Climate Watch

Επεισόδια

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  How is China building a $1.2 trillion recycling industry? 30.09.2026 29λ

  China has unveiled a plan to advance the circular economy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with a goal of growing its resource recycling industry to 8 trillion yuan, or roughly 1.2 trillion US dollars, by 2030. How will China turn that ambition into reality, and how could a more circular economy help the country meet its climate goals? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
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  What's behind the Sahel's water revival? 24.09.2026 41λ

  For decades, the Sahel was synonymous with drought and desertification. But now, the region is seeing a surprising water revival. Since the 1990s, and especially over the past five years, rainfall has increased across much of the region. Rivers are flowing again. Water tables are rising. Lake Chad has also shown signs of recovery. What's driving this change? And could a wetter Sahel bring new risks as well as new opportunities? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Richard Taylor, professor of groundwater and climate resilience at the University of Toronto.
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  Young voices: Can agriculture become more resilient in a changing climate? 19.09.2026 26λ

  Agriculture is on the front line of climate change. From drought and extreme heat to changing rainfall patterns, farmers around the world are facing growing challenges. How can agriculture adapt and become more resilient? What can different countries learn from each other? Climate Watch's Tianlu speaks with four young people from China, the United States, Brazil and Spain with a shared interest in agriculture.
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  The ocean is hotter than ever. What does it mean? 10.09.2026 25λ

  The world's oceans have reached their highest temperature on record, as they suffer from both human-caused climate change and a strengthening El Niño. What does this tell us about the state of our climate system, and what does a hotter ocean mean for marine life and people on land? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Dr. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
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  Is climate change making the Himalayas more dangerous? 04.09.2026 36λ

  A massive glacier collapse sent a gigantic wave of water, ice, rock, and debris roaring down the Himalayan valleys along the China-Nepal border. What caused the catastrophe? What role might climate change have played? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Benjamin Horton, Dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong and recipient of the 2026 Axford Medal.
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  How accurately can we forecast a typhoon? 28.08.2026 25λ

  Asian countries are experiencing an exceptionally active typhoon season. Although we have become quite good at predicting a typhoon's general path, predicting its intensity remains difficult. A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment may have uncovered an important missing piece. Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Professor Qiao Fangli to unpack the team's key findings. Professor Qiao is a Member of Academia Europaea and a Professor at the First Institute of Oceanography under China's Ministry of Natural Resources.
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  Why climateflation could be the next food price shock 21.08.2026 28λ

  Extreme heat, drought and a strengthening El Niño could put fresh pressure on global food prices in 2027. As economists warn of rising "climateflation," how can extreme weather translate into higher grocery bills? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics at University of International Business and Economics.
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  Inside China's new plan to boost clean energy consumption 14.08.2026 29λ

  China is rolling out mandatory renewable energy consumption quotas for provinces and key industrial sectors. Is the country shifting its focus from expanding renewable energy capacity to making better use of it? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying spoke with Tonny Xie, chairman and director at Bluetech Clean Air Alliance.
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  What's fueling Europe's unprecedented wildfires? 07.08.2026 29λ

  Deadly wildfires have swept across large swathes of Europe in recent weeks, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes and leaving vast areas of land scorched. What's behind Europe's increasingly destructive wildfire seasons? Are these fires becoming the new normal in a warming climate? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Víctor Resco de Dios, Professor of Forest Science and Global Change at the University of Lleida in Spain.
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  Earth Overshoot Day: How much do we owe the planet? 31.07.2026 47λ

  July 30 marked what the Global Footprint Network calls Earth Overshoot Day. It's the date when humanity has used up all the biological resources that the Earth can regenerate in a year. How deep is our ecological debt to the planet? How should we rethink our economic models, our lifestyles, and our relationship with nature? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Arvea Marieni, European Climate Pact Ambassador, and Paul Beckwith, a climate system analyst based in Ottawa.
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  How does China plan to peak carbon emissions by 2030? 24.07.2026 31λ

  China has released a "carbon peak" action plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The plan sets a 2030 target to cut carbon intensity by 17% from 2025 levels, and raise the non-fossil fuel share in total energy consumption to 25%. What does this roadmap tell us about China’s next phase of decarbonization? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Teng Fei, Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy, Tsinghua University.
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  Can renewables power an electrified future? 17.07.2026 39λ

  As heatwaves intensify and electricity demand continues to rise, power grids are facing unprecedented pressure. At the same time, the rapid expansion of renewable energy is making grid stability more complex than ever. Climate Watch host Zhao Ying is joined by reporter Zhu Tianlu, who recently traveled to Changzhou, and industrial city in eastern China, where new technologies are helping build a smarter, more resilient power system.
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  Can we harvest solar power from space? 10.07.2026 40λ

  China has made major progress in its "Zhuiri" or "Sun Chasing" project, moving a step closer toward building a space solar power station. Why do we need to harvest solar power in space? What's the biggest challenge in turning that vision into reality? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Zhang Fan, Associate Professor of Astronomy at Beijing Normal University.
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  What's behind Europe's extreme heat? 03.07.2026 25λ

  Europe is experiencing an unprecedented early summer heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius on many parts of the continent. What is driving this extreme heat, and is this the new normal for Europe's summers? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Bob Ward, the policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
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  Can a ten-year fishing ban save the Yangtze river? 26.06.2026 25λ

  The Yangtze River, China's longest waterway, once faced a severe biodiversity crisis after decades of overfishing. But five years into an unprecedented 10-year fishing ban, scientists are seeing surprising signs of ecological recovery. Can one of the world's longest rivers truly heal? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Chen Yushun, co-author of a new Science study on the Yangtze's recovery. Prof. Chen is from the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology.
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  El Nino is here. What could it mean for China? 18.06.2026 33λ

  Meteorologists have confirmed that an El Nino has formed in the tropical Pacific, and forecasts suggest it could intensify in the coming months. What is El Nino? Could a "super" El Nino be on the way? How might it shape global weather patterns, and what could it mean for China? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Wang Chunzai, a researcher at South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography.
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  Living green: Tiny choices that shape a city 13.06.2026 23λ

  China's Green Code: Rewriting the Rules of Growth is a four-part special series exploring how China is reshaping the way it produces energy, builds industries, grows food and lives day to day. In this episode, we travel to Shenzhen, a city known for its low-carbon ambitions, to see how sustainable living is becoming part of everyday life. Following a local resident’s journey across the city, we explore waste-sorting systems in action (1:35), a leading second-hand trading platform attracting thousands of daily visitors (9:00), a fully electrified bus and taxi network (12:55), and a net-zero building that uses significantly less energy than conventional designs (18:30). Together, these stories show how urban life is being quietly reshaped—one low-carbon choice at a time.
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  Will this be the most carbon-intensive World Cup in history? 12.06.2026 38λ

  The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, with a record 48 teams competing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As the tournament grows bigger, so does its climate footprint. Will this year's tournament be the most polluting in FIFA history? Where do the emissions come from? And does the game's continued expansion go against its climate goals? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Tim Walters, a professor at Okanagan College in British Columbia, Canada.
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  Growing green: Finding balance in China's fields 06.06.2026 34λ

  “China’s Green Code: Rewriting the Rules of Growth” is a four-part special series exploring China’s drive toward greener development across energy, industry, agriculture, and everyday life. In this episode, we travel to Anqiu in eastern China—one of the country’s leading vegetable-producing regions, to see how farming is being reimagined. We visit farms where agricultural waste becomes a valuable resource (1’55”). We meet growers embracing new technology to produce more with fewer inputs (12’15”). And we hear from young graduates who have traded city life for the countryside in search of new opportunities (23’35”). Together, their stories reveal how the future of farming may depend not only on new technologies, but on a new generation of people willing to rethink the land itself.
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  Is the hantavirus outbreak a warning sign of climate change? 05.06.2026 32λ

  A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has captured headlines over the past few weeks. Beyond the immediate public health crisis, scientists are looking at the climate factors that may be driving the spread of this rodent-borne disease into new areas. Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Dr. Kirk Douglas, Director of the Center for Biosecurity Studies at The University of the West Indies, Barbados.