Climate Watch

As global temperatures rise and extreme weather becomes the new norm, climate cooperation between major powers is more crucial than ever. In this episode of Climate Watch, we focus on the latest China–EU summit held in Beijing—where climate stood out as a rare bright spot in a complex geopolitical agenda. Fei Fei speaks with Antoine Oger, Executive Director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy, to unpack what this high-level meeting means for global climate action. From carbon markets and methane emissions to new EU climate laws and China’s green innovation efforts, the conversation explores how the two sides can manage their differences and collaborate more deeply. Can China and the EU truly lead the world toward a low-carbon future?

China and the EU have been conducting green cooperation for two decades, with many notable achievements. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Wu Changhua, the President of the Global Climate Academy and Chair of the Governing Council of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, about how the two sides are expanding and deepening green cooperation. We discuss how Chinese new energy companies contribute to the EU’s green transition by utilizing its advantages. We take a closer look at how Chinese enterprises can navigate possible impacts from the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and an upcoming tax policy.

Smart water systems are playing a crucial role in addressing intensified extreme weather events caused by climate change. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Cao Ying, Professor of Water Resources and Hydropower from Sichuan Agricultural University, about how China’s innovative practices, such as forecasting, early warning and simulation are empowering its water management systems. We also take a closer look at how the country utilizes precision simulation systems for global climate change assessment and other high technologies to enhance its flood and drought prevention and control as well as raising water management efficiency.

While carbon dioxide gets most of the climate spotlight, methane is the stealthy super-pollutant warming our planet—fast. In this episode, Fei Fei explores why methane emissions are one of the most urgent and solvable climate challenges today. She speaks with Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub and former environment minister of Chile.

Main topics covered:

· Where methane emissions come from (hint: it’s not just cow burps)

· Why methane accounts for nearly half of today’s warming

· How countries and companies can cut emissions using existing tools—often at low or no cost

· Why global cooperation on methane is gaining real momentum

As AI models grow bigger and data centers become more energy-intensive, China faces a critical question: How can this digital boom align with its clean energy goals? In this episode, Fei Fei visits a data center in Guizhou, a pivotal hub in China’s digital network. She also explores how data centers—often seen as energy guzzlers—might evolve into key players in a flexible, renewable-powered grid. From repurposing server heat to shifting computing loads to match solar and wind output, we look at big ideas from Associate Professor Wang Yongzhen of the Beijing Institute of Technology.

What happens after planting millions of trees? In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Lei Xiangdong from the Chinese Academy of Forestry about what effective forest management really means- and why it's about much more than tree-planting. This episode explores how China's approach has evolved over decades, what the "four treasures" of forests (referring to the four functions that forests can play) are and how today's focus is shirting toward forest quality, biodiversity and long-term resilience. Tune in to learn how managing forests widely is just as important as planting them.

We also have an episode dedicated to China's efforts in combating desertification — feel free to check it out via the link. https://radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news/5/How-China-fights-desertification/2714141

AI is working as a catalyst and bringing unprecedented transformation to different industries. In this episode, Fei Fei spoke with Xiao Ma, professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at Nottingham Business School, about how AI technologies are empowering different industries and assisting them in contributing to climate and sustainability goals. We also discuss the potential ways to optimize and maximize the use of AI technologies and how personal data can also contribute to sustainability.

The world produces over 400 million metric tons of plastics each year. Annually, an estimated 11 million tonnes, equivalent to the weight of roughly 2,200 Eiffel Towers, end up polluting lakes, rivers, and oceans. At the same time, plastic pollution is exacerbating the crisis of climate change globally. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Zhang Yimo, a blue-economy project coordinator from WWF, about some of the effective solutions at hand.

Pacific island nations are among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, facing rising seas, stronger storms, and the real threat of losing their land. In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Professor Patrick Nunn, a geographer and climate expert with the University of the Sunshine Coast, about what meaningful support looks like for these island communities. From migration plans to resilient infrastructure, and from foreign aid to indigenous knowledge, we explore how Pacific nations are fighting to survive—and thrive—in a warming world. What does good help really mean? And who’s stepping up to provide it?

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's recent visit to China spotlighted climate cooperation and clean technology. As the two countries go ahead with their climate cooperation, along with Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) , they also vowed to uphold multilateralism. In this episode, Fei Fei digs into why multilateralism took center stage this week in China-Brazil partnership and China-CELAC relations. What does this mean for global climate governance? Our guest this week is global governance expert Xu Feibiao. He is the director of the Center for BRICS and G20 Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.