Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
Will "sustainable" fuels transform air travel?
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
Who's doing best on fighting Climate Change?
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
Can Climate Change ever be funny?
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 BrignellEmail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Climate Review of the Year
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
Was this year's climate summit a game-changer?
Some are hailing the deal at this year's COP conference in Dubai 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.comProducers: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward Editor: Simon Watts Sound mix: Graham Puddifoot and Tom Brignell
The 100 Women climate debate
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
Should the UAE host a big climate summit?
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
Your Climate Questions Answered
Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt team up with the BBC's Global News Podcast team 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
What is COP?
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?’
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?
What has COP achieved?
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 Elkoboros Series Producer – Alex Lewis Editor - China Collins Sound Engineer - Tom Brignell
Why are climate scientists receiving abuse?
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
Why does it matter that Greenland is melting?
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
Why did Ecuador vote to stop drilling for oil?
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 Arevolo, 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
How do our listeners stay positive on climate?
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