ClimateCast with Tom Heap

The government's plan to grant new oil and gas licences every year has passed its latest hurdle in parliament.

The bill's supporters say it will improve energy security, as the UK still relies heavily on fossil fuels. Critics, however, argue it will not cut energy bills and instead will break the UK's promise to phase out fossil fuels.

One of those critics is Chris Skidmore who recently resigned as a Conservative MP over the government's net zero strategy and its decision to boost new oil and gas production.

On this episode of ClimateCast, Mr Skidmore, who led the independent government review into net zero, sits down with Sky's science and technology editor Tom Clarke.

They discuss the reasons behind his decision to quit, the 'culture war' attached to net zero and the realities the UK faces getting there.

Heating accounts for a third of emissions in the UK, meaning we have to ditch our favourite fuel, gas. The Government's alternative? The heat pump.

But despite installations being on the rise, the UK is much behind it's European neighbours on the number of heat pumps being installed each year. So why are we so slow? Is it the price, reluctance to change - or do heat pumps have a bad name?

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap finds out the truth about heat pumps. He debunks some myths, sees one being installed, and meets a customer who recently made the change.

He speaks to Mike Foster from energy and utilities alliance about why he believes heat pumps aren't the only option - as well as Lord Callanan about the misinformation surrounding heat pumps.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse

More than 1,000m underground is one of Britain's deepest mines. But it's not coal they're mining in North Yorkshire. It's a mineral that could help fight climate change.

On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap explores the tunnels way beneath the North Sea bed to find out if what lies under the ground can help protect the atmosphere above.

He discovers how miners are extracting polyhalite, a fertiliser that emits 85% less emissions than its counterparts, and learns why a multi-billion pound project is under way to extract more.

Above ground, he's joined by professor of soil erosion and conservation, Jane Rickson from Cranfield University, to discuss the state and significance of the ground beneath our feet.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Philly Beaumont

On this special Christmas episode of ClimateCast Tom Heap is joined by climate and energy analyst, Sepi Golzari-Munro.

They’re joined by a panel of special guests look back over a remarkable year in climate science and politics, as well as look ahead to some reasons to be cheerful in the world of climate going into 2024.

Special guests
Dr Ella Gilbert, Antarctic climate scientist
Dr Friederike Otto, Climatologist specialising in extreme weather
Alastair Campbell, Former director of communications, Blair government
Ed Conway, Sky’s Economics editor

This week COP28 reached a "historic" and "unprecedented" conclusion to "move away from fossil fuels".

While leaders are hailing the agreement a breakthrough, campaigners argue it doesn't go far enough and it should phase out fossil fuels entirely, but how realistic is that ambition?

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap is joined by Sky's economics editor Ed Conway who explains why the answer to our fossil fuel reliance starts with a piece of Lego.

They discuss what happens to fossil fuels now that deal is in place and what a net-zero 2050 might look like, and how we get there.

Tom is also joined by Racquel Moses, CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, who speaks about the enormous impact the climate deal with have on small island developing states for decades to come.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Shipping our heavy goods around the world is a huge carbon emitter. In the UK, we transport a vast amount via roads which has the same carbon footprint as air travel, buses and domestic shipping combined.

So could we be shipping in a more environmentally friendly way?

On this week’s ClimateCast, Tom Heap boards a freight train to find out how rail freight fits into our net-zero future.He finds out why the cost of electricity means freight operators are running more diesel than electric and what changes are needed to the UK’s infrastructure to slash shipping emissions.

Plus, our climate reporter Victoria Seabrook joins Tom to talk about what’s been happening at COP28 in Dubai this week.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Luke Denne
Editor: Philly Beaumont

The King has urged world leaders assembled in Dubai to make the COP28 climate summit a "critical turning point" in the fight to tackle global warming. And there has already been a breakthrough with wealthy nations contributing nearly $300m to a 'loss and damage' fund compensating poorer countries for the effects of climate change.

It has taken 32 years to agree so while it is an achievement, the real issue remains cutting fossil fuels. In oil-rich Dubai that is a thorny issue. It and other petrostates are still arguing that the world needs fossil fuels while it transitions to greener energy sources.

Climatecast host Tom Heap is in Dubai finding out what COP28 might achieve.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse & Luke Denne
Editor: Wendy Parker

Climate change has long been a divisive topic that is often forced to the bottom of the news agenda, even as the threat of a warming world grows.

Ahead of COP28, the annual UN climate negotiations, Tom Heap is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the challenges of covering climate change.

Political scientist, Sir John Curtice, former Times journalist, Liz Gerard, and video journalist, Zoe Broughton debate how to best encapsulate the public, make climate stories relevant and make audiences care.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Philly Beaumont

The panel all contributed to new book Toxic News? Covering Climate Change which features essays from academics and journalists on the challenges of reporting the subject.

Shipping, in the form of cruises, ferries and even the navy, accounts for around 2% of our emissions that contribute to global warming - just a little less than aviation. The diesel powered vessels also worsens air pollution, the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK.

At Portsmouth Harbour, they're on a mission to tackle both of those things.

On this week's ClimateCast Tom Heap visits Portsmouth Port who are planning to plug in some of its ships at berth and run them on electricity. He speaks to brains behind the Sea Change project to find out what benefits charging ships could offer Portsmouth and how far the shipping industry has to go to become green.

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Gemma Watson
Editor: Wendy Parker

Building new homes often comes at the expense of living space for wildlife. But from 2024, a new law in England means developers will have to make sure their projects deliver 10% more nature. It's called biodiversity net gain.

Conservation groups are "cautiously optimistic", but do local authorities have the resources to maintain, measure and police the uptick in nature?

On ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits a housing development with nature embedded into its foundations as well as a field of barley a few miles from Milton Keynes that's been selected to enjoy natural regeneration as a payback for damage elsewhere.

Plus he speaks to Prue Addison, from Wildlife Trust, about the realities of the new law and the potential impact it could have.

Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Field producer: Mickey Carroll
Editor: Paul Stanworth