The Climate Question

Back in 2010, FIFA announced that the tiny country of Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup. It would be the first Middle Eastern country to do so. The tournament has seen thousands of fans travel to see it, with millions tuning in around the world. But it hasn’t been without controversy.The event’s organisers claimed that it would be the first fully carbon-neutral World Cup. A big new solar park was built, fleets of electric buses were released onto the roads and climate-friendly projects were set up to offset emissions.Some say that organisers are trying to do the right thing. But others are critical, arguing that emissions have been underestimated and that the carbon-neutral claim is misleading.This episode dives into the debate and asks if the 2022 World Cup was really as green as it seemed.Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Luke Jones are joined by: Rumaitha Al Busaidi, Omani football pundit and climate change activist Khaled Diab, Communications Director at not-for-profit Carbon Market Watch Zach Banzon, goalkeeper for Kaya FC in the Philippines and “Team Player” for We Play Green Peter Ball, Journalist, BBC World Service Josephine Moulds, Reporter at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism Producers: Lilly Freeston and Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

The ecosystems of the land and ocean absorb around half our planet warming emissions. But these are being destroyed by human activity. At the same time, climate change is a primary driver of the destruction of these habitats and biodiversity loss. If biodiversity is our strongest natural defence against climate change (as it’s been described), what’s stopping us from doing more to protect it?As the big global biodiversity conference (COP15) gets underway in Montreal, Canada, presenters Sophie Eastaugh and Luke Jones are joined by a panel, including Victoria Gill, BBC science correspondent at COP15 in Montreal; Felipe Zapata, a Colombian botanist at UCLA; Marcela Fernandez from conservation NGO Cumbres Blancas; Akanksha Khatri, Head of Nature Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com.Researcher: Frances Read Producer: Georgia Coan Editor: Bridget Harney

What we eat has a massive impact on global warming. Meat and dairy are among the biggest drivers of the climate crisis - creating more planet-warming emissions than all the cars in the world. As we all try to reduce our carbon footprints, it’s not surprising that the global market for meat alternatives that come from soy or pea protein is growing at a huge rate. In fact it’s estimated that by the end of the decade it will be worth nearly 20 times what it was in 2018. But are these meat substitutes as good for the planet as we’d like to think? Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Simon Maybin are joined by: Reporter: Paul Furley BBC Radio Gloucestershire Dale Vince, Chair of Forest Green Rovers, UK Gustavo Guadagnini, Director of the Good Food Institute in Brazil Dr Ximena Schmidt, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Brunel University, UK Nick Jacobs, Director of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Georgia Coan Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

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 SheikhEmail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.comProducers: 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

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

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 and Science journalist; Joe Curtin, managing director, power and 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 Presenters: Neal Razzell and Graihagh Jackson Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Producers: Sophie Eastaugh and Georgia Coan

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

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

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 campaignerEmail 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

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 Plus an interview with Hannah Ritchie from Our World In Data, on plans put forward by the New Zealand Government to tax cow burps. 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