Zero: The Climate Race

How the Iran war will reshape the future of energy

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, global energy markets have been frenetic, prices swinging up and down with each new headline. Even with the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz reopening, prices of oil and gas have risen around the world, and we’re starting to see impacts on local economies, particularly in Asia. This week on Zero, Bloomberg opinion columnist David Fickling explains what those impacts are, and how they may reshape Asia’s energy systems for decades to come.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate tech makes Europe more resilient to Iran War shocks

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Will the Iran War finally be the moment where countries move to renewables en masse, or will they rely more heavily on fossil fuels? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Aurore Belfrage, a tech investor, geopolitical risk advisor, and sustainability strategist, to look at how the energy investment landscape is changing with a fresh war in the Middle East, and how climate tech is making countries more resilient.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's Why: The Iran war resets the energy transition

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Here's Why is Bloomberg’s short explainer podcast, where we take one big news story and break it down in just a few minutes with help from our experts across the newsroom.

We're dropping into your feed with a special episode featuring Akshat Rathi, who joined us to discuss why the Iran war is making a new argument for renewable energy.

The war in the Middle East has roiled oil and gas markets. The unrest and price spikes are making countries look again at renewable energy like solar and wind — produced at home and insulated from external tensions. But experts warn that the picture is more complicated.

Like what you hear? Subscribe to the Here’s Why podcast for more quick, expert-driven explainers available via the links below every Friday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zack Polanski’s plan to tax billionaires and make energy affordable

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Zack Polanski is challenging the notion that you can’t be Green and a popular politician. Since he became the leader of the UK’s Green Party in September 2025, he has run a campaign that’s pushed his party ahead of the incumbent Labour Party and opposition Conservative Party in some polls. It’s a remarkable rise in a short span of time – how did he pull it off and what will he do if the Green Party gets into power?

Find more:

Watch this interview on YouTube
Zack Polanski Is Making the Once-Fringe Greens a Political Force — Bloomberg

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Oscar Boyd and Jessica Beck. The video version was edited by Meaghan Olsen. Our theme music is composed by Wonderly. Special thanks to the Bloomberg TV team, Isobel Finkel, Olivia Rudgard, Lucy White, Ellen Miligan, Sommer Saadi, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: The energy crisis is speeding up clean tech adoption worldwide

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:30:00 +0000

As the war with Iran drags out and oil prices remain turbulent, it raises the question of whether — and how — prolonged conflict in the Middle East might impact global fossil fuel dependence and the future of renewable energy.

This week on Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Todd Woody and Zero podcast host Akshat Rathi join Sarah Holder to discuss early signs that the high cost of oil is reigniting consumer interest in electronic vehicles and other clean energy technologies, and how companies and countries are beginning to respond.

Explore more:

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Todd Woody and Akshat Rathi; Edited by Tracey Samuelson. Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of climate science without US support

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is responsible for collating our shared scientific understanding of how global warming is impacting the planet. But the body now faces a challenge after the US withdrew funding for its scientists to participate. Professor Jim Skea, who chairs the IPCC, joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to talk about the body’s future, whether the organisation can survive the US pullback, and what questions the next set of reports are going to answer.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Olivia Rudgard, Eric Roston, Sommer Saadi, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Everywhere I looked, climate change bled’ Abi Daré on writing fiction: Imagine series

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of Zero’s Imagine series, Akshat Rathi is joined by Abi Daré, winner of the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize. Abi is the bestselling author of And So I Roar, which tells the story of the teenager Adunni as she confronts superstition, lack of education and the impacts of climate change on the rural communities of Nigeria. Abi joins Zero to talk about the role climate change plays in her storytelling, and how she has seen Nigeria adopt climate solutions as it develops rapidly.

Explore further:

Abi Daré’s website: https://abidareauthor.com/
The Climate Fiction Prize: https://climatefictionprize.co.uk/

Past episodes in the Imagine series:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

War with Iran is a nightmare for oil and gas. What does it mean for clean energy?

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Many consider a widespread war in the Middle East the worst-case scenario for the global oil and gas markets. That war is here, and it could have wide-ranging, long-lasting impacts on energy and climate policy. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and former energy and climate advisor to President Barack Obama to try to understand what those impacts could look like. Will countries double down on fossil fuels or will they speed up the clean-energy transition?

Links and more:

For all of Bloomberg's coverage of Iran, visit: https://www.bloomberg.com/uk
What the War With Iran Means for Renewable Energy Deployment

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lessons to avoid societal collapse, from 5,000 years of history

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Societal collapses happen more often than you think, and there’s much we can learn from the past to avoid or, at least, delay another one.

This week’s guest on Zero is Luke Kemp, author of Goliath's Curse, which draws lessons from the rise and fall of societies over 5,000 years of human history. Akshat Rathi asks Luke whether our current moment — with climate change and AI — makes us uniquely vulnerable to societal collapse or more resilient than we might think.

Explore further:

Luke’s book, Goliath’s Curse
The MOROS database

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Sponsored Content) Evolving Money: Blue Chip Meets Blockchain

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Crypto has become increasingly integrated into the financial system, from the use of stablecoins for payments, to the trading of tokenized equities on blockchains, to the adoption of crypto holdings by corporate treasuries. We explore how PNC Bank, one of the first movers in this space, has been expanding access to crypto and the challenges it has had to overcome.

This episode is sponsored by Coinbase.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethiopia’s fossil fuel car ban is a vision of the future

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:15:00 +0000

In 2024, Ethiopia did something revolutionary. It banned the import of fossil fuel cars and cut tariffs on electric vehicles. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with producer Oscar Boyd and Ethiopia-based EV entrepreneur Yuma Sasaki about the EV boom that ensued and what that tells us about the growth of EVs in rapidly developing countries like Ethiopia.

Read more:

Electric Vehicle Sales Boom as Ethiopia Bans Fossil-Fuel Car Imports
Dodai's website: https://dodai.co

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Fasika Tadesse, Sommer Saadi, Laura Millan, and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do artists have a duty to be political? Imagine series

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

How can music be used to communicate the climate crisis and its solutions? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Julia Wolfe about her recent work, unEarth, which explores climate change and habitat loss through orchestra, voice and poetry. Wolfe discusses how she did her research, captured the clash between humanity and nature, and what the piece means at a time when her home country of the US seems to be moving ever further from climate action.

Listen to unEarth:

If you'd like to listen to the full performance of Julia Wolfe’s unEarth, it will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday, 12 February at 7.30pm UK time, and will be available on BBC Sounds, at least for those here in the UK, for the next month.

Explore further:

Julia Wolfe’s website: https://juliawolfemusic.com/
Past episodes in the Imagine series:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity is now holding back growth across the global economy

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Major economies around the world are grappling with electricity grids under stress from equipment bottlenecks and workforce shortages. What can be done to solve it? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power Systems, about distributed energy resources and their potential to bring electricity to where it is needed most — from energy-poor regions in the Global South, to energy-hungry data centres in rich countries.

Bottlenecks series:

George Saunders goes inside the mind of a climate denier: Imagine series

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

What is the best way to tell a climate story? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders. His new novel Vigil is an exploration of guilt, told on the deathbed of an oil executive haunted by ghosts.

Rathi asks Saunders what he learned about climate change, his thoughts on whether AI complements or compromises human creativity, and why literature still matters in the era of TikTok.

Explore further:

In ‘Vigil,’ George Saunders Asks: Can An Oil CEO Repent? — Bloomberg
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable — Amitav Ghosh

Other episodes in the Imagine series:

Building Monuments to the End of Oil — Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri
Abundance or Adequacy? Search for Better Climate Solutions — Sci-fi bestseller Kim Stanley Robinson

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Gautam Naik, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electrification – not decarbonization – is the climate story of 2026

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Decarbonizing energy is just one part of the climate story. The other half is electrifying as much as possible. That is why electrification, not decarbonization, is likely going to be the most important climate story of 2026.

Kingsmill Bond is a strategist at thinktank Ember and the author of a paper called the Electrotech Revolution. This week on Zero, Bond tells Akshat Rathi why he believes electrification is inevitable, and what happens to those that are left behind.

Explore further:

India Is Electrifying Faster Than China Using Cheap Green Tech
Read Ember's Electric Revolution report.
Read Ember's analysis of India's electrification.
Read Bloomberg's Bottlenecks series.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did we get climate finance all wrong?

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

For the last decade, since the Paris Agreement was signed, governments have been trying to nudge big financial players to move more money into climate solutions. The idea was to drive action through data disclosure and net-zero goals, but that hasn’t yielded the results they hoped for. Have we got our approach to climate finance wrong? Lisa Sachs, director of Columbia University’s Center on Sustainable Investment, makes the case this week on the Zero podcast.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Alastair Marsh, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America the bully becomes the supreme petrostate

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

President Donald Trump wants US companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil fields after the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

This week on Zero, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins Akshat Rathi to discuss why the US is acting like a petro bully, how countries can resist an increasingly aggressive Trump administration and why Democrats are making a mistake by shying away from talking about climate action.

Read more:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Jennifer Dlouhy, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abundance or adequacy? The search for better climate futures: Imagine series

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Kim Stanley Robinson’s life project has been imagining utopias. He’s a science-fiction writer best known in climate circles for writing Ministry For The Future, which depicts a future in which the world gets to grips with climate change following an extreme heat event that kills millions. Robinson joins Akshat Rathi this week on Zero to discuss how to create better futures and whether it’s right to pursue abundance.

Explore more of Kim Stanley Robinson on Zero:

Other episode in the Imagine series:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Update: Have China's emissions finally peaked?

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

This episode was originally recorded in July 2025, and updated in December 2025. Happy Holidays from the Zero team.

When exactly China’s emissions peak will make a big difference to the fate of the planet. That moment has come, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. A combination of factors – including a huge deployment of renewables and electrification of transport – has put China’s emissions into a structural decline. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Myllyvirta how confident he is that this really is a peak? What’s behind the decline in emissions? And how will the trade war with the US affect China’s climate and energy policies in the years to come?

Explore further:

Lauri's latest analysis for Carbon Brief.
Global Carbon Budget analysis.
Analysis: Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time - Carbon Brief
China Set to Reach Peak Emissions Before 2030, Ex-Official Says - Bloomberg
China’s Solar Industry Gathers as Gloom Deepens Over Demand — Bloomberg

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How cash-strapped Argentina became a bright spot for renewables

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Despite endless financial difficulties, Argentina has seen a remarkable increase in clean energy over the past decade. It has gone from practically zero to almost 18% of its electricity sourced from renewables. In doing so, Argentina has overcome a challenge faced by many countries that are considered uninvestable by major financial institutions.

Sebastian Kind, former undersecretary at the ministry of energy in Argentina, joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to tell the story of Argentina’s renewables blitz.

Explore further:

Sebastian’s organisation, RELP: https://www.relp.ngo/
Sebastian’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACC5KCPRt_U

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is this the end of Canada's climate ambitions?

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:59:03 +0000

When Canada elected Mark Carney as prime minister, there was hope that the country would pursue climate policies. That hope was crushed after Carney signed a deal with the oil-producing province of Alberta that will roll back or dilute green regulations.

As a result, Steven Guilbeault, Carney’s culture minister has resigned from cabinet. He was the environment minister under Justin Trudeau and responsible for many of the policies at risk. This week on Zero, Guilbeault tells Akshat Rathi why the Alberta deal was the last straw.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Danielle Bochove, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How China’s engineering mindset won the clean-tech race

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In his new book Breakneck, tech analyst Dan Wang argues China’s engineering mindset has given it an edge in all sorts of domains, including climate technologies, while America’s lawyerly mindset is holding it back. This week on Zero, Wang tells Akshat Rathi what the world can learn from China and how the US could start to compete on green tech in the future.

This episode was recorded as part of the SOSV Climate Tech Summit.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Australia: How Australia’s climate fight was rekindled

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Australia has suffered a major climate setback, losing its bid to host next year’s COP summit in Adelaide. At the same time, the Coalition has reignited Australia’s climate wars by abandoning its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 – a reversal that resets the political debate just as the world pushes for faster decarbonisation.

In this episode, Rebecca Jones asks Bloomberg’s David Stringer to unpack what the failed COP bid means for Australia’s international standing, how the Coalition’s shift could shape the next election and what renewed climate volatility means for investment, energy transition plans and ultimately your power bill.

Find more from the Bloomberg Australia Podcast here: https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts/series/bloomberg-australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate summits are working as they were designed: poorly

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:44:30 +0000

Over the last two weeks, tens of thousands of people took to the city of Belem, at the mouth of the Amazon river, for the annual United Nations climate summit: COP30.

Alongside tense negotiations, there were indigenous protests, daily rainstorms and even a fire at the COP venue. But at the end of it all, what did COP30 achieve? Bloomberg Green’s Jennifer Dlouhy joins Akshat Rathi on Zero, to share her takeaways.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Our theme music is composed by Wonderly. Special thanks to the COP30 team Amanda Hurley, Simon Casey, John Ainger, Jen Dlouhy, Fabiano Maisonnave, Daniel Carvalho, Vanessa Dezem and Dayanne Sousa. Thanks also to Anna Mazarakis, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen.

Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Gore: Fossil fuel companies are destabilizing democracy and environment

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Climate solutions are here, they’re just not evenly distributed. So says former US Vice President Al Gore, who remains staunchly optimistic that we can move faster to tackle climate change, even at a time of increasing political resistance in some parts of the world.

This week on Zero, Gore joins Akshat Rathi to discuss what it means to be a climate realist, the ways to move more finance to the countries that need it and how to tackle the tragedy of the horizon. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation between Gore and Rathi. Find Part 1 linked below.

Explore further:

Listen to Part 1 of the conversation
Al Gore Tells COP30 That the US May Have Reached ‘Peak Trump’

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to TED Countdown House, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Gore says 'We may have passed peak Trump'

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Former US Vice President Al Gore is one of the grandees of the climate world and knows just how much power America can wield on the international stage. So with President Trump on the warpath against climate action, how should other nations deal with an increasingly rogue US?

Gore joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to talk geopolitics, polarization, and energy-hungry artificial intelligence.

Explore further:

Listen to part 2 of the conversation.
Al Gore Says Trump’s Energy Policies Are a ‘Tragedy’ for the US

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exxon thinks it can count carbon better

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:34:38 +0000

Most oil company CEOs have turned their back on COP30, but not ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, who this year attended his third COP conference in a row.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Woods why Exxon is backing a new carbon accounting idea, what his plan is now that the Inflation Reduction Act has been gutted, and why Exxon wanted the US to stay in the Paris Agreement.

Explore further:

Zero’s 2024 interview with Darren Woods
Sign up to the Bloomberg Green newsletter for daily coverage of COP30.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Eleanor Harrison Dengate, Siobhan Wagner, Sommer Saadi and Mohsis Andam. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Searching for climate solutions in the Amazon

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

COP30 negotiations have officially started, and began with a fight about what to put on the agenda. While not completely unexpected for these enormous multilateral gatherings, it’s a rockier start than the Brazilian hosts in Belem would have wanted. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Rachel Kyte, the UK’s Special Representative for Climate, to talk about how to forge climate consensus in an increasingly polarized world, and who is ready to fill the void left behind by the US.

Explore further:

Norway Pledges $3 Billion for Forest Fund, With Conditions
Find all the latest news from COP30 here: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/cop-climate-summit

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Anna Mazarakis, Siobhan Wagner, Sommer Saadi and Mohsis Andam. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At COP30, the economic logic of climate action is up for debate

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

World leaders are gathering in Belem, Brazil, for the COP30 climate negotiations, but what will be achieved? Brazil hasn’t given much indication of what it hopes will emerge from the negotiations, other than implementing the many promises of previous COPs. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with COP30 President, André Corrêa do Lago, to try and figure out how the negotiations might turn out.

Explore further:

Find all the latest news from COP30 here: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/cop-climate-summit
Listen to our previous conversation with Andre Correa do Lago: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-21/cop29-brazil-s-plans-for-next-year-s-cop30-in-belem

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What did 10 years of the Paris Agreement actually achieve?

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The Paris Agreement was a huge deal when it was signed in 2015 at COP21. But after 10 years and $10 trillion dollars invested into decarbonizing our economies, what has it accomplished?

As we approach COP30 in Belem, Bloomberg Green’s Laura Millan and Akshat Rathi look back at a decade of the Paris Agreement, and speak to Christiana Figueres and Laurence Tubiana, two of the architects of the deal.

Explore more:

Read Bloomberg Green's Big Take on 10 years since Paris.
Read all of Bloomberg Green’s reporting from COP30

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world’s biggest consumers of electricity are hidden in plain sight

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Just three companies control the lion’s share of the $120 billion global market for industrial gases: Linde, Air Liquide & Air Products. And because the production of these gases is so energy intensive, each company consumes as much electricity as some small to medium-sized European countries. This week on Zero, Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde, tells Akshat Rathi how he sees electricity demand changing, what Linde is doing to transition to clean sources, and whether low-carbon hydrogen can ever become big business.

Explore further:

Read Akshat’s article on Linde and other hidden electricity giants.
Expect to Keep Paying Record Prices for Coffee. This Is Why

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ‘science’ behind economics explains the big problems we face

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

From trade wars to skyrocketing tech valuations, governments and investors seem to be making economically irrational moves. As the world heads into another global climate summit, there is a need for fresh thinking to bring countries back to work on the urgent challenge of climate change. This week on Zero, political economist Abby Innes tells Akshat Rathi what governments are getting wrong about addressing the problems we face and how to reimagine economics for the climate era.

Explore further:

Abby’s book, Late Soviet Britain

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Eleanor Harrison Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan and Sharn Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What climate tech is overhyped and what's not

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

There's always big ideas in the climate technology space, but it can be hard to get your head around all the different types of technologies making waves. What’s real and what’s low-carbon smoke and mirrors? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi teams up with venture capitalist and Catalyst podcast host Shayle Kann to talk about which climate technologies are working, and which are going nowhere.

Explore further:

Listen to more episodes of the Catalyst podcast, hosted by Shayle Kann: https://www.latitudemedia.com/podcasts/catalyst/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US fossil fuels vs. Chinese clean tech, who’s winning on exports?

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000

There’s a battle underway to win the energy export market between the world’s two largest economies: The US wants the world to buy its fossil fuels, while China wants to sell the world its clean energy technologies. For now, there is a clear winner: China. How did that happen? Akshat Rathi and Oscar Boyd discuss.

More:

Read Akshat’s newsletter
Read Ember’s report on electricity
Subscribe to the Bloomberg Green newsletter

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renewables promised to be cheap. Why aren’t people feeling it?

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The UK used to be a shining example of how to act on climate change. It created one of the world’s first climate laws in 2008, which bound the government to reduce emissions on tight deadlines. That law used to have cross-party support, but that’s no longer the case with politicians trying to make climate a wedge issue.

This week on Zero, Greg Jackson, chief executive officer of the UK’s largest energy retailer, Octopus Energy, joins Akshat Rathi to discuss his plan to bring down bills and keep the public on the green side.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Eleanor Harrison Dengate, Sommer Saadi and Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: AI data centers use a lot of energy. You may be paying for it

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

AI needs a lot of energy — and a new Bloomberg investigation has found that those soaring costs are being passed on to consumers who live near data centers.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg reporters Josh Saul and Leonardo Nicoletti about the AI boom’s impact on power bills, how utility companies are handling surging demand and the implications for communities with centers in their backyards.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A return to coal? AI’s demand for gas turbines risks a new crisis: Bottlenecks Series

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:19:17 +0000

Rising power demand from data centers for artificial intelligence has led to a shortage of the gas turbines needed to generate electricity. This shortage might not seem the most obvious climate story, but it's having impacts across the entire energy sector. This week on Zero, Bloomberg’s Stephen Stapczynski joins Akshat Rathi to look at what’s causing the bottleneck in gas turbines, if the shortage will make companies look to renewables or coal, and whether natural gas is really a “bridge” fuel.

Explore more:

Past episodes of the Bottlenecks Series:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The extraordinary rise of electric cars in developing countries

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Something remarkable is unfolding in developing countries. From Nepal to Costa Rica, more people are buying electric cars than fossil-fuel vehicles, as battery prices plummet and cheap home-grown EVs come to market. And in China, more electric cars will be sold in the last quarter of this year than the total number of all cars sold in the US. Colin McKerracher, head of transport at BNEF, joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to unpack these trends, and what they mean for global oil demand.

Explore more:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building monuments to the end of oil: Imagine series

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Monira Al Qadiri says she is pre-empting the end of oil and building monuments to it. As one of the most important contemporary artists of the Middle East, her work — spanning sculptures, films and performances — throws new light on humanity’s deep interdependent relationship with fossil fuels. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Al Qadiri how art can help make sense of the current moment.

Explore further:

Monira’s website: https://www.moniraalqadiri.com/
Her exhibit in Berlin: https://berlinischegalerie.de/en/exhibitions/current/monira-al-qadiri/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formula E shows the mind-boggling speed at which electric cars evolve

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

You’ve heard about Formula 1, right? But do you know about Formula E, its plucky all-electric sibling? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Sylvain Filippi, co-founder and chief technology officer of Envision Racing, about why the world needs an electric racing series, how Formula E is improving the experience for consumer electric cars, and why he’s not too concerned about the US backlash against EVs.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your questions answered: Is Donald Trump a climate warrior in disguise?

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week, we hear from you. Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi answers questions from Zero listeners: Can a decline in trade help fight climate change? How do we tell if corporations are greenwashing or not? And are we about to enter a new era of global collaboration when it comes to green tech? If you have a question for the show, send us a voice note or message to zeropod@bloomberg.net.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: How hot is too hot? The latest science on extreme heat

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Nearly half a million people die every year as a result of extreme heat. That’s more than the total from hurricanes, earthquakes and floods combined. And as the planet warms, the risk of deadly heat is increasing.

On Bloomberg's Big Take podcast, climate reporter Zahra Hirji brings Sarah Holder a dispatch from a lab at the forefront of understanding how heat affects the human body. They break down the latest science on deadly heat, why everyone is at more risk than they realize — and what actually works to mitigate those risks.

Scientist Shuts Himself in 104F Chamber in Quest to Study Heat Stress
Listen to more from the Big Take podcast: https://www.bloomberg.com/audio

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: Kim Stanley Robinson imagines utopia in 2025

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson imagines the future for a living. And the future is very much upon us. Robinson’s seminal 2020 novel Ministry for the Future opens in the year 2025. Robinson tells Akshat Rathi about how our real-life climate politics stack up against what he imagined for this era. They also discuss the dangers of science-fiction thinking in politics and why, for all his admiration of science and technology, Robinson remains so enamored with the unglamorous workings of a body like the United Nations.

This episode was originally broadcast in January 2025.

Explore further:

Past episode with Kim Stanley Robinson about climate utopias and optopias
Past episode with outgoing White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi about what the next four years will hold
Past episode with Colombia’s environment minister Susana Muhamad about the country’s commitment to fossil fuel nonproliferation

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 100-ton device that can stop blackouts in the renewables era: Bottlenecks Series

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In April, Spain suffered a nationwide blackout that lasted nearly a full day. It was a traumatic event for one of Europe’s fastest adopters of solar power, tripling capacity in just five years. The outage sparked a big question: Was solar to blame? And what will it take to avoid blackouts in the renewables era? Bloomberg Green’s Laura Millan joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to unpack the lessons from the Iberian Peninsula and the technologies that could make such blackouts a thing of the past.

Explore further:

The Fix for Solar Power Blackouts Is Already Here
Past episodes of the Bottlenecks Series

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Build small, grow fast: Can small modular reactors live up to the hype?

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Electricity demand is soaring, and some think the answer isn’t building bigger, but smaller. That’s the idea behind small modular reactors (SMRs): take a large-scale nuclear plant that’s hard to build, and shrink it down to something that’s more manageable, cheaper and easier to replicate. Instead of one huge nuclear plant, you build 10 small ones.

Right now these kinds of small modular reactors are in the startup phase, with only two in commercial operation in Russia and China. So how viable is the business for these small modular reactors? And will SMRs ever become a scaled up solution for our energy needs? Rachel Slaybaugh joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to discuss.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How rich countries can build cheap nuclear power again

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Electricity demand is booming, and it’s not just because of artificial intelligence. So much so that many are ready to revisit the idea of nuclear power. Microsoft signed a $16 billion deal to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power their data centres for the next 20 years.

But developed countries haven’t built more than a handful of new reactors in decades. When they have tried, the cost of those nuclear plants and the time to build them has been extraordinary. Will this renewed interest yield different results? Nuclear scientist and partner at venture capital firm DCVC Rachel Slaybaugh joined Akshat Rathi on Zero to discuss how these new dreams of growing nuclear power can become a reality.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How a bunch of students beat big polluters in the world's highest court

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In 2019, a group of law students from Pacific island nations set in motion a case that made it to the world’s highest court: The International Court of Justice. The students wanted answers to two important questions: what responsibility do countries have to stop climate change? And if countries don’t stop polluting, will they have to pay for the damages? Now the ICJ has delivered its verdict, and it seems like a huge win for the climate. But is it? Laura Clarke, chief executive officer of legal non-profit ClientEarth, joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to discuss.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s immigration policy is a nightmare for climate tech

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Everywhere you look, it seems like bad news for climate tech. Investments are down, the US government has cut incentives and startups are running out of cash. But venture capitalist Vinod Khosla is still bullish, even though the One Big Beautiful Bill cut an estimated $500 billion in green spending. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Khosla to find out when we can expect to see fusion, whether he’s reconsidering investing in the US and why he still thinks the best clean tech is yet to come.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Brian Kahn, Michelle Ma, Eleanor Harrison Dengate, Jessica Beck, Siobhan Wagner, Meg Szabo, Abby Danzig and Krystal Contreras. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to fight against Trump’s attack on clean energy

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts almost $500 billion in US clean-energy spending, just as the country was starting to get serious about its climate goals. Some say the country is acting like a petrostate, waging war against clean energy. Others are more sanguine and believe that the US will stay the course in the long term. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Jigar Shah, a clean energy expert and former head of the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, to make sense of the bill’s impacts, and whether it’s as bad for climate as it seems.

Explore more:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jessica Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trumponomics: Will Trump’s bill trigger a ‘Big, Beautiful’ energy crunch?

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This week, we explore how the legislation’s attack on renewable energy may push up electricity bills and damage US competitiveness in AI.

The tax credits in President Joe Biden’s sprawling Inflation Reduction Act were introduced to help the US keep up with rising electricity demand by making clean power sources cheaper. But now the big bill has changed all that, and an executive order issued days after its passage suggests his war on renewables isn’t over yet.

Joining host Stephanie Flanders to discuss this dramatic turn of events are guests Ethan Zindler, head of country and policy research at BloombergNEF and previously climate counselor to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Bloomberg lobbying and influence reporter Emily Birnbaum.

For more episodes of Trumponomics, subscribe on Apple or Spotify.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why militaries can no longer ignore climate change

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The world’s militaries are incredibly polluting, collectively accounting for some 5.5% of global emissions. Western economies are now gearing up for a big expansion of their militaries, with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreeing to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. That will commit trillions of dollars more to an enormously carbon intensive industry, unless militaries can find a way to reduce their emissions. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks retired Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, author of the UK Ministry of Defence’s climate change report: Can warfare go green?

Explore further:

Defense Budgets Need to Fight War and Climate Change, Experts Say
Richard Nugee’s Climate Report
Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Sponsored Content) Stewards of Compassion: Doing Business With Compassion

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to do business with compassion? How can a company marry purpose with profit? We explore that and more with B.Grimm--the Thai conglomerate that has been doing business compassionately for nearly 150 years.

https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/media/bgrimm/the-stewards-of-compassion-podcast

This episode is sponsored by B.GRIMM.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK now has a state-owned clean-energy champion. Can it succeed?

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

When the UK handed the Labour party a parliamentary majority last July, it promised to build a new state owned energy company called Great British Energy. It's almost exactly one year since its creation, and GB Energy now has a budget of £5.8 billion to get the organization off the ground. It sounds like a lot of money, but is it? And what exactly will the organization do with all of it? On Zero this week, Akshat Rathi spoke to Dan McGrail, interim CEO of GB Energy, to find out the answers.

Explore further:

Watch the video of this conversation
Great British Energy website
UK’s New State Energy Company Will Spend £1 Billion on Grants - Bloomberg
UK to Spend £300 Million to Draw Offshore Wind Supply Chain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a venture capitalist does when climate tech loses its shine

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Climate tech is not the hot investor thesis it once was a couple of years ago. After several record breaking years, and billions of dollars being poured into climate startups, venture capital investments are way down. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Mike Schroepfer, who runs Gigascale Capital, a venture firm focusing on climate investments, and used to be Meta’s chief technology officer. Schroepfer shares his views on the current investment climate, the danger of funding cuts to US research, and why demand for AI will prompt a new wave of energy innovation.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have China’s emissions finally peaked?

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There aren’t enough cables to meet rising electricity demand: Bottlenecks Series

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 03:00:00 +0000

High-voltage electricity cables are in huge demand around the world, so much so that a lack of cabling has become a bottleneck throttling the clean energy transition. So why are cable manufacturers so hesitant to expand? Also, how are these giant cables made? And is China about to eat everyone's lunch? Claes Westerlind, chief executive officer of cable manufacturing company NKT, joins Zero to discuss. This is the third episode in Bottlenecks, a series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future.

Explore further:

Previous episode in Bloomberg Green’s Bottleneckes series:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A skilled worker shortage is becoming an ‘existential’ problem for the energy transition: Bottlenecks Series

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:15:00 +0000

Western economies need to electrify and fast, but where are all the skilled workers going to come from to install the heat pumps, solar panels and batteries needed? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Olivia Rudgard about the shortage of labor in electrification industries, and why some experts are calling it an ‘existential’ crisis. This is the second episode in Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future.

Explore further:

Read the Big Take: There Aren't Enough Engineers to Meet the World's Growing Hunger for Power
Previous episode in Zero’s Bottleneckes series: How a Shortage of Transformers Threatens Electricity Supply
Northvolt Hits End of Line After Failing to Reach Rescue Deal

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The device throttling the world’s electrified future: Bottlenecks Series

Thu, 29 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

To slash emissions fast, the formula is simple: electrify everything and clean up the grid. But in practice, progress is slowed by all sorts of bottlenecks — from arcane permitting processes to sky-high electricity costs.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with producer Oscar Boyd to spotlight a surprising culprit slowing the transition: a global shortage of transformers, and why it has industry insiders so worried. This episode kicks off Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How carbon removal pioneer Climeworks is tackling its first major layoff

Wed, 21 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Scientists are clear that meeting climate goals means ending carbon pollution and drawing down excess CO2 from the air. That’s why carbon-removal technologies have proliferated over the past decade. But with the US government slashing climate incentives and programs, some companies are being forced to cut costs. This week Akshat Rathi speaks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder of Climeworks, a startup that pulls carbon dioxide from the air, about its first major layoffs and what the future holds for the most expensive climate solution.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Sommer Saadi and Robert Williams. Special thanks to: Coco Liu, Michelle Ma, Brian Kahn and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A trillion-dollar fund manager on climate investing in 2025

Thu, 15 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Low-carbon tech investments reached $2.1 trillion last year. But with the whole world trying to work out how to navigate US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policy agenda, is 2025 still a good time to invest in climate tech? This week on Zero Akshat Rathi interviews Greg Wasserman, head of private company climate investment at Wellington Management, which oversees more than $1 trillion in assets. Wasserman has to make investment decisions here and now about companies and technologies — weighing risks and opportunities in a volatile market.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Amanda Kolson Hurley and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Australia’s natural resources will shape global emissions

Thu, 08 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Australia is in a unique place when it comes to the energy transition. It is the world’s largest exporter of coal and a leading exporter of gas, yet has set a target to reduce emissions by 43% and have 82% renewable electricity by 2030.

It is also caught juggling relations between the US, its military ally, and China, its biggest trading partner — as the two superpowers fight over trade. It is an unenviable challenge for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has just been voted back into the office with an impressive new majority and also wants Australia to host the COP31 climate summit in 2026.

This week, David Stringer, Bloomberg Green's managing editor in Asia, joins Zero to unpack Albanese’s full agenda and what his re-election means for Australia’s climate ambitions.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jessica Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Sponsored Content) Stewards of Compassion: The Origins of B.Grimm

Sun, 04 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What connects Hamburg, the Thai Royal court and the conservation of tigers? A pioneering young pharmacist who wanted to do good in his new home of Thailand. Find out how his vision yielded B.Grimm--one of Asia’s most impactful businesses.
https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/media/bgrimm/the-stewards-of-compassion-podcast
This episode is sponsored by B.GRIMM.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Carney transform Canada from climate laggard to leader?

Thu, 01 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000

This week, Canadians elected Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal party, to be their prime minister. Carney is a newcomer to politics, but is well known in international finance and climate circles, running both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and founding the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Canada is far from reaching its legally mandated goal to achieve net zero by 2050, and has one of the highest emissions per capita of anywhere in the world. Now Carney has been elected, can he translate his international climate leadership into domestic policy, or will climate fall by the wayside as he fortifies Canada against a trade war with the US?

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Australia: Will it be a climate election yet again?

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Three years ago, Australia was on the verge of an election dominated by a wave of independent MPs who promised a climate change reckoning. But climate talk seems to have taken a backseat in the current campaign ahead of the May 3 national poll.

For the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, host Rebecca Jones and Bloomberg’s David Stringer break down the energy policies being pushed by the major parties this election campaign.

Find more episodes from the Bloomberg Australia Podcast at https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts/series/bloomberg-australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why investors avoid developing countries, and how to change that: Moving Money

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Global investment in clean energy hit a record $2 trillion last year, according to BloombergNEF. But developing countries see only a sliver of that funding. Private investors are wary of unfamiliar markets, currency risks and perceived instability. So how do we change that? Avinash Persaud, special adviser on climate risks to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, joins Zero to explore how we can de-risk investments, unlock private capital, and supercharge the global clean energy transition. From carbon markets to sustainability-linked bonds, where should the focus be to make the biggest impact?

Explore other episodes from the Moving Money series:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Mythili Rao, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Blake Maples and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These 'beautiful' banks are expected to save climate finance: Moving Money

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Developing countries require trillions of dollars a year to transition to clean energy and build climate-resilient infrastructure. So where will the money come from? Avinash Persaud, special advisor on climate risks to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, joins Zero to make the case for giving more money to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), which already funnel hundreds of billions of dollars a year to poorer countries around the globe, much of which goes to climate projects. His pitch is now harder than ever to make as the US slashes international climate finance and European countries reduce their overseas aid budgets to support defense spending.

Past episodes of Moving Money:

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the financial system can work for climate, not against it: Moving Money

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Even with all the turmoil of the past few months, the energy transition isn’t taking a break. Last year, global spending on clean-energy technologies was more than $2 trillion, according to BloombergNEF. Yet only a small fraction of that money makes its way to developing countries. This week on Zero, Avinash Persaud, climate advisor to the president of Inter-American Development Bank, joins our Moving Money series, and answers the question: how do we make the financial system work for climate action, not against it?

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Tesla’s EV supremacy in the rearview mirror?

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

There is a lot happening in the world of EVs. In the US, Teslas are being hawked from the White House lawn, while in China, BYD has announced a battery that can be charged to go 400km in just 5 minutes. All the while a rearrangement of global trade and tariffs is sending shockwaves through the system. This week on Zero, Bloomberg’s global automotive editor Craig Trudell unpacks the latest twists and turns in the EV revolution.

Explore further:

BYD Is Winning the Global Race to Make Cheaper EVs
Chinese EVs Make Inroads in Nigeria as Gasoline Prices Rise
Sign up to the Hyperdrive newsletter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: Searching for climate solutions amid the AI hype

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Depending on who you ask, AI is either going to save the world or end it. The technology’s capacity for data-crunching and problem-saving can help predict weather events, making it easier to optimize power grids, prepare for natural disasters, and maximize crop output. But artificial intelligence is also energy intensive – and easy to apply to ethically questionable ends. For all of these reasons, Priya Donti, professor of electrical engineering and AI at MIT, decided to found Climate Change AI, a group dedicated to applying AI to tackle climate problems.

In this episode, which first ran in May of 2024, Donti tells Akshat Rathi about some of the projects the group is funding around the world, and what the democratization of AI would look like in practice.

Explore further:

Past episode about Microsoft’s rising AI emissions, and President Brad Smith’s claim that the AI will do more good than harm
Past episode with African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina about climate innovation projects across the African continent
Past episode with climate scientist and champion for developing countries Saleemul Huq

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Anna Mazarakis and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How water scarcity is threatening the global economy

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Water scarcity is no longer a distant threat: By 2030, fresh water demand is expected to outpace supply by 40%. The effects of water stress will be felt in industries from agriculture to e-commerce, putting up to $70 trillion of global GDP at risk, according to the World Resources Institute. Bloomberg Intelligence researcher Melanie Rua is the co-author of a new report on water scarcity. She joins Zero to discuss just how much financial impact companies are already seeing as a result of this issue– and what measures they might take to mitigate it.

Explore further:

Past episode about Environmental, Social, and Governance policy uncertainty
Past episode with Breakthrough Energy Ventures’ Eric Toone about green investment opportunities
Reporting on Galy, a lab-grown cotton startup addressing water consumption

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Siobhan Wagner, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Barbados, Mia Mottley offers pragmatism and hope from a sinking island

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In the time since she became Prime Minister of Barbados in 2018, Mia Mottley has become known as a moral force for action on climate change. The Bridgetown Initiative, which she launched at COP26 in 2021, transformed the conversation around climate finance – pushing rich nations to do more to support developing countries struggling with the impact of climate change. But as the US retreats from climate action, her bold vision faces new challenges. At the Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum in Barbados, she tells Akshat Rathi why she remains optimistic, and she spoke about the role of pragmatism in tackling the climate challenge.

Explore further:

Past episode with Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Program
Past episode with Avinash Persaud about the Bridgetown Initiative
Past episode about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s play about the 1997 Kyoto Summit

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Siobhan Wagner, Kanika Chawla and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: A Warming Planet vs. Trump

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Since taking office in January, President Trump has set in motion a series of sweeping rollbacks on US climate policy. This comes at a time when governments around the world have lagged behind their stated environmental goals.

In this episode of the Big Take, host Sarah Holder is joined by Akshat Rathi, host of the Zero podcast, to talk through the Trump administration’s key climate actions, how they could impact investment in green energy, and what it all means for the global fight to stop the warming of the planet.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not just Trump. Canada’s climate policies face a bumpy road post-Trudeau

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

As President Donald Trump heats up a North American trade war, Canada is already facing big challenges within its own government. Next week, the governing Liberal party will announce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's successor. And later this year, the country will hold a general election. Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute, joins Zero to discuss what shape the country's climate ambitions might take under new leadership, how Canada can deal with the Trump challenge, and why he expects meaningful climate policy in Canada to be driven by provinces and municipalities.

Explore further:

Past episode about the UK’s climate goals with Chris Stark, Head of UK's Mission for Clean Power
Past episode about Canada's carbon pricing
Past episode with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Siobhan Wagner and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why (almost) everyone hates ESG right now

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The world of ESG regulation and investing was already suffering a period of shaky confidence even before President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Now, companies are facing a new period of uncertainty when it comes to Environmental, Social, and Governance policies. Reporter Frances Schwartzkopff tells Akshat Rathi why the EU is rolling back some ESG legislation. And reporter Saijel Kishan explains that many companies today are still keeping their ESG plans in place — but just not talking about it.

Explore further:

Past episode with activist Lucie Pinson about changing banks’ investing strategies from the inside
Past episode with California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna about what to expect in Trump’s second term in the White House
Past episode with Eric Toone of Breakthrough Energy Ventures on the kinds of green startups he believes can be the most profitable

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Aaron Rutkoff, Siobhan Wagner and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As COP16 resumes in Rome, biodiversity funding is on the line

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Last October, delegates from around the world met in Cali, Colombia to discuss ways to protect the planet’s biodiversity. After a promising breakthrough in Montreal, Canada three years ago, there were high hopes for that summit. But COP16 closed in shambles, with negotiators leaving before a final agreement could be achieved on key issues. Now, the summit is resuming next week in Rome. Will developed and developing countries be able to reach consensus? Reporter Natasha White, who attended part one in Cali, tells Akshat Rathi what she expects to see when COP16 reconvenes next week in Italy.

Explore further:

Past episode about COP30’s final deal
Past episode with sci fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson about the merits of the COP process
Past episode with Stripe’s Nan Ransohoff about the carbon removal credit market
Bloomberg Green reporting from Natasha White

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green growth is expensive. The global economy can afford it.

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

How do we keep climate action alive in a fracturing world? “Today we live in an age where we actually have the solutions– technologically, economically, financially speaking– but what we are not doing is acting on them,” Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Program tells Akshat Rathi. In a conversation recorded at COP29, Steiner talked about how some countries– including Uruguay, India, Kenya, China, and Bhutan– are moving forward with innovative climate solutions even when international financing isn’t readily available. He also called on the developed world to find better ways to fund sustainable development.

Explore further:

Past episode with climate finance expert Avinash Persaud about getting money to the places that need it
Past episode with Achim Steiner about the role of the UN Development Program
Past episode with science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson about the role of the United Nations

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK’s £200 billion plan for carbon-free power by 2030

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The UK government has pledged to achieve 95% clean power by 2030. It's an ambitious, tough goal – and even tougher to accomplish while reducing energy prices. Chris Stark, head of the nation’s Mission Control for Clean Power, says he’s “confident” the UK can deliver. But at the same time, the Labour government’s leaders are sending mixed signals on climate: They want to expand airports and may sign off on new oil fields in the North Sea. Stark tells Akshat Rathi why he’s still certain the country can balance its carbon budget, and why it’s important for politicians to show that green investments have economic benefits too. This episode was recorded at the Energy Transition Acceleration Forum curated by The Carbon Trust.

Explore further:

Past episode with Chris Stark on his role at the Climate Change Committee
Past episode about what happens to the energy transition as the US leaves the Paris Agreement
Past episode with Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson about grid readiness

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Will Mathis, Sharon Chen, Eamon Farhat, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to the energy transition with the US exiting the Paris Agreement?

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000

With President Donald Trump back in office, the US is leaving the Paris Agreement for the second time. Unlike in 2017, this withdrawal is set to have more lasting consequences, Akshat Rathi tells producer Mythili Rao. Meanwhile, even as the US gives up its climate leadership, China’s focus on clean energy is growing. A new report from BloombergNEF finds that global investment in the energy transition surpassed $2 trillion for the first time in 2024, with China driving two thirds of year-on-year growth. BNEF Deputy CEO Albert Cheung shares the report’s highlights, and reflects on the role international competition will play in this next phase of reaching net zero.

Explore further:

Bloomberg Green's story The Global Climate Order Teeters Under Second Assault by Trump
Bloomberg NEF’s energy transition investment trends 2025 report
Reporter Zahra Hirji's roundup of the first slew of President Trump's climate moves
Past episode with Yale historian Paul Sabin about what to expect in President Trump’s second term

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Alfred Cang, Ewa Krukowska, John Ainger, Jen Dlouhy, Zahra Hirji, Lou Del Bello, Simone Iglesias, Amanda Hurley and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: COP30 president on how Brazil is looking to supercharge climate action

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:40:31 +0000

Plans are already underway for COP30 to pick up the baton and tackle COP29's unfinished business. The 2025 climate conference is set to take place in Belem, Brazil, a gateway to the Amazon rainforest. And last week, André Corrêa do Lago was named COP30 president. Corrêa do Lago currently serves as Brazil’s Secretary for Climate, Energy and the Environment, and he spoke with Akshat Rathi at COP29 in Baku, in November. He says that although holding a global summit in Belem poses logistical challenges, the symbolism of the location holds “fantastic political power.”

Explore further:

Bloomberg Green reporter Simone Iglesias's story on Corrêa do Lago's plans as COP30 President
Past episode about Azerbaijan’s challenges with hosting COP29 in Baku
Past episode with Brazil's chief climate negotiator, Liliam Chagas, about the viability of a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks to Simone Iglesias, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, Blake Maples, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To understand Trump's climate moves in his second term, look to the Reagan years

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, Akshat Rathi speaks to Yale historian Paul Sabin about whether recent presidential history might hold some lessons on what to expect from the Trump administration’s approach to energy and environmental policy this term. Looking back at the Carter and Reagan years, Sabin explores how present-day Trump priorities– from dismantling government agencies to ramping up oil and gas production–have historical precedent. And Jonathan Lash, who was an environmental lawyer in the Reagan years, explains why he’s feeling déjà vu in these early days of Trump’s second term.

Explore further:

Past episode with sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson about his visions for climate politics in 2025
Past episode with President Biden’s climate czar Ali Zaidi on the IRA’s legacy
Past episode with Congressman Ro Khanna on what Trump’s second term may hold

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Siobhan Wagner, Jessica Beck, and David Fox. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the LA fires unleash a wave of climate migrants?

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

As the blazes in Los Angeles continue to burn, those who have lost their homes are contending with the immediate need for shelter– and difficult questions about whether or not to rebuild in the fire zone. Grist reporter Jake Bittle tells Akshat Rathi how California’s housing market and insurance regulations will shape the recovery. And Nomad Century author Gaia Vince says that in this era of climate instability, everyone should think about how prepared they are to become a climate migrant.

Explore further:

Past episode about the 1.5C warming goal being surpassed
Past episode with sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson about imagining the future role of the UN in fighting climate change
Past episode about climate change, conflict, and migration
Bloomberg Green story about the aircraft used to scoop water to fight fires in LA

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Michelle Ma, Brian Kahn, Sharon Chen, and Sommer Saadi. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Odd Lots: This is how China builds so much nuclear power

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:01:00 +0000

In the US right now, there is a lot of talk about a so-called "nuclear revival," though it remains to be seen whether that translates into action. Meanwhile, China has built 37 nuclear reactors in the last decade, with even more in the works. So what does it take to build nuclear at scale? On this episode of the Odd Lots podcast, Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway speak to David Fishman, a China-based energy analyst at The Lantau Group. He explains all the elements of the country's nuclear success, from financing to manufacturing to its domestic power markets.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If 1.5C is dead, what happens next?

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In December, Europe’s Copernicus weather service announced that it was “virtually certain” that 2024 would be the hottest year ever. What’s more, the global average temperature last year appears to have surpassed 1.5C for the first time, blowing past a threshold that’s taken on enormous significance in the fight against climate change. Does that mean governments, corporations, and activists recalibrate their climate goals? Akshat Rathi speaks with reporters Eric Roston and Zahra Hirji about what this new reality means.

Explore further:

Past episode about sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson’s visions for 2025
Past episode with Eric Roston and Katharine Hayhoe about the extreme weather events brought on by rising temperatures
Past episode with the Berghof Foundation’s Andrew Gilmour about conflict and peace-building on a warming planet

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Stanley Robinson imagines utopia in 2025

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Explore further:

Past episode with Kim Stanley Robinson about climate utopias and optopias
Past episode with outgoing White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi about what the next four years will hold
Past episode with Colombia’s environment minister Susana Muhamad about the country’s commitment to fossil fuel nonproliferation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: How the humble refrigerator changed the world

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The “cold chain” that delivers our food is inconspicuous but vast. The US alone boasts around 5.5 billion cubic feet of refrigerated space; that’s 150 Empire State Buildings’ worth of freezers. Now, the developing world is catching up. On Zero, Nicola Twilley, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, discusses how refrigeration became so ubiquitous and what our reliance on it means for our palates and the planet.

Explore further:

Past episode with Stacey Abrams on how kitchen-table decisions can cut emissions
Past episode with journalist George Monbiot on how the world’s food system needs a radical rethink
Past episode with two vertical farming companies taking agriculture indoors

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Aaron Rutkoff and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TED Talks Daily : Capitalism broke the climate. Now it can fix it

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Capitalism can be blamed for worsening the climate crisis, says journalist Akshat Rathi, but it can also be used to drive the solutions to fix it. In this episode of TED Talks Daily, recorded at the Bloomberg Green Festival in Seattle, Rathi discusses his book Climate Capitalism, and how the strategic use of market forces and government policies can make sustainability profitable.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cutting through the climate tech hype and looking for profit

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Reporter Akshat Rathi speaks to Eric Toone of Breakthrough Energy Ventures about what’s hype and what’s not in the world of energy startups. Breakthrough is one of the world’s biggest funders of early stage climate technologies and has poured billions of dollars in more than 120 startups. Toone weighs in on everything from carbon removal to the grid, nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, and green hydrogen.

Explore further:

Past episode about Commonwealth Fusion System’s reactors
Past episode about the drilling techniques employed by geothermal startup Fervo
Past episode about the plethora of carbon capture startups
Past episode about the energy startup trying to replace coal with a very cheap battery
Past episode about TS Conductor’s approach to reconductoring
Past episode with Bill Gates about the areas of the energy sector he’s investing in

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Ethan Steinberg, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Thomas Edison’s legacy looks like in the 21st century

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

General Electric Co was officially founded in 1892, when several of inventor Thomas Edison's ventures were consolidated into one company. From then on, it was a behemoth. But now that’s changed: A break-up that began last year has concluded with GE splitting off into three separate companies. Scott Strazik is the CEO of GE Vernova, which focuses on wind turbines, nuclear power, and carbon capture, as well as grid solutions such as software and batteries. Strazik joins Zero to talk about how the company is in the "early innings of an investment super cycle," and how it intends to overcome difficulties in offshore wind.

Explore further:

Past episode about the grid and the march toward electrification
Past episode about how Microsoft is squaring its AI growth with its carbon negative ambitions
Past episode with BloombergNEF’s Jenny Chase about the goal of tripling renewables by 2030

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Will Mathis, Siobhan Wagner, Monique Mulima, Ethan Steinberg, Blake Maples, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COP29's last-minute deal is a miracle and a mess

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 20:51:51 +0000

It went well past the official deadline, late into the night – but finally, COP29 ended with a deal. Hardly anyone felt victorious. Back from Baku, reporter Akshat Rathi tells producer Mythili Rao why the agreed on New Climate Quantified Goal of $300 billion made both developed and developing countries unhappy, and he shares what heads of state and ministers from Denmark to Mauritania and Indonesia to Israel had to tell Zero about this year’s conference.

Explore further:

Past episode about COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev’s challenges in Baku
Past episode about why climate finance fights were expected to dominate COP29
Past episode with Brazil’s climate secretary about the country’s vision for COP30

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks to Siobhan Wagner, Sharon Chen, Jen Dlouhy, Alfred Cang, John Ainger, Natasha White, Will Kennedy, Rakteem Katakey, and Aaron Rutkoff. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Step aside, COP29. How Brazil is looking to supercharge COP30

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:45:00 +0000

Plans are already underway for COP30 to pick up the baton-- and tackle COP29's unfinished business. Next year’s climate conference is set to take place in Belem, Brazil, a gateway to the Amazon rainforest. André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s Secretary for Climate, Energy and the Environment tells Akshat Rathi that although holding a global summit in Belem poses logistical challenges, the symbolism of the location holds “fantastic political power.”

Explore further:

Past episode about Azerbaijan’s challenges with hosting COP29 in Baku
Past episode with Brazil's chief climate negotiator, Liliam Chagas, about the viability of a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty
Past episode with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, about his decision to attend COP29

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House’s outgoing climate czar weighs in on Trump

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

At COP29 in Baku, Akshat Rathi is joined on stage at Bloomberg Green’s live event by Ali Zaidi, President Biden’s National Climate Advisor. Zaidi argues that it would be “economic malpractice” for the Trump administration to abandon the energy transition. Plus, veteran climate diplomat Jonathan Pershing explains why he believes global competition will result in an “acceleration of action” on green policy.

Explore further:

Past episode with Ali Zaidi on the momentum generated by passing the IRA
Past episode with California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna on what Trump’s election means for US climate policy
Past episode with COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev on what would make this conference a success

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Jen Dlouhy, Sharon Chen, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, Blake Maples, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: COP29 confronts tensions over funding clean energy transition

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Climate leaders from around the world have convened in Baku, Azerbaijan for the UN’s biggest annual climate conference, COP29. And this year, it’s all about money.

Member nations are negotiating over how much responsibility rich countries have to finance the energy transitions of smaller economies. But larger global tensions loom over the proceedings — including the reelection of Donald Trump.

In this episode of the Big Take, Bloomberg’s senior climate reporter and host of Zero Akshat Rathi calls in from COP29 to update host Sarah Holder on the unfolding negotiations and how America’s new president-elect changes the conversation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the Exxon CEO doing on a climate podcast?

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:05:00 +0000

Reporter Akshat Rathi sits down with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, who made his second-ever appearance at the United Nations climate conference. Woods made the case for why incoming US president Donald Trump shouldn’t exit the Paris Agreement, and should uphold the country’s monumental climate legislation passed under the Biden administration. It’s quite the tone shift for a company that has a well-documented history of sowing doubt about the dangers of global warming. Listen now, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube to get new episodes of Zero every Thursday.

Explore further:

Past episode about what’s at stake at COP29 in the aftermath of President Trump’s election
Past episode about the infamous fossil fuel lobbyist Don Pearlman and his role in the COP process
Past episode with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on why its green goals are good for business

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks to Kevin Crowley, Jen Dlouhy, Siobhan Wagner, Aaron Rutkoff, Jessica Beck and Ethan Steinberg. Thanks also to the Atlantic Council, the International Chamber of Commerce and Uve Sabirowsky. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world needs climate leadership. Can Azerbaijan step up?

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Zero is in Baku, Azerbaijan, where delegates and heads of state from around the world have gathered for COP29. Can a petrostate make a summit on decarbonization a success? And how much will the election of President Trump damage the US’s credibility on climate– and set negotiations back? Akshat Rathi tells producer Mythili Rao what’s in store in the two weeks ahead, and COP29 President Mukhtar Babyaev explains how Azerbaijan is trying to make the summit a success, despite concerns that NGOs and protesters will have limited access to the proceedings. Plus, Columbia University’s Jason Bordoff explains how the US’s role in climate diplomacy is about to change.

Explore further:

Past episode with Avinash Persaud about the big fights about finance expected at this COP
Past episode about a play dramatizing COP3, the 1997 Kyoto summit
Past episode about the achievements of COP28 in Dubai

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Siobhan Wagner, Blake Maples, and Ethan Steinberg. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump is coming back. Now what?

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:40:00 +0000

Donald Trump’s re-election as the US president drastically changes the climate and energy equation—in the US and around the world. This week, Akshat Rathi speaks with California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna about what Americans can do to sustain action on climate and clean energy. He also talks to Columbia University’s Jason Bordoff about how much Trump could boost fossil fuels.

Explore further:

Past episode about President Trump’s climate plans
Past episode about the fights over money brewing at COP29
Past episode with Colombia’s environment minister Susana Muhamad about fossil fuel nonproliferation

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks to Siobhan Wagner, Monique Mulima, Ethan Steinberg, Mohsis Andam and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen Now: US Election Coverage on Bloomberg Podcasts

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Be in the know this election with Bloomberg Podcasts. Follow Bloomberg News Now for up-to-the minute election results, all night long. And go deeper with The Big Take podcast, featuring in-depth global analysis of the US election every day this week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: 2C or not 2C? That is the question. Climate summits as Shakespeare would see them.

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In fractured times, what does it take to reach agreement? That’s the question writers Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson set out to explore in a play about the drama of climate negotiations. Kyoto, which ran at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer, tells the story of the 1997 Kyoto Summit as seen through the eyes of Don Pearlman, a notorious fossil fuel lobbyist and chain-smoking lawyer dubbed “the high priest of the Carbon Club” by der Speigel. Actor Stephen Kunken, who plays Pearlman, tells Akshat Rathi why he was drawn to the character, and what Kyoto can teach us about how agreement is achieved. This episode first ran in July 2024.

Explore further:

Past episode with Al Gore about breaking the petrostates stranglehold on climate progress
Past episode about climate change storytelling with Kim Stanley Robinson, author of Ministry for the Future
Past episode with Extrapolations writer and executive producer Dorothy Fortenberry about the growing demand for climate stories

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Alicia Clanton, Anna Mazarakis, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: How China’s BYD became the king of affordable electric cars

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Started as a battery company in the 1990s in Shenzhen, BYD is now one of the best-selling EV brands in the world. Once mocked by Elon Musk, the company’s startling growth made it a global player and has sparked tariffs in the US and EU. In this episode of the Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Gabrielle Copolla and Danny Lee about the company’s aggressive expansion and what it means for the global auto market.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vinod Khosla is trying to change Elon Musk’s mind on Trump, the economy and climate

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

As Republican and Democratic canvassers make their final push to get out the US vote, the famed tech investor Vinod Khosla has been making the case for Vice President Kamala Harris with a very specific audience in mind: Elon Musk. On the social media platform owned by his fellow billionaire, Khosla has pressed the case in a series of X posts that former President Donald Trump is the wrong candidate for the future of the planet. Although Khosla is a former Republican, he says in an interview that he will be voting for Harris. But he doesn’t expect tech investors to see much fallout no matter who wins. “I don't think there'll be any difference in policy between the two when it comes to tech.”

Explore further:

Past episode with Liam Denning on whether Tesla is on the road to irrelevance
Past episode with Jen Dlouhy about how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s climate plans differ
Past episode with Bill Gates about why he is investing into nuclear power

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. This episode was mixed by Blake Maples. Special thanks to Siobhan Wagner, Jessica Beck, Ethan Steinberg, Monique Mulima, Angel Recio, Michelle Ma and Biz Carson. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The backlash against EVs is growing. Uber is pushing back.

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Electric vehicle sales have hit the brakes in Europe and the US in recent months, as cost-conscious drivers have opted for cars with exhaust pipes instead. Bucking the trend is ride-sharing giant Uber, which is not only adding zero emission models to its fleet, but also lobbying regulators to demand more EVs on the road. On Zero, Dara Khosrowshahi discusses the company’s short and long-term green goals, and tells Akshat Rathi why he believes electric cars are good for business – not just for the environment. He also discusses autonomous cars, flying taxis, carbon accounting and what a just transition would look like for the company’s workforce.

Explore further:

Past episode about the climate case for flying cars
Past episode with Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson about what the unstoppable march towards electrification means for the power grid
Past Big Take episode about flying taxis
Bloomberg News investigation into how Uber and Lyft used a loophole to deny drivers pay

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Aaron Rutkoff, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who wins when 'hurricane investors' gamble on catastrophes

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:15:00 +0000

As Florida reels from the impact of Hurricane Milton, some Wall Street investors appear to be on track to profit from catastrophe bonds tied to the storm’s outcome. Cat bonds are a specialized insurance tool that can help people who've lost their homes find money to rebuild– or deliver big profits to investors who are willing to gamble on big natural disasters. As Bloomberg’s Gautam Naik has reported, last year cat bonds were the most profitable strategy for hedge funds. Naik tells Akshat Rathi about how these financial instruments differ from ordinary insurance, and why they have become an appealing proposition for climate vulnerable nations desperate for any kind of help they can get.

Explore further:

Read the Big Take story on how catastrophe bonds are helping Florida but not Jamaica
Past episode about compound climate impacts with Texas Tech University professor Katharine Hayhoe
Past episode with Avinash Persaud, special adviser on climate change for the Inter-American Development Bank, about the fight brewing over what money richer nations will pay to help poorer nations face climate change

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Aaron Rutkoff, Siobhan Wagner, Jim Wyss, Jessica Beck, Ethan Steinberg, and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fight over finance brewing at COP29: Moving Money

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Next month, when delegates from around the world meet in Baku, Azerbaijan at COP29, the biggest questions on the table will have to do with money. Can rich nations find a way to meet developing countries’ demand for up to $1 trillion each year in climate finance? Avinash Persaud, special adviser on climate change for the Inter-American Development Bank, has spent his career looking for ways to make global markets work to unlock climate financing. He says the biggest challenges arise from a simple reality: “The people who benefit and the people who pay are different.” Persaud tells Akshat Rathi why he believes climate change is an “uninsurable” event, and discusses the kinds of financial instruments and commitments that can help poorer countries contribute to the energy transition and adapt to a warmer world.

Explore further:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Siobhan Wagner and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colombia is quitting fossil fuels. Can it convince other countries to follow its lead?

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

What if major economies all just agreed to quit fossil fuels — together? To date, 13 countries have signed a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty. The biggest is Colombia, which has a $40 billion economic transition plan to build up green sectors and replace oil and gas revenue. Now Colombia is hoping to recruit other large economies to follow suit.

During a conversation at Climate Week in New York, Akshat Rathi sat down with Colombia’s environment minister, Susana Muhamad, and Brazil's chief climate negotiator, Liliam Chagas, to talk about what it will take for more nations to combat climate change. Brazil has not joined the treaty, yet, but as the designated host of COP30 in 2025, the country has signaled that it, too, wants to be a leader on climate change.

Explore further:

Past episode about what Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are planning to do when it comes to climate
Past episode with Reclaim Finance’s Lucie Pinson about how to get banks to stop investing in fossil fuel projects
Past episode about the significance of COP28’s resolution to transition away from fossil fuels

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Matthew Griffin. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside the race to open the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Scientists have been trying to understand — and mimic — the way the sun produces energy for centuries. But recreating the energy-generating process of nuclear fusion here on Earth presents an array of technical challenges. Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, began working on some of those challenges as a doctoral student at MIT. Now backed by more than $2 billion, CFS is well on its way to making the long-held dream of nuclear fusion a reality. On this week’s Zero, Mumgaard breaks down the science behind CFS’s bagel-shaped tokamak reactor, and explains why he believes the nuclear fusion industry is just getting started.

Explore further:

Past episode with Bill Gates on why he is investing big in nuclear power
Past episode with Tim Latimer about why he founded geothermal startup Fervo
Past episode with BNEF’s Claire Curry about how startups can succeed in a difficult investment environment

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Monique Mulima, and Jess Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump vs Harris: What you need to know about their climate plans

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In a little more than six weeks, Americans will cast their votes in a presidential election that has enormous stakes for the future of the planet. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with energy and environment reporter Jen Dlouhy to talk about how Kamala Harris could advance US climate policy — and how Donald Trump could chip away at it. “Starting on day one, he's already said he intends to direct federal agencies to begin repealing and replacing climate regulations,” she says.

At this stage of the campaign, Harris’s plans are still somewhat opaque. But if elected, her administration is expected to keep quietly pushing forward policies passed under President Biden. “There's still tremendous work to get the IRA's programs running to get dollars flowing,” Dlouhy says. “The Treasury Department still hasn't finished writing rules for how people can claim tax credits under the law, including those governing hydrogen production and clean electricity. So there's just a lot of administrative work to be done to kind of unstick this process to accelerate deployment.”

Explore further:

Past episode with voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams on how middle and low-income families access the tax breaks that can help them affordably electrify their homes
Past episode with former Conservative Minister Chris Skidmore on how the UK’s Conservatives have given up on climate policy
Past episode with John Kerry, former US special presidential envoy for climate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

War and peace-building on a heating planet

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Weather patterns have always had an impact on people and civilizations. Historians argue that El Niño may have contributed to the French Revolution, and climate variability could have led to weakening the Ottoman Empire. But as anthropogenic emissions make the planet hotter, faster, Berghof Foundation Executive Director Andrew Gilmour says the risk of conflict is growing. In the 30 years he spent working with the United Nations, Gilmour repeatedly saw how competition over resources such as land and water led to conflict, but he also sees opportunities for aligning peace-building with climate solutions. “The common solutions could be, for example, a solar powered irrigation scheme,” Gilmour tells Akshat Rathi. “It could be joint management of a wildlife reserve, it could be a desalination project.”

Explore further:

Past episode with Harvard Medical School emergency physician Renee Salas about public policy approaches to mitigating the health impacts of heat waves
Past episode about the dramatization of the fight to represent developing nations’ interests at COP 3 in a new play called “Kyoto”
Past episode about the life of climate scientist and activist Saleemul Huq

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Jessica Beck, and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take: The billion-dollar promise of flying taxis

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

After years of research and development and billions in investment, autonomous flying taxis are finally poised to take off. Companies working on these pilotless vehicles have been quietly working on prototypes. In this bonus from The Big Take, Bloomberg reporter Colum Murphy takes a test flight in one of the first models operating in China, and his colleague Angus Whitley explains why it’s a make or break moment for the industry.

Plus: Hear a past episode episode of Zero about flying cars with Venkat Viswanathan, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who has been working to create a battery that can power an aircraft on a trip over 200 miles.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sleek, fuel-saving airplanes coated with synthetic shark skin

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Achieving net-zero carbon emissions is a massive challenge for every industry, but some have it harder than others. This week, Bloomberg Green senior reporter Akshat Rathi spoke with two Australian startups that are tackling carbon emissions in sectors whose carbon footprints are particularly intractable. Inspired by shark skin, MicroTau is creating a plastic film that makes airplanes more aerodynamic, reducing their fuel consumption. Novalith, meanwhile, is redesigning lithium battery manufacturing to make it cleaner. Both have received funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation in Australia. Rathi sat down with MicroTau founder Henry Bilinsky and Novalith Chief Executive Officer Steven Vassiloudis to understand the challenges their startups face and where they find optimism.

Explore further:

Past episode with Australia Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) chief executive officer, Ian Learmonth
Past episode about carbon-removal startups with Nan Ransohoff, head of climate at Stripe
Past episode with Bill Gates about investing in nuclear power and other green energy plants

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Oscar Boyd, Tiffany Tsoi, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Will Mathis. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The greenest reason to drill: clean geothermal power that's always on

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Before he founded the geothermal startup Fervo in 2017, Tim Latimer was a drilling engineer for the oil and gas industry — a job he loved. “Honestly, if it wasn't for climate change, I probably wouldn’t have ever changed my career,” he says this week on Zero. Now Latimer is applying his drilling know-how to Fervo’s wells, supercharging their energy production in the process. The company opened its first power plant in Nevada late in 2023, and is now in the process of opening another plant in Utah. Latimer and Akshat Rathi chat about opportunities in geothermal, the infernal permitting process, and why Fervo has its sights on expanding into Kenya, Indonesia, Turkey and the Philippines.

Explore further:

Past episode with the National Grid’s Sanjeet Sanghera about the need to update the grid on the path to net zero
Past episode with Bill Gates about investing in nuclear power and other green energy plants
Past episode with BNEF’s Claire Curry about how clean energy technology startups can succeed in a difficult investment climate

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Monique Mulima. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the humble refrigerator changed the world

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Explore further:

Past episode with Stacey Abrams on how kitchen-table decisions can cut emissions
Past episode with journalist George Monbiot on how the world’s food system needs a radical rethink
Past episode with two vertical farming companies taking agriculture indoors

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Healthy? Extreme heat could still threaten your life

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week on Zero, reporter Akshat Rathi sits down with Renee Salas, an emergency medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and a leading expert on the health impacts of global warming. The intersection of health and climate change is a growing area of research, and an increasingly urgent one: Heat deaths among seniors, for example, are projected to increase 370% by mid-century. But even the young and relatively healthy are at risk. “The take-home I want everyone to go away with is that we all are at risk for this,” Salas says, “especially as we get into more and more extreme conditions.”

Explore further:

Past episode with climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe about how higher temperatures results in “global weirding”
Past episode with John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: A True Story from A Hotter World
Past episode with Eleni Myrivili, Global Chief Heat Officer at UN-Habitat about designing cities to face extreme heat

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Matthew Griffin, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wires carrying twice the power show the future: The Grid Series

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Upgrading the grid for a net-zero world isn’t just a matter of building new infrastructure. Yes, miles of additional cables will be needed, as will more transformers, more substations and more engineers and technicians. But plenty of existing technology will also need to be updated. On the third episode of Zero’s grid series, TS Conductor founder Jason Huang discusses the material science breakthroughs that have enabled his company to create cables that have twice the conductivity of existing cables — and just as much strength.

Explore further:

Past episode with grid expert Sanjeet Sanghera about the global challenge of updating the grid
Past episode with Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson about the kinds of government interventions that can speed the march to electrification
Past episode with Bill Gates about the tech startup investment landscape

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The unstoppable march toward electrification: The Grid Series

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:30:00 +0000

As the world moves away from fossil fuels, the electricity grid will need to be able to handle a greater and greater load. In the second installment of Zero’s grid series, Akshat Rathi sits down with Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson to talk about what that looks like in the UK. They discussed the promise of GB Energy, the challenges of hiring qualified engineers, and what the new Labour government can do to speed up the UK’s energy transition.

Explore further:

Past Grid Series episode with National Grid’s Sanjeet Sanghera about the challenges of updating the grid around the world
Past episode about the role of the UK’s Climate Change Committee in shaping net zero policy
Past episode with Vesta’s CEO Henrik Andersen about the wind industry’s hurdles

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Matthew Griffin, and Anna Mazarakis. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Upgrading the world’s biggest machine: The Grid Series

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Even before we turn on a light switch or plug an appliance into an electric outlet, the atoms that power our daily life have traveled a long journey across the grid to reach our homes. And to meet the demands of a net zero future, that grid will need an upgrade. BloombergNEF analysis estimates that the world will need to nearly double its grid network to 111 million kilometers– a distance almost three quarters the way to the sun– by 2050. How will we get there? Former BNEF grid expert Sanjeet Sanghera, who is now working on strategic futures at the National Grid, tells Akshat Rathi about the challenges and opportunities presented by the enormous transformation of the world’s biggest machine.

Explore further:

Past episode with Stacey Abrams on how Americans can switch to electric heating and appliances in their homes
Past episode with Jenny Chase of BNEF on how the world can triple renewables by 2030.
Past episode with MIT’s Priya Donti on how AI’s climate change applications may include grid optimization
Past episode with Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen on the recovery and growth of the wind industry

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Siobhan Wagner and Matthew Griffin. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The climate activist trying to change banks from the inside

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 10:40:00 +0000

Lucie Pinson is a climate activist focused on the banks that fund fossil fuel projects. But she doesn’t march, chant, picket corporate headquarters, or glue herself to the road. Instead, she and her team at the Paris-based nonprofit Reclaim Finance get to know Corporate Social Responsibility officers, trawl through company statements and portfolios, and join shareholder calls. Reclaim Finance’s strategy is all about finding ways to pressure big financial institutions from the inside– and it works. She tells Akshat Rathi about some of the successes her organization has had, and why even bank employees who don’t care about green issues might find reasons to work with her.

Explore further:

Past episode with Richard Curtis of Make My Money Matter about the push to make retirement plans greener
Past episode on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and what happens when a “climate bank” goes under
Past episode with Brynn O’Brien of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, a shareholder activist organization focused on publicly traded companies with net zero targets

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Matthew Griffin, Natasha White, Alastair Marsh, and Mohsis Andam. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stacey Abrams on how kitchen-table decisions can cut emissions

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:30:00 +0000

At the Bloomberg Green Festival, Akshat Rathi sits down with voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams and Ari Matusiak, who leads the nonprofit Rewiring America. Together, Abrams and Matuisiak are trying help middle and low-income families access the tax breaks that can help them affordably electrify their homes. They discussed why household emissions are such a big deal, how to connect existential questions about the future of the planet to kitchen-table decisions, and whether Joe Biden is still the right Democratic candidate for 2024.

Explore further:

Past episode with Bill Gates about what another Donald Trump presidency could mean for green investments
Past episode with Bill Gates about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act
Past episode with political scientist Leah Stokes on whether the US could become a global climate policy leader

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An oil lobbyist gets the Shakespearean treatment in ‘Kyoto’

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

In fractured times, what does it take to reach agreement? That’s the question writers Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson set out to explore in a new play about the drama of climate negotiations. Kyoto, now running at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon, tells the story of the 1997 Kyoto Summit as seen through the eyes of Don Pearlman, a notorious fossil fuel lobbyist and chain-smoking lawyer dubbed “the high priest of the Carbon Club” by der Speigel. Actor Stephen Kunken, who plays Pearlman, tells Akshat Rathi why he was drawn to the character, and what Kyoto can teach us about how agreement is achieved.

Explore further:

Past episode with Al Gore about breaking the petrostates stranglehold on climate progress
Past episode about climate change storytelling with Kim Stanley Robinson, author of Ministry for the Future
Past episode with Extrapolations writer and executive producer Dorothy Fortenberry about the growing demand for climate stories

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are now 800 carbon removal startups. How many is too many?

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Tackling climate change now requires not just reducing planet-warming emissions to zero, but also finding a way to draw down existing carbon dioxide from the air. Over the past few years, tech companies have taken the lead to seed hundreds of startups that want to sell carbon removal credits and help companies meet climate goals. But the failure of a major startup, Running Tide, has raised questions about the long-term viability of the market. This week on Zero, we hear from Nan Ransohoff, head of climate at Stripe, and pioneer of the carbon-removal market.

Explore further:

Past episode with Jennifer Wilcox of the US Department of Energy’s two gigantic carbon removal hub projects
Past episode with Mark Trexler of The Climatographers about what’s wrong with carbon offsets and how to fix them
Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert about the state of carbon capture

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Alicia Clanton, Anna Mazarakis and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Bill Gates is investing big in nuclear power

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Earlier this month, tech billionaire Bill Gates broke ground on a new nuclear plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming– a historic coal town. Gates tells Zero why he hopes the plant, which uses sodium for cooling, rather than water, will be the first of many in the country– no matter who wins this year’s election. “The idea of the US being more energy secure and US innovation allowing us to export, those things are still somewhat bipartisan in nature,” he says. Plus, he weighs in on AI as both a major generator of emissions and as a potential source of climate solutions.

Explore further:

Past episode with BNEF’s Claire Curry on how energy startups can dodge the valley of death
Past episode with Brookfield Asset Management CCEO Connor Teskey on making renewables a profitable bet
Past episode with Bill Gates on the significance of the Inflation Reduction Act

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Kate Evans, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making sense of “compound” climate impacts in a time of global weirding

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 05:45:00 +0000

We are living through the hottest year on record. That’s not news, but growing climate impacts make bigger and bigger news. At 1.3C of warming beyond pre-industrial levels, people are reckoning with a planetary system that’s out of whack. It’s not like the scientists didn’t see worsening impacts coming, but many of them have been surprised by the ferocity with which some have played out. On this week’s episode of Zero, Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi speaks with his colleague Eric Roston, and Texas Tech University professor Katharine Hayhoe explains why we’re all experiencing “global weirding.”

Explore further:

Past episode about the role fire will play in shaping the 21st century.
Past episode with UN’s global chief heat officer about redesigning cities.
Past episode about finding trillions of dollars needed for climate adaptation.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Anna Mazarakis and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 21st century will be shaped by fire

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The 2016 fire that encircled the oil-producing town of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, forced more than 80,000 people to evacuate and left billions of dollars in damage in its wake. It was a disaster of record-breaking proportions, but also an inevitable byproduct of mankind’s obsession with burning fossil fuels. In this episode, John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: A True Story from A Hotter World, explains how Canada’s fossil fuel industry came into being, why its existence made the Fort McMurray disaster more likely, and what our collective obsession with fire means for the future of our species.

Explore further:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Take Asia: Will the world's biggest nuclear power plant get a restart?

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

All of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors were shut down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. As the country's energy needs soar, debate is heating up over whether to bring the world’s largest nuclear plant back online. In this bonus from The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to reporter Shoko Oda about her visit to the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant and the challenges to rebooting it.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Tesla on the road to irrelevance?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Over the past 18 months, Tesla has missed its sales goals, seen its share price fall and waded through a series of dramatic decisions from Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who cut car prices, fired much of the Supercharger team and announced nebulous plans to release a robotaxi. All of that looks like a pivot away from the original mission of making mass-market electric cars, but does Tesla going off course really matter to the EV transition? On this week’s Zero, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Liam Denning digs into Tesla’s strategy and what its evolution means for global adoption of electric cars.

Explore further:

Past episode with Carnegie Mellon University professor Venkat Viswanathan on the futuristic promises of flying cars and emission-free aviation
Past episode with Bloomberg NEF’s Colin McKerracher on why China has been successful in the EV transition where others haven’t been
Past bonus episode with Bloomberg NEF’s Colin McKerracher on electrifying vans, trucks, and buses.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Brendan Newnam, Anna Mazarakis and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Searching for climate solutions amid the AI hype

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Donti tells Akshat Rathi about some of the projects the group is funding around the world, and what the democratization of AI would look like in practice.

Explore further:

Past episode about Microsoft’s rising AI emissions, and President Brad Smith’s claim that the AI will do more good than harm
Past episode with African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina about climate innovation projects across the African continent
Past episode with climate scientist and champion for developing countries Saleemul Huq

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft wanted to be carbon negative. Then it went big on AI

Thu, 23 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact.

Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations.

Explore further:

Past episode with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on how to triple renewable energy by 2030
Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert about the possibility of carbon capture
Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan on making zero emissions steel

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why the UK’s Conservatives have given up on climate

Thu, 16 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

After 14 years as a member of Parliament for the UK’s Conservative Party, Chris Skidmore quit the government in January — an act of protest over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to allow new oil and gas licenses. Skidmore says the party has lost its way when it comes to climate issues, costing the UK lives, jobs and opportunities for economic growth. In this episode, Skidmore also discusses the Net Zero Review he published while in office, and talks through climate solutions emerging outside of Westminster.

Explore further:

Past episode with Chris Stark of the UK’s Climate Change Committee about whether the era of climate consensus is over
Past episode with Bryony Worthington, one of the authors of the UK’s Climate Change Act
Past episode with three US governors– Republican and Democrat– about how they navigate partisan politics and the need for climate action.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe’s answer to the green backlash

Thu, 09 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Five years ago, the Green Party celebrated its best-ever results in European elections, ushering in a new era of legislative progress But Covid-19, inflation, supply chain woes and Russia’s war in Ukraine stalled its ambitions. Now, in the face of lagging poll numbers, Dutch Member of European Parliament Bas Eickhout is trying to convince voters that the party’s vision of an equal and ecological Europe is still relevant – and isn’t too costly.

Explore further:

Past episode with Daniel Fiorino on the challenge of democratic consensus-building when it comes to prioritizing climate policy
Past episode exploring the government interventions that allowed Danish fossil fuel giant Orsted to become the world's largest developer of wind power
Past episode with Europe's top industrialist Jim Hagemann Snabe on helping industrial behemoths reach climate goals

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Alicia Clanton and John Ainger. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This bank is turning Africa into a climate investment opportunity

Thu, 02 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Africa currently loses between $7 billion and $15 billion a year because of climate change. If that trend continues, the sum could reach $50 billion by 2030. But African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina sees a way forward. He describes the financial instruments the bank is using to encourage investors to fund green development projects across the continent. Adesina talks about making climate investments more attractive globally, and unpacks the projects the bank is already funding – from solar panels in the Sahel to a hydroelectric dam in Mozambique.

Explore further:

Past episode with Avinash Persaud on simplifying the complexities of climate finance
Past episode exploring how Brookfield Asset Management is making renewables profitable all around the world
Past episode discussing how to get big money to invest in projects that help people adapt to a world that's already hotter than ever before

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Magnus Henriksen, and Oscar Boyd. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The slow and painful recovery of the wind industry

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Denmark’s Vestas has been making wind turbines exclusively since 1989 — well before the notion of an energy transition was commonplace. But that foresight hasn’t made for smooth sailing: When Henrik Andersen joined Vestas in 2013 as a board member, the company was deep in debt and shareholders were worried. A decade later, Andersen is CEO and has pulled Vestas out of trouble yet again, just as wind power is starting to play a critical role in the global energy transition. Andersen describes some of the government policies that have hindered or helped the growth of this sector, and describes the innovations making wind harvesting even more efficient.

Explore further:

Listen to last week’s episode on the wind industry’s struggle and how one big player remains bullish.
Read about how the wind industry is breaking free of European bureaucracy.
Listen to an earlier episode on how to make the renewable energy industry profitable in developed and developing countries.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Will Mathis. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How ‘energy islands’ can supercharge offshore wind

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

If you've paid much attention to the wind industry lately, the news isn’t great. Building new projects is getting more expensive and getting government permission to do it is taking longer than ever. Even major players like Orsted, Vestas and Siemens are struggling.

But it's not all negative — there are still big players winning in wind. One of them is Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. This week, Bloomberg Green senior reporter Akshat Rathi speaks with CIP founder and managing partner Jakob Baruël Poulsen to understand how the industry is dealing with its many challenges, why CIP is still profitable and what will be needed for wind deployment to keep pace with climate goals.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Tiffany Tsoi, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Will Mathis. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to cut industrial emissions and dodge the valley of death

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Clean energy technologies saw a record influx of investment last year: $1.7 trillion in total. But that still falls short of what’s needed to meet climate goals. With venture capital investment now falling, it’s increasingly difficult for startups to gain traction.

Claire Curry, global head of technology, industry & innovation at BloombergNEF, follows the journeys of many young companies in the clean-tech space. On this week’s Zero, Curry tells Akshat Rathi about the kinds of innovative pathways that have proven successful. LanzaTech, for example, a nine-year-old carbon recycling technology company, works with Chinese steel companies looking for low-emissions solutions. H2 Green Steel also scaled quickly, in part through agreements reached with Mercedes Benz, IKEA and other big brands looking to access low-carbon steel. Curry explains how these approaches could be replicated by other startups.

Listen to Zero’s episode about green-iron startup Electra.
Listen to Switched On’s episodes on clean-energy investments and plastic recycling.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Magnus Henriksson, and Sommer Saadi. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The climate watchdog holding the UK government to account

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When the UK’s Climate Change Committee was formed in 2008, it both signaled the country’s seriousness about its environmental goals and gave other nations a template for setting their own climate policy. More recently, though, the UK appears to be backpedaling: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has approved new oil and gas licenses and pushed back a ban on fossil fuel cars. To understand how we got to this contentious moment, and how the UK can reclaim leadership, Zero host Akshat Rathi sat down with the CCC’s chief executive, Chris Stark.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Jessica Nix. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A legally binding treaty to fight the plastic problem

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The plastic problem is everywhere: in our oceans, communities, even inside our bodies. Plastic is abundant and very cheap, and the amount we produce is expected to triple by 2060 from 430 million tons a year to 1.2 billion tons, according to the OECD. The large amount of plastic could produce four billion tons of greenhouse gases, so a fix is becoming increasingly necessary. This week, Bloomberg Green senior reporter Akshat Rathi sat down with Inger Andersen, head of the UN’s Environment Program, to talk about an upcoming treaty that tackles increasing levels of plastic. You can read the transcript of this conversation here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Leslie Kaufman and Tiffany Tsoi. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen Now: The Big Take

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0000

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making renewables a profitable bet… everywhere

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

When Brookfield Asset Management launched a $15 billion fund to expand clean energy in 2021, it was the largest private fund of its kind in the world. Now Brookfield is starting a second fund with billions from Alterra, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates. Zero host Akshat Rathi sat down with Brookfield Renewable Partners CEO Connor Teskey to talk about making climate finance work. You can read the transcript of the conversation here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Tiffany Tsoi, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Jessica Nix. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change can't overcome capitalism, and that's OK

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:01:00 +0000

It is now cheaper to save the world than destroy it. But is capitalism up to the challenge of preventing the climate crisis?

In his new book Climate Capitalism, Zero host Akshat Rathi introduces a dozen people who are already steering capitalism to solve the climate crisis: from the engineer who shaped China's electric car policies and the politician who helped make net-zero a UK law to the CEO who fought off a takeover attempt so he could stick with a sustainability strategy. Akshat argues that not only is capitalism capable of taking on the climate crisis, but harnessing it is the only way to solve the climate crisis in the time we have available.

And yet while some improvements have been made over the past few years, the world is off track to meet its 2050 climate targets. So today on Zero, Bloomberg’s Greener Living editor Kira Bindrim sits down with Akshat to discuss his new book, and asks him: If climate capitalism is so doable, why does it seem so difficult?

Read more:

Order Akshat’s new book, Climate Capitalism
Listen to the interview with Fatih Birol that Akshat mentions
Hear Akshat and Kira talk about the reality of carbon footprints
Read a transcript of this episode

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Anna Mazarakis, Gilda di Carli and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Kerry, the Forrest Gump of climate, bows out

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000

John Kerry is the Forrest Gump of climate. The guy you’ll find at every important turn in history doing something impactful. For the last three years, he has been the US special presidential envoy for climate and tasked with restoring the US’s global credibility on climate action. In a conversation with Akshat Rathi, Kerry reflects on those efforts, his frustrations and what still keeps him going at 80.

Read Bloomberg Green's feature looking at Kerry's work in the envoy role.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Tiffany Tsoi, Sommer Saadi and Magnus Henriksson. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Jen Dlouhy. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 22:00:00 +0000

The Deal, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, features intimate conversations with business titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs who reveal their investment philosophies, pivotal career moves and the ones that got away. From Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, The Deal is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Television, and Bloomberg Originals on YouTube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Donald Trump’s return means for US climate ambition

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Tom Steyer is a hedge-fund billionaire who made his money investing in distressed assets, including fossil fuel projects. He’s also an avowed climate activist and a major donor to US politicians seeking to tackle climate change. After a short-lived run for president, Steyer in 2021 set up Galvanize Climate Solutions, a firm that invests in companies and technologies promising emissions reductions this decade. It recently raised $1 billion.

Zero host Akshat Rathi spoke with Steyer at COP28 in December, to ask why he got out of fossil fuels, the consequences of bad carbon accounting, and what the return of Donald Trump would mean for global climate ambitions.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Tiffany Tsoi. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: How climate reached the world's elite in Davos

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This January, Davos will once again host the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting and bring together the world's business and political elite. In recent years, climate change has climbed ever further up the agenda at this high-altitude event. How did it happen? Akshat Rathi talks to Gail Whiteman, one person responsible for it. Gail is the founder of the Arctic Basecamp, and since 2017 has camped out for the week of Davos to deliver the urgent message about climate risks and the immense dangers it poses to the world economy.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favorite climate numbers #3

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Are fossil fuel companies needed in a clean energy future? Is the UK really backsliding on climate progress? And how can you find out more about solar? In the last episode of Zero for 2024, host Akshat Rathi and producers Oscar Boyd and Christine Driscoll talk about some of their favorite statistics that show people taking action on the climate crisis.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out: Drilled

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Today we're sharing an episode from another climate podcast that you might like, Drilled. Zero’s host Akshat Rathi was a guest on Drilled earlier this year talking about his book, Climate Capitalism, and we’re dropping that episode in the feed today. If you like what you hear you can follow Drilled wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out: The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Today we’re sharing an episode from another climate podcast that you might like. It’s The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast from KCRW. If you like what you hear, check them out wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Bloomberg News Now

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Bloomberg News Now is a comprehensive audio report on today's top stories. Listen for the latest news, whenever you want it, covering global business stories around the world.

on Apple: trib.al/Mx9TCh1
on Spotify: trib.al/T4BG8s4
Anywhere: trib.al/O4EX6BA

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is COP28 the beginning of the end for the fossil fuel era?

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:17:34 +0000

COP28 comes to a close. 200 countries came together, 100,000 people flew in, and what did they produce? A piece of text. But sometimes that piece of text can have real world consequences. In this week’s episode Akshat speaks with producer Oscar Boyd about what is in the final COP28 text and the significance of agreeing to transition off of fossil fuels.

Read More:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Hey, nice sea wall': Finding trillions for adaptation

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 01:00:00 +0000

Four billion people live in countries where climate change-related disasters are becoming more severe and frequent. Spending money to adapt, known as “climate adaptation finance” is a fraught topic. Who will pay for those adaptations and how, as well as a global goal on adaptation are all being discussed at COP28. To find out more, Akshat speaks with Patrick Verkooijen, head of the Global Center on Adaptation about the history of climate adaptation finance, what negotiations are taking place, and why the money promised still hasn’t arrived.

Read More:

A quick Q&A with Patrick Verkooijen at COP28
A UN report shows that the climate adaptation gap is growing
Sign up to the Green newsletter
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Gore plans to break the petrostate stranglehold on climate progress

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Former US Vice President Al Gore has been going to COP summits since the beginning. But he’s much more than a COP-goer. Many of today’s climate activists say that Gore’s climate documentary An Inconvenient Truth was the reason they became activists. The movie won an Academy Award in 2007 and also bagged him that year’s Nobel Peace Prize alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Gore has become the de facto spokesman for climate change. In recent years and especially before COP28, he’s become much more vocal in calling out the villains. He has castigated the role of petrostates and oil companies who shape the COP agenda, saying they’ve “taken the disguise off” and are not good faith partners.

Bloomberg Green senior reporter Akshat Rathi spoke with Al Gore at the Bloomberg Green Summit at COP28 in Dubai to ask him how to break the stranglehold petrostates have over COP, why tackling climate change solves many other major problems, and why big emitters can no longer hide.

Al Gore Wants to Weaken Petrostates’ Power Over Global Climate Decisions — Bloomberg
Akshat Rathi's book of essays about climate activists inspired by Al Gore
Sign up to the Green newsletter
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to triple renewables by 2030

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 01:00:00 +0000

Tripling renewables is one of the goals the COP28 discussions are circling around. It sounds good, but what will meeting it actually entail? Jenny Chase of BloombergNEF joins Akshat to break down where more investments are needed and why decarbonizing energy is the easy part.

Listen to our previous episode with Jenny Chase on solar's explosive growth
Sign up to the Green newsletter
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outrage and optimism in oil country

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 20:05:00 +0000

Today is the start of COP28. And for the next two weeks, Zero will be in the United Arab Emirates, along with more than 70,000 people who will come for the year’s biggest climate conference. These are set to be difficult negotiations. Getting every single country to agree to one common text is a gargantuan task. So for this first episode from COP, we wanted to hear from someone who’s been on the inside; someone who has helped forge global climate agreements from the ashes of broken diplomacy.

Christiana Figueres is the cohost of the podcast Outrage & Optimism, and was formerly the head of the UNFCCC, the body tasked with running COP meetings. She took over the role at a low point in global climate negotiations in 2010 and her efforts culminated in the signing of the Paris agreement in 2015.

Now, the world is way off track to meet that goal. So we wanted to hear from Christiana about what can be expected from COP28, the role the fossil fuel industry plays in negotiations, and whether the climate summit is still fit for purpose.

Listen to Christiana's podcast, Outrage and Optimism
Sign up to the Green newsletter
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kate Mackenzie and Kira Bindrim. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: We need trillions to fix the climate. Finally there’s a serious plan.

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Trillions of dollars are needed to shift the world to a low-carbon future, but where will all that money come from? While momentum is growing in rich countries, developing countries are still struggling for finance. Without significant increases in the amount of money spent, the world is unlikely to meet its climate goals, and yet international negotiations are at a deadlock.

Avinash Persaud has a plan: the Bridgetown Agenda. He’s the special envoy on investment and financial services for Barbados and is working with his country’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, to transform the global financial system. Together they are putting pressure on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to turbocharge the roll-out of clean technologies in developing countries.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with Avinash to discuss his plan, and why he thinks now is the time these aging financial institutions can finally be reformed.

Read more:

A deep dive on the Bridgetown Agenda
Mia Mottley’s full speech at COP27
Making polluters pay for loss and damage
Cheaper currency risk hedging could unlock trillions
Read a transcript of this episode
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can an oil exec successfully lead COP28?

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The UN Climate Conference COP28 starts next week. Before Akshat heads to the conference he’s joined by Aaron Rutkoff, the editor of Bloomberg Green, to talk about what COP’s current controversial president Sultan Al Jaber has accomplished so far and what he must achieve. They also decode COP jargon like “orderly decline,” discuss the stakes for the UAE’s biggest diplomatic exercise and expectations for the final communiqué.

Listen to related episodes:

Read articles mentioned in this episode:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Stacey Wong and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How China left the world far behind in the battery race

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:30:00 +0000

By 2025, China’s battery production capacity will be three times as much as the rest of the world combined. Why was it able to take such a commanding lead? Listen to an extract from Akshat Rathi’s new book Climate Capitalism to find out.

How China Left the World Far Behind in the Battery Race - Bloomberg
Read Climate Capitalism
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carbon removal’s magic number

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

If reducing emissions from industry is the first step for carbon capture, then drawing down excess CO2 to reverse climate change is the next. This week Akshat speaks to Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, head of the US Department of Energy’s office that is funding two gigantic carbon removal hubs and many small demonstration projects. They talk about why carbon removal is so complicated, crucial, and hitting the magic number $100. This is the second in a two part series about carbon management.

Listen to the previous episode in this series:

Big promise, little success: The state of carbon capture

Read More:

Send us your questions about COP via zeropod@bloomberg.net and we’ll try to answer them from the conference

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Brian Kahn, and Michelle Ma. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe’s top industrialist takes on green batteries

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

You may not know Jim Hagemann Snabe by name, but he has been called Europe’s top industrialist. Snabe has held leadership positions at some of the world’s biggest companies like Maersk and Siemens. He is now a chairperson of Northvolt, Europe’s largest battery manufacturer with 4,000 employees, $55B worth of orders and the competitive edge of greener batteries.

Akshat spoke with Jim Snabe at the Bloomberg Tech Summit in London about how industrial behemoths like Maersk and Siemens can meet climate goals, whether zero-emission shipping will ever be a reality, and whether Northvolt can ever outcompete the Chinese battery industry.

Send your questions about COP to zeropod@bloomberg.net and we’ll try to answer them from the conference.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Elon, Inc.

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

At Bloomberg, we’re always talking about the biggest business stories, and no one is bigger than Elon Musk.

In this new chat weekly show, host David Papadopoulos and a panel of guests including Businessweek’s Max Chafkin, Tesla reporter Dana Hull, Big Tech editor Sarah Frier, and more, will break down the most important stories on Musk and his empire. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big promise, little success: The state of carbon capture

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The U.S. is spending billions on carbon capture as a climate solution, but is it realistic? The method has been around for 50 years and used primarily as a way to extract more oil. To find out how and if carbon capture can work as a climate solution, Akshat speaks with Emily Grubert, a professor at Notre Dame about what tech demonstrations have actually demonstrated and where this precious resource should be deployed.

This is the first in a two part series about carbon management.

Read More

Occidental Quietly Ditched World's Biggest Carbon Capture Plant
What Carbon Capture Failures Say About Its Future
Fill out Bloomberg Green's climate anxiety survey

Listen More

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The loudest champion of the climate vulnerable

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:25:00 +0000

Saleemul Huq was a pre-eminent climate scientist and champion for developing countries. For many years, he was a lone warrior trying to bring the issues of adaptation and loss and damage to the UN negotiating table. His death last weekend caused an outpouring of emotion across the climate world. Ahead of COP28, Zero hears from some of Saleemul’s colleagues about his life, legacy and the hole he leaves behind in climate diplomacy.

Saleemul Huq's obituary
Saleemul Huq and Farhana Sultana's Guardian op-ed

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: How the ‘rich man’s energy club’ became a climate champion

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

This week, the International Energy Agency published its flagship report: The World Energy Outlook. It's hundreds of pages long and makes some bold claims. It says in the year 2030, there will be 10 times as many electric cars on the road as today, 80% of all new power generation will be solar or wind, and demand for fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – will have peaked.

The report is dominating climate news because what the IEA says makes a big difference to how governments tweak their energy policies. But how did an organization formed by a handful of countries in response to the 1973 oil crisis come to hold so much influence over our response to the climate crisis?

For the answer, this week we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes: an interview with Fatih Birol, the head of the IEA. As we approach COP28, hosted by an oil power and led by the CEO of an oil company, it’s good to understand how international organizations can be successfully transformed in the face of climate change.

Read the World Energy Outlook
Global Oil Demand to Reach Its Peak This Decade, IEA Says— Bloomberg
Want to know more about the IEA story? Order Akshat’s book, Climate Capitalism, here.
Read a transcript of this episode here

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks this week to Eric Roston, Kira Bindrim and Will Mathis. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EV revolution isn’t just on four wheels

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 18:15:00 +0000

Cars are only half the electric vehicle story. There are also billions of two and three wheelers that need to be electrified, as well as bigger vehicles like vans, trucks and buses. In this bonus episode of Zero, we’re joined again by Colin McKerracher, BloombergNEF’s head of advanced transport, to look beyond electric cars and hear how electrification is going for other forms of road transport. Are batteries still the answer?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peak oil is here. Well, maybe.

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Peak oil is here, or is it? Depends on how you measure, but at least one person is sure crude isn’t coming back. This week Akshat speaks with Bloomberg Opinion columnist David Fickling about why he thinks the world has reached peak crude oil demand, what comes next, and what it all has to do with the American soap opera Dallas.

Read more

David’s original article: Peak Oil Has Finally Arrived. No, Really
Not everyone agrees: The Harsh Truth: We're Using More Oil Than Ever
Latest IEA forecasts: Global Oil Demand to Reach Its Peak This Decade, IEA Says
Read or pre-order Akshat’s book Climate Capitalism

Listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can climate capitalism work?

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

It is now cheaper to save the world than destroy it. But is capitalism up to the challenge of preventing the climate crisis?

Read more:

Order Akshat’s new book, Climate Capitalism
Listen to the interview with Fatih Birol that Akshat mentions
Hear Akshat and Kira talk about the reality of carbon footprints
Read a transcript of this episode

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's done. The future is electric cars.

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The rise of electric cars is staggering. In 2016, just 700,000 electric cars were sold worldwide, this year it’ll be over 14 million. However, we are still off-track to meet climate goals. Colin McKerracher, head of Advanced Transport at BloombergNEF, joins Zero to discuss how electric cars can get on track to meet net-zero targets, why China has succeeded where others haven’t, and when we’ll finally see more electric cars on the roads than those burning fossil fuels.

Read more:

China Reaches Peak Gasoline in Milestone for Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicle Sales Top $1 Trillion in Wake-Up Call for Carmakers
Electric Cars Are Winning Out Because of Consumers, Not Politicians
Pre-order Akshat’s new book, Climate Capitalism
Read a transcript of this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to keep fossil fuels in the ground, from the boardroom

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Brynn O’Brien not only reads corporate climate plans, she crunches the numbers. When they don’t add up, she calls her friends who manage trillions of dollars in assets and they all ask to speak to the manager. Brynn is the Executive Director of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, a shareholder activist organization that works to ensure that publicly traded companies with net zero goals are conducting their coal mining, electricity generation, and other activities in a way that ensures we hit the 1.5C Paris target. Recently, ACCR has replaced part of a board, brought forward coal plant closures, and filed a lawsuit that’s taking on greenwashing.

Listen to other episodes:

Read More:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to David Stringer and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favorite climate numbers #2

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:10:00 +0000

Are two wheels better than four? Can cutting commuting cap carbon consumption? And where’s all the clean energy coming from? There are many climate numbers out there that we don’t get to talk about on Zero but that deserve attention. In this bonus episode, host Akshat Rathi and producers Christine Driscoll and Oscar Boyd talk about some of their favorite stats showing people taking action on the climate crisis.

The godfather of solar predicts its future

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Setting world records. Combing through warehouses of old electronics. Seeding the Chinese solar industry from afar. This is the life of Martin Green, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and the director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics. Green’s work on solar panel design made the modern solar industry possible: 90% of solar panels made last year were based on his designs. He’s still going strong, too, regularly breaking new records in the pursuit of the perfect solar panel. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with the man many call “the godfather of solar” to hear firsthand how it happened, the next record he wants to break and whether solar panels are destined for space.

Read more:

Making Solar Panels Is 'Horrible' Business. The US Still Wants It. (Bloomberg)
Listen to Akshat’s conversation with Jenny Chase (Apple Podcasts)
Solar Power Investment Set to Surpass Oil Production Spending This Year (Bloomberg)
China Leaves Everyone Behind in Race for Renewable Energy (Bloomberg)
A transcript of this episode.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Jill Namatsi, David Stringer, Jenny Chase and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perfume? Yes. Potatoes? No. Vertical farming tries to grow up

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Cleantech is hard. Farming is harder. This week, Akshat Rathi visits entrepreneurs doing both.

GroGrace in Singapore and Jungle in Paris are two vertical farming companies taking agriculture indoors, and trying to grow crops efficiently and profitably. While the technology to do this has been around since the 1990s, the business model has yet to be perfected, and several other vertical farms have closed down or laid off staff this year. As the world faces rising energy prices, water scarcity, and hotter temperatures, can the entrepreneurs in Paris and Singapore avoid the problems of their compatriots?

Read more:

Akshat Rathi’s reporting on Singapore’s cleantech scene: Singapore’s Building Technology It Needs for a New Climate Era - Bloomberg
From AppHarvest to AeroFarms, Funding Is Drying Up for AI-Run Vertical Farms - Bloomberg
Heat, War and Export Bans: Global Food Threats Are On the Rise
Another tale of the Dutch exporting their vertical farming know-how: Saudi City of Future Enlists Dutch Help to Grow Crops in Desert - Bloomberg
A transcript of this episode.

Listen to related episodes of Zero:

The world's food system needs a radical rethink - interview with George Monbiot

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Sheryl Tian Tong Lee, Natasha White and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the world’s biggest green bank is electrifying Australia

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Trillions of dollars are needed to fund the climate transition, with both the private sector and governments required to contribute. Australia’s answer is the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the world’s largest green bank.

Established by the government in 2012 with an initial funding of A$10 billion ($6.5 billion), it was tasked with financing green projects and ambitious Australian climate startups at a time when large-scale investments in things like wind and solar were still seen as too risky for most private banks. Despite early efforts by opposition parties to abolish the bank, over the past 10 years it has made itself an essential part of Australia's energy transition and, in June, received an extra A$20.5 billion to help the country meet its target of 82% renewables by 2030.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with CEFC chief executive officer, Ian Learmonth, to learn how this huge amount of money will be spent, why the CEFC had so many enemies early on, and what kind of innovative startups and clean-tech projects the organization is looking to fund.

For more:

Our episode with Jigar Shah, a $9 Billion Deal to Supercharge US Cleantech
Our episode on Australia’s new climate politics
A transcript of this episode

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Gilda Di Carli and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your carbon footprint should bring you joy

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The concept of a “carbon footprint” began as a distraction from Big Oil: get people to focus on their own actions rather than the impact of large emitters. Oil companies come up with PR campaigns all the time, but the carbon footprint took off because it taps into a question we keep coming back to, can our choices lower emissions? If so, how? And if they don’t, why bother? This week, Akshat is joined by Kira Bindrim, the editor of Bloomberg Greener Living, which focuses on consumer choices, to talk about what she’s noticed in a year of editing stories about products, misconceptions, and how much people just love to read about electric cars. Plus, we break down her carbon footprint.

Listen to related episodes of Zero:

The climate case for flying cars - an interview with the man who will help cut Akshat’s carbon footprint.
The writer behind Love Actually wants to green your retirement fund - why you should look into where you store your retirement

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: How to build a battery that replaces a coal plant

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

This week, a visit to the energy startup trying to replace coal with a very cheap battery. Form Energy has attracted nearly $900 million in investments and is building its first manufacturing facility in the US. Its big innovation relies on rust. Really. The materials scientists at Form have taken the same process that’s a symbol of time slowly passing and turned it into electricity. It’s one of the first big bets that batteries could help push the grid closer to running without fossil fuels altogether.

You can read more about Form Energy and see what the battery looks like here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special Thanks to Kira Bindrim and Blake Maples.

Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Methane leaks are the low-hanging fruit of the climate crisis

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 25-year period. However, it also degrades much more quickly than CO2, meaning cuts in emissions now can have a quick and significant effect on reducing global warming. On this bonus episode of Zero, producer Oscar Boyd talks with host Akshat Rathi about the methane problem and the ways to solve it.

Read more:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to John Fraher, Meg Szabo and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Hollywood A-listers are rushing to star in climate shows

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How do you turn climate change into compelling TV? What scenarios do you draw on? And how do you make sure a call for climate action isn’t lost to a feeling that a dystopian future is inevitable?

When Extrapolations premiered in March, it became one of the first major TV shows to put climate change at the core of its narrative. Packed with A-list actors like Meryl Streep, Kit Harington and Sienna Miller, Extrapolations begins in a not too distant 2037. The world feels all too familiar, and with each episode the temperature becomes a little bit hotter, and the impacts of climate change a little bit worse. The planet is less hospitable, but humanity remains much the same.

This week on Zero*, host Akshat Rathi interviews Extrapolations writer and executive producer Dorothy Fortenberry about the growing demand for climate stories, how reality is overtaking the premise of the show, and how choices made this decade will impact the next.

(*this interview was recorded before the ongoing Hollywood strike action)

Read more:

Apple TV’s futuristic climate show is already coming true
NRDC Rewrite the Future
Zero’s interviews with Kim Stanley Robinson and Amy Westervelt

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside the industry that made climate denial work

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

True crime is one of the most popular genres in every form of storytelling. But can that pull be used to tell stories about the environment? This week, Akshat speaks with Amy Westervelt, a climate reporter for over twenty years, and the creator of the podcast Drilled - a true crime show about climate change. Westervelt launched it after being turned away by large production companies but found over a million listeners in the first season.

This is the second of three episodes talking with climate storytellers on Zero. Listen to hear why and how Westervelt decided to use “true crime” as a way to talk about Big Oil, the history of climate denial, and how reporting on the climate crisis has changed for the better.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sci-fi writer’s guide to a low-carbon future

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

To tackle climate change, we need good stories and we need good storytellers. Kim Stanley Robinson is a climate fiction author who has written more than 20 novels, including Ministry for the Future, which was published in 2020. It opens in 2025, with a heatwave that kills millions in India. It’s a grim scene, and what follows is the story of humans striving to cope with an increasingly inhospitable planet — there’s ecoterrorism, high-finance, wild chases over the Swiss Alps. What emerges in Ministry is the a ‘optopian’ roadmap, in which the world gets to grips with the climate crisis and begins to rectify the situation.

In the first of three episodes talking with climate storytellers on Zero, we hear from Robinson about how he crafts a good story out of a desperate situation, what he thinks the limits of climate storytelling are, and how his thinking has changed since publishing Ministry for the Future.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Todd Woody and Abraiya Ruffin. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: The world’s food system needs a radical rethink

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

What’s worse for the planet than Big Oil? The world’s food system, argues environmental journalist and campaigner George Monbiot in his new book Regenesis. He makes a passionate case for how current agricultural practices not only damage the environment, but prevent vast amounts of land from being rewilded and restored to its natural state. Monbiot speaks with Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi about his proposed solutions, which include an end to livestock farming entirely and using new technologies like precision fermentation to meet the world’s rising demand for protein.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim and Stacey Wong. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How solar’s explosive growth is starting to make electricity free

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 21:38:48 +0000

In the next three years, 1TW of solar power will be added to the global grid and competition is driving solar prices even lower. And after years of innovation in China, Japan, and Germany, the U.S. is finally getting in the game in a major way through its IRA which offers incentives to manufacture cleantech in the U.S. In early 2023, the South Korean company QCells announced it would build a domestic supply chain in the U.S. to gain access to enormous tax credits. But in a global marketplace, is this worth doing? Despite solar's potential, manufacturing its parts has never been a reliable business.

This week Akshat talks to Jenny Chase of BloombergNEF and an expert on the solar industry about its boom/bust cycle, why solar's growth means electricity may soon be free during the day, and what QCells is up against. We also hear from Lindsay Cherry of QCells about how the company will achieve its ambitious goal to build a solar supply chain from scratch.

Akshat will be traveling to Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Delhi over the next few weeks. Fancy meeting for a drink? Sign up here.

Read More:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Brian Eckhouse, Nayeli Jaramillo-Plata, and Abraiya Ruffin. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favorite climate numbers

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:15:00 +0000

Where’s all the oil money going? What’s happening with cycling in France? And how far behind China is the US on solar? There are many climate numbers out there that we don’t get to talk about on Zero but that deserve attention. In this bonus episode, host Akshat Rathi and producers Christine Driscoll and Oscar Boyd talk about some of their favorite stats showing people taking action on the climate crisis.

Akshat will be traveling to Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Delhi over the next few weeks. Fancy meeting for a drink? Sign up here.

How Canada figured out a carbon tax and gave the money back

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Canada is a leading producer of oil and gas. It’s also one of the few G7 members with a carbon tax. As Minister of Environment and Climate Change in 2015, Catherine McKenna was charged with getting Canadians on board with that policy. One of the most important tactics was calling it “a price on pollution.” Carbon taxes are having a moment after the Paris Climate Finance Summit and Cath joins Akshat this week to talk about the political practicalities of passing a carbon tax. She has advice about who to lean on, handling threats, and why focusing on outcomes above all else is the key to climate policy that works.

Akshat will be traveling to Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Delhi over the next few weeks. Fancy meeting for a drink? Sign up here.

The Chinese activist who mapped the country's pollution problem

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

China is the world’s factory, and has the emissions to match. But in a planned economy, with weak environmental regulation, can anyone take on this pollution? Today’s guest, Ma Jun, did. In 2006 he began publishing “Pollution Maps” online that detailed levels and sources of air and water pollution. Ma Jun faced pushback, but his work made it possible for people in China to discuss pollution and climate change in a serious way. His work has since gained acceptance from the government and the corporations like Apple and Nike that he tracked down as sources. Ma Jun joined Akshat in Davos for a conversation about the power that data can have, how environmentalism has changed in China, and the role the rest of the world must play in asking questions.

Ma Jun’s book China’s Water Crisis
A case study of Ma Jun’s work and its effect on environmentalism in China from Columbia University
A recent history of air quality in China from University of Chicago
Panel at Columbia: Meeting the Energy and Climate Needs of Emerging Economies
Bonus episode: How wildfire smoke and air pollution affect your health

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim and Dan Murtaugh. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three US Governors, Republican and Democrat, pitch green spending

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Policy can make or break climate action. Usually, national policy gets the most attention, but what local and regional governments do can make a bigger difference, especially in large countries like the US, India and China. This week, Akshat Rathi speaks with three US governors – Jay Inslee of Washington, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Eric Holcomb of Indiana – about how they navigate partisan politics and the need for climate action. As governors who control state budgets and priorities, their decisions now could supercharge national climate action, or hinder it.

World leaders met in Paris to unlock trillions in climate finance. What did they achieve?

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:45:00 +0000

Last week, 50 world leaders met in Paris with the goal of moving trillions in climate finance to developing countries. What was achieved, and what is still left to do? Akshat Rathi was on the ground and gives Oscar Boyd his key takeaways.

More:

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Natasha White and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet the man with $400 billion to supercharge climate tech

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Tesla is a household name, but few people have heard of the Loan Programs Office (LPO), one of Tesla’s crucial early backers. Part of the US Department of Energy, the LPO is tasked with awarding government-backed loans to clean-tech. In 2010, it loaned Tesla $465 million to help it weather the fallout from the financial crisis and build out the production of the Model S. With the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act last summer, the LPO was supercharged. It now has more than $400 billion to help the US achieve its climate goals.

Jigar Shah is the director of the LPO and joins Zero to give an exclusive on the organization's biggest ever loan: $9.2 billion to BlueOval SK, a joint venture between US auto giant Ford and South Korean battery manufacturer SK On. The money will be used to build battery factories for Ford’s growing line of electric vehicles. Jigar explains why he chose to make this loan, how it fits into President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle ambitions, and how he deals with the risks of investing in pioneering technologies.

Read Bloomberg's deep dive on the Ford loan.
The Department of Energy’s liftoff reports
Article: Tesla’s shrewdest product is proving to be its charging network
Article: Ford’s electric pickup is built from metal that’s damaging the Amazon
A transcript of this episode

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Ari Natter, Keith Naughton, Gabriella Coppola and Kira Bindrim. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need trillions to fix the climate. Finally there’s a serious plan.

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with Avinash to discuss his plan, and why he thinks now is the time these aging financial institutions can finally be reformed.

Read more:

A deep dive on the Bridgetown Agenda
Mia Mottley’s full speech at COP27
Making polluters pay for loss and damage
Cheaper currency risk hedging could unlock trillions
Read a transcript of this episode

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How wildfire smoke and air pollution affect your health

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:53:53 +0000

A hotter planet is also a smokier one, as residents of New York City are finding out this week. As the intensity and size of wildfires grows, more and more people are being exposed to dangerously unhealthy air. Just how dangerous? Oscar Boyd asks Akshat Rathi to explain the health effects of exposure to intense air pollution. It’s not a new problem, but it’s a growing one and many of us will need to learn how to deal with the risks.

How to stop your retirement money funding climate change

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 03:59:00 +0000

How often do you think about how much your pension or 401(k) is contributing to climate change? Chances are not much, but a growing movement wants you to do just that.

Richard Curtis is the writer behind Love Actually, Mr. Bean, Blackadder and Four Weddings and a Funeral. His latest project is not a movie, but a campaign group called Make My Money Matter, which wants to make British retirement plans and banks greener by raising awareness about the trillions of dollars in pensions that are invested in fossil fuel companies.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Richard about how he went from writing for the screen to making your retirement money green, what can be done to stop greenwashing in the financial sector, and whether he'll ever write a climate romcom.

Make My Money Matter’s film with Rose Leslie and Kit Harrington
Natasha White’s article on Gabon’s carbon credits
A transcript of this episode.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Alastair Marsh, Natasha White and Kira Bindrim. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest opportunity in the history of the world

Thu, 25 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Dipender Saluja is the Managing Director of Capricorn Investment Group, a venture capital firm with $9B under management. He was an early investor in Tesla. Today Dipender leads Capricorn’s clean tech investments effort and is betting on nuclear fusion, next gen batteries and electric aviation as the next moneymakers in decarbonizing the economy. Dipender has worked in Silicon Valley for 35 years. This week, Akshat talks with him about why he got interested in venture capital, climate tech, and how his start in the semiconductor industry informs his investment strategy.

Listen to the interview with Rebecca Shirley of World Resources Institute and Makthar Diop of International Finance Corporation to learn more about clean energy financing in developing nations here.

Leslie Kaufman’s story about TerraCycle here.
A transcript of the episode

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Venkat Viswanathan, and Dashiell Bennett. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does it matter if the world breaches 1.5C for a single year?

Thu, 18 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

This week a new report was released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that says we are likely to exceed 1.5C of warming for a single year at some point in the next five years. It’s a big deal for many reasons, especially because limiting global warming to within 1.5C of pre-industrial temperatures is a key goal of the Paris Agreement.

In this bonus episode of Zero, Akshat Rathi and Oscar Boyd talk about what the WMO report says and why it matters.

Redesigning cities for a future of extreme heat

Thu, 18 May 2023 06:25:00 +0000

At their best, cities can be a climate solution: densely packed places with good public transport, effective health care, and plenty for everyone to do. Combined with clean energy, they become carbon-efficient centers. But cities can also be a climate disaster: Low levels of vegetation, big concrete buildings, high traffic and poor airflow create the perfect conditions for extreme heat waves. As cities grow and an ever greater percentage of the population become urban dwellers, the impacts of these heat events will be felt by more and more people.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Global Chief Heat Officer Eleni Myrivili, about how cities can be made more resilient to heat, and why aircon is not a solution we can rely on.

A profile of Eugenia Kargbo, Chief Heat Officer in Sierra Leone.
Olivia Rudgard’s article on Happisburgh’s disappearing coastline.
A full transcript of this episode.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim and Laura Millan. Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biden’s climate bill is changing climate tech, and our daily lives

Thu, 11 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

It’s been eight months since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. Already the hundreds of billions of dollars it contains for clean energy and slowing climate change —alongside private venture capital investments — are funding a wide array of climate technology projects, from decarbonizing infrastructure to rust-based battery storage.

This week we are sharing an episode of the Bloomberg podcast The Big Take that looks at where all the money in U.S. President Biden's signature climate bill has gone. Bloomberg climate reporter Eric Roston and senior reporter Akshat Rathi talk with Big Take host Wes Kosova about how climate tech is no longer a corner of the economy–it’s fast becoming the economy. And reporter Zahra Hirji joins to talk about some of the ways the IRA’s spending is starting to show up in our everyday lives.

Read the story by Akshat Rathi and Eric Roston here. Find more from The Big Take, here. And help out Zero by taking our listener survey, here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim and The Big Take team. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the Bezos Earth Fund spends its billions

Thu, 04 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Amazon made Jeff Bezos very rich. In 2020, he decided to pledge a portion of that wealth — $10 billion — to launch the Bezos Earth Fund. It is the largest commitment to climate philanthropy ever made and, by most measures, a vast amount of money. But it is also a small fraction of the $3.5 trillion that is needed annually to hit net zero by 2050. To make an impact, it has to be spent strategically and attract a lot more money from governments and corporations.

This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Bezos Earth Fund CEO Andrew Steer how the fund spends its billions, what counts as success, and how competition between billionaires is shaping climate philanthropy.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, as well as Robin Pomeroy at the World Economic Forum for arranging studio space. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High hopes for biodiversity, but who will pay?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The world is in the middle of the sixth mass extinction and this time it's being driven by human activity. Slowing it down will provide benefits for tackling climate change, and solutions to reign in global warming will help stem biodiversity loss. But this win-win scenario isn't straightforward to put into action.

In December, world leaders gathered at COP15 in Montreal and agreed upon a new global biodiversity framework, with 23 targets including a goal of protecting 30% of all land, waters and oceans by 2030. The details on how that target will be implemented, however, are vague, and vast amounts of money will be needed to fund nature protection in biodiversity-rich, economically poor countries.

Akshat Rathi speaks with Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at the World Wildlife Fund; Monica Medina, the US assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs; and Bloomberg Green’s Eric Roston, about what it means to protect biodiversity, and who will fund it.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best of: Inside the stealth startup making zero-emission steel

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Steel is the backbone of modern society, and it’s also responsible for 7% of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Last summer, Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi visited a US startup that says they can clean it all up. Operating in a suburban office park in Colorado, Electra claims to have developed a way to get through the most energy-intensive part of steelmaking at temperatures lower than fresh coffee. Akshat dives into the science and story of Electra with CEO Sandeep Nijhawan.

This episode first ran in October 2022. This week, Electra was awarded BloombergNEF's Pioneers award for its research into low-carbon steel. Read more about the award and see all 12 winners of the 2023 Pioneers Award here. Read the full feature about Electra here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our senior producer is Christine Driscoll and our producer is Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The climate case for flying cars

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Electric aviation fulfills two futuristic promises – flying cars and emissions-free air travel. This week, meet the professor who is working to make it happen. Venkat Viswanathan, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is working to create a battery that can power an aircraft on a trip over 200 miles. Venkat talks to Akshat about the network of people involved in electric aviation, how long it will take to develop such a light and powerful battery, and why aviation is the most important problem for batteries to solve.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Blake Maples, Stacey Wong, Sharon Chen, and Kira Bindrim.

Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A kingdom built on oil now controls the world’s climate progress

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:23:05 +0000

When Sultan Al Jaber was made president of COP28, the year’s biggest climate summit, there was outrage. How can the head of a giant oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. – think Exxon and BP combined – convince the world to cut emissions faster? But Al Jaber isn’t an oil boss cut from the same mold. He spent a decade as a renewables executive.

This week on Zero, Bloomberg Green Executive Editor Aaron Rutkoff talks to Senior Reporter Akshat Rathi about his new in-depth profile of Al Jaber exploring a world of contradictions. You can read the full article “The Oil Sheikh’s Climate Fixer”.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks this week to Gilda Di Carli, Stacey Wong, and Kira Bindrim.

Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to build a battery that replaces a coal plant

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

You can read more about Form Energy and see what the battery looks like here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the ‘rich man’s energy club’ became a climate champion

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How do you rebuild an international organization for the climate era? That’s what the Paris-based International Energy Agency has done over the past decade. Founded in 1974 to secure oil supplies for its members, the IEA has become a leading voice on the need to cut emissions. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, when global emissions will peak, if it’s possible to get there sooner, and why India’s solar revolution is keeping him optimistic.

Want to know more about the IEA story? Pre-order Akshat’s book, Climate Capitalism, here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why the new IPCC report is so important

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 00:07:59 +0000

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report is out and it makes for sober reading. Published roughly every seven years, IPCC reports are the most established body of knowledge on climate change and unique in that their summary gets a signoff from every country on the planet. The report’s findings feature in everything from government policy to investment decisions. In this bonus episode, Akshat Rathi and Oscar Boyd talk about what the latest IPCC report says, and why it matters so much.

Read more about the latest IPCC report, about how one sentence in an IPCC report changed the climate game and about how IPCC reports become a showdown between science and global politics.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks this week to Eric Roston and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What the Silicon Valley Bank collapse means for climate tech

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:37:10 +0000

What happens when a "climate bank" goes under? This week, Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi interviews the CEO of an AI battery startup that had just received $3 million in funding about the stresses of recovering money from Silicon Valley Bank as it collapsed. Then, Bloomberg reporter Mark Bergen explains what made SVB so important to climate tech funding and which institutions might be poised to take its place.

Read more about the collapse and its impact on climate tech, here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks this week to Venkat Viswanathan, Brian Eckhouse, Mark Bergen, Coco Liu, Olivia Rudgard, Josh Saul, David Baker, Sommer Saadi, and Kira Bindrim.

Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What it takes to become a climate tech CEO, with Katie Rae

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

If you’ve got the technology that can change the world, are you the best person to implement it? Investors pay careful attention to the CEO of any company, but in climate tech, they deserve special scrutiny – much of the science has never been brought to scale and they are competing against the status quo, massive trillion-dollar industries. It takes business acumen to launch a profitable business and the stakes are high, so some investors prefer a seasoned entrepreneur to a scientist.

Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi talks to Katie Rae, who has a different philosophy. Katie is the head of The Engine, a venture firm affiliated with MIT that invests in early stage climate tech companies, often helmed by scientists. How does she make the case to investors and what does she teach the scientist wanting to be a CEO?

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building a future where humanity will thrive, with Achim Steiner

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:03:00 +0000

Since the Human Development Index was established in 1990, it has trended gradually upward, as people’s health, wealth and opportunities have improved. But in 2019, it went into a decline then made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout from the war in Ukraine. The impacts of these events on reversing human progress could be dwarfed by climate change, says Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Programme. However, the solutions to the climate problem also offer the potential to build a more inclusive and fair future that allows humanity to thrive.

Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi asks Steiner about the opportunities and threats climate change poses to global development, how countries can plan for more climate refugees, and what rising inequality means for a world facing multiple crises.

Read Oxfam’s report on inequality and climate change, here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Sommer Saadi and Stacey Wong, as well as Robin Pomeroy at the World Economic Forum for arranging studio space. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Europe ditched Russian fossil fuels with spectacular speed

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

When Russia attacked Ukraine last year, it expected to win in a three-day blitz. Instead, it’s become a protracted war with impacts felt far and wide — disrupting food systems, supply chains, geopolitics and the global economy. Europe’s most remarkable response to the war isn’t to do with sending in tanks or billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. Instead, it’s been the surprising speed with which it has ditched Russian fossil fuels and strangled the source of funding for Russia’s war machine. In this episode, Zero’s producer Oscar Boyd asks Bloomberg News reporters Will Mathis and Akshat Rathi how Europe managed this feat, and what that means for the continent’s climate goals.

Read Akshat and Will’s full article, complete with charts and graphs that show the speed of the transition. This is what a LNG tanker looks like.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Todd Gillespie, John Ainger and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new climate race between EU and US, with Jennifer Morgan

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

As Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan stands alongside John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua of China as one of the world’s top climate negotiators. But she is no typical bureaucrat. Jennifer considers herself an “activist diplomat,” and before taking up the position of envoy, she headed up Greenpeace, known for its political activism and climate stunts. Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi sat down with Jennifer at the World Economic Forum in Davos to ask her whether the EU needs to compete more aggressively with the US on climate tech, how Germany is justifying the expansion of its coal mines, and why reforming the World Bank is vital for helping developing countries deal with climate impacts.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Laura Millan, John Ainger, Petra Sorge, Olivia Rudgard and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody wants a better battery, Christine Ho is printing one

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000

This summer, Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi visited Imprint Energy, a Silicon Valley startup that prints batteries. Using the same tools as screenprinters, Imprint Energy prints thousands of batteries to power shipping labels that can report the movement, temperature, and even humidity that packages are exposed to. Imprint’s batteries are being tested by companies that ship food, crop seeds and even vaccines. Akshat speaks with founder and inventor Christine Ho about how she bootstrapped the company, raised $25M, and why these small batteries made of a glue-like goo can cut down waste and reduce emissions.

What do Imprint's batteries look like? Check them out here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Venkat Viswanathan and Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Sweden’s 27-year-old climate minister match up to the far right? with Romina Pourmokhtari

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Sweden is known for its climate ambition, and was the first country to set a goal to reach net zero by 2045. Yet a new government aligned with the far-right Sweden Democrats has thrown that commitment into question. Enter Romina Pourmokhtari who, at 26 years old, became the country's youngest-ever cabinet member when she was chosen as climate minister in October. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Romina whether Sweden will still meet its climate commitments, how her first 100 days in office have been, and what she hopes to achieve on climate now that Sweden is chairing the European council.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-octane capitalism meets climate change, with Chamath Palihapitiya

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

In 2020, Silicon Valley investor Chamath Palihapitiya said he wanted to create a holding company for climate tech and asked for people to submit their frameworks for making it happen. Whoever was chosen as a finalist would help implement it. He got over 1,500 submissions, but he never ended up making that holding company. Why? Will this ever be possible? Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi talks to Chamath about the difficulty of learning to invest in climate tech, the future of his investing kingdom, and how much you can teach yourself about batteries.

In this episode, we talk about Warren Buffett, investing, and what makes a climate investment. If you want to hear why Buffett thinks an oil company can be a climate bet, check out our episode with Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub:

Oil boss Vicki Hollub is selling 'net-zero oil'. Do you buy it?

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How a fossil-fuel company became a wind giant, with Mads Nipper

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The wind industry is exploding, growing from just 2% of global electricity supply to 7% in a decade. But to achieve net zero by 2050, we're going to need a lot more wind turbines, both on land and out at sea. On this week’s episode of Zero, Orsted CEO Mads Nipper tells Akshat Rathi how the company transformed itself from a fossil fuel giant into the world's largest developer of offshore wind power, and the challenges the industry faces. It’s not just a story of clear corporate strategy chasing an opportunity, but also of heavy government intervention and many happy accidents.

Read energy reporter Will Mathis’ story on the pressures faced by the wind industry here, and what 2023 has in store for renewables, here.

Want to know more about Orsted's story? Pre-order Akshat’s book, Climate Capitalism, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How climate reached the world's elite in Davos, with Gail Whiteman

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to quit your job for the climate

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What causes a restaurant critic to trade the gourmet for the green? Why does a Shell geophysicist leave their decade-long career working on oil and gas fields? What makes a war-crimes lawyer want to pursue a career in climate? And why would a travel executive become a solar installer? This week on Zero, listeners tell us why they quit their jobs to work in the climate space, and what advice they have for others who want to do the same.

A special thank you to everyone who sent in their story.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should the climate movement embrace property destruction? with Andreas Malm

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Throughout history, no social movement has succeeded without utilizing property destruction as a tactic, and if the climate movement is to be effective it will have to do the same. So says Andreas Malm, author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, on this week’s episode of Zero. But how do you delineate between justifiable sabotage and unacceptable violence? And is there a risk that escalation backfires as a strategy?

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are democracies up to the climate challenge? with Daniel Fiorino

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The task of cutting emissions is becoming more urgent by the day. Are democracies up to the challenge? Do we have time to let the usual course of consensus-building and debate play out, or should governments around the world prioritize climate action at any cost? In this week’s episode of Zero, Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi puts these questions to Daniel J. Fiorino, director of the Center for Environmental Policy at American University and author of Can Democracy Handle Climate Change?

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll.Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a good idea go so wrong? Carbon offsets with Mark Trexler

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Carbon offsets are everywhere – a $2 billion dollar industry that’s set to grow even more as the US is even incorporating them in its effort to fulfill international climate pledges. Yet in the thirty years since they were created, they have not been proven to work. How did such a good idea go wrong and why is it so sticky? In this episode of Zero, Akshat talks to Mark Trexler of The Climatographers, who helped build the first carbon offset program in 1988, about what went wrong with offsets and if there’s any way to fix them.

Read more about the dodgy world of carbon offsets in Bloomberg’s three part investigation.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world’s food system needs a radical rethink, with George Monbiot

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why it’s so hard to invest in clean energy in Africa

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:24:00 +0000

COP27 ended with a historic agreement on loss and damage, but other major challenges remain — including the gap that has long existed between energy needs in Africa and the funding that the continent receives. As the “Africa COP” comes to an end, Akshat speaks with two experts about the continent’s unique financing challenges: Rebekah Shirley, director of research, data and innovation at the World Resources Institute Africa, explains the “chicken and egg problem,” and IFC Managing Director Makthar Diop, who talks about the institution's strategy for reaching $60B in funding by 2025. We’re also joined by Bloomberg News editors Siobhan Wagner and Will Kennedy to discuss what happened on the sidelines of COP27.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The lengths Lewis Pugh goes to save the oceans

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 23:06:00 +0000

Lewis Pugh has swum across seas and in between melting sea ice, but the hardest part of his work is what comes after – contributing to negotiations to protect those same bodies from development. And he’s been successful: In 2016 he got the Russians to sign a pact to create a marine protected area in the Ross Sea – one of the few healthy seas left, and the size of Britain, France, Germany, Italy put together. A negotiation should be an exploration, not a battle, he tells Akshat Rathi. Pugh also talks about how he got his start, the swim that made him into an environmental advocate and what he wants to come out of COP27. Akshat speaks with Salma El Wardany, a Bloomberg News energy and commodities reporter based in Cairo, and Zero producer Oscar Boyd, about their experiences of COP27.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How climate activists adapted to a repressive regime at COP27

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 23:48:00 +0000

Whether the so-called implementation COP will live up to its promise will be answered this week as negotiators begin to do the work of writing the final agreement. Bloomberg Green Reporter Akshat Rathi spoke with young climate activists about their engagement with this COP, the difficulty of activism in a repressive country and how they are making change in their own nations. We’re also joined by Bloomberg News reporters John Ainger and Jen Dlouhy to discuss the latest announcements from the conference regarding loss and damage.

Read our story on the difficulties climate activists faced at COP27.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can climate change be solved without COP? with Patricia Espinosa

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 03:00:00 +0000

As week one wraps up at COP27 in Sharm El Sheik in Egypt, Bloomberg Green Reporter Akshat Rathi talks with Patricia Espinosa, who until August 2022 was the executive secretary of the UNFCCC, the body charged with organizing the annual COP climate conferences. Espinosa tells Zero what goes on behind the scenes at COP to get the 200 participating member states to agree, and why the global platform is vital for making any progress on climate issues. We’re also joined by Yinka Ibukun, Bloomberg News West Africa Bureau Chief, to hear about whether the “African COP” is living up to its name.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Special thanks to Kira Bindrim, Laura Millan and Stacey Wong. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biden Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi thinks Democrats have green momentum

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:10:58 +0000

We are rapidly approaching the end of week one at COP27 and all eyes are turning to the US, with President Biden to make a visit on Friday. Bloomberg Green Reporter Akshat Rathi sits down with White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi to talk about the Biden administration’s climate accomplishments in climate policy and how the US will make its impressive commitments reality. We’re also joined by John Fraher, the head of ESG and energy at Bloomberg News, to talk about how shifting domestic and international politics are playing out at COP27.

You can watch Bloomberg Live’s COP27 coverage here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bahamas' Prime Minister Philip Davis wants money to protect his oceans

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 23:45:54 +0000

After a frenetic two days of discussions at COP27, with hundreds of leaders arriving in Egypt, the demands of vulnerable countries are clear: show us the money. On Zero’s second episode from Sharm el-Sheikh, we’re joined by Prime Minister Philip Davis of the Bahamas, to hear about the impacts of climate change on the low-lying archipelago nation, why he wants developed countries to pay for the protection of Bahamian oceans, and Caribbean nations’ demands for a levy on oil exports. We’re also joined by Bloomberg Green executive editor Aaron Rutkoff, who updates us with the latest from COP27.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At COP27, a breakthrough on loss and damage? with Saleemul Huq

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 00:07:00 +0000

COP27 has begun, with 45,000 delegates expected to attend the two-week conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. One of the key discussion points is financing for “loss and damage,” the idea that developed countries with high historical emissions should pay for climate damages in developing countries. On Zero’s first episode recorded at COP27, we’re joined by Professor Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development and a champion of climate vulnerable countries. With loss and damage being formally on the agenda of this year’s climate negotiations, Huq explains what’s at stake. We also hear from Bloomberg contributing editor Allegra Stratton, the UK’s spokesperson for COP26, on how COP27 can build upon the achievements of last year.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the US finally become a climate leader? with Leah Stokes

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

While the United States fancies itself a global climate leader, the country is coming off a decade of tumultuous policy: It signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, withdrew two years later, and didn’t rejoin until 2021. Now, as the country counts down to midterm elections and the start of COP27 climate talks in Egypt, Americans are taking stock of whether US President Joe Biden has lived up to his promises. Akshat Rathi talks to Leah Stokes, a political scientist who contributed to the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest US climate bill. They also talk about how the IRA came together, her wish list for additional green policies, and how the IRA will affect US standing at COP27.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Africa's climate reparations require data that doesn't exist

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Weather data is invaluable. It influences the decisions of governments and companies around the world. It’s used to predict energy consumption, harvests, and even when countries might go to war. So what does it mean when vast portions of the world have insufficient weather data in an era of worsening climate change? This week on Zero, Bloomberg Green reporter Laura Millan tells the story of weather stations 61223 in Timbuktu, and what its sudden closure means for climate science across the African continent, and the upcoming negotiations at COP27.

Read Laura’s full story on weather station 61223 and Africa’s lack of climate data here.

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil boss Vicki Hollub is selling 'net-zero oil'. Do you buy it?

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Finally made to reckon with the climate crisis, most oil companies are turning to clean-energy technologies. Not Occidental Petroleum. Akshat Rathi talks to Oxy CEO Vicki Hollub to find out why. Under Hollub’s leadership, Oxy became the first US oil company to set a science-based target to reach net zero. The road it has chosen to get there is an atypical one. Rather than reducing oil and gas production, Oxy wants to make net-zero oil by investing heavily in carbon-capture technology. Rathi asks Hollub how exactly Oxy will build out this technology, how it will pay for it, and why she believes her company’s oil is the way to tackle climate change.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justin Trudeau on his struggle to reduce Canada's emissions

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pitches the country as a leader on climate and says it is on track to reduce emissions 45% by 2030. The reality is different. Canada has the second highest per-capita CO2 emissions in the G-20, its oil industry is booming, and its emissions remain persistently high. On this week’s episode of Zero, Trudeau joins Zero host Akshat Rathi to discuss when Canada’s emissions will start to fall for real, and how it can achieve its climate pledges when its economy and politics remain so tied to oil and gas.

This conversation was recorded live at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa at an event hosted by the Canadian Climate Institute and the Net Zero Advisory Body.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s new climate politics will reshape its entire economy with Adam Bandt & David Pocock

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 22:43:13 +0000

Climate was the defining issue of this year’s elections in Australia, with independent and green candidates promising climate action sweeping into power. Now the country has a new climate law, enshrining a 43% cut in emissions by 2030. But does it live up to what the science demands? Joining Zero this week are two politicians that were instrumental to passing the bill: Adam Bandt, leader of the Australian Greens, and David Pocock, whose journey from Australia’s rugby captain to politics has made him a deciding vote in the country’s senate.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside the stealth startup making zero-emission steel

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 09:30:00 +0000

Steel is the backbone of modern society, and it’s also responsible for 7% of global greenhouse-gas emissions every year. This summer, Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi visited a US startup that says they can clean it all up. Operating in a suburban office park in Colorado, Electra is coming out of stealth mode. It claims to have developed a way to get through the most energy-intensive part of steelmaking at temperatures lower than fresh coffee. Akshat dives into the science and story of Electra with CEO Sandeep Nijhawan.

You can read the full feature about Electra here.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our senior producer is Christine Driscoll and our producer is Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big climate bill for a new era of climate tech with Bill Gates

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

What role will the landmark climate bill in the US play in spurring innovation? Is cutting emissions in rich countries enough to solve the climate crisis? Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi talks to Bill Gates about what’s needed to create zero-emission economies, how Europe should face up to its energy crisis, and how he helped persuade Democratic Senator Joe Manchin to sign the Inflation Reduction Act.

Read an in-depth story about all the people who influenced the passage of the climate bill.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our senior producer is Christine Driscoll and our producer is Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why venture capital is crucial to the climate fight with Gabriel Kra

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

What role does venture capital have in bringing carbon-cutting technologies to reality? Does it prop up bad ideas or free outrageous ones? In this episode, Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi talks to Gabriel Kra of Prelude Ventures about the role venture capital plays in boosting the US cleantech industry and how the new US climate bill is changing the startup landscape.

Read more about the battery startup QuantumScape that Kra mentions as a key success story for VC funding.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our senior producer is Christine Driscoll and our producer is Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to crisis-proof climate action with Bryony Worthington

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The UK’s Climate Change Act was one of the first in the world to be passed in 2008 and is part of the reason the nation became a leader in cutting emissions. But now, as the UK faces an energy shortage, has a new government in power, and a climate-champion King, the Act’s strength and flexibility will be tested. Bloomberg Green reporter Akshat Rathi talks to Baroness Bryony Worthington, one of the authors of the Act, about the unique political moment that led to its passage, how she envisions it will face up to multiple crises, and why other countries have copied the framework.

Read more about a key institution that keeps the UK on track to meet climate goals.

Read a full transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. It is produced by Christine Driscoll and Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Zero

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 21:05:00 +0000

Zero explores the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week, Bloomberg Green’s award-winning climate reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people who are making it happen. Episodes launch September 15.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. It is produced by Christine Driscoll and Oscar Boyd. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net.

For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.