What if one university helped shape modern climate science? Discover how the University of Reading became synonymous with the field and why it remains at the centre of that story.

This World Meteorology Day 2026, we trace the evolution of climate science, from the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985 to today’s global challenges, and explore how Reading became a hub for the ideas, research and people driving the field forward.

In this episode, Professor Hannah Cloke OBE from the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology speaks with Professor Keith Shine FRS, the UK’s Regius Professor of Climate Science, and Dr Jolene Cook OBE, climate science advisor to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the UK’s representative to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Together, they examine Reading’s role in climate science and reflect on the field’s growth and future. Their journeys, shaped in part by the university, offer insight into how the discipline has developed, how universities and government are preparing the next generation of climate scientists, and the opportunities ahead for early career researchers.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Discover Reading, a global centre for climate science
00:52 – Meet the voices, Keith Shine and Jolene Cook
02:10 – Pathways into climate science, where it all began
04:32 – 1985 and beyond, the ozone hole and growth of atmospheric science
07:25 – A defining role, the UK’s first Regius Professor of Climate Science
09:00 – Learning at Reading, shaping a generation of scientists
12:52 – From science to policy, the role of the IPCC
17:00 – Preparing the next generation, universities, government and early career opportunities
25:30 – Reading at 100, looking ahead to the next century of climate science