And what happens if we miss the goal?

Nearly three decades since the United Nations climate talks began, we take a look at what it has achieved when it comes to tackling climate change. We also look towards COP 28 taking place in Dubai and ask what progress can be made at the latest round of negotiations. It’s the only international negotiation on climate change and a unique opportunity to get agreement on how to best tackle global warming – but it has its critics as well as its fans.

Joining Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar are: Adil Najam - Professor of International Relations, Earth and Environment at Boston University's Pardee School, USA Dr Musonda Mumba – Secretary General for the Convention on Wetlands David Victor - Professor of Innovation and Public Policy University of California, San Diego, USA.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Researchers – Barry Sadid and Shorouk Elkobrsi Series Producer – Alex Lewis Editor - China Collins Sound Engineer - Tom Brignell

As the world faces up to the increasingly apparent effects of climate change, access to accurate information that helps us to understand what’s going on, why, and what we can do about it, is vital. But in its efforts to do this, the science community is facing a growing amount of abuse from people who do not believe what they’re saying. Anger at the science is leading to threats against the scientists in some cases. In this episode, presenter Jordan Dunbar is joined by BBC Verify’s Merlyn Thomas to find out more and are joined by the following guests: Nihan Kalle, BBC Monitoring, based in Istanbul Helene Muri, research professor in climate change at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Lincoln Alves, climate scientist at the National Institute for Space Research in Brazil. Hannah Ritchie, deputy editor at Our World in Data and a researcher at the University of Oxford, UK. Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineers: Tom Brignell and James Beard

Greenland is an island covered in a sheet of ice that is over 3km thick in places, containing 7.4 metres of average global sea level rise. Due to climate change, it’s melting at an astonishing rate. We meet some of the people being forced to rapidly adapt their traditional ways of life. And find out why ice loss means sea level rises for elsewhere in the world – but the opposite for the island itself

Joining presenter Graihagh Jackson are: • Mads Malik Fuglsang Holm, reporter in Greenland • Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, University of Colorado, USA

Email us : theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Ben Cooper Series Producers: Simon Watts and Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford, Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador forms part of the Amazon rainforest and is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet. It also produces 60,000 barrels of oil per day. In a recent referendum, held as part of Ecuador’s Presidential elections, people voted to stop drilling for oil – including the newly elected President Daniel Noboa. We visit the town of El Coca – the gateway to the park - where the result thrilled people who are concerned about the climate. But many, especially those whose livelihoods depend on the oil industry, feel the opposite. Presenter Sophie Eastaugh speaks to: Lisette Arevalo, reporter in Ecuador Alejandra Santillana, activist with Yasunidos group in Ecuador who campaigned for the vote Fernando Santos, Ecuador’s Energy & Mining Minister Tessa Khan, climate lawyer and cofounder of the Climate Litigation Network, UK Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, Senior Lecturer in climate law at Edinburgh University, UK

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh Producer: Greg Brosnan Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound mix: Tom Brignell

This week we hear from listeners about the ways they cope and how they remain positive on climate change. From being involved in a like-minded community, to taking action in everyday ways. Or just knowing that the brightest minds are pushing innovative climate solutions forward every day.

In a wave of negative climate news, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. Climate change is a real threat, and it’s normal to experience worry, but there are reasons to be positive. We hear from a psychologist about how ‘climate anxiety’ is a normal response to the uncertainty around us and from a Libyan climate activist about what motivates her, despite experiencing climate devastation in her own country.

Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson are joined by;

Susan Clayton, Professor of Psychology at The College of Wooster, USA. Nissa Bek ,climate activist and the founder of Project Mulan, Libya

With thanks to listeners: Ben, Tim, Sarah, Brian, Michael, Tony, Sean and Solomon

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Producer: Osman Iqbal Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Bill Gates, the tech billionaire turned philanthropist, has been combating poverty, disease, and inequity around the world for decades. However, in recent years he has shifted focus and resources towards the climate crisis.

Gates believes fighting climate change and fighting poverty are two sides of the same coin. Food, health and economic crises will last longer and become more severe as climate threats escalate; disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable communities.

Surprisingly, Gates remains optimistic and believes the power of human ingenuity will win out with a technology-driven approach in both mitigation and adaptation.

Graihagh Jackson sits down with Mr Gates to talk about his positive outlook and the billions he’s investing in tackling climate change.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Osman Iqbal Series producer: Alex Lewis and Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound engineers: James Beard and Graham Puddifoot

This week we speak to people in the greater Horn of Africa, experiencing the worst drought in 40 years. It's left 23 million people at risk of starvation and new research has found that it was 100 times more likely to have happened because of climate change.

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh hears about a climate adaptation strategy pioneered by the Maasai people. Food insecurity, conflict and perishing livestock are just a few elements of an ever-worsening crisis, with proactive planning difficult for governments with limited resources and other immediate problems. So what can be done to fight the worst effects of the ongoing crisis?

Sophie is joined by: Lanoi Meitiekene, a leader in the Maasai community Joyce Kimutai, Principal Meteorologist at Kenya Meteorological Department Yared Abera Deme, Research Analyst with the International Climate Action team, WRI Africa, Ethiopia.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh Producers: Osman Iqbal and Cesar Vargas Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

About 16 percent of the world’s population is thought to be disabled, but they are still 2 to 4 times more likely to be injured or killed in a natural disaster than those who are not disabled. Emma Tracey, from the BBC’s Access All podcast, investigates for The Climate Question, meeting disabled people who have dealt with extreme weather events first hand. As well as those who are researching and enforcing change, even in the places you’d least expect it Emma is joined by:

Sébastien Jodoin, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law of McGill University, Canada Kera Sherwood-O'Regan, an Indigenous and disabled climate justice advocate, New Zealand Gaele Sobott, writer, living in Sydney, Australia Kemi Yemi-Ese, visual artist from Austin Texas, US Setareki Macanawai CEO, Pacific Disability Forum based in Fiji Presenter: Emma Tracey, BBC Access All Producers: Octavia Woodward and Jordan Dunbar Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Nigel Appleton Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Jacqui Johnson

This week, we’re off to Costa Rica, an eco-tourism hotspot in collaboration with BBC’s The Travel Show.

Eco-tourism is big business - it’s forecasted to generate $103 billion annually by 2027. But how well do its green claims actually stack up when it comes to the climate?

Presenter Qasa Alom visits the birthplace of Sea Turtle conservation, goes on patrol with a ranger protecting the forest from loggers and miners, and spots luxury tourist developments in the terrain of the puma.

How big is tourism’s climate impact, and can this ever be mitigated by its benefits?

Guests: Ralf Buckley, Director of the International Centre for Ecotourism Research, and Research Director of the Climate Response Program at Griffith University, Australia. Stefan Gossling, Professor at the Linnaeus University School of Business and Economics and Lund University's Department of Service Management

If you have a question about climate change that you’d like us to answer, or a comment – please email them to theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Qasa Alom Producers: Sophie Eastaugh for The Climate Question and Jamie Hamilton for The Travel Show Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill, Jacqui Johnson

The Climate Question receives lots of emails from listeners asking about the impact that the food and drink we consume on a daily basis has on the environment and climate: which foods are most associated with greenhouse gas emissions? Which fruits and vegetables are the most sustainable choices at the supermarket? How would a tax on carbon-intensive imported produce, like beef, work?

In this programme, a panel of experts answer your questions to help you see past the product packaging, wherever you are in the world.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Dan Saladino, food journalist, author and presenter;

Franziska Funke, Associate Doctoral Researcher in environmental economics at the Technical University of Berlin;

Dr Ximena Schmidt, sustainability expert at Brunel University, London;

If you have a question about climate change that you’d like us to answer, or a comment – please email them to theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford, Sophie Hill and Sabine Schereck

In this, the second episode in our spin-off series on Climate Quitters, we invite trailblazers from three different continents to reveal the ups and down, highs and lows of their new lives in climate conscious careers.

In Mumbai, Namita Dandekar swapped a role marketing stock for one of India's largest - and wealthiest - conglomerates for a front-line position with The RainTree Foundation, an organisation that works with rural communities to introduce climate friendly practices into their everyday lives and livelihoods.

In Vihiga County in Kenya, Kevin Makova traded in his job as a schoolteacher to create sustainable employment opportunities for members of the community keen to work in climate and conservation focused jobs.

And in Berkeley, California, Eugene Kirpichov said goodbye to a lucrative post developing AI systems for Google to build a new, global workforce that he hopes will be capable of solving the climate crisis conundrum.

But is the grass always greener - and cleaner - for climate quitters? What are the realities of life on the other side of that leap? And does putting the planet first come at a personal cost?

In this globe-spanning episode, your host, Paul Connolly, probes all three guests for their views and experiences so far - and we go a step further to bring you on-the-ground, in-person reports from the projects based in both India and Kenya.

Presenter: Paul Connolly Series Producers: Simon Watts and Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineers: James Beard and Tom Brignell Production co-ordinator: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Bornholm – a Danish island in the Baltic Sea – is trying to go carbon neutral by 2025. It is a lofty ambition that would put the island decades ahead of most countries. This dream has been 15 years in the making; a crash in fish stocks meant Bornholmers had to reinvent themselves and they chose to become ‘the bright green island’. Since then, they have been making biogas from pig manure, building wind turbine after wind turbine, and now they are piloting new ways of storing this renewable energy, including in a battery made of salt.

The island is not just trying to rid itself of fossil fuels – it is also aiming to go zero waste by 2032. Graihagh Jackson teams up with CrowdScience presenter Caroline Steel to explore Bornholm’s double quest to go green.The changes have not just been at top-level – the island’s businesses and 40,000 residents have been encouraged to reduce their climate impact too. Graihagh visits a brewery whose production has gone carbon neutral by capturing CO2 to create the bubbles in its beers, and meets a chef whose Michelin-star restaurant uses locally-sourced food.

And over on CrowdScience, Caroline tackles Bornholm’s zero waste ambition, visiting a project turning used nappies into compost and a glassblower making tableware out of wasted insulin vials. See link below.

Will Bornholm make its bold goals, and what lessons can be learned for elsewhere?

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Caroline Steel Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Production co-ordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

The live music industry is booming. With global growth in concerts and festivals, more and more of us are enjoying our favourite bands and artists live. The music industry now relies on touring for money – encouraging more and more bands to travel and fans to see them. This is causing emissions to soar just like the private jets. So what can be done? Jordan Dunbar discovers the problem isn’t coming from who you might think and that this could be a climate opportunity rather than a problem.

Guests: Ben Pol, Afrobeats star Prof Carly McLachlan, Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research, University of Manchester Jordi Herreruela, Director of the Cruilla Barcelona Festival Luke Howells, Head of Sustainability for Coldplay and Glastonbury Festival Henry Stuart, Co-Founder and CEO of Visualise

Producers: Osman Iqbal and Ben Cooper Reporter in Barcelona: Esperanza Escribano Researchers: Octavia Woodward and Isobel Gough Series producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound engineers: Tom Brignell Production coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has been raising awareness of the impact that climate change is having on small island nations like hers, from the Caribbean to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

In addition to facing more extreme weather and temperatures, these islands also have to contend with the threat posed by rising sea levels – which, for some islands, is existential.

In this episode, Qasa Alom speaks to reporters in Fiji and the Maldives about what small island nations can do to survive.

Guests: Dr Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, Director of the Ocean Physics program at NASA Dr Rosanne Martyr-Koller, Coastal Hazards and Adaptation Scientist at Climate Analytics Shahudha Mohamed, on-the-ground reporter in the Maldives Tim Vula, on-the-ground reporter in Fiji Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound engineers: Hal Haines and Rod Farquhar Production coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Jordan Dunbar introduces The Climate Question's guide to the Climate Change basics - with the help of some friends of the show.

July 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest month ever on Earth. A combination of heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere, unseasonable warmth in parts of South America and Antarctica, and global sea surface temperatures around 0.51°C above the 30-year average, meant it broke all previous records.

Climate scientists are now poring over the data, including Prof Jim Skea, the newly-elected chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He joins presenter Graihagh Jackson to discuss how worried we should be, and the challenges ahead as he takes up the most important role in global climate science.

Producer: Ben Cooper Researcher: Isobel Gough Series producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineers: Graham Puddifoot and Neil Churchill Production Coordinators: Gemma Ashman, Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Have you thought about quitting your job because of climate change?

Research shows more and more people are worried about their career’s impact on the planet. So this week The Climate Question hears from four people from around the world who’ve taken the plunge and done it.

Luke Jones meets an air steward who's swapped flying for teaching; a restaurant critic who's become a tree-planter; a fossil fuel company engineer who's switching to working in renewables; and a multinational CEO turned sustainable business campaigner.

Presenter: Luke Jones Series Producers: Alex Lewis and Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Editor: China Collins

Funeral rites are steeped in culture, tradition and faith, with most of the world opting for cremation or burial. However, with new research now revealing the carbon impact of established funeral choices, more people are questioning their cost to the climate.

With alternatives such as ‘water cremation’ and ‘eco-burials’ becoming available, will people start to consider another way?

Presenter Jordan Dunbar hears about initiatives in India to modify traditional funeral pyres, calculates the climate cost of the most common choices, and hears from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu van Furth, about her surprise at her father’s final act on earth.

Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Climate change has been tightening its grip on the people of Afghanistan, with flood after flood and drought after drought. It’s considered to be one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, not just because it's warming twice as fast as the global average, but because its people’s ability to fight back has been severely hampered by decades of conflict and war. To add insult to injury, Afghanistan has contributed very little to the climate crisis. Since the Taliban takeover two years ago, financial aid to help locals adapt has drastically dropped, leaving Afghans to take matters into their own hands. Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Barry Sadid hear how the diaspora are helping villages back home to build life-saving dams and protect themselves against flood and drought. And we ask if there’s a way for foreign governments to financially support Afghanistan without legitimising the Taliban.

Producers: Jordan Dunbar and Barry Sadid from BBC Monitoring Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Scientists say an El Nino weather event has started. Its effects will be felt everywhere in the form of heavier rainfall in some parts of the world and deeper droughts in others. What's the link with Climate Change? And is it making it harder for us to prepare?

On this week's edition of The Climate Question, Graihagh gets a briefing on El Nino from a leading expert; we travel to Peru to meet the coastal communities on the front line; and we hear how ancient civilisations not only learned to deal with El Nino, but managed to use it to their advantage.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Tom Di Liberto, Meteorologist at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in the US Dr George Adamson, Senior Lecturer in Geography, King's College London Dr Laila Shahzad, Disaster Risk expert at Government College, Lahore.

Producer: Osman Iqbal BBC reporter in Peru: Guillermo Olmo Research: Octavia Woodward and Matt Toulson Sound: Tom Brignell Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins

The journey from catwalk, to wardrobe, to landfill is getting shorter and shorter. Our demands for fast fashion mean around 100 billion garments are produced every year. We’re buying more, then wearing them less often. Many will end up in the trash. Not only that, there’s been a big growth in clothes being made out of synthetic materials originating from crude oil. In this updated edition, we ask: can fashion cost less to the climate? and how much progress is the industry making? Speaking to Kate Lamble and Sophie Eastaugh are- • Vanessa Friedman, New York Times Fashion Editor • Lily Cole Fashion model, actress and podcast host ‘Who Cares Wins’ • Phillip Meister, Quantis Sustainability Consulting • Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange • Sonya Bhonsle, Global Head of Value Chains, CDP. Producers: Jordan Dunbar and Ben Cooper Researcher: Natasha Fernandez Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Emma Rippon

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, is on a mission to fight climate change through a radical scheme to reform the international financial system.

Called the Bridgetown Initiative, her plan aims to transform global institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank – freeing up billions, maybe even trillions of dollars, for poorer countries that are struggling to cope with the impacts of a hotter planet.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by the BBC’s Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, who interviewed Prime Minister Mottley at a crucial climate finance summit in Paris. With time running out in the battle to keep the world below the 1.5C warming threshold, we find out more about her plan, how it works and the progress being made.

Producers: Ben Cooper and Miho Tanaka Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

The world loves coffee. We drink two billion cups each day! But it’s very vulnerable to climate change, and millions of coffee farmers are struggling. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and diseases are threatening our favourite caffeinated drink and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. But there are solutions. We hear from a coffee farmer in Uganda and taste a new variety that could be a gamechanger for coffee in a warming world.

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh is joined by:

Aruna Chandrasekhar, journalist at Carbon Brief specialising in land and food

Dr Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at Kew Gardens

Ashley Limaye, journalist at BBC Africa Digital

We love to get your questions and comments, please email them or send a voice note to theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Ben Cooper and Chris McHugh

Researcher: Louise Byrne

Series Producer: Simon Watts

Editor: China Collins

Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

With the Ukrainian counter-offensive underway, Sophie Eastaugh looks at the climate damage caused by the conflict there and by the recent civil war in Tigray, Ethiopia. Sophie speaks to Lennard de Klerk, a Dutch specialist in carbon accounting, who’s just published the most comprehensive analysis yet of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the fighting in Ukraine. For her part, an environmental researcher in Kyiv tells The Climate Question her country may have an opportunity to build back greener once the war is over.

The programme also hears from farmers in Tigray about how a region once praised internationally for its reforestation efforts is now losing tree cover at an alarming rate.

And this edition of The Climate Question looks more broadly at the carbon footprint of militaries around the world, speaking to Professor Neta Crawford, one of the leading experts in the field. Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh Producer: Daniel Gordon Research: Matt Toulson Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Production coordinators: Sophie Hill, Debbie Richford Contributors: Lennard de Klerk, Carbon Accounting Expert Professor Neta Crawford, Balliol College, Oxford Natalia Gozak, Ukrainian environmentalist Biniam Gidey, Reporter, Tigray, Ethiopia

This week, we’re off to Costa Rica, an eco-tourism hotspot in collaboration with BBC’s The Travel Show.The Climate Question gets lots of emails from listeners asking what they can do about climate change. Is it morally justifiable to fly for leisure? Which type of fish is most sustainable? And how can I use my career or free time to help the planet? In this programme a panel of experts answer your questions and run through some of the most effective things you can do to make a difference, wherever you are in the world.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Alice Brock, Phd researcher at Southampton University who specialises in personal carbon budgets Disha Ravi, climate activist with Fridays for Future India Tambe Honourine Enow, Founder of the Africa Climate and Environment Foundation

If you have a question about climate change that you’d like us to answer, or a comment – please email them to theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Sophie Eastaugh for The Climate Question and Jamie Hamilton for The Travel Show Researcher: Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

How can you have a successful relationship with someone if you believe passionately in climate action, but they don’t? The fate of our planet can be a divisive, emotive, even frightening issue. It’s something that’s tearing more and more couples and families apart, experts have told us.

It’s not easy getting past those differences with the ones we love, but it is possible. We speak to a couple, as well as a mother and daughter, to find out how. And we ask whether the way we talk to our loved ones about climate change might offer important lessons on how we discuss the issue more broadly.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Daze and Antonia Aghaji, from London Caroline Hickman, researcher at the University of Bath in the UK and psychotherapist Mohini and Sam Pollock, from Campbell, California

Thanks to Jasmine Navarro, founder of Nava, for her help with this episode.

Producer: Simon Tulett Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production co-ordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

The impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world. Research shows that some groups are disproportionately affected. Women already face many socioeconomic, cultural, and political inequities, with those living in areas heavily impacted by natural disasters related to climate change, such as floods, drought, and coastal erosion, enduring even worse outcomes. So what can be done to address this?

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh is joined by: Dr. Mayesha Alam, Vice President of Research at FP Analytics, senior fellow at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, and professor at Johns Hopkins University Verania Chao, Programme Specialist in Climate Change, Gender Equality and Inclusion at UNDP Sahar Habib Ghazi, on-the-ground reporter in Sindh province, Pakistan

Producers: Ben Cooper and Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Billions of dollars have been pumped into the promise of a climate-friendly way of producing meat, but is growing a steak in a lab any better for the planet than rearing a cow on a farm? Supporters of the idea say it will dramatically reduce the impact of livestock, which is responsible for about 15% of the world’s planet-warming gases, as well as returning huge amounts of land to nature. But studies suggest cultivating meat in a lab might actually be worse for the planet, at least in the long-run – we put both claims to the test. Plus, ten years on from the unveiling of the world’s first lab-grown meat, we ask why it’s still only available to buy at one restaurant in Singapore, and only on Thursdays.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Tasneem Karodia, co-founder of Mzansi Meat, in South Africa; John Lynch, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Oxford, in the UK; Nick Marsh, the BBC’s Asia business correspondent, in Singapore

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Matt Toulson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

If you are planning a trip, but you want to check the climate impact before choosing how to get there, then beware. Google has been seriously underestimating the carbon footprint of plane flights, and overestimating that of some train journeys. And its calculations don’t just appear in its search results, but also feed the sites of more and more online booking companies, like Skyscanner and Booking.com. To be fair, carbon footprints are actually very hard to get right, as the BBC’s Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, discovers on his own trip to Rotterdam. On the way out, he takes the Eurostar high-speed train, whose carbon emissions depend on the weather over the North Sea that day. On the way back he catches a plane, whose climate impact… also depends on the day’s weather conditions over the North Sea. So what is Google doing to fix its methodology and can we trust carbon footprint calculations at all? And do passengers even really care that much about the environmental impact of their journey, or should they be made to pay for it directly?

Presenter Justin Rowlatt is joined by: Doug Parr, chief scientist and policy director at Greenpeace UK Dr Feijia Yin, assistant professor for the climate effects of aviation at Delft University of Technology Andrew Murphy, head of sustainability at Eurostar Sola Zheng, aviation researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Laurence Knight Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Debbie Richford Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The idea of cities where everything you need on a daily basis can be reached within a quarter of an hour by foot or bike has grown in popularity in recent years, as local authorities adopt more sustainable approaches to urban planning. In theory, by having work, shopping, education, healthcare, and leisure all within a short distance could reduce dependency on cars, improving personal health and lowering carbon emissions. But the idea of adapting cities in this way hasn’t been universally-welcomed. Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Jay Pitter, author and urban planner Mark Watts, Executive Director at C40 Cities Gian Carlo Vega, on-the-ground reporter in Bogotá, Colombia, who was joined by Vanessa Velasco, Urban Development Specialist at the World Bank Producer: Ben Cooper Researchers: Matt Toulson, Bethan Ashmead-Latham and Pierre-Antoine Denis Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed, Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

Many blame our obsession with economic growth as being one of the biggest drivers of climate change. The United Nations is currently looking at options for what might replace Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the world’s primary go-to indicator of success, taking into account factors including sustainability and the natural environment. If this happens, it would be the biggest shift in how economies are measured since nations first started using GDP in 1953, 70 years ago.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Ehsan Masood, author, science journalist and an editor at the journal, Nature; Diane Coyle, economist and Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge; Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University; Fouty-Boulanga Mouleka, on-the-ground reporter in Gabon

Producer: Ben Cooper Researchers: Matt Toulson, Pierre-Antoine Denis, Bethan Ashmead-Latham and Laura Cain Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill

Wind and solar power will play a crucial role in curbing climate change, but what happens to all the worn-out turbines and photovoltaic panels once they are past their best?

Most wind turbine blades are almost impossible to recycle, and solar panels are very expensive to disassemble, but efforts are under way to prevent a possible renewable waste mountain.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson hears how old wind turbine blades are being turned into everything from bridges to flowerbeds, and we visit one of the world’s only solar panel recycling facilities. Plus – what’s the carbon footprint of a wind turbine or a solar panel in the first place?

Plus we hear from listeners Prateek, Alex and Elle.

Let us know what you think about the show – email theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Contributors: Paul Leahy, lecturer in wind energy at University College Cork, Republic of Ireland, and principal investigator at Re-Wind; Ute Collier, deputy director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi; Guy Chichignoud, chief technology officer, ROSI, France; Vivian Jia Tong Li, campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing.

Producer: Simon Tulett Researchers: Matt Toulson and Pierre-Antoine Denis Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Simon Watts Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators - Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but the idea of assembling giant solar farms in space and then beaming the renewable energy back down to Earth is gaining real life traction. Some advocates have claimed it could supply all the world’s energy needs by 2050.

But how would these solar farms be assembled, how much fuel and money would it take to blast them into space in the first place, and how would we safely beam their energy back to Earth?

Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones speak to Sanjay Vijendran, in charge of space-based solar at the European Space Agency, learn about the history of the idea from Rick Tumlinson, founder of SpaceFund, and hear words of caution from Dr Jovana Radulovic, head of mechanical and design engineering at Portsmouth University in the UK. Plus, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet describes life on the International Space Station and how it’s powered.

Thanks to the Space Studies Institute for extracts of their interview with Gerard O’Neill.

Let us know what you think about the show – email theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Simon Tulett Researchers: Matt Toulson and Graihagh Jackson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinator - Siobhan Reed

In 1856, an American woman called Eunice Newton Foote discovered that higher levels of carbon dioxide would warm the planet. But credit for discovering climate change was given to someone else who made the same discovery three years later. We celebrate Foote’s role in early climate science by recreating her little-known experiment and asking if there are some voices that continue to be overlooked in climate science today – and how we overcome these climate blind spots?

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: Dr Alice Bell, Head of Climate and Health Policy at Wellcome and author of ‘Our Biggest Experiment – An Epic History of the Climate Crisis’ Professor Regina Rodrigues, Professor of Physical Oceanography and Climate at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianopolis, Brazil. Professor Andrea Sella, Professor of Chemistry at University College London. Producer: Louise Parry Researcher: Louise Byrne Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

With rolling blackouts and huge waste disposal issues a regular occurrence in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, we look at how green tech start-ups offer smart, climate-friendly ways to solve the issues holding the region back.

In Malawi, our repórter Peter Jengwa meets Admore Chiumia, whose company Green Impact Technologies turns waste into energy.

In Zimbabwe, the BBC’s Shingai Nyoka visits AI entrepreneur Leroy Nyangani who’s come up with a way of making solar energy more financially accessible, while also solving a big problem of energy access in the country where, almost 70% are not connected to the grid and blackouts are the norm.

Audrey-Cynthia Yamadjako from the African Development Bank outlines a new scheme designed to support green SMEs on the continent.

Presenter Luke Jones is joined by the BBC’s Karnie Sharp who was raised in South Africa. They discuss how, with proper support, green solutions to everyday problems may unlock Africa’s economic and human potential.

Producer: Ivana Davidovic Researcher: Matt Toulson Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Vadon Sound: Tom Brignell

Worsening energy blackouts are crippling South Africa. They’re being caused in part by an over-reliance on ageing coal-fired power stations which can’t produce enough electricity. The government has an ambitious plan to rapidly build up solar and wind power by opening up the grid to private providers. But it’s facing opposition from the coal lobby.

Will this electricity crisis be the thing that finally pushes South Africa to implement its climate plan? And can it be implemented in a way that treats all South Africans equally, and doesn’t unfairly benefit a rich minority?

Presenters Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones are joined by: Dr Nthabiseng Mohlakoana, expert in South Africa’s Just Energy transition, Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands Steve Nicholls, Head of Mitigation at the Presidential Climate Commission, South Africa’s Elna Schutz, freelance journalist who spoke to businesses in and around Johannesburg

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Laurence Knight Researcher: Matt Toulson Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The effects of climate change on weather patterns around the world, including seasonal temperatures and rainfalls, are being felt keenly in agriculture – with shifting seasons and varying yields undermining years of habit-formed knowledge and process. Technology experts are helping farmers, including in some of the world’s poorest regions, adapt to the new food production landscape through the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning.

Presenters Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones are joined by: Ranveer Chandra, Managing Director for Research for Industry and the CTO of Agri-Food at Microsoft Himanshu Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of ClimateAI Dr Claudia Ringler, Deputy Director of Environment and Production Technology Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Ben Cooper Researchers: Matt Toulson and Laura Cain Production co-ordinator: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: James Beard

Some oil and gas giants are being pushed by shareholders to adopt more climate friendly strategies.

An environmental law charity is suing the directors of a global oil company, arguing their climate strategy is not adequate to meet current targets, supported by other shareholders. Elsewhere, a group of investors in another fossil fuel giant, recently unseated multiple board members in an effort to force a change of direction.

How effective is this form of activism? Presenter Paul Connolly is joined by: Chris James, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Engine No.1, US Camila Domonoske, NPR journalist, US Tariq Fancy, former Global Chief Investment officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, Canada Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producers: Ben Cooper and Mora Morrison Researcher: Matt Toulson Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: James Beard and Rod Farquhar

Our warming world is changing the geographical distribution of several animal species. Mosquitoes have been able to colonise new regions, places where they haven’t been found before including Afghanistan and countries in Europe.

According to the World Health Organisation, dengue fever is the most critical mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. Globally there’s been a 30-fold increase in infections in the last 50 years.

But is there a way to prevent the spread of the disease?

Presenter Paul Conolly is joined by:

Valdya Baraputri, reporter, BBC News Indonesia in Jakarta

Dr. Dewi Iriani, Paediatrician at Koja Hospital, Jakarta

Dr Nyla, Vice Director of Koja Regional Hospital, Jakarta

Dr. Imran Pambudi, Director of Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, Health Ministry of Indonesia

Manisha Kulkarni, Associate Professor University of Ottawa in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health

Felipe Colon Gonzalez, Technology Lead The Wellcome Trust, London

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Ivana Davidovic

Researcher: Matt Toulson

Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill

Series Producer: Alex Lewis

Editor: China Collins

Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

Record-breaking temperatures in the Alps in Europe have led to a disappointing ski season so far. Some slopes have been more brown than white, while others have been forced to close all together. Many worry this is a bad omen for the whole industry – which employs thousands globally.

This is part of a wider trend of unpredictable weather. Some ski resorts are trying to adapt, by making artificial snow for example, but these short-term measures aren’t always sustainable.

It’s predicted that the Alps will have 25% less snow by 2050, whereas resorts in Arctic Sweden are forecast to stay colder for longer. Could the northern country become skiing’s last resort, or will the industry have to fundamentally change to survive?

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Anna Richards, freelance journalist

Linda Lundmark, associate professor at Department of Geography at Umea University

Mathias Vuille, professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the University of Albany

Rob Stewart, writer and PR Director for Ski Press

With thanks to additional research by Harald Rice, University of Surrey.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Ben Cooper and Mora Morrison Researcher: Matt Toulson Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Series Producer: Ros Jones Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Natural gas is often seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to coal, yet it’s a fossil fuel and gives off climate warming emissions when burned. On the internet there are many adverts suggesting that natural gas is a clean and green way to reduce emissions. We investigate whether these adverts mislead the public as to whether gas is really ‘green.’ Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Marco Silva are joined by: Pep Canadell, Executive Director of the Global Carbon Project & Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science and affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University Former Senator, Mary Landrieu, co-chair of ‘Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future’

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Frances Read and Marco Silva Researchers: Natasha Fernandes and Matt Toulson Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and can hold more than 150 times the amount of carbon dioxide as air. Around a quarter of CO2 emissions created by human activity each year is absorbed by them. From phytoplankton to whales to seagrass meadows, we explore how this happens. And in climate news, we hear about the wildfires and drought affecting Chile. Hosts Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble speak with: Rita Steyn, Contributing Editor at The Marine Diaries and lecturer at University of Tampa, Florida Michael Yap is a Marine Biologist and Founder of Seagrass Guardians, Malaysia Dr. Haimanti Biswas, Principal Scientist of Biological Oceanography at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India Dr. Annette Scheffer, Marine Biologist and Lecturer, speaking with us from Antarctica John Kirkwood, Marine Biologist and Expedition Leader speaking with us from Antarctica Alex Godoy Faundez, Director of the Sustainability Research Centre, Universidad of Desarrollo in Chile

This programme was first broadcast in May 2022

Researcher: Immie Rhodes Reporter: Mark Stratton Producers: Dearbhail Starr and Sophie Eastaugh Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Neil Churchill Production coordinator: Siobhan Reed

India has made a lot of climate pledges in the last couple of years. They’ve had mixed reviews. Some have applauded the country’s ambition – including committing to a net zero target - while others argue it’s still too reliant on coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels. India is already facing the brutal impacts of a warming planet and, with a population of around 1.4 billion, its energy demand is huge – and growing. But there are reasons to be optimistic. We travel to a rural area near Mumbai to hear about the benefits of solar energy and get a temperature check from BBC Marathi’s Janhavee Moole on what people are discussing locally.

We also speak to two experts to better understand how we can rate India’s commitments compared with other countries as well as the barriers it could face as it transitions to a greener economy.

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Janhavee Moole are joined by: Dr Nandini Das, an Energy Research and Policy Analyst at Climate Analytics Harjeet Singh from The Climate Action Network based in Delhi

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Mora Morrison, Sophie Eastaugh and Ivana Davidovic Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

In 2009, the G20 countries pledged to phase out 'inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies, which have long been seen as an obstacle to fighting climate change. But today, subsidies for oil and gas producers are at record levels -- $64 billion in 2021. It’s not just to do with the war in Ukraine.

Despite its image as a leader on climate change, the UK is listed as one of the worst offenders for government support to oil and gas producers because of its generous tax relief. We hear from the centre of the UK’s oil and gas industry in Aberdeen, Scotland, about the difficult balance between energy security, jobs and climate change.

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Luke Jones are joined by:

Ipek Gensu, Senior Research Fellow at Overseas Development Institute Lord Deben, Chairman of the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee and former Secretary of State for the Environment from 1993-97 Kevin Keane, BBC Scotland’s Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs correspondent – at Aberdeen port Fran Bell, Fiscal and Investor Relations Manager at Offshore Energy UK

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick Cross and Siobhan Reed

Archive: The Obama White House

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average temperature. Ice caps are melting, forcing the indigenous Inuit community living around the Northwest passage to change their way of life. Polar bears and wildlife are losing their habitats and the ability to hunt.

Further south, Middle Eastern countries are facing temperatures above 50 Celsius more regularly.

We speak to people living in these rapidly warming parts of the world and find out why their countries are warming faster than others and what impact it is having.

Presenters Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones are joined by: Carlo Buontempo, from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme Kenzie Azmi, Greenpeace Middle East Campaigner Essa Ramadan, Meteorologist and Weatherman in Kuwait Reporter: Mark Stratton in the Arctic Plus interviews with Dr Wenju Cai from Southern Hemisphere Oceans Research and Ben Rich from the BBC Weather Centre

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production Team: Producer: Natasha Fernandes Production coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Emma Rippon Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill

Heatwaves are already the most deadly of climate risks. If we don’t keep climate change in check, we’ll experience more of them, reaching even higher temperatures.

Already we need cooling to keep our homes, hospitals and workplaces comfortable, our vaccines stable and our food nutritious. As the planet warms up we’ll have even greater need.

Currently the cooling industry is incredibly polluting – it accounts for around 10% of global CO2 emissions. And the demand for it is only going to increase. An International Energy Agency report said that the amount of air conditioners will grow by 5.6 billion by 2050, up from 1.6 billion today – which amounts to 10 new ACs sold every second for the next 30 years.

So how can we cool our warming world sustainably?

This episode looks at the biggest problems with cooling, the rapid rise in air conditioners and the surprisingly simple ways we can keep things cool without using any energy at all.

Presenters Luke Jones and Graihagh Jackson are joined by:

Zerin Osho, International Climate Law and Policy at Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development Karim Elgendy, Associate Fellow at Chatham House and Associate Director at engineering consultancy firm Buro Happold Chhavi Sachdev, Journalist, India

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Lily Freeston Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Half of all the energy we use globally goes on heating and cooling. We need heating for all sorts of things; from keeping our homes warm to industry which needs super high temperatures. At the moment, the heat we use is mostly powered by polluting fossil fuels, a huge driver of climate change. But can renewables deliver the high temperatures and a constant supply which are so vital? In this episode we visit the world's first commercial-scale sand battery in Finland and find out how it’s using renewables to heat 100 homes and a public swimming pool. Presenters Luke Jones and Graihagh Jackson are joined by: Erika Benke, Journalist, Finland Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh, Professor of Intelligent Engineering Systems, Nottingham Trent University Professor Dan Gladwin, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Sheffield And BBC Brasil journalist Nathalia Passarinho on the swearing in of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as President and his climate promises.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Lily Freeston Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Bridget Harney Sound Engineers: Tom Brignell and Graham Puddifoot

Extreme weather is becoming even more extreme thanks to climate change. Countless lives are claimed by heatwaves, cold snaps, cyclones, droughts and torrential rains every year around the world. Climate change threatens to make things worse. But the United Nations is spearheading new action to make sure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within the next five years. It’s hoped that this could dramatically reduce the numbers of deaths caused by extreme weather.

Presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson were joined by: Laura Paterson, from the World Meteorological Organization Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health at the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College, London, UK and University of Agder, in Kristiansand, Norway. Hasin Jahan, the Director of WaterAid in Banglasdesh Reporter: BBC’s Nicolas Négoce in Senegal

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production Team Producer: Claire Bowes Production coordinators: Helena Warick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series producers: Jordan Dunbar & Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton Smith Sound Engineer: James Beard

From climate sceptic to climate campaigner, Sarah Ott grew up in the US surrounded by doubters, listening to out-right deniers. This is the story of what changed her mind.

We also hear people’s questions about climate change from Kenya where there’s major drought and we speak to BBC Disinformation reporter Marco Silva on dealing with climate misinformation.

Presenter Neal Razzell is joined by: Sarah Ott, teacher and former sceptic Marco Silva, BBC Climate Disinformation Reporter Michael Kaloki, journalist in Kenya With thanks also to Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge, UK

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Mora Morrison Researcher: Richard Tisdale Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed & Sophie Hill Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Bridget Harney Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot

Back in 2010, FIFA announced that the tiny country of Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup. It would be the first Middle Eastern country to do so. The tournament has seen thousands of fans travel to see it, with millions tuning in around the world. But it hasn’t been without controversy.

The event’s organisers claimed that it would be the first fully carbon-neutral World Cup. A big new solar park was built, fleets of electric buses were released onto the roads and climate-friendly projects were set up to offset emissions.

Some say that organisers are trying to do the right thing. But others are critical, arguing that emissions have been underestimated and that the carbon-neutral claim is misleading.

This episode dives into the debate and asks if the 2022 World Cup was really as green as it seemed.

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Luke Jones are joined by: Rumaitha Al Busaidi, Omani football pundit and climate change activist Khaled Diab, Communications Director at not-for-profit Carbon Market Watch Zach Banzon, goalkeeper for Kaya FC in the Philippines and “Team Player” for We Play Green Peter Ball, Journalist, BBC World Service Josephine Moulds, Reporter at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Producers: Lilly Freeston and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The ecosystems of the land and ocean absorb around half our planet warming emissions. But these are being destroyed by human activity. At the same time, climate change is a primary driver of the destruction of these habitats and biodiversity loss. If biodiversity is our strongest natural defence against climate change (as it’s been described), what’s stopping us from doing more to protect it?

As the big global biodiversity conference (COP15) gets underway in Montreal, Canada, presenters Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones are joined by a panel, including Victoria Gill, BBC science correspondent at COP15 in Montreal; Felipe Zapata, a Colombian botanist at UCLA; Marcela Fernandez from conservation NGO Cumbres Blancas; Akanksha Khatri, Head of Nature Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com.

Researcher: Frances Read Producer: Georgia Coan Editor: Bridget Harney

What we eat has a massive impact on global warming. Meat and dairy are among the biggest drivers of the climate crisis - creating more planet-warming emissions than all the cars in the world. As we all try to reduce our carbon footprints, it’s not surprising that the global market for meat alternatives that come from soy or pea protein is growing at a huge rate. In fact it’s estimated that by the end of the decade it will be worth nearly 20 times what it was in 2018. But are these meat substitutes as good for the planet as we’d like to think? Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Simon Maybin are joined by: Reporter: Paul Furley BBC Radio Gloucestershire Dale Vince, Chair of Forest Green Rovers, UK Gustavo Guadagnini, Director of the Good Food Institute in Brazil Dr Ximena Schmidt, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Brunel University, UK Nick Jacobs, Director of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Georgia Coan Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

At the start of COP 27 Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi told the world that it was vital that African countries receive "appropriate support and funding according to the principle of shared responsibilities and burdens”.

For years the richest nations have been accused of failing to meet their $100 billion-a-year pledge for funding. It turn out this doesn’t even scratch the surface - a recent report puts the estimated figure for all of Africa’s climate needs closer to $2.8 trillion dollars.

The Climate Question looks at whether COP 27 made a difference to the money flowing and asks how African countries will get what they need to protect themselves from climate change. Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by:

Peter Okweche from the BBC’s Focus on Africa Gyude Moore, former Liberian government minister, now Senior Policy Fellow for the Centre for Global Development in Washington Ayaan Adam, Senior Director at The Africa Finance Corporation Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of Durban Yvonne Denise Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Georgia Coan and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton Smith Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

The world has been in Egypt for COP27, the UN’s big climate talks. It’s a country that’s already feeling the acute effects of climate change – temperatures have risen by two degrees since last century, damaging farming and driving up food prices.

Tensions are rising, but many are concerned that restrictions on the right to protest and freedom of expression mean that climate change is not getting the attention it deserves and preventing Egypt from adapting.

The Climate Question hears how global warming is affecting Egypt – and whether the government is listening.

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell are joined by:

Amr Magdi, Senior Researcher, Middle East & North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch BBC Arabic’s Sally Nabil Glada Lahn, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House think tank The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Lily Freeston and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Last year at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, countries made big promises to tackle climate change – by curbing their greenhouse gas emissions and reducing deforestation. But as this year’s COP27 continues in Egypt, we ask whether countries are keeping to their word.

Presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson are joined by a host of guests at COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh: The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar; Esme Stallard, BBC Climate and Science journalist; Joe Curtin, managing director, power and climate at the Rockefeller Foundation; Carlos Nobre, Earth System scientist from National Academy of Sciences, Brazil; Suranjali Tandon, assistant professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi; Dr Frances Colon, former American science diplomat; Jennifer Morgan, German climate envoy; Belinda Margono, Directorate General of Forestry Planning, Indonesian government.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Georgia Coan

If there were fewer of us, would the amount of greenhouse gasses we emit reduce? It’s a question that often creeps up in discussions about climate change. Studies show that the global population will decline eventually and populations in many rich nations are already declining. However, 11,000 scientists signed a paper warning of “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless society transforms, including the reversal of population growth. But an analysis by the United Nations found that affluence has a greater impact on the climate than population. When we talk about overpopulation, what are we really saying and where does the conversation go from here?

This episode was first broadcast on 13th December 2021.

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Nyovani Madise, head of the Malawi office of the African Institute for Development Policy. Anu Ramaswami, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton. Arvind Ravikumar, professor in energy transition and climate policy at the University of Texas.

Producer: Darin Graham Reporter: Rajesh Joshi Series producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production coordinator: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill

We’ve been told that big finance is crucial to the transition to net zero, and billions of dollars are invested in so-called sustainable finance every year. But the BBC’s Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, have been looking into a new green finance product and found that not all is quite as it seems.

Their investigation has found an example of sustainable finance backed by the multi-national bank HSBC being used to help extract a vast new reserve of fossil fuels in Brazil. And it's not the only one. Some question how this can happen, while others defend it. Presenters Justin Rowlatt and Graihagh Jackson are joined by: Tariq Fancy, former Global Chief Investment officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock Caroline Harrison, Head of Market Intelligence Research at Climate Bonds Initiative Ulf Erlandsson, Chief Executive at the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute Julia Carneiro, journalist based in Brazil Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Miho Tanaka Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editors: Bridget Harney and Richard Fenton-Smith Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Production coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross

Africa accounts for around 10 per cent of the world's known fossil-fuel reserves. But plans to build an oil pipeline through East Africa to transport hundreds of thousands of barrels a day have been condemned by the European Union.

The pipeline, which runs from the source in Uganda to the Tanzanian coast, will generate billions of dollars a year. But critics say it will release tens of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

In this programme we hear from the people involved in the fight over the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and find out if they think it will go ahead.

Presenters Dickens Olewe and Graihagh Jackson are joined by

Faten Aggad, Senior Advisor on Climate Diplomacy and Geopolitics at the African Climate Foundation

Tony Tiyou, Founder and CEO of Renewables in Africa

Brian, climate campaigner

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Reporter: Aboubakar Famau, BBC Swahili Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Producer: Lily Freeston Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Clare Fordham Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross, Siobhan Reed Sound Engineer: Tom Brignall

We know many of the obstacles in the way of a creating a cleaner planet - making cement green, decarbonising electricity or creating affordable clean transport. But how do we get the experts the funding they need to bring these solutions to the world?

Many people see innovation prizes as the answer - from Prince William’s ‘Earthshot’ to Elon Musk’s ‘X-Prize’ there are hundreds of millions of dollars up for grabs. Is this the best way to find solutions to the climate crisis? Who really wins from these prizes, companies or the climate?

Joining presenters Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson are –

Marcius Extavour, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Energy and Climate at the XPrize foundation

Robert Burrell, Professor of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law

Zorina Khan, Professor of Economics at Bowdoin College and Author of Inventing Ideas

Vidyut Mohan, Co-Founder of Takachar

Plus an interview with Hannah Ritchie from Our World In Data, on plans put forward by the New Zealand Government to tax cow burps.

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Producer: Jo Casserly Reporter: Partha Prasad Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Jordan Dunbar Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production coordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross

From being glued to diggers to bunking off school, what happens when the public takes climate action into their own hands? Mass protests and demonstrations can be an effective way to gain media attention but do they lead to lasting change?

Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by: Disha Ravi, climate activist, India Dan Hooper, (Swampy), climate activist, UK Mel, member of Scientist Rebellion, Mexico Dana R. Fisher, Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, USA Ruud Wouters, researcher Media, Movements & Politics, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Contact us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Team: Reporter: Imran Qureshi, India Producer: Lizzy McNeill Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross, Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

The race to reduce emissions has more and more nations reaching for the nuclear option. Nuclear power plants are being built around the world, generating carbon-free electricity day and night, windy or calm. But they also generate radioactive waste, some of which can remain deadly for thousands of years. Thousands of tonnes of nuclear waste currently sit in “temporary” sites, some decades old. This has been fuel to critics who have described nuclear power as a scourge for future generations. No country yet has a permanent solution to the problem.

Now, almost 70 years after the first nuclear plant, Finland is set to change that. Engineers have been creating a giant cavern they say will become the world’s first permanent nuclear waste disposal site. Can it silence the critics or are we just passing on the problem to future generations?

Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell spoke to: Professor Michael Bluck, director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College, London. Dr Leslie Dewan Nuclear Engineer, CEO and co-founder of Radiant Nano Nuclear Security Company. Shaun Burnie Nuclear specialist with Greenpeace East Asia

Reporter: Ilpo Salonen, Finland Producer: Lizzy McNeill, Jordan Dunbar Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross, Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Tom Brignall

Floods in Pakistan have destroyed or damaged millions of homes, schools and businesses. So far nearly 1500 people have died and 33 million have been affected. With Pakistan contributing less than 1% to global CO2 emissions, a keen sense of injustice is felt in the country, and demands for international support have been made. The Pakistan government has called it a “climate catastrophe” and according to the World Weather Attribution group, it is likely climate change led to intense rainfall. But critics blame mismanagement and say Pakistan should have been more prepared for the inevitable. In this programme, we tell the story of the collapse of one building to see how much of the crisis can be blamed on climate change. Guests: Saher Baloch, Correspondent at BBC World’s Urdu service Zarmat Shinwari, owner of New Honeymoon Hotel Humayun Shinwari, owner of New Honeymoon Hotel Sayed Nabi, manager of New Honeymoon Hotel

Email us: the climatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Neal Razzell Co-presenter: Saher Baloch Producer: Lily Freeston Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

As climate change brings rising temperatures and shifting patterns of rainfall, animals are adapting to keep pace. Bird’s bodies are growing smaller, their wingspan longer, lizards are growing larger thumb pads to help them grip more tightly in hurricane strength winds, beak size is changing.

We visit the Galapagos, where evolution was first discovered by Charles Darwin, to investigate the many ways the behaviour and physiology of animals are changing to survive the impact of climate change. But can they do it quickly enough?

First broadcast – 14 March 2022

Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble are joined by: Kiyoko Gotanda, Assistant Professor at Brock University Ramiro Tomala, Expedition leader, Metropolitan Touring in the Galapagos Thor Hanson, conservationist and author of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid Anne Charmantier, Director of Research at Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Montpellier

With thanks to research carried out by Colin Donihue of Institute at Brown for Environment and Society.

Producer: Dearbhail Starr Reporter: Mark Stratton Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Nicola Addyman Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Images are a key part of communicating climate change, and shape how we understand the crisis unfolding around us. But while lots of research has been done into the language we use to talk about climate, images are often left out of the conversation.

As a result, over time, a limited set of images have come to dominate how we think of climate change – like polar bears and melting glaciers - which haven’t kept up with the changing conversation about the crisis. All too often, these images tend to be abstract, removed from our daily lives and typically don’t feature people - when we know that climate change is happening all around us, all the time, and is very much a story with people and communities at its core.

So how can we develop a new, and more effective visual language for climate change? What kind of images ‘work’ to both convey the urgency of the crisis as well as inspire behavioural change? And what are some of the ways in which photographers are seeking to represent the crisis in a way that transforms apathy into action?

First broadcast – 27 December 2021

Guests: Cristina Mittermeier, photographer and conservationist Arati Kumar-Rao, National Geographic Explorer and photographer Toby Smith, Programme Lead at Climate Visuals Saffron O’Neill, University of Exeter

Presenter: Neal Razzell Series Producer: Alex Lewis Producer: Zoe Gelber Researcher: Lizzie Frisby Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed & Helena Warwick-Cross

In 1985 British scientist Jonathan Shanklin and colleagues published a study that shocked the world. The study revealed a hole in the Earth’s atmosphere right over Antarctica. It had been caused over time by chemicals known as CFCs, used in things like fridges, air conditioning units and aerosol cans. These were destroying the layer of ozone in the stratosphere which protects us from most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation - without it, cases of skin cancer would soar. Less than two years after the discovery, world leaders signed an agreement called the Montreal Protocol, committing to phase out CFCs. It has been described as the most successful international treaty of all time - every UN country has signed up, and ozone is expected to return to its previous levels around the middle of the century. So what can we learn from how we tackled the ozone hole in how we address climate change?

First broadcast - 29 Nov 2021

Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Jonathan Shanklin, Meterologist at the British Antarctic Survey, Dr Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth Science at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, Tina Birmpili, former executive secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, Dr Anita Ganesan, associate professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes