From huge scale marches to disrupting sports events, sitting in the roads or even letting your tyres down... is climate activism getting increasingly effective? Or just increasingly annoying?

On this week's ClimateCast, Tom Heap is on the streets of London for "The Big One" - four days of climate demonstrations to mark Earth Day. He speaks to climate activists pledging to "step up" their disruptive actions if the government refuses to meet their demand on halting approvals for new oil and gas projects.

But with the methods of some groups proving ever more controversial, Tom explores if climate activism is growing more effective - or turning the public against the protestors and setting the cause back.

On Thursday, the government revealed a flurry of climate and energy announcements dubbed as "Green Day". Nearly 3,000 pages of work outlined their plans to improve energy security and deliver on their net-zero climate commitments.

On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap is joined by Sky's climate change and energy correspondent Hannah Thomas-Peter to break down what the plans are and its shortcomings.

They also unpack an interview with Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, who defended the government's net-zero plans. Plus, Tom speaks to Chris Skidmore MP, who wrote a critical review of the government's approach to net-zero, about why he believes the plans amount to missed opportunities.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Paul Stanoworth

This week the UN released a comprehensive scientific report offering humanity a ‘final warning’ to avoid climate catastrophe – but it barely got any coverage. So what is it about bleak climate assessments that can cause people to switch off?

On this week's episode of Sky News' ClimateCast, Tom Heap asks psychologist Dr Sander van der Linden why our brains struggle to process news that scares people and speaks to comedian Tom Walker, AKA Jonathan Pie, about using humour to get the point across. Plus, social media content creator Venetia La Manna explains what made her change from a fast-fashion addict to a fair fashion campaigner.

Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott
Editor: Paul Stanworth

National Highways, the government agency responsible for England's main roads, has admitted that more than half a million trees beside a single 21-mile stretch of new carriageway have died – with the cost of replanting them now £2.9 million pounds.

Many tree experts say this is symptomatic of a focus on tree planting over tree care.

On this week’s Sky News ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon where we speak to Lib Dem councillors Edna Murphy, Ros Hathorn and Firouz Thompson about what’s happened. Plus, tree surgeon Mike Downs on why it’s a much bigger issue, and former chief project officer at the Woodland Trust, Carol Honeybun Kelly, talks about solutions to help trees settle, survive and thrive.

Annie Joyce – senior podcast producer
Paul Stanworth – editor

In a corner of Ellesmere Port, Chester, 2,000 residents received flyers through their door informing them they will be cut off from conventional natural gas and plumbed into hydrogen - in the world’s first trial of its kind.

It's part of the UK's efforts to decarbonise the power system by 2035 - but some of the residents aren't happy.

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits the 'Hydrogen Village' to get a sense of how locals feel about the trial. He's also joined by experts on both sides of the debate to ask whether hydrogen has a place in the home. Plus David Joffe, Head of Net Zero at the Climate Change Committee, joins Tom to talk about plans to decarbonise by 2035 and how far we have to go.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Philly Beaumont

On this week's episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap heads to Aberdeenshire to enjoy some local peated whisky - but what actually is peat and why are its uses so controversial?

Peatlands, also known as bogs, are key in the UK's fight against climate change. Their spongy soil stores vast amounts of carbon and are a haven for biodiversity - but their commercial benefits are endless too from heating homes to flavouring famous Scottish whisky.

As Scotland contemplates banning the digging and burning of peat, Tom hikes across some of the country's bogs to discover their wonders. He also visits a family run business who've been selling peat to locals for generations as well as a distillery who say they can restore more peat than they use for their tipple.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editors: Paul Stanworth and Philly Beaumont

On this week's episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap gets exclusive access to London's super sewer, the solution to the Thames's poo problem.

London's iconic river is one of thousands up and down the country subject to raw sewage flowing into the water whenever there's rain, causing problems for the natural environment as well as the people who enjoy it.

Tom visits the riverside to assess just how big the problem at hand is. He's also joined by Alastair Chisholm from the Chartered Institute of Water Environmental Management, to ask who is going to pay to clean up UK waters.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Car is king in many of our neighbourhoods, but heavy congestion and air pollution has led to some local councils rethinking the layouts of town and city centres, including reducing where cars can go.

In Oxford the idea has sparked controversy after the council’s plan to install traffic filters on some roads means some people could be fined for driving into other neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, Ghent in Belgium has implemented an 'active city' scheme, transforming roads into cycle lanes and redeveloping a car park back into a river, improving public transport efficiency and encouraging people to get on their bikes.

ClimateCast host Tom Heap explores both cities to investigate the pros and cons of the changes.

Podcast Producer: Soila Apparicio
Climate Output Producer: Gemma Watson
Editor: Paul Stanworth

Climate-friendly energy sources such as wind and solar rely on the weather playing ball, and when it doesn’t, the UK is forced to fire up costly and polluting gas to prevent blackouts.

But in Merseyside, a facility of massive batteries are on a mission to solve that problem.

On this week's episode Tom Heap checks out nightlife in Liverpool - not to let loose, but to learn why massive batteries could keep the lights on when demand is high and renewable power generation is low.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editors: Paul Stanwoth and Philly Beaumont

On this week's episode of ClimateCast with Tom Heap, we're talking about land, and how our demands of it have exploded.

We don’t have much spare in the UK – we need to grow food, nurture wildlife, house a growing population, and now, with a focus on climate change, create green energy, including solar farms.

This week Tom Heap visits Oxfordshire, to a site that could become the UK's largest solar farm. He speaks to those for and against the development as well as also visiting a neighbouring solar farm, which does more than just generate electricity.

Plus in the studio he's joined by Lydia Collas, from the Green Alliance, who explains how the UK needs to take a multi-functional approach to land use if it wants to reach net-zero.

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Editor: Paul Stanworth