The Climate Question

What's it like being a Chief Heat Officer?

29 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed so-called Chief Heat Officers to try to improve their response to record-breaking...

Can better buses fix city pollution?

22 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and in cities around the world it is also one of the biggest daily frustr...

Q&A: Beavers, solar panels in the Sahara and nuclear waste

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Climate Question panel answer your queries. Do beavers protect the planet? Should we put solar panels in deserts? And why does the world need to u...

What's the climate cost of war?

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

War leaves a visibile trail of destruction: lives and families devastated, homes and communities reduced to rubble. But there is also a climate cost ...

Is cutting methane the quick way to cool the planet?

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide and emissions are still rising. So what can we do to tackle the human-made sources of this greenhous...

China's green energy revolution

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

China is installing solar panels and wind turbines so fast that its greenhouse gases emissions may now have peaked. If this trend is confirmed, it wou...

What can we do to reduce black carbon?

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

First broadcast in 2024. Graihagh Jackson finds out about the little know pollutant making us sick and driving the climate crisis. It commonly com...

Can winter sports survive a warming world?

08 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Winter sport depends on one thing that is becoming less reliable each year: snow. As temperatures rise, glaciers are retreating, seasons are shifting,...

What is climate anxiety and how can you cope with it?

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, dread and powerlessness are some of the many emotions associated with what’s called climate anxiety. A global surve...

How hot could the planet get?

25 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We know the planet is getting hotter because of human-induced climate change. But just how hot could it get?In this show, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan ...

Could ancient rice seeds help fight climate change?

18 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight the growing impact of flooding, soil salinity and drought.The BBC’...

Are SUVs becoming a climate problem?

11 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Across the world, cars are getting taller, wider and heavier. Sports Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, now dominate global car sales, and the trend has conti...

Are there any quick fixes to the climate crisis?

04 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

People often ask whether there are any quick fixes to the climate crisis — easy wins that could cut emissions without waiting decades. This week, Th...

What can whales tell us about climate change?

28 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whales are among the largest animals to have ever lived – and scientists are discovering they also play a big role in the climate system. From the f...

Your Questions: The jobs of the future, nitrous oxide, ice cores

20 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We answer YOUR climate questions – on everything from “green” careers to ice cores to the world’s electricity challenge! In this edition of Th...

What made the floods in South East Asia so deadly?

14 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Storms, cyclones and flooding in South East Asia have killed close to 2000 people, devastating communities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and T...

What does the ocean do for us and the planet?

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do you think of when you think about our oceans? Maybe you see a picture of our planet with a big patch of blue? Maybe you think about storms or ...

Who wins in the electric vehicles transition?

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market ...

How can the world speed up climate action?

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can the world speed up its efforts to fight climate change? It’s been a dramatic fortnight at the COP climate summit in the Amazonian city of Be...

The oil lobbyist who tried to sink the first big climate deal

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering fr...

How does carbon dioxide shape our world?

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carbon dioxide is a molecule so important it has shaped life on Earth for billions of years. Without it, there would be no plants, no oceans, no peopl...

COP: Is this the world’s toughest event to organise?

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, tens of thousands of people — from world leaders to activists to celebrities— gather for one of the world’s most ambitious meetings:...

Why does the Amazon matter?

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Amazon is probably the most famous rainforest on Earth. It’s home to Indigenous communities, one of the world's biggest rivers and a diversity o...

Somalia: Where climate change meets conflict

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt travels to Somalia to investigate the links between global warming and the decades-long conflict there. He hears how...

Can Mumbai cope with a changing monsoon?

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mumbai is India’s economic engine, but every rainy season this megacity comes to a virtual standstill as torrential rains flood streets, homes and t...

Can we build better cities for mental health and the climate?

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ri...

What do ice cores tells us about climate change?

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What can ice cores tell us about the atmosphere millions of years ago? These cylinders of ice, drilled from glaciers and ice sheets around the world...

Why don’t we use more geothermal energy?

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Geothermal energy is renewable, reliable and powerful. So, why is most of it untapped? That’s what our listener, Anna in the UK, wants to know. Full...

How does extreme heat affect pregnancy?

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Graihagh Jackson and the BBC’s former Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar investigate how extreme heat, fuelled by climate change, is affecti...

Will the switch to green technology become unstoppable?

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When people talk about tipping points in the climate, it’s usually bad news – the irreversible melting of ice sheets or the collapse of rainforest...

Will there be a solar power boom in Africa?

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Africa gets a world beating amount of sunshine — but has just 1% of the world’s solar panels. Over half the continent still lives without electric...

Are wetlands our secret weapon in fighting climate change?

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

Can we build a world where hurricanes can't kill?

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated America’s Gulf coast and overwhelmed the city of New Orleans. The destruction and the response to the...

Is Brazil doing enough to protect the Amazon?

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week Host Graihagh Jackson grabs a chat with the BBC’s correspondents in two countries that will shape our future climate. Brazil is about to h...

How do we fight the risks of melting glaciers?

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is melting thousands of glaciers in the Himalayas and having a devastating impact on the people who live there. In 2024, the BBC's Caro...

Bill Gates: Why I'm a climate optimist

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Gates, the tech billionaire turned philanthropist, has been combating poverty, disease, and inequity around the world for decades. However, in re...

How do we save the world's small islands?

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From coral reefs and mangroves to raising the land itself, how small island nations are using natural and innovative techniques to adapt to rising sea...

Is the race for rare earths good for the planet?

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rare earths have been described as the oil of the 21st century, incredibly valuable both economically and in the fight against climate change. There's...

Will climate change affect my holiday?

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Could changing weather patterns due to climate change make a difference to where and when we travel, or to the cost of our holidays? It was the hotte...

Why are electric scooters, mopeds and rickshaws booming?

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 elect...

How could climate change affect my health?

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is having major health impacts around the world - which are only expected to increase as our planet gets warmer. These impacts range fr...

Your Questions Answered

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Climate Question panel discuss how to make homes - and ships - better for the climate. Plus, what about our own carbon footprints? And are oceans ...

Why are our tropical forests disappearing faster than ever and what can we do about It?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tropical rainforests cover around 6% of our planet, yet they're home to more than half of the world’s species. They're also one of our planet’s mo...

Could the oceans help us save our planet?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

David Attenborough's new documentary argues that our oceans have been underexplored and undervalued. Could protecting our seas not only help biodivers...

Can nature help us to store carbon?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Around the world, scientists and entrepreneurs are pouring billions into researching new ways of storing carbon dioxide. We look at a scheme in India ...

Can the past teach us how to fight climate change?

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is making weather more extreme and threatening crops and wildlife. But could old solutions help us tackle these challenges? Around the ...

What makes a good climate novel?

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new climate fiction prize has been launched in the UK, with the aim of spreading awareness about climate change and its solutions. But is that a rea...

Will the new Pope be a climate campaigner?

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Will Pope Leo continue the Catholic Church's work on fighting global warming? And how influential might he be? Graihagh Jackson investigates.Guests: C...

Trump and the planet: The first 100 days

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has made sweeping changes to America's policies on climate since being sworn in 100 days ago. He has announced plans to "unleash" Amer...

Are dams still worth it?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hydroelectricity is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy, and dams have long been a popular - if controversial - way to fast-track develop...

Could a love of nature bring out the eco-hero in you?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A growing body of scientific evidence from across the globe suggests that a love of nature could inspire us to be more sustainable – something scien...

How can we cut the world’s shipping emissions?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the UN's shipping body, the International Maritime Organization, meets to decide on a pivotal levy that will tax ships for using polluting fuels, h...

How is climate change affecting motherhood?

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Graihagh Jackson talks to mothers from India, Kenya and the UK about how climate change is affecting women's decisions about whether to have children ...

Your Questions Answered

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Graihagh Jackson and guests tackle more of your intriguing questions: Why do we use big wind turbines instead of small ones? Can petrol and diesel veh...

How do you stop a megacity going under water?

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bangkok is a mega city of more than 10 million people, the economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia and one of the world’s most visited cities. Billio...

Can I save money and save the planet?

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Elon Musk and science, and polar bear encounters

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Reporter Esme Stallard discuss the latest news from around the world - including a row at Britain's prestigious Royal...

Why are some countries fighting extreme cold?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is usually associated with hotter weather, but experts say that in Mongolia it's making the country's cold snaps even harsher. Can Mong...

How can we build mental resilience to climate change?

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can we protect our mental health from climate change related trauma? Can family, friends and community help to boost recovery and resilience in p...

Who wins in the electric vehicles transition?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market ...

Is Climate Change ruining your relationship?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Grace and Kisilu's Story

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Musya family from rural Kenya have become the stars of two documentaries, inspiring audiences around the world with their efforts to fight the imp...

Your questions answered: The speed of global warming; space junk; advice for kids

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate Question listeners take over the programme again, putting their queries to Graihagh Jackson and her panel: BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, ...

Could ancient rice seeds help fight climate change?

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight flooding, increasing soil salinity and drought. The BBC’s William...

News update: The Earth breaches its temperature target

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2024, the global temperature was more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Report Esme Stallard consider ...

How is climate change affecting animal migration?

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, the great migration sees hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, zebras and antelopes migrate from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania...

Review of the year 2024

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From elections around the world to records in both temperatures and renewable energy, 2024 has been jam-packed with extreme weather and climate news. ...

Quiz of the Year 2024

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As 2024 draws to a close, join Graihagh Jackson as she hosts The Climate Question’s inaugural Quiz of the Year. Two teams battle it out – with que...

Climate change and plastic - what's the connection?

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Plastics are everywhere – for good reason – they're cheap, abundant and can go into a myriad of different products from food packaging to vital me...

What do melting glaciers mean for the Himalayas?

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is melting thousands of glaciers in the Himalayas and having a devastating impact on the people who live there. The BBC's Caroline Davi...

Was the COP climate summit a success?

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For two weeks, nearly 200 countries have been in Azerbaijan trying to come to an agreement on climate change and how to finance the transition to clea...

How does climate change affect me?

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In his latest climate change 101, Jordan Dunbar looks at how climate change affects our everyday lives. He discusses the impact on our weather with BB...

What do developing nations want from the big climate summit?

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Cyclone Freddy swept through Malawi, it left 100s of thousands of people destitute. Now, survivors are among the first in the world to receive a ...

What progress have we made on fighting climate change?

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In his latest climate change 101, Jordan Dunbar looks at the world's success stories. These include the rise of renewable energy, greener urban planni...

The Climate Question x Global News Podcast: Listeners Questions Special

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a special programme, The Climate Question join forces with The Global News Podcast to tackle listeners' climate questions from around the world. ...

Trump wins: What does it mean for the climate?

09 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How will the US election result alter climate policy at home and abroad? Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar hear from BBC Environment Correspondent Ma...

How is climate misinformation evolving?

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate science and reporting are vital to understanding how our climate is changing and what we can do about it. But false information about climate ...

Should we put a price on nature?

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone who steps outside can appreciate the value that the natural world brings to our lives. To some people, the idea of placing a monetary value o...

Your questions answered: The value of trees, "black" oxygen, AI's carbon footprint

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate Question listeners take over the programme again with their head-scratchers. Graihagh Jackson and her panel: Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate edito...

Is the climate on the ballot at the US election?

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The southern US state of Georgia has received billions of dollars in investment in clean technology, creating tens of thousands of jobs at solar power...

Why don’t we use more geothermal energy?

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Geothermal energy is renewable, reliable and powerful. So, why is most of it untapped? That’s what our listener, Anna in the UK, wants to know. Full...

What's it like like losing your home to the sea?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Experts predict that millions of people around the world will have to migrate by 2050 because of sea level rise linked to climate change. How will the...

News update: Sea level rise, Mexico's "green" president, Ivory Coast's chocolate crisis

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations has just published a worrying new report about the rate of sea level rise in the Pacific. BBC climate reporter Esme Stallard talks ...

Somalia: Where climate change meets conflict

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt travels to Somalia to investigate the links between global warming and the decades-long conflict there. He hears how...

What’s the future of wine in a warming world?

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is transforming wine production around the world. New wine-growing regions are emerging, where the conditions have never been better; w...

Why is climate change fuelling child marriage?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Extreme weather, such as droughts and storms, is increasing the risk of more girls being pushed into child marriage. Graihagh Jackson speaks to girls ...

Can bringing back nature save our cities from floods?

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Engineers across the globe, from China to East Africa and the US, are turning to a new, nature-based solutions to fight floods, which are becoming mor...

Your questions answered: Geo-engineering; keeping houses cool; the climate powers of sharks

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Presenter Graihagh Jackson and her regular panel take Climate Questions from listeners. BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, Prof Tamsin Edwards of King...

How are Afghans fighting climate change?

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change has been tightening its grip on the people of Afghanistan, with flood after flood and drought after drought. It’s considered one of t...

The Climate Question meets People Fixing The World

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special programme, the Climate Question team join forces with our World Service colleagues from People Fixing The World to share some of our f...

Can Science Fiction help us fight climate change?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The acclaimed US sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson is also a star in the world of climate activism because his work often features climate change - o...

What do this year's election results mean for our warming world?

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the world's biggest carbon emitters - including the EU, India and Indonesia - have just had elections. Will the results change their climate p...

Can technology fight flooding in cities?

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With more and more people moving to cities, informal settlements are expected to grow. When floods hit these unplanned places, it can be disastrous, a...

What can we do to reduce black carbon?

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This little-known pollutant is making us sick and driving the climate crisis. It commonly comes from burning coal, diesel or wood and has a habit of g...

How are athletes adapting to extreme heat?

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Paris Olympics are less than a month away. The last games in Tokyo were one of the hottest on record, with more than a hundred athletes suffering ...

How do you negotiate a good climate deal?

23 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a new play depicts the landmark global climate change agreement, the Kyoto protocol, Jordan Dunbar has a front row seat. He heads to the historic E...

Why is defending forests so deadly?

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Someone dies every other day protecting the environment, according to data gathered by the campaign group, Global Witness. Even higher numbers of peop...

Are we spending enough on renewable energy?

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 lat...

Is lab-grown meat better for the planet?

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Your questions answered: Climate change for kids, solar power, music for plants

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Graihagh Jackson is joined by her regular panel to answer climate-related questions from listeners. BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Prof Tamsin Edw...