ClimateCast with Tom Heap

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games are powered entirely by renewable energy but does that mean they are 100% sustainable?

Melted mountains, 100% artificial snow and slopes in the shadows of power plants have highlighted the difficulties of putting on a “Green Games”. So how sustainable are winter sports and is their future on a slippery slope?

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, hosts Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi explore how we can protect the Winter Olympics from climate change with three-time Olympian and halfpipe snowboarder Lesley McKenna, Founder of Sport Ecology Madeleine Orr and Sky's China correspondent Tom Cheshire.

Plus, fossil fuel companies profit from the energy crisis, Madagascar is hit by another deadly storm, and climate change meets the Oscars in this week’s climate news.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Guests: Tom Cheshire, Sky Correspondent
Madeleine Orr, Founder of Sport Ecology
Lesley McKenna, Three-time GB Olympian in snowboard halfpipe and Protect Our Winters Ambassador

On this episode of Sky News ClimateCast, the climate scientist who Leonardo Dicaprio credits with inspiring his character in the Netflix hit "Don't Look Up,” Professor Michael E. Mann.

It's as hosts Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi explore the impact of cli-fi, aka climate-fiction - including whether climate change storylines could help audiences engage with the climate crisis and even encourage people to take climate action.

They also speak to renowned film and TV producer Naren Shankar who worked on Star Trek, CSI and more recently the Amazon series The Expanse - where Earth has been decimated by “climate catastrophe.” They discuss the thinking behind producer's climate change narratives.

And - from energy bills and new oil fields, to flood costs and baby koalas - there's plenty of climate news to go around.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Guests: Naren Shankar, Executive Producer, Amazon's The Expanse
Professor Michael E. Mann, Climate Scientist
Carys Taylor, Director, Albert BAFTA

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, hosts Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi explore whether our workforce, businesses and economy are prepared for the biggest economic change since the industrial revolution: the green revolution.

They speak to guests formerly in high-carbon careers about how they made a change to a low-carbon role, including a pilot turned XR activist and former oil and gas engineer who now runs the world's largest offshore windfarm.

Plus, “don't cry over spilt milk” and “make hay while the sun shines.” Advice from a green business investor looking to arrest climate change and seize the green momentum.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Guests: Todd Smith, Safe Landing
Jane Fear, Pointless Plants
Suzanna Bryant, National Grid
Nader Beltaji, RWE
Steve Wilson, SSE
Nick Lythe, Green Angel Syndicate

More than 40 towns and cities in the UK have unsafe air pollution levels, according to the World Health Organisation. Not just a problem for our climate, but for public health too.

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast Katerina Vittozzi takes Anna Jones on a trip around Greater Manchester.

It comes as the region's leaders ask the government to pause and review parts of the Clean Air Zone plan. Katerina explores why, as she visits Shepherdess Jade Hutchinson (and her sheep) who has been protesting against the zone.

12-year-old Maksim however, says air pollution is hindering his asthma and the clean air zone is needed now more than ever.

So, can Manchester and other cities make the green transition without damaging livelihoods? We ask Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse

Famous for its cars and beer - Germany is one of the most successful economies in the world, but can it call itself a climate leader?

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi explore Germany's complicated relationship with climate change with our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons.

From leading a renewables revolution to phasing out nuclear and relying on coal - not to mention being sued by climate activists- has the sun set on Germany's climate ambitions? We ask the activist dubbed "Germany's Greta" Luisa Neubauer.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Interviews producer: Alys Bowen
Guests: Adam Parsons, Luisa Neubauer, Daniel Koller

The climate change alarm bells rang louder than ever in 2021, with the consequences of a warming planet landing at the doorstep of millions of people. So can we turn the tide on climate change in 2022?

Hosts Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi welcome in the new year with some climate-friendly resolutions. They're joined by Sky's climate correspondent Hannah Thomas-Peter to look at what's on the climate agenda this year in the UK and across the globe: the political will for change, a changing energy mix and innovative adaptation.

But, as the world gets to grip with another wave of covid cases and soaring energy prices, will climate action be forced to take a back seat? And at what cost? We ask the founder of Good Energy, Juliet Davenport.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse

It's the final episode of Sky News ClimateCast for 2021 and to celebrate, hosts Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi get stuck into some jam-packed festive fun as they swap white Christmas for green.

As new research reveals more people than ever before are trying to be more sustainable this Christmas, the pair explore ways to reduce their carbon footprint during the holiday season.

Anna challenges Katerina to Christmas Dinner quiz to guess the most eco-friendly items around the table and Santa's older brother, Green Santa is in town. He's encouraging children to make a wish for the planet this year.

Anna and Katerina hear from some of those children, as well as the mastermind behind the idea, Dr Laura Kehoe, an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford.

Hosts: Anna Jones and Katerina Vittozzi
Podcast Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse
Guests: Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, WWF-UK
William Sankey, The Good Shopping Guide
Dr Laura Kehoe, environmental scientist, University of Oxford

After an autumn affected by supply chain issues, we’re looking at how much of the disruption was influenced by climate change - and how likely it is that the climate will cause future interruptions to supply of our favourite goods.

Plus - we explore how much our consumer habits have increased the pressure on supply chains and how that contributes to carbon emissions.

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, host Anna Jones speaks to our business correspondent Paul Kelso, maple syrup producer Bill Hubbert, and Giulio Berruti, director of climate at Business for Social Responsibility.

ClimateCast team:
Presenter - Anna Jones
Podcast Producer - Soila Apparicio
Podcast Producer - Emma Rae Woodhouse
Interviews Producer - Alys Bowen
Archive Researcher - Nelly Stefanova
Assistant Editor - Piers Scholfield

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions now simply isn't enough to turn back time and prevent the impacts of climate change. For many people, its impacts are being felt right now, and the world needs to adapt to a warming planet.

On this week's episode of Sky News ClimateCast, host Anna Jones speaks to Tricia Thorpe, a resident of Lytton in Canada, a small town that has been devastated by both wildfires and floods in the space of six months. She's building a net-zero house in the hope she can protect her family from whatever climate change throws at her next.

Meanwhile in Uganda, Noah Ssempijja is teaching communities across the country to farm sustainably for the benefit of both the planet and their crop yields. He tells us how he's learned to adapt to the extreme weather he’s experienced.

So, are we doing enough to adapt to climate change? We ask climate scientist Dr Xi Hu from the University of Oxford.

Climate change will inevitably big a huge part of our children’s future, so how do we teach them about it, while still protecting their innocence?

On this week’s episode of Sky News ClimateCast, host Sarah Hewson has a helping hand from her children, who share their perspectives of the climate crisis.

She’s joined by our science and technology editor Tom Clarke, also a dad-of-three, as they discuss how they handle climate conversations over the dinner table.

Plus, the activist who heads up “Teach the Future,” Scarlett Westbrook tells us how she’s on her way to changing the school education system to have climate change embedded into the curriculum.

Matthew Shribman, a scientist and headteacher at AimHi, tells us how we can make climate change knowledge accessible and engaging for everybody, and empower future generations with the tools they need to face the climate crisis.

Host: Sarah Hewson with help from Freya, Ollie and Jack
Guests: Tom Clarke, Science and Technology Editor
Scarlett Westbrook, youth climate activist
Lucia Manville, school teacher
Matthew Shribane, co-founder AimHi
Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse