Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

“This is civilisation changing stuff”: Is AMOC the hardest climate story to tell?

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe plunged into a deep freeze. Life as we know it upended. The 2004 film ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ gave a generation of terrified journalists a...

Beyond the Oil Crisis: What’s actually blocking the transition?

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Iran crisis continues to prove how dangerously dependent the global economy is on fossil fuels. But what will it actually take to move beyond them...

It’s In Our Blood: Communities vs Forever Chemicals

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There are chemicals in your blood that weren't there fifty years ago. They are in the products you use, the water you drink, the food you eat - and fo...

The Health Emergency Hiding in Rising Seas

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Sea-level rise is often spoken about in centimetres, forecasts and future scenarios. But what if we understood it as a health emergency that is alread...

Forecasting Disaster: A ‘super’ El Niño? And the case for early action

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As headlines warn of a possible ‘super El Niño’ later this year, we ask: how do we respond to a warning before it becomes a catastrophe? The...

Flooded: Is extreme weather shifting the climate front lines?

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We used to be shocked by this. Hundreds of thousands displaced, millions affected, whole communities washed out. But somewhere along the way, extreme ...

The Iran Crisis and the Price of Oil Dependence

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

War in Iran has triggered another global energy shock. Once again, conflict has exposed the deep instability built into the fossil fuel system. And on...

Water, Wildlife, and Climate’s Hidden Trade-Offs

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The climate crisis is not one problem. It is a crisis of water, food, energy, language, justice and power - all colliding at once. So how do we respon...

Who Pays? The Unfair Economics of Climate Finance

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week we acknowledge the US strikes on Iran and the escalation that has followed. The immediate human cost is what matters most right now. But thi...

Catastrophe Apathy: Why understanding the climate crisis isn’t enough

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Climate concern is not the problem. Most people have it. What's missing is everything that turns concern into action - and understanding that gap turn...

Trump Moves to Dismantle US Climate Law - Now Comes the Legal Test

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration last week announced the repeal of the ‘endangerment finding’ - the 2009 determination that climate change threatens publi...

Who Wields Power Now?: Money, Movements and the Future of Climate

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Who shapes climate action when old systems begin to strain? And where does power really sit - with governments, financial institutions, communities, o...

Power, Money and Influence: The Hidden Forces Shaping Climate Action

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Who really holds power in the climate transition? And how do money, politics, and influence shape the pace of change?In this episode, Christiana Figue...

The China Pivot: What will Beijing’s climate leadership look like?

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

World leaders are flocking to Beijing. In the first weeks of 2026, Canada’s Mark Carney, the UK’s Sir Keir Starmer and South Korea’s Lee Jae-myu...

Beyond COP: Can Brazil Chart a Path Off Fossil Fuels?

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How dependent are we - economically, politically and socially - on fossil fuels? And how do we begin to loosen that grip?As the world reels from geopo...

What does Trump’s UNFCCC exit mean for climate diplomacy?

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the world’s most powerful country walks away from the system it helped to build?This week, we examine the United States’ decisio...

Venezuela, Fossil Fuels, and the Year Ahead

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The year has barely begun, and already the fault lines of global power are on full display.Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson t...

Beginning the Year With Ancestral Wisdom

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As billions around the world mark the beginning of a new year, many are pausing to ask the same questions: what do we carry forward, and what do we le...

Why Beauty Matters in the Climate Crisis

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At a moment when the world feels noisier, faster, and more demanding than ever, what role can beauty play in helping us slow down, reconnect, and reme...

Follow The Money: Who’s driving climate disinformation?

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the very moment we need clarity and trust, information integrity is being polluted. Disinformation is profitable and the impact on truth is dangero...

Paris, 10 Years On - Has it Changed the World?

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ten years ago, a gavel dropped in a conference hall north of Paris. It was the moment the world agreed on a strategic plan for one of the most consequ...

Jacinda Ardern and… Is It Time to Talk About Geoengineering?

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, hosts Tom Rivett Carnac and Paul Dickenson delve into the rapidly emerging - and faintly surreal - world of solar geoengineering. Poli...

Kim Stanley Robinson on Pre Traumatic Imagination and the stories that change us

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Outrage + Optimism, we’re taking a breath.After two intense weeks of daily updates from COP30 in Belém, we’re returning to weekly pr...

Inside COP: The Final Hours of COP30 - and the road ahead

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is our final episode of Inside COP. For two weeks we’ve tried to bring you as close as possible to the heart of COP30 - the pace, the pressure,...

Inside COP: Friday Night in Belém - uncertainty in the Blue Zone

22 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We recorded this episode across Friday afternoon and deep into the evening inside the Blue Zone at COP30. At the time of publishing, there is still no...

Inside COP: Friday Morning in Belém - what’s changed and why it matters

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Friday morning in Belém and COP30 is moving fast. After yesterday’s fire and the overnight closure of the venue, the Brazilian Presidency wo...

Inside COP: Fire at COP30 - and the work still to be done

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today was not meant to be this episode.At around 2pm local time, a fire broke out near the country pavilions, triggering the full evacuation of the Bl...

Inside COP: Storms in Belém - Lula’s arrival, the carbon tariff debate, and the COP31 decision

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re approaching crunch time in Belém, and a long-running COP30 saga may finally have found its landing spot. After days of rumour, diplomacy and ...

Inside COP: China, India… and the Text on the Table

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the middle of week two at COP30, and the negotiations are entering their crunch phase. A draft cover text has finally landed, ministers are on ...

Inside COP: Coal’s Out, Pressure’s On - a pivotal moment for COP30

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s getting hot in the COP.Executive Secretary Simon Stiell turned up the pressure in Belém on Monday, sharpening his message as ministers arrived...

Inside COP: The fight for the Amazon

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As ministers arrive in Belém for the crucial second week of COP30, forests move from the backdrop of the summit to the main stage. Protests began at ...

Inside COP: Al Gore on Fossil Fuel Lobbying and (In)convenient Truths

15 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the mid-point of COP30 and all four of our hosts have gathered in Belém to take stock.In the Blue Zone, the mood is its usual blend of high-st...

Inside COP: The UN’s Top Climate Official on Week One of COP30

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Christiana Figueres takes us behind the scenes at the UNFCCC offices to speak to the man who now holds her old job as Executive Secretary. As week one...

Inside COP: Protests at COP30 - and the reality of Indigenous representation

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At a COP meant to centre the Amazon, some Indigenous voices have found themselves on the outside.On Tuesday night, what began as a vibrant street marc...

Inside COP: Is The US Still In? And Gavin Newsom on ‘invasive species’ Trump

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Day three of COP30, and there’s one elephant not in the room.While there are plenty of United States citizens at this COP, for the first time, there...

Inside COP: Brazil's Climate Leadership - the COP30 host takes centre stage

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is Brazil trying to achieve with COP30? It's Day Two in Belém and all eyes are on the host nation. Join Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carna...

Inside COP: The COP30 President Speaks, the Summit Begins

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

COP30 is here! Day one dawns in the Amazon, and all eyes are on the host nation - and on the man tasked with steering the talks.On the eve of wha...

Inside COP: Ed Miliband on Multilateralism, Leadership and the UK’s Climate Dilemma

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why hasn’t the UK contributed to Brazil's flagship Tropical Forests Forever Facility it helped design? With COP30 about to open in Belém, the UK’...

Inside COP: World Leaders Gather in Belém - with Jacinda Ardern and Selwin Hart

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As COP30 opens in Belém, world leaders have gathered for the first major moment of this Amazon-based summit in the shadow of growing doubts about glo...

Inside COP: The Power of Cities - from the Local Leaders Forum

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Behind the national plans and global headlines, a quieter revolution is already underway. Almost 100 major cities - representing 23% of the world’s ...

Inside the Earthshot Prize 2025: Royal Vision, Real Change

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a year when climate news can feel relentlessly bleak, the Earthshot Prize offers something vital - proof of progress. And in this year’s fifteen ...

Inside COP: Looking for a Plan in Finance - the trillion dollar transition

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the trillion-dollar problem: funds are on the table - but the money isn’t always flowing to where it’s needed most. As Hurricane Melissa ba...

Inside COP: Teaming Up for the Planet - The Global Mutirão

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 9 out of 10 people worldwide want their governments to do more on climate. So why does it feel like progress is so slow? And what happens when ...

Inside COP: The New World Order - power, politics and the green pie

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The global balance of power is shifting. Can climate diplomacy keep up?As China rises, the BRICS expand and the United States retreats, new power bloc...

Inside COP: A New Economy Rising - from promises to progress

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Will COP30 be the COP of ‘implementation’? And what would that actually mean? Beyond the famous negotiating halls, climate action is already ...

Remembering Jane Goodall

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the sad news this week of Jane Goodall’s passing, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac remember her extraordinary work, personality a...

Inside COP: How to Build a COP

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you build a COP? With just a few weeks to go until COP30 in Belém, we take listeners inside the high stakes and the complex mechanics of a cli...

Inside COP: The countdown to COP30 at New York Climate Week

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does COP deliver a pathway to dealing with the worsening climate crisis? That’s the big question as attention across the world turns to COP30 in...

From Courtrooms to Statehouses: The US Climate Pushback

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Outrage + Optimism, we join the Be Hope global podcast takeover - a collaboration of shows amplifying courage and possibility in facing t...

Beyond the Bad News: Evidence for Climate Optimism

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From stalled UN plastics treaty talks, to the hottest summer on record across much of the northern hemisphere - it’s been a bleak few weeks for clim...

Rising Tides: How indigenous communities are facing the climate crisis

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to live on the front lines of climate change - where rising seas, collapsing ecosystems and the legacies of colonialism collide?This...

Listening to the Living World: Can AI help us hear the planet?

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if we could not only listen to the rest of nature, but actually understand it?From decoding whale songs to giving nature a legal voice, the possi...

Introducing: Inside COP - the Official COP30 Podcast from Outrage + Optimism

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Belém… it’s Outrage + Optimism! (Or it will be.)This year’s COP is one of the most significant in years, and we’ll be there with yo...

You Are What You Eat: Soil, Seeds and Social Justice

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What’s really in the food on our plates? The journey to our supermarket shelves is one of broken economics, environmental destruction, and social in...

Too Hot to Handle?: Facing a Future Beyond 1.5°C

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As global temperatures continue to skyrocket, the once unthinkable is now within view: overshooting 1.5°C of warming. This limit, set out in the Pari...

Mistakes, Mistruths and Misinformation: Climate's biggest myths debunked

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isn’t climate change just part of a natural cycle? Weren’t CO2 levels much higher in the past? And, even if we should be worried, can one person r...

Trump’s War on Climate - and Maggie Baird on food justice and plant-based touring with Billie Eilish

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As record heat scorches the US, Trump’s government is making things dramatically worse. We break down the devastating implications of the One Big Be...

*Breaking Planetary News*: The ICJ Climate Opinion Explained

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“An Existential Problem of Planetary Proportions”International Court of Justice President Yuji Iwasawa just delivered a landmark advisory opinion ...

Planes, Protests, Pensions... and have banks given up on saving the planet?

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can a pilot really be the change-maker who helps us to holiday nearer home? Why aren’t governments and institutions doing more to help climate activ...

From Outrage to Action: Your Questions, Our Answers

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re handing the mic over to you on this week’s Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast.In this special Q&A episode, Christiana Figueres, Pau...

The Climate Case of the Century: Inside the story of a youth-led legal movement

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a world-first, the International Court of Justice is preparing to deliver an advisory opinion on climate change and human rights - all thanks to a ...

O+O Recommends: 'When Science Finds A Way'

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last episode, we explored the urgent connection between climate and health, and brought you a powerful and timely conversation with Julia Gillard, for...

Health Warning: The Human Cost of Climate Inaction with Julia Gillard

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists warn that the world could breach its 1.5°C emissions limit within just 2-3 years. It’s a scary thought, but across the globe, many are g...

Could This Change Your Life?: The Climate Tech Revolution

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While climate diplomacy grapples with global uncertainty, there’s a quiet revolution happening that may be just as important - thousands of breakthr...

Hope for the High Seas?: Sylvia Earle and Oceans on the World Stage

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

World leaders, scientists and ocean advocates are gathering in Nice for the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) and hopes are high that progress can be mad...

COP30: Can Brazil deliver a global breakthrough?

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This November, Brazil will host COP30 in Belém, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, in what is bound to be a moment packed with symbolism, high exp...

Sovereignty and Survival: A Spotlight on Vanuatu

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How far would you go to protect your home?In this week’s special episode, Christiana Figueres brings us a deeply personal and political dispatch fro...

When Business Is Political: Climate commitments in an age of backlash

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the US federal government drifts further into anti-climate rhetoric and abandons its national and international commitments, can non-state actors h...

The Spanish Grid Goes Down: Are renewables really to blame?

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On April 28th, millions of people across Spain, Portugal and beyond were plunged into darkness in one of Europe’s most severe blackouts in decades. ...

Technology vs Transition?: What Tony Blair gets right - and wrong - about net zero

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says that net zero is politically unachievable without radical rethinking: a shift away from reducing consumption ...

Beyond the ‘Climate Wars’?: Australia heads to the polls

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Australia heads to the polls this weekend - with climate firmly on the ballot. Is the country ready to lose its reputation as the battleground of the ...

The End of Oil? Inside the Hidden Decline of Fossil Fuels | Earth Day Special

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for fossil fuels?This Earth Day, Outrage + Optimism explores a seismic shift in global energy: the possibil...

The Death of Pope Francis: A Short Message from Christiana

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of this morning’s sad announcement about the death of Pope Francis, Christiana Figueres reflects on his important legacy as a champion f...

China's Decarbonisation Leadership: Is Trump (accidentally) fueling Beijing's climate takeover?

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the US retreats from international climate leadership and looks increasingly inwards, can China step up and steer the global energy transition? And...

Tariffs, Trump, and Al Gore on the Future of Democracy: What on earth is happening?

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the US tears up the rulebook on global trade? And what does that mean for the planet? Plus: what on earth is happening in Greenland?...

Delay, Deny, Derail: Inside the fossil fuel lobby’s playbook at COPs

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How have fossil fuel lobbyists become so embedded in the COP system, and how can we disrupt their involvement in domestic and international politics? ...

Behind the Scenes at Kyoto: Drama and diplomacy on the world stage

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What did it take to get nearly 200 nations to agree on tackling climate change in 1997? And what have we learned in the decades since?In this episode,...

Canada's Climate Crossroads: Will Carney deliver real progress?

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is Canada a climate leader or a fossil-fueled dinosaur? And what will the recent ascension of Mark Carney as Prime Minister mean for the country’s c...

Justice for the Planet: The case for climate litigation

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can the law be used to champion human rights, drive progress and fight for climate justice? Paul Dickinson is joined by Laura Clarke, CEO of Clien...

Why ignoring women endangers the climate | International Women's Day 2025

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are women the key to solving the climate crisis? Why are they - and children - so disproportionately affected by the issue? And how can men step up to...

Can philanthropy fill the hole left by USAID?

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Development programmes across the world are still reeling from the swingeing cuts to USAID, whilst other western nations such as the UK and Germany ha...

Inside Costa Rica’s Climate Fight: Can the nation hold on to its green ideas?

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does a nation transform its forest coverage from 21% to 60% in half a century? What are the policies that can place nature at the very heart of po...

Beyond Trump: The new frontlines for climate action

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the future of climate action? Having previously interrogated the failures of multilateralism in the years since the Paris Agreement was signed...

How big oil is holding back progress on the Paris Climate Agreement

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Christiana Figueres, the driving force behind the groundbreaking Paris Climate Agreement, reflects on the high-stakes negotiations that reshaped the g...

Confused about climate? The essential terms you need to know

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What’s an NDC? What does El Niño tell us about global temperatures this year? And why could a landmark ICJ ruling unlock a wave of climate legal ca...

What does Trump 2.0 mean for climate?

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What will a Trump presidency mean for the climate movement? Hours after Trump takes office for the second time, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac...

LA fires and the top climate stories to watch in 2025

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The devastating fires in LA have dominated the headlines in a dramatic start to 2025. Christiana Figueres,Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson discuss...

Reintroducing… Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Outrage + Optimism is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. Feeling exhausted at the thought of keeping up with c...

278. Pets, Preppers and Personal Carbon Budgets

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can you reduce the environmental impact of your cat or dog? What’s the best way to prepare for climate breakdown? And how should you talk to c...

277. Trump and Climate Populism with Ben Rhodes

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Rhodes—writer, political commentator, and former Deputy National Security Advisor under President Obama—joins the host team to dissect the c...

276. Action On Plastic Pollution with Ellen MacArthur

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Christiana, Tom and Paul tackle the latest on the global plastics treaty (known as INC-5), which ended last week without a deal. Why were...

275. COP29 Conclusions

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the team dives into the dramatic highs and lows of COP29 in Baku. With negotiations stretching into the final hours, a hard-fought finance ...

274. COP29: From Billions to Trillions - G20 Calls for Ambition in Climate Finance

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our hosts talk about what’s been happening - and not happening - in Rio and Baku. Christiana clarifies the mandate of COPs  and advocate...

273. COP29 Live: Bigger, Better, Bolder. Updating NDCs in Line with 1.5C

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live from COP29 in the UK Pavilion in Baku, Bigger, Better, Bolder: Updating NDCs in Line with 1.5 Degrees captures an energetic dialogue on ...

272. COP29 Live: From Call to Action with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded Live at the UK COP Pavilion and moderated by Tom, ‘From Call to Action: the Bridgetown Initiative and delivering Global Financial System Re...

271. Getting Nature on the Balance Sheet

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Paul and Tom are joined by Tony Goldner, from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. Tony helps make sense of what happened...

270. What Does This Trump Presidency Mean for Climate?

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the news of Donald Trump’s 2024 US election victory makes headlines around the world, Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson u...

269. COP16: Making Peace with Nature?

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Christiana has a fascinating window into the Biodiversity COP negotiations underway in Colombia. From Cali, she’s joined by Freya Newman ...

268. Rewilding The World with Ben Goldsmith and Stephen Fry

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, as part of our focus on biodiversity during COP 16, we're excited to share a special crossover episode! In the first part of this exciting ...

267. The Rio Trio: A Cocktail of COPs

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our hosts dive into The Rio Trio! No, this is not the name of a new cocktail but three COPs (Biodiversity in Colombia, Climate in Azerbaija...