People often ask whether there are any quick fixes to the climate crisis — easy wins that could cut emissions without waiting decades. This week, The Climate Question does something a little different.

Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar stage an imaginary cabinet meeting, with three “ministers” competing to deliver the biggest climate impact in just five years. Climate scientist and YouTuber Adam Levy pitches methane cuts in food and farming. Radhika Khosla, an urban climatologist and adviser to national governments, argues building smarter and reducing air conditioning are the fastest levers. And Jordan steps into the role of Transport Minister to make the case for buses, bikes and less traffic.

Together, they explore whether these quick fixes are enough — and why, if they’re so effective, they aren’t already happening.

Guests: Radhika Khosla – Associate Professor, University of Oxford Adam Levy – Climate Scientist and creator of ClimateAdam

Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Dafydd Evans, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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 food they eat to where their waste and bodies end up, whales help move carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean, where it can be locked away for centuries.

This week, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore what whales can tell us about climate change – and how warming seas may be affecting them in return. They speak to Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent, about new research analysing Antarctic seabed samples to trace how whale populations influence long-term carbon storage.

They also hear from Helen Czerski, physicist, oceanographer and author of Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, about one of the most surprising scientific records of all: whale earwax – and how it reveals stress levels in the changing oceans.

Guests: Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent Helen Czerski, Professor of the Environment and Society, University College London

Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, James Piper, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

We answer YOUR climate questions – on everything from “green” careers to ice cores to the world’s electricity challenge!

In this edition of The Climate Question, Host Graihagh Jackson explores your climate-related headscratchers. Her panel chat about the new jobs that will open up as the world economy moves away from fossil fuels – and the skills that will be needed.

They also discuss the dangers of nitrous oxide – a planet-warming gas, but also crucial for the fertilisers that help feed us. And have you ever wondered how scientists actually date the ice cores they dig out of glaciers. Some of them are 100,000s of years old!

Plus: the controversial scientists who’ve won the Nobel Prize, and is there anywhere on Earth that’s untouched by humans?

Host: Graihagh Jackson Guests: BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, BBC CrowdScience Presenter Caroline Steel, and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg Senior Climate Reporter and Host of the Bloomberg Green podcast.

Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Graihagh Jackson, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Storms, cyclones and flooding in South East Asia have killed close to 2000 people, devastating communities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Scientists warn climate change is reshaping weather patterns, increasing the risk of heavier rainfall and more destructive floods in the future.

With many densely populated cities sinking and built on flood-prone land, the region is particularly vulnerable. But experts say there are bold ideas and solutions that could help reduce the risks and save lives.

In this special collaboration between The Climate Question and the new BBC World Service podcast Asia Specific, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar join host Mariko Oi to explore what made the floods so deadly — and what can be done in the future.

Sound engineer: Tom Brignell Editors: Bill Birtles and Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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 dramatic ocean voyages? Maybe fish or coral reefs?

In this edition of The Climate Question, Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore how our oceans are even more important than you might imagine. They help put the brakes on climate change and regulate our weather - even in faraway deserts. They provide food, and even influence the rise of great civilisations, like Ancient Egypt.

Graihagh and Jordan are joined by oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski, author of Blue Machine, How the Ocean Shapes Our World. Helen also chats about the challenges of trying to collect data at sea during huge storms.

Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar Production team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Grace Braddock Sound mix: Ben Andrews and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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 which could reach 9 trillion dollars worldwide by 2030. One small country which is grabbing this opportunity is Hungary. Located in the heart of Europe but with a population of under 10 million, it’s becoming one of the top battery producers globally for electric cars.

This transition is bringing billions of euros of investment into the Hungarian economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs. One city in particular – Debrecen – the country’s second biggest, is becoming an epi-centre for battery production. The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar has been to Debrecen to find out who’s benefitting from the green gold rush. He speaks to local people and businesses about their hopes and fears as their city is transformed.

This programme was first broadcast in February 2025.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producers in Hungary: Ellie House and Balint Bardi Producer in London: Caroline Bayley Sound Designer: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

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 Belem, with torrential rains and floods, protests and even a fire. A deal has finally been done but it’s divisive and has left many wondering whether we'll really avoid the worst effects of a warming world.

Join Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson as they take a deep dive into the results of the negotiations and find out what they mean.

The BBC’s Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt joins us from Brazil. Plus, our panel of experts discuss the future of climate action.

Guests: Adil Najam, Professor of International Relations and Environment at the Pardee School, USA David Victor, Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at the University of California, USA Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands

Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Jordan Dunbar, Grace Braddock, Melanie Stewart-Smith, Steven Bailey Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering from the early 1990s until his death in 2005.

Some of those who saw Pearlman operate in Kyoto, where the first legally binding international agreement on climate change was agreed in 1997, say he created the playbook for stalling climate talks. The Kyoto protocol was never ratified by the United States, and Pearlman is now the subject of a major play, Kyoto, which has just transferred from London to the Lincoln Center in New York.

As the COP30 climate summit takes place in Brazil, Climate Question Host Jordan Dunbar has been telling our friends on The Global Story podcast the true story of the man once nicknamed "the high priest of the carbon club".

With episodes each weekday, The Global Story is where the world and America meet. The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it. With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption.

For The Global Story podcast

Producers: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

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 people. But now, after centuries of burning coal, oil and gas, it's in the atmosphere at levels that alarm scientists.

In this episode of The Climate Question, Graihagh Jackson speaks to Peter Brannen, science journalist and author of The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything, and Esme Stallard, BBC climate and science reporter.

They explore what makes this tiny molecule so powerful, how it has driven ice ages and mass extinctions, why the story of CO2 is the story of human progress — and what might come next.

Host: Graihagh Jackson Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Graihagh Jackson, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Ben Andrews Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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

But what does it actually take to make it happen? How do you feed, transport and house 80,000 people, while trying to keep global negotiations on track?

The Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar talk to Helen Wright, who helped deliver COP26 in Glasgow and COP28 in Dubai, to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

From keeping the meeting rooms at exactly 21.5°C to managing thousands of journalists, politicians and protesters, Helen shares what it’s really like to build a temporary city devoted to climate action.

We also hear from Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi on whether all that effort actually changes global climate policy — and what’s on the cards for COP30 to be held in the Brazilian Amazon.

Guests: Helen Wright – Former Head of Delivery, COP26; now Event Director at Identity Group Akshat Rathi – Senior Climate Reporter, Bloomberg News, and host of the Zero podcast

Production team: Jordan Dunbar, Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Ben Andrews Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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 of plant and animal life found nowhere else. But it’s also a region rich in sought-after resources — gold, iron ore, bauxite, coffee and rubber — and vast areas of forest have been cleared for cattle and soy production. Scientists warn that deforestation and climate change are drying the region, fuelling fires, and risking a dangerous tipping point when the rainforest can no longer sustain itself and begins to release more carbon than it absorbs. This week, hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar ask why we need the Amazon, what would happen if it disappeared, and what can still be done to protect it. They speak to a Brazilian ecologist who has spent two decades studying the forest and the fires that threaten it. Guest: Dr Erika Berenguer, Senior Research Associate, University of Oxford and Lancaster University

Producers: Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Jordan Dunbar, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell, Dave O'Neil Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt travels to Somalia to investigate the links between global warming and the decades-long conflict there. He hears how Somalis are responding by launching businesses and their own renewables industry. This programme was first broadcast in 2024.

Presenter: Justin Rowlatt Producer in Somalia: Stuart Phillips Producers in London: Miho Tanaka, Sara Hegarty Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and David Crackles Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Mumbai is India’s economic engine, but every rainy season this megacity comes to a virtual standstill as torrential rains flood streets, homes and transport networks. In 2005, Mumbai faced one of its worst floods on record – and experts warn that climate change could make future rainfall even more intense.

This week, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore what’s happening with Mumbai and the mighty monsoon – and how a city of more than 20 million people can adapt to a wetter, more unpredictable future.

They hear from BBC Marathi correspondent Janhavee Moole and Zerin Osho, Director of the India Programme at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, about the challenges to India’s financial capital.

Guests: Janhavee Moole, BBC Marathi Zerin Osho, Director, India Programme, Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development

Production Team: Jordan Dunbar, Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Joe McCartney, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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?

In a programme first broadcast in 2024, 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 Sound Design: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

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, preserve precious clues about our changing climate and records such as rainfall, temperature and greenhouse gases, even volcanic eruptions. But what can the past tell us about the future?

Host Graihagh Jackson hears from two ice core experts about their icy adventures in Antarctica, the Himalayas and beyond.

Dr Liz Thomas is Head of Ice Cores Research at the British Antarctic Survey and is currently working on an ice core that may be the oldest ever.

Lonnie Thompson is a pioneer in the field whose first ice core finds date back to the 1970s. He is Distinguished University Professor of Earth Sciences. Senior Research Scientist, Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University. Professor Thompson also appears in a documentary called The Canary.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producers: Diane Richardson and Nik Sindle Production coordinator: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck Sound mix: Tom Brignell and Louis Griffin Editor: Simon Watts

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 disclosure, she’s a geologist and is thoroughly perplexed by the lack of uptake. Geothermal is renewable, reliable and abundant and yet, less than 1% of the world’s energy is generated from it. Host Graihagh Jackson hears about a team in Iceland who hope to "super-charge" geothermal power by drilling directly into volcanic magma. And she travels to Germany to visit Vulcan Energy, a company which is combining geothermal with extracting one of the world's most sought-after metals: Lithium. Plus, our reporter in Indonesia tells Graihagh about local opposition to some geothermal power plants. The programme was first broadcast in 2024. Got a question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Host: Graihagh Jackson Reporter in Indonesia: Johanes Hutabarat Producer: Osman Iqbal Sound Mix: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Graihagh Jackson and the BBC’s former Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar investigate how extreme heat, fuelled by climate change, is affecting pregnant women in India. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Tulip hears the heart-breaking stories of some of the women affected and explores simple solutions that would make their work in scorching agricultural fields safer. The programme was first broadcast in 2024. Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Produced by Sophie Eastaugh, Graihagh Jackson and Camilla Horrox Editor: Sophie Eastaugh Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and James Beard Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown

When people talk about tipping points in the climate, it’s usually bad news – the irreversible melting of ice sheets or the collapse of rainforests. But could there be positive tipping points too, moments where climate solutions break through and spread rapidly?

Tim Lenton, Professor of Climate Change at the University of Exeter and author of Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis, says it’s already happening – from the dramatic rise of renewable energy to the surge in electric vehicles. He explains how in Norway, the 80s pop band A-Ha played a crucial role in making EVs mainstream.

So, could positive tipping points hold the key to addressing the climate crisis? Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar speak to Professor Lenton about how positive tipping points happen and what we can learn from them. Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production Team: Jonathan Baker, Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Diane Richardson, Sabine Schereck and Nik Sindle Editor: Simon Watts

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 electricity, stalling progress and holding back people’s lives. But change may be coming — thanks to a surge in solar imports from China.

New data from energy think tank EMBER shows a 60% jump in solar panel shipments to Africa in the past year. If installed, they could generate 15 GW — nearly doubling Africa’s current solar capacity.

It’s not just the biggest energy users like South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria. Countries like Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola, and Ethiopia have tripled their imports.

So, is this the start of a solar-powered revolution on the continent?

Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar speak to Dr Rose Mutiso, Science Advisor at the Energy for Growth Hub and Founder of the African Tech Futures Lab.

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production Team: Jordan Dunbar, Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock, Chris Gouzaris and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

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.

This programme was first broadcast in 2024.

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

Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com