Zero: The Climate Race

Recent Episodes

1. Ditching net zero to win the climate argument

   Jul 20, 2026

   Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity and major Labour Party donor, discusses why net zero has become politically toxic and proposes three energy market reforms to halve UK energy bills without government spending. He argues the government should break the link between gas and renewable energy prices, apply contracts for difference to North Sea oil production, and regulate network operators—while pivoting away from net zero messaging toward 'green economy' framing to maintain political consensus.

2. The selfish case for supporting foreign aid

   Jul 16, 2026

   Philippe Valahu, CEO of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), discusses the critical role of development finance in bringing electricity, water, and infrastructure to emerging markets across Africa and Asia. The episode explores how PIDG mobilizes both public and private capital to fund climate-focused infrastructure projects, the misconceptions about risk in developing economies, and the case for overseas development aid as enlightened self-interest for Western nations facing migration, unemployment, and political instability.

3. Is the world prepared for the 'super' El Niño?

   Jul 9, 2026

   Professor Ming Funkting from Columbia University discusses the science of El Niño and the upcoming 'super' El Niño expected in 2026. The episode covers how El Niño works as a natural climate oscillation, its global impacts on weather patterns including droughts, flooding, and wildfires, and how the world's preparedness compares to the devastating 1877-1878 Great Famine. Funkting also addresses how climate scientists are responding to political attacks on climate science and the emerging field of extreme weather attribution.

4. Is the world becoming too hot for summer sports?

   Jul 2, 2026

   Jessica Murphy, a researcher and professor at the University of North Carolina, discusses the intersection of sport and climate change. The episode explores how rising temperatures threaten athletic performance and event viability—from heat stroke risks to infrastructure challenges—while examining sport's substantial carbon footprint, particularly from fan travel at mega-events like the World Cup. Murphy and host Akshat Rathi examine both the physiological impacts on athletes and the systemic changes sports organizations must make, from rule modifications and event scheduling to confronting fossil fuel sponsorships.

5. Solar and batteries are thriving — even in Trump’s America

   Jun 25, 2026

   Kevin Smith, CEO of Cypress Creek Renewables, discusses the state of the US renewable energy industry under the Trump administration. Despite policy headwinds including tariff increases and removal of tax credits, Smith argues that solar and battery deployment are thriving, with 90% of new grid capacity coming from renewables in 2025-2026. The conversation covers his $350 million Steel River Energy Center project in Arkansas, US manufacturing capacity for solar panels and batteries, and why renewables remain cheaper than natural gas even without subsidies.

6. The energy transition debate we need to have

   Jun 18, 2026

   Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, a historian at the French National Center for Scientific Research, discusses his book "More and More and More," which challenges the concept of "energy transition" as a myth. Fressoz traces the historical origins of the energy transition narrative to 1950s nuclear scientists and its popularization by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, arguing that the world has never actually transitioned away from fossil fuels but rather added new energy sources on top of existing ones. The episode explores why this framing matters for climate action and whether true energy transitions are possible at country levels, ultimately arguing that meaningful climate progress requires reducing consumption rather than relying on technological solutions.

7. Ice cream fight: Can companies have a social conscience in 2026?

   Jun 11, 2026

   Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, discusses the company's 50-year history as a values-led business and his current campaign to separate Ben and Jerry's from Magnum Corporation (owned by Unilever). The conversation covers the 2021 decision to halt sales in occupied Palestinian territories, the subsequent corporate restructuring, and Cohen's argument that social mission—not just product quality—is central to the brand's value and customer loyalty. Cohen also addresses the tension between ice cream's dairy emissions and climate action.

8. How Asia’s ‘Ukraine moment’ is supercharging the energy transition

   Jun 4, 2026

   Akshat Rathi, climate and energy reporter for Bloomberg News, discusses how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran—disrupting nearly 20% of global oil and gas supply—is accelerating the energy transition across Asia, paralleling Europe's response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The episode explores how dual energy shocks (1970s, 2022, 2026) drive structural policy changes, renewable deployment, and individual consumer action, positioning this as Asia's pivotal moment toward electrification and energy security independence.

9. The countries plotting the end of the fossil-fuel era

   May 28, 2026

   Sabora Berman, chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, discusses the inaugural conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels held in Santa Marta, Colombia in April 2024, where 60 countries gathered to move beyond debate and toward practical solutions. The conversation covers why this standalone diplomatic process succeeded where 30 years of UN climate summits (COPs) have stalled, the financial and structural barriers—particularly debt—that drive developing nations to expand fossil fuel production, and the geopolitical shift triggered by recent energy supply shocks. Berman outlines emerging mechanisms like debt-for-renewables swaps, sovereign wealth fund divestment, and international taxes as pathways for equitable fossil fuel phase-out, and explains why building a coalition of ambitious nations—rather than waiting for consensus—can shift global norms and political will.

10. Reform’s Richard Tice wants to end decades of UK climate action

    May 20, 2026

    Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK and MP for Boston and Skegness, discusses the party's energy and climate policies. Despite polling at record highs, Reform proposes scrapping net zero targets, ending renewable energy subsidies, expanding North Sea oil and gas drilling, and pursuing onshore fracking. Tice disputes scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, arguing adaptation is cheaper than mitigation and that the UK's climate policies are economically destructive.