Climate Watch

Monitored wildlife populations declined by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2022, according to WWF's latest Living Planet Report. What does the report reveal about the state of wildlife and the prospects for recovery? As governments gather in Armenia for the UN biodiversity conference, what will it take to turn global commitments into action? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Zhao Liang, Priority Project Coordinator for Policy Advocacy and Green Finance at WWF China.

China is promoting greener lifestyles with a consumer guide offering 50 practical recommendations covering food, transport, energy, and everyday goods. Can small changes add up to something bigger? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Huang Jingyi from the Center for Environmental Education and Communications at China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The United Nations Environment Program says the world is set to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit within the next few years, making some degree of overshoot unavoidable. What happens once we cross that threshold? Can global temperatures eventually be brought back down? Climate Watch host Zhao Ying speaks with Professor Teng Fei, deputy director of the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.