Stories on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.
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Did ‘Africa’s COP’ deliver for Africa?
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
What does climate change mean for Egypt?
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
COP27: Are Countries Keeping to Their Climate Pledges?
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 & Science journalist Joe Curtin, Managing Director, Power & 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 Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Georgia Coan Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinators: Iona Hammond and Siobhan Reed Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
What role is overpopulation playing in the climate crisis?
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
How green is green finance?
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
What should Africa do with its fossil fuel reserves?
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
Are prizes the best solution for climate change?
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 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
Can climate protests make a difference?
As pandemic restrictions ease in many places, street protests are starting up again. But what happens when the public takes climate action into their own hands, from sticking themselves to diggers to bunking off school? 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 Brignall
What can we do with nuclear waste?
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
How much can flooding in Pakistan be blamed on climate change?
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
Can animals evolve to deal with climate change?
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
Does climate change have an ‘image problem’?
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
What can we learn from fixing the ozone hole?
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
Can we engineer rain to help solve climate change?
From the Aztecs to the Zoroastrians, humans have always prayed for rain. We’ve tried dances, ritual sacrifices and even blowing up the sky to boost rainfall. This might sound crazy but desperate times call for desperate measures. Climate change is making people desperate again, in some regions droughts are becoming more frequent and pervasive whereas in others floods threaten livelihoods and cities. We have already affected our weather cycle but can we control it? Many governments have turned to cloud seeding programmes to try to manipulate rain to fall where they desire it to. But does it actually work, and what are the potential ramifications? We speak to experts about how people are trying to create rain, whether we’re on the brink of a geopolitical nightmare. Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell spoke to: Cynthia Barnett, Environmental Journalist and author of ‘Rain: a Natural and Cultural History’ Dr Katja Friedrich, Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. The team this week: Reporter: Valdya Baraputri, Bilingual Reporter BBC Indonesia, reporting in Jakarta Researcher: Imogen Serwotka Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Jordan Dunbar Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross & Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Wizard: Tom Brignell
Why can’t we build more wind farms?
In rural North East Spain, proposals to build hundreds of new wind turbines have sparked opposition and divided communities. And it isn’t only Spain. There has been resistance to wind power projects across the world from Mexico to the US. Opposition groups have succeeded in delaying, and sometimes cancelling, the construction of new wind farms. To move away from fossil fuels, we will need a huge expansion in renewables. But will wind power be able to meet this challenge in the face of local opposition around the world? Guests: Oliver Metcalfe, Bloomberg NEF Joyce Lee, Global Wind Energy Council Alejandra Ancheita, Mexican NGO, ProDESC Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Reporter: Esperanza Escribano Producers: Josephine Casserly and Jordan Dunbar Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell PC: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross