Experts say we need to be 40 per cent more energy efficient to meet our climate goals. Is that doable? And might it save us money too?

It's a solution that's been called the main route to net zero: energy efficiency - or using less energy to get the same or better results. But there’s an issue – it's got an image problem as many people think it’s boring. And it is hard to get excited about the idea of better lightbulbs!

But energy efficiency could save us money on our bills too - especially in a warming world, where many countries will need air conditioning just to function. So does this crucial area in the fight against climate change need a rebrand. And could it even become sexy?

In a programme first broadcast in 2024, Presenter Jordan Dunbar talks to:

Production Team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts

email: [email protected]

NOTE: The speech made by President Jimmy Carter mentioned in the programme, was made in 1977 not 1974, as stated.

Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Reporter Esme Stallard discuss the latest news from around the world - including a row at Britain's prestigious Royal Society about whether to expel Elon Musk, the latest numbers on the state of glaciers and a report from Germany on the future of the country's massive coal industry. Plus, Caroline Steel from the BBC's Crowdscience podcast has been finding out how Norwegians are protecting themselves from the growing number of encounters with polar bears.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson and Esme Stallard

If you have a question, email us at the [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

Climate change is usually associated with hotter weather, but experts say that in Mongolia it's making the country's cold snaps even harsher. Can Mongolian nomads survive much longer in extreme winter conditions known as "dzuds"? Or will the loss of their livestock and livelihoods force herders to abandon a way of life that dates back millennia?

Graihagh Jackson finds out more about the situation on the ground from Mongolian reporter Khaliun Bayartsogt, and explores possible solutions with Khulan Dashpuntsag from the UN-funded ADAPT project.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson

If you have a question, email us at the [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

How can we protect our mental health from climate change related trauma? Can family, friends and community help to boost recovery and resilience in places hit by extreme weather?

Graihagh Jackson finds out about a local support network called "After The Fire", set up following the wildfires which swept through Northern California in 2017. And she hears how the Manobo tribe in the Philippines are protecting their community from flooding and typhoons.

Plus, we hear some top tips about mental health first aid, and how to build psychological resilience, from Jyoti Mishra, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California and Dr. John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta, Associate Professor at the de La Salle University in the Philippines.

You can find out more about the story from the Philippines by following the link to an article by our friends at BBC Future Planet.

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson

If you have a question, email us at the [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market which could reach 9 trillion dollars worldwide by 2030. One small country which is grabbing this opportunity is Hungary. Located in the heart of Europe but with a population of under 10 million, it’s becoming one of the top battery producers globally for electric cars.

This transition is bringing billions of euros of investment into the Hungarian economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs. One city in particular – Debrecen – the country’s second biggest, is becoming an epi-centre for battery production. The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar has been to Debrecen to find out who’s benefitting from the green gold rush. He speaks to local people and businesses about their hopes and fears as their city is transformed.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar

If you have a question, email us at the [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721

How can you have a successful relationship with someone if you believe passionately in climate action, but they don’t?

It’s not easy getting past those differences with the ones we love, but it is possible. We speak to a couple, as well as a mother and daughter, to find out how. And we ask whether the way we talk to our loved ones about climate change might offer important lessons on how we discuss the issue more broadly.

Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by:

Daze and Antonia Aghaji, from London

Thanks to Jasmine Navarro, founder of Nava, for her help with this episode, which was first broadcast in 2023.

Producer: Simon Tulett

If you have a question, email us at [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

The Musya family from rural Kenya have become the stars of two documentaries, inspiring audiences around the world with their efforts to fight the impact of climate change.

The award-winning 'Thank You For The Rain' shows how Kisilu Musya manages to keep his family on their farm by planting trees, diversifying their crops and adapting to more extreme weather events. 'Grace And The Storm' tells the story from the perspective of his daughter Grace and was made by CBBC for children around the world.

The Climate Question visits the Musya farm in Kenya and talks to the documentary-maker Julia Dahr. Dahr directed 'Thank You For the Rain' and co-directed 'Grace And The Storm' with Dina Mwende. UK viewers can watch 'Grace And The Storm' via the link.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar

If you have a question, email us at [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

Climate Question listeners take over the programme again, putting their queries to Graihagh Jackson and her panel: BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Bloomberg News senior climate reporter Akshat Rathi and the presenter of BBC CrowdScience Caroline Steel.

One listener asks why the climate appears to have changed so dramatically and fast in the last 50 years. Another wonders whether "space junk" plays a role in global warming. Plus, a question from a five-year old and - in a first for the programme - a listener's climate song!

If you have a question, email us at [email protected] or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

Producer: Michaela Graichen

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight flooding, increasing soil salinity and drought.

The BBC’s William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops, and meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers, to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London.

And if you'd like to hear more about rice, the BBC World Service's Food Chain programme has just made a show about the climate impacts of the crop. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5xp0

Reporter in India: William Kremer

If you have a question for the team, email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

In 2024, the global temperature was more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Graihagh Jackson and BBC Climate Report Esme Stallard consider the significance of this key climate target being breached. Plus, why farmers in Malawi are switching to banana wine and how global warming might be forcing humpback whales to migrate even further.

With Zeke Hausfather, Climate Scientist at the University of California, Berkeley; and BBC Africa reporter Ashley Lime.

Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

Production Team: Anne Okumu in Malawi; Diane Richardson, Ellie House and Sophie Eastaugh in London