Solving for Climate

Finance expert Professor Alex Edmans is sceptical that divesting from fossil fuels will make an impact and reduce carbon emissions. With his experience on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Responsible Investing, he chats to Hannah and Rob about how a carbon tax is a no brainer climate solution instead.Season four of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coPodcast transcripts available on SubstackProfessor Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business SchoolCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder Stealth AI startupSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMadeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Head of the International Geothermal Association, Dr Marit Brommer, says the world is sleeping on the power of geothermal. Currently, we use it’s energy for less than 0.5% of the world’s electricity. So she’s on a mission to convince governments and businesses about the untapped potential of the heat beneath our feet. Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coDr Marit Brommer, International Geothermal AssociationCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neste has been developing an alternative to kerosene for powering planes over the past decade. CEO Heikki Malinen explains how SAF can be used alongside other advancements in aviation technology to reduce carbon emissions that come from flying. But with demand expected to increase, is the industry moving fast enough?Season three of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coHeikki Malinen, NesteFurther resources:If you want to dig deeper into aviation demand, and pathways to low-carbon flying in the future, this paper is a good place to start (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01046-9)Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Transcriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boston Metal are working on an alternative to a millennia old production process. The steel industry is responsible for around 7% of the world’s carbon emissions; decarbonisation is crucial. As Chief Scientist at Boston Metal, Guillaume Lambotte breaks down the chemistry behind their alternative process for making steel. He explains how even though the steel industry will be impossible to change overnight, even a small reduction in emissions could have a positive impact on our planet.Season three of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coGuillaume Lambotte, Boston MetalCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a senior researcher at Trase, Mark uses data like satellite imagery and shipping routes to help companies and governments track supply chains. Trase identifies links to deforestation, but do companies actually use this data to make a difference?Season three of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coMark Titley, TraseCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chief Executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee explains how our lives will change by 2050 if we continue to cut carbon emissions. She explains how her electric car is like her 'third child' and why she isn’t recommending we use hydrogen to power transport in the future.Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coEmma Pinchbeck, the Climate Change CommitteeCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMadeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We use an enormous amount of land for animal agriculture and crops like palm oil. But there’s a new fat on the market which is offering an alternative to dairy and vegetable oils. CEO of Savor, Kathleen Alexander, discusses the company’s synthetic alternative and explains how they designed it to make the perfect pastry. Find out how this was born from a surprising question: Can we not just eat fossil fuels?Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coKathleen Alexander, CEO of Savor Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Small modular reactors. Nuclear fusion. Artificial intelligence. Senior economics correspondent for Cipher News, Cat Clifford, unpacks the latest innovations in nuclear energy and explains how China is leading the way.Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coCat Clifford, Senior Science and Economics Correspondent, Cipher NewsCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much attention should we give to carbon removal technology versus stopping carbon emissions in the first place? Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather discusses the opportunities for carbon removal technologies including advanced rock weathering, direct air capture and ocean storage.Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coZeke Hausfather, Climate scientist with Stripe Climate, Carbon Brief, the IPCC and Berkeley EarthCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMadeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skyports are building the infrastructure for electric flying taxis that could change the way we travel. You might be able to ride in one in Dubai as early as next year. The CEO of Skyports joins Hannah and Rob to discuss how vertiports could change urban transport. But do their climate credentials stand up?Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coDuncan Walker, CEO of Skyports Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMadeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The maritime industry is responsible for roughly 3% of global emissions. So one solution to help reduce fuel consumption has already set sail. Head of Engineering at BAR Technologies, Lauren Eatwell has steered a project called WindWings which retrofits large steel and glass sails to ships. But will the wider industry move fast enough to meet climate targets?Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coLauren Eatwell, Head of Engineering at BAR TechnologiesCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMadeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are carbon credits? Can you eat fossil fuels? Why is nuclear energy back in fashion? Co-hosts Dr Hannah Ritchie and Rob Stewart will answer these questions and more in a new season of Solving for Climate. Season two will be travelling sustainably into your podcast feeds at the end of February. Make sure you’re following the podcast so you are notified when episode one arrives.Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.coCo-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaWant to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Madeleine Drury, Series ProducerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Plastic has long been the fossil fuel industry’s ‘plan B’’ says Luke Haverhals, co-founder of NFW, a start-up dedicated to creating materials with plants, not oil. Plastic has a stranglehold over our lives, but it’s not good for us, and it also keeps the fossil fuel industry in business. Luke is proposing a solution to this - creating four different materials that can be used to make anything from clothes to shoes to furniture, that can return to the earth at the end of their life. Is this the solution to the plastic crisis?GuestDr Luke Haverhals, CEO of Natural Fiber Welding Co-hostsHannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World In Data @_HannahRitchieRob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comProduced by Rachel BalmerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data centres are not the most glamorous topic of discussion but they are everywhere, powering our modern, digital economy. But they can also power swimming pools, breweries and laundries, as Mark Bjornsgaard tells Hannah and Rob on this episode. 97% of the electricity that goes into a computer comes out as heat. It’s an incredibly inefficient process, and more often than not this heat isn’t used. So, rather than building these data centres in the middle of nowhere, Mark’s company Deep Green is taking computing power to where heat is needed, offering a precious resource to communities across the UK. Could this be scaled up for use across the world?GuestMark Bjornsgaard, Founder of Deep Green Co-hostsHannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World In Data @_HannahRitchieRob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comProduced by Rachel BalmerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the inexorable growth of Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Midjourney in the past couple of years, painfully little is known - or at least publicised - about their carbon impact. However, Dr Sasha Luccioni is on a mission to change that. Hannah and Rob talk to her about how she’s trying to maximise the benefits of AI, while minimising its hidden climate costs. Why is AI development such a black box? And could AI be part of the solution to the climate crisis?GuestSasha Luccioni, AI and Climate Lead, Hugging FaceCo-hostsHannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World In Data @_HannahRitchieRob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaVisit Sasha's website and subscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Produced by Rachel BalmerWant to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we buy ourselves some time to save our planet? Humans are responsible for the immense damage inflicted on our planet since the Industrial Revolution, but now we have the chance to do some good and repair the climate. Hannah and Rob discuss the power of human ingenuity and ambition with Founder of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University, Professor Sir David King. His work finding ambitious solutions to the climate crisis can sound almost unreal. Making clouds brighter to reflect more sunlight? Refreezing the arctic? Using whale poo to regenerate the ocean’s biodiversity to store more carbon? He joins Hannah and Rob explore these solutions and more in this week’s episode.GuestProfessor Sir David King Founder of the Centre for Climate Repair @Sir_David_King Co-hostsHannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World In DataRob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comProduced by Rachel BalmerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘It’s obvious that oil is on the decline’, says energy strategist Kingsmill Bond. He joins Hannah and Rob to talk about the energy transition and he’s got an optimistic take: he says that we reached peak fossil fuel demand 10 years ago, and give it another five and oil will be a thing of the past. Kingsmill tells Hannah and Rob how we can move past a narrative that’s been peddled by the fossil fuel bosses telling us that renewables are too expensive, and why learning from the tech shifts of the past will be key to predicting the future of green energy.GuestKingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist at RMI, kingsmillbond.com Co-hostsHannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World In DataRob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Kingsmill's Substack 'Renewable Revolution' and to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comProduced by Rachel BalmerTranscriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hannah Ritchie and Rob Stewart are fascinated by solutions to the climate crisis and the innovators, entrepreneurs and scientists behind them. They want to shine the spotlight on the people working tirelessly to change the narrative on the climate crisis to show that there's brilliant stuff going on out there, and that all isn't lost.Subscribe to the feed now to listen to the first two episodes when they drop next Thursday 7th November.Transcriptions available for season 3: https://solvingforclimate.substack.com/Co-hosts Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, KobaSubscribe to Hannah's Substack 'Sustainability by numbers'Want to get in touch? Email solvingforclimate@gmail.comMaddie Drury, Series Producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.