Planet A - Talks on Climate Change
By: Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities
Language: en-us
Categories: Science
A podcast on climate change hosted by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jørgensen. Inviting some of the world’s leading experts, policy makers and activists to share their thoughts with us. Not only to address the challenges and dilemmas inherent in climate change. But also to talk about its possible solutions.
Episodes
Confronting the New Climate War
May 17, 2024In this episode of Planet A, Professor Michael E. Mann – a leading figure in climate research and a vocal participant in public discourse on global warming – brings his insights into what he describes as the “New Climate War”.
He outlines how powerful interests, including fossil fuel industries and certain political forces, have long obstructed substantial climate action to safeguard their profits. These actors have mastered the art of polluting public discourse with misinformation.
Mann paints a dystopian picture of what the United States—and by extension, the planet—could face if the forces opposing climate action succeed...
Preserving Our Future with Noah’s Ark for Plants
Apr 24, 2024In this episode of Planet A, the ‘father’ of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Cary Fowler, takes us on an extraordinary journey through his mission to safeguard the world’s agricultural heritage. Placed deep in the Arctic, the Seed Vault stands as a global insurance, protecting millions of seed samples from the growing threats of climate change.
Dr. Fowler shares his thoughts on the connection between food security and climate change, highlighting the importance of increasing diversity in crops to ensure their resilience against the changing climate. A problem which might be eased by what Dr. Fowler calls ‘...
The Green Blueprint: EU Commissioner on the Union’s Climate Strategy
Apr 12, 2024In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen sits down with EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, to explore the central role he plays in shaping the European Union’s approach to reducing emissions. Transitioning from a career in the energy sector to a key climate policy leader, Hoekstra offers unique insights into the EU’s climate targets and strategies.
They discuss the EU’s own emission targets as well as its role as a global influencer in climate action. Hoekstra emphasizes the importance of a just transition that balances both environmental sustainability and economic growth...
Duration: 00:35:35A talk with Germany’s Special Climate Envoy
Mar 15, 2024In this episode of Planet A Germany’s Special Climate Envoy, Jennifer Morgan, shares her insights from leading climate negotiations for the German Government.
A key focus of the discussion is the outcomes and implications of COP28 in Dubai, but the conversation also delves into the significance of Germany’s role in international climate finance and the establishment of the loss and damage fund.
Looking ahead, they discuss the road to COP29 and COP30, emphasizing the need for strategic financial planning and collaboration to achieve more ambitious national climate plans.
A Small Island Nation’s Climate Challenge
Feb 26, 2024In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen engages in a compelling dialogue with Ralph Regenvanu who serves as the Minister responsible for climate change, energy, the environment, weather, geological hazards, and disaster management in Vanuatu.
The island state of Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries facing numerous challenges due to its vulnerability to climate change. Throughout the episode, Regenvanu shares insights into how this small island nation is grappling with the severe impacts of global warming. From rising sea levels to increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, Vanuatu's struggle encapsulates the broader cr...
Duration: 00:38:09Ajay Banga’s Vision for the World Bank: Combating Both Climate Change and Poverty
Feb 06, 2024In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen engages in a conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga. With a career spanning prestigious roles, including President and CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Banga now steers one of the leading institutions in the global fight against climate change and poverty.
The episode delves into the multifaceted role of the World Bank, revealing its structure and mechanisms for supporting global development. Ajay Banga explains the World Bank’s approach to providing financial assistance and expertise to the poorest countries for fighting both poverty and climate chan...
Duration: 00:41:22COP28 - A Historic Turn in Climate Politics?
Jan 24, 2024In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen delves into the outcomes of COP28 with Alden Meyer, a seasoned expert in climate politics. With over four decades of experience with climate issues, Meyer provides a deep dive into the historic achievements of the negotiations and the challenges that lie ahead.
They reflect on COP28’s historical significance, marking the first global acknowledgment of the need to transition away from fossil fuels and the establishment of the loss and damage fund. Despite these results, Meyer emphasises that there is pressing urgency and considerable work still required to limi...
Duration: 01:00:06COP28 – The Eleventh Hour
Dec 12, 2023In the latest episode of "Planet A", Dan Jørgensen talks with Tomas Anker Christensen, Denmark's Climate Ambassador, amidst the high-stakes atmosphere of the UN Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai. As negotiations enter the eleventh hour, the mood is tense and uncertain, with crucial decisions, not least regarding the future of fossil fuels, hanging in the balance.
This episode delves into the complex and often difficult process of international climate negotiations, providing listeners with an insider's view of the current state of COP28.
Duration: 00:16:57Tomas Anker Christensen - An update on the COP28 negotiations
Dec 06, 2023In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen and Denmark's Climate Ambassador, Tomas Anker Christensen, updates the listener about the ongoing negotiation at the UN Climate Conference COP28 unfolding in Dubai. Recorded in a quiet corner amid the bustling conference, they offer an insider's perspective on the negotiations and milestones achieved thus far.
The episode sheds light on important decisions, such as the establishment of the loss and damage fund, and the overall status on global climate action. Their dialogue takes the listener through the complexities of international climate diplomacy, emphasizing the urgency required at the n...
Duration: 00:29:39Bangladesh Today: A Window to the World’s Future
Nov 28, 2023In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Special Envoy for Environment and Climate Change to Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh and parliament member in Bangladesh, a country severely affected by global warming. Chowdhury sheds light on Bangladesh’s vulnerability, positioned between melting Himalayan glaciers and rising sea levels in the Bay of Bengal.
They discuss the stark reality that Bangladesh represents the “ground zero” of climate change. As a country already facing the impacts of global warming, Bangladesh's experience offers a glimpse into the challenges that the rest of the world wi...
Duration: 00:33:53Mafalda Duarte - Supporting Developing Countries while Taking Care of the Climate
Nov 10, 2023In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen is joined by Mafalda Duarte, the executive director of the world’s largest climate fund – the Green Climate Fund.
Mafalda Duarte sheds light on how the fund is at the forefront of aiding developing countries on their path to development that is both low in emissions and resilient to the climate.
She explains the fund’s projects which span billions of dollars and how to balance this with the needs of developing countries: “We have to put ourselves in the shoes of these people in developing countries.”...
Claude Turmes - A Fossile Free Ride
Oct 27, 2023In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen sits down with The European "Mr. Energy", Claude Turmes, for a conversation that spans personal anecdotes, political experiences, and urgent climate challenges.
Claude Turmes has served as the Minister for Energy in Luxembourg for almost five years, and has been a tireless and prominent advocate for green energy and sustainability for decades both within Luxembourg and the European Union.
He was Vice President of the parliamentary group of the Green Party in the EU and has represented the European Parliament at nu...
Duration: 00:44:32Henrik Stiesdal - On developing the modern wind turbine and offshore wind technology
Sep 22, 2023In this episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks to a true pioneer within the field of wind energy, the father of the modern Danish wind turbine and the world's first offshore wind farm, Henrik Stiesdal, former Chief Technology Officer of Siemens Wind Power.
Stiesdal shares his personal story, recounting how, as a young farmer boy during the 1973 oil crisis, he built his first wind turbine to harness affordable wind power for his family. He also tells the story of how the world's wind turbines have ended up rotating clockwise and how they built the first of...
Duration: 00:52:21Chris Bowen – Changing the course of Australian Climate Policy
Aug 11, 2023In this episode of Planet A Dan Jørgensen talks to Chris Bowen, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
This July was the hottest month ever recorded. Just another fact that underlines that humanity has to live with the devastating consequenses of climate change such as natural disasters.
“No country is being spared, and they're increasingly frequent, increasingly severe, and increasingly unnatural. They're not natural disasters anymore, because they're caused by human activity” says Chris Bowen.
But what can governments such as the Australian and the Danish do to tackle the climate crisis? H...
Duration: 00:41:40Achim Steiner - How to Fight Poverty and Climate Change at the Same Time
Jul 14, 2023In this episode of Planet A Dan Jørgensen talks to Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
They discuss the threats climate change poses to global development and the fight against poverty, the urgent need for financial markets to support the green transition and climate adaptation in developing countries, as well as their expectations for COP28.
Steiner brings almost thirty years of experience in sustainable development, climate resilience, and international cooperation to the table.
Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the...
Duration: 00:59:35Graham Hill - What Difference can an Individual Make?
Jul 01, 2023In this episode of Planet A Dan Jørgensen talks to Graham Hill who is a dedicated climate change advocate and sustainability pioneer.
Graham Hill explains how he works to change the mindset on climate change within a corporation, what it takes to change a culture and how to reduce your carbon footprint by following “The Big Six”.
In the discussion Hill quotes the legendary management consultant and writer Peter Drucker stating that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, which is a key point in the talk.
Graham Hi...
Duration: 00:35:34Rainn Wilson - Is there Anything Funny to Say about Climate Change?
Jun 09, 2023In this episode Dan Jørgensen talks to American actor and comedian Rainn Wilson. He is perhaps best known for playing Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom “The Office” which has earned him three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. But Rainn Wilson is also strongly engaged in climate activism, and he works tirelessly to raise awareness of global warming.
Wilson and Jørgensen crack a couple of jokes and discuss how humor can be used in the fight against climate change and what people can do to make a difference – whatever...
Duration: 00:54:57Angela Carter - On National Bans and Global Commitments to Phase Out Fossil Fuels
May 26, 2023In this 4th episode of the 6th season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks to Dr. Angela Carter, who is a leading expert on phasing out fossil fuels.
They discuss the risks of fossil fuel dependency, especially for the least developed countries, the need to align fossil fuel production with our climate imperative, and the importance of global commitments to keep fossil fuels in the ground. These international efforts include the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
They also touch on the closely related subject of a people-centered c...
Duration: 00:41:00The Road to COP28 - with Climate Ambassador Tomas Anker Christensen
May 12, 2023In this 3rd episode of the 6th season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks to the Danish Climate Ambassador, Tomas Anker Christensen, about the road to COP28 and pushing for higher ambitions through global climate diplomacy.
What is the current status of the four critical UN work streams – mitigation, adaptation, finance as well as loss and damage – and how can we expect to see them addressed at COP28?
With the latest IPCC report in mind, they share their concerns as well as expectations and hopes for the COP-process, the Global Stocktake and the Loss and Damage Fund...
Simon Stiell - On UNFCCC, the COP process and the Global Stocktake
Mar 18, 2023In this 2nd episode of the 6th season of Planet A Dan Jørgensen talks to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, better known as UNFCCC, Simon Stiell.
They discuss the unique role of the UNFCCC in the global fight against climate change. The challenges ahead on the critical work streams – mitigation, adaptation, finance as well as loss and damage - and why Simon Stiell likes to describe his own position as “Accountability Chief”.
They also talk about the importance of the Global Stocktake coming up at t...
Duration: 00:46:47Helen Thompson - On the Geopolitics of Energy
Feb 24, 2023In this 1st episode of the new 6th season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks to Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, about the geopolitics of fossil fuels and how the green energy transition affects the world order.
Thompson´s current research concentrates on the political economy of energy and the democratic, economic, and geopolitical disruptions of the twenty-first century.
She is also well known for co-hosting the highly acclaimed podcast Talking Politics.
Her most recent book Disorder – Hard Times in the 21st C...
Duration: 00:42:46Kim Stanley Robinson – On Climate Fiction and “The Ministry for the Future”
Aug 28, 2022The heat waves of the future could produce deadly “wet bulb temperatures” that would kill millions of people by sheer heat exhaustion. How will governments, citizens and international organizations react, if a heat wave killed 20 million people in India? That is the premise of the novel “The Ministry for the Future” – a novel that mixes science fiction and environmentalism.
The guest on the premiere episode of the fifth season of Planet A is renowned science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson. In “The Ministry for the Future”, he writes about a dystopian, near future where the devastatin...
Duration: 01:00:28Chris Anderson - How to spread good ideas about Climate Change
Jun 06, 2022Solutions to climate change are ideas worth spreading. And that is what TED is all about.
On the sixth episode of Planet A’s fourth season, the curator of TED, Chris Anderson, spreads his ideas on how to make a good talk and address climate change in a way that excites and motivates people.
TED has been sharing big ideas on climate change for more than 15 years with prominent speakers like Al Gore, Bill Gates, and Prince William – as well as the host of this podcast, Dan Jørgensen.
So how...
Duration: 00:29:48Jason Box – What the Ice Can Tell Us About Climate Change
Apr 27, 2022Sometimes having good talks on climate change requires a good listener. And we have one of the best in Professor Jason Box on the 5th episode of Planet A’s fourth season where Dan Jørgensen talks with the esteemed professor of glaciology about the state of the Greenland Ice Sheet and what it can tells us about the changing climate.
Jason Box has been co-author of the latest three assessment reports from IPCC and co-wrote the decisive UN report ‘Climate Change 2007’ for which the team was co-awarded the Nobel Peace prize the same year. He...
Duration: 00:27:23Jonathan Safran Foer – How Breakfast Can Stem Climate Change
Apr 08, 2022In the 4th episode of Planet A’s fourth season, Dan Jørgensen talks with the renowned American author, Jonathan Safran Foer.
His debut “Everything Is Illuminated” and his later novels “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and “Here I Am” has established him as one of the most thought provoking American authors in this century.
Over the last decade his non-fiction books “Eating Animals” and “We Are the Weather – Saving the Planet Begins...
Duration: 00:44:11Dr. Debra Roberts – Adapt or die: The new IPCC report and our options for adapting to climate change
Mar 12, 2022In the 3rd episode of Planet A’s fourth season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Dr. Debra Roberts co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC).
The IPCC recently released its report ”Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” that assesses the impact climate change could have on ecosystems, biodiversity and human communities.
Dr. Roberts calls the report a clear wake-up call that will force us to either ”adapt or die”.
For some animals, the latter option may become their fate. The report find...
Duration: 00:38:37Lutz Weischer – How to become a global climate champion?
Feb 15, 2022In the 2nd episode of Planet A’s fourth season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Lutz Weischer, Head of Policy for the NGO Germanwatch.
Germanwatch works on a wide range of environmental issues, but is perhaps best known for its annual publication of “CCPI” - the Climate Change Performance Index.
As evident in numerous international assessments, the world is currently not on track to limit the rise of global temperatures to 1.5 degrees celsius and climate action is urgently needed.
Thus, the CCPI aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate...
Duration: 00:34:13Joseph Nye – How is Soft Power the answer to a hard problem like Climate Change?
Jan 21, 2022In the 1st episode of Planet A’s fourth season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Professor Joseph Nye of Harvard University.
Professor Nye gained global fame by introducing the term “soft power”, that is the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants – without using force or coercion.
In this episode of Planet A, he explains how soft power is particularly relevant to address transnational problems like climate change.
Professor Nye also talks about the increasing importance of exerting “power with” - rather than “p...
Duration: 00:36:10Dr. Kate Marvel – Why on Earth is NASA Studying Climate Change and Clouds?
Dec 22, 2021In the 5th episode of Planet A’s third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Dr. Kate Marvel.
Dr. Marvel is a research scientist at Columbia University and works for NASA, studying how climate change affects our planet.
Her research has not only made her an eminent expert on the interplay between clouds and climate change, but also brought her international prominence for her TED Talk “Can clouds save us from climate change?”.
In the podcast, she explains how clouds both warms and cools the Earth, by eithe...
Duration: 00:39:02Laurence Tubiana and Tomas Anker Christensen – Deciphering COP26
Dec 03, 2021
In the 4th episode of Planet A’s third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Laurence Tubiana and Tomas Anker Christensen about the complexity of negotiations at COP26 in Glasgow, the significance of the outcome and the nature of the COP proces.
Laurence Tubiana is CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and the former French Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21. In this capacity, she became the key architect of the Paris Agreement.
Tomas Anker Christensen is the current Danish Climate Ambassador and has extensive experience with climate diplomacy. As Senior Adviser for...
Inger Andersen – COP26 and the Emissions Gap
Nov 05, 2021In the 3rd episode of Planet A’s third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Inger Andersen, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UNEP (the United Nations Environment Programme).
UNEP recently published this year’s “Emissions Gap Report: The Heat Is On”. The Gap Report is a science-based assessment of the gap between countries’ climate pledges and the reductions required to deliver a global temperature increase of below 2°C by the end of this century.
UNEP also publishes two related reports that are discussed in...
Duration: 00:41:07David Livingston and Varun Sivaram – The US Perspective on COP26 and Beyond
Oct 31, 2021In the 2nd episode of Planet A’s third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with David Livingston and Varun Sivaram.
Livingston and Sivaram serve as Senior Advisers to President Biden’s Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry. Thus, they play a key role in fulfilling President Joe Biden's climate policy on the world stage.
In this episode, Livingston and Sivaram discuss the US priorities and expectations for COP26. They argue that COP26 can act as an accelerator for more ambitious climate targets, while they are keenly aware that the window of op...
Duration: 00:39:58Dr. Juergen Voegele – How to feed 10 billion people and reduce emissions in a changing climate
Oct 01, 2021In the 1st episode of Planet A’s third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Dr. Juergen Voegele, the World Bank’s Vice President for Sustainable Development.
Dr. Voegele is one of the world’s leading experts on the interplay between food production, agriculture and climate change. In his current capacity, he oversees the World Bank’s entire efforts on agriculture, food, climate change and the environment.
In recent years, Dr. Voegele has emerged as a thought leader on the challenges that the growing global population and changing climate will pose for h...
Duration: 00:50:20Jason Bordoff - on the geopolitics of climate change
Jul 03, 2021In the 10th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Jason Bordoff, the Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and the Dean of the University’s Climate School.
They touch upon the lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis and the temporary decline in global energy consumption, the Biden administration and climate politics in the US.
And they discuss the geopolitics of climate change, where Bordoff argues there is a difference between the influence that “electro states” such as China will have in the futur...
Duration: 00:42:08Jennifer Morgan – On Greenpeace, COP26 and climate activism
May 29, 2021In the 9th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Jennifer Morgan, the Executive Director of Greenpeace International.
Over the last twenty years, Morgan has worked with climate change at leading NGOs such as World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).
Moreover, she has participated in every single COP and served as Review Editor for the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
During the interview, they discuss the importance of climate activism and how NGOs can i...
Duration: 00:35:09Dr. Lucas Joppa – How can data and AI stem climate change?
May 14, 2021In the 8th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Officer, Dr. Lucas Joppa.
Dr. Joppa has worked at the nexus of data and sustainability throughout his career and is now leading Microsoft’s efforts to become a carbon negative company. Furthermore, he leads the company’s work on data and tech solutions that can help decarbonize the entire world.
Perhaps unbeknownst to many, the use, storage and processing of data emit as much CO2 as the global airline industry.
Whi...
Duration: 00:51:10Elizabeth Kolbert – On the Perils and Promise of Geoengineering
Apr 29, 2021In the 7th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with the journalist and author, Elizabeth Kolbert.
Kolbert first achieved international prominence when her bestselling book “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 and the Guardian named it the best non-fiction book of all time.
She has worked for the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine since the early 1980’s. A recurring theme in her writing has been the consequences of environmental degradation.
On the podcast, Kolbert speaks about the prospect for a mass exti...
Duration: 00:38:47Joseph Stiglitz – On Getting Carbon Pricing Right
Apr 09, 2021In the 6th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with the American economist and Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz.
Stiglitz explains why he is a strong supporter of a “Cross Border Adjustment tax”, which adds the cost of carbon emissions to the price on imported goods and thus prevents carbon leakage.
The economist underlines the importance of imposing a higher social cost of carbon and believes it should be upwards of 100 US dollars per emitted ton CO2. Stiglitz and Jørgensen precedes to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of different tools to price...
Duration: 00:44:49George Monbiot – Rewilding: How Wolves Changes a River
Mar 26, 2021In the 5th episode of Planet A’s second season, Dan Jørgensen talks with the British writer, activist and environmentalist, George Monbiot.
Monbiot has been a regular columnist for The Guardian since 1996 and authored ten books on social justice, climate change and other environmental issues.
He achieved global acclaim for his award-winning book “Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding”. In the book, Monbiot advocates that humanity must “rewild”; that society must free nature from human interve...
Duration: 00:38:22Jonathan Franzen – What if we stopped pretending?
Mar 12, 2021In this 4th episode of the 2nd season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with the American writer Jonathan Franzen.
Franzen is the author of numerous short stories and essays, but is most widely known for his novels “The Corrections”, “Freedom” and “Purity”. Furthermore, he has been a contributor to “The New Yorker” Magazine since 1994 and written seminal essays on climate change and environmentalism.
During the interview, Franzen talks about his essay “What if We...
Duration: 00:44:28Vice Admiral McGinn – Why climate change is a threat to global security
Feb 27, 2021In the 3rd episode of the 2nd season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Dennis “Denny” McGinn, a retired Vice Admiral from the United States Navy, about why climate change is a threat to global security and stability.
Prior to his retirement, Vice Admiral McGinn served as the Commander of the 3rd US Fleet and as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. He crowned a distinguished military career by working as President Obama’s Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 2013 to 2017. In this capacity, Vice Adm...
Duration: 00:36:07Li Shuo – On China’s domestic and international climate politics
Feb 12, 2021In the 2nd episode of season 2 of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Li Shuo from Greenpeace East Asia about Chinese domestic and international climate politics ahead of COP26.
Li Shuo works as Greenpeace’s Senior Climate and Energy Policy Officer in Beijing and leads the NGO’s international political delegation at the COP-meetings. Thus, he offers a unique insight regarding China’s domestic environmental policies and its relationship to the international climate negotiations.
Li Shuo argues that the Sino-American relationship has deteriorated during Trump’s Presidency...
Duration: 00:36:21David Wallace-Wells – Are we creating an ‘Uninhabitable Earth’?
Jan 29, 2021In this first episode of a new season of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with David Wallace-Wells about the multitude of interlinked problems created by climate change.
Wallace-Wells, a journalist and deputy editor of New York Magazine, achieved global fame by writing the long-form essay “The Uninhabitable Earth” in 2017.
The essay laid out – in excruciating detail – just how dire the climate crisis is for the prospects of human civilization. Wallace-Wells went beyond the traditional portrayals of rising sea levels and extreme weather events, by focusing on how it also aff...
Sharan Burrow – On workers’ rights, a green recovery and the need for a just transition
Dec 27, 2020In the 14th episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Sharan Burrow about how we can make the green transition fair for workers.
Burrow is General Secretary of “ITUC” (the International Trade Union Confederation), a Brussels-based union organization that works to promote and defend workers’ rights and interests around the world.
During Burrow’s tenure as General Secretary, ITUC has become an increasingly important voice on climate action but remains deeply committed to a “just transition” and calls for measures to protect workers, their families and communities.
She ar...
Duration: 00:23:50Alden Meyer – Taking stock: Five years after the Paris Agreement
Dec 11, 2020In the 13th episode of Planet A, we commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, as Dan Jørgensen talks with Alden Meyer about the history of the international climate negotiations.
Meyer is one of the world’s most prominent advisers on climate policy and served as Director of Strategy and Policy at the Union of Concerned Scientistsfor four decades. Today he is senior associate for the climate think-tank E3G.
During the conversation, Meyer takes us through from the adoption of the UN Framework Conve...
Duration: 00:30:21Michał Kurtyka – Can Poland balance coal and wind in a just transition?
Dec 10, 2020In the 12th episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Poland’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Michał Kurtyka, about his experience as President of COP24 as well as his country’s goal to reduce coal power and build more renewable energy.
This is no small feat, considering how important coal mining is to the Polish economy.
Thus the overarching theme of this episode is the question of a “just transition” and its impact on Poland. The country has been the European heartland of coal mining for ages. When the I...
Duration: 00:31:36Mohamed Nasheed – Should the next COP be the last COP?
Nov 25, 2020In the 11th episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with the former Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed.
Mr. Nasheed managed to put his country on the map of global climate politics during his tenure as President of the Maldives (2008-12) and became one of the strongest global voices on climate action.
After being ousted in 2012, Nasheed was exiled to England where he was granted political asylum. However, two years ago, he returned to the Maldives and last year his party (The Maldives Democratic Party) won th...
Duration: 00:27:28Ernest Moniz – On the technologies we need and what Joe Biden can do for the climate
Nov 13, 2020In the 10th episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Barack Obama's former Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz.
Dr. Moniz holds a doctoral degree in theoretical nuclear physics and made his first foray into Washington-politics as President Bill Clinton’s Under Secretary of Energy (1997-2001).
He is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet, when it comes to energy, science and politics. Thus, it should be no surprise that POLITICO ranks him as a lead...
Duration: 00:54:58Svenja Schulze – On the EU climate law and a higher emission reduction target
Oct 29, 2020In the 9th episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze
Minister Schulze is one of the world’s most important decision makers in contemporary climate politics.
In her current job, she is not only facing the monumental task of decarbonizing Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Minister Schulze is also shouldering a vital international task, as Germany holds the presidency of the European Council for the autumn of 2020.
The German presidency comes at...
Duration: 00:18:59Special edition - selected insights on climate change
Oct 15, 2020The 8th episode of Planet A is a special edition, featuring highlights from the preceding 7 episodes of the podcast.
The roster of guests is (in order of appearance on this episode):
Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate ChangeDr. Jane Goodall, Primatologist and ConservationistKatherine Richardson, Professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of CopenhagenLord Nicholas Stern, Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics.Jeffrey Sac... Duration: 00:14:42Dr. Julio Friedmann - on carbon capture, utilization and storage
Oct 02, 2020In the seventh episode of the podcast, Dan Jørgensen talks with Dr. Julio Friedmann, who served as Lead of President Obama’s Research and Development program for Carbon Capture and Storage and CO2 utilization in the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dr. Friedmann is renowned as one of the world’s leading experts on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as well as Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). The discussion on the podcast covers CCS – the process of capturing carbon and storing it underground – and CCUS – the process of using the carbon to produce green hydrogen, methanol or...
Duration: 00:21:40Christiana Figueres - on the past, present and future of the COP-negotiations
Sep 17, 2020In the sixth episode of the podcast, Dan Jørgensen talks with Christiana Figueres, the former United Nations’ Climate Chief about the past, present and future of the international climate negotiations.
Figueres was appointed Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC in July 2010 and five years later she successfully rallied 195 nations around the Paris Agreement.
She recounts the change from COP15 in Copenhagen to COP21 in Paris, resulting from gradually changing the political mindset from one of confrontation to one of collaboration.
To Figueres, the outcome of the upcoming U.S. Presidential elections will decide the...
Duration: 00:27:57Jane Goodall - on chimpanzees, humans and climate change
Sep 03, 2020In the fifth episode of the podcast Dan Jørgensen talks with Dr. Jane Goodall, the world’s leading primatologist, about the similarities between chimpanzees and humans as well as how climate change impact us all.
She describes how the changing climate disproportionally affects wildlife and the poorest people around the globe.
Dr. Goodall argues, that the world must overcome poverty, consumerism and population growth to prevent an environmental catastrophe. Particularly people in the developed world need to make more ethical choices; ensuring that they do not buy products that have harmed the environment, were mad...
Duration: 00:29:36Katherine Richardson - on climate tipping points and what humanity can learn from nature
Aug 20, 2020In the fourth episode of the podcast, Dan Jørgensen talks with Katherine Richardson, Professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen and one of the world’s leading experts on climate change.
Based on her research article “Climate tipping points - too risky to bet against”, they discuss the notion of climate tipping points - such as the loss of the Amazon rainforest and the West Antarctic ice sheet – and how they can cause irreversible damage to the global eco-system.
Richardson also explains about feedback loops, such as the “Albedo Effect” where if snow covering...
Duration: 00:31:15Nicholas Stern - on the economics of climate change in the age of COVID-19
Aug 06, 2020In the third episode of Planet A, Dan Jørgensen talks with Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics.
Jørgensen and Stern discuss the economics of climate change, climatic change feedback mechanisms and the need to build sustainable infrastructure in the coming decades.
Stern argues that the consequences of climate change is “far, far worse” than he anticipated in his 2006 report “The Economics of Climate Change”. Nevertheless, the rapid development of renewable energy technology, has meant that Stern is optimistic t...
Duration: 00:36:51Jeffrey Sachs - on globalization, climate change and happiness
Jul 21, 2020In this second episode of the podcast, Dan Jørgensen talks with Jeffrey Sachs, Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
They discuss climate change and the urgent need for a swift global green energy transition in light of Sachs’ new – and very timely – book, “The Ages of Globalization”. A discussion that also touches on the subjects of poverty, sustainability and happiness.
Professor Sachs started his illustrious career as an academic and is perhaps best known for his tenure as Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016.
John Kerry - on climate politics in the wake of the COVID-19
Jul 10, 2020In this first episode of the podcast, Dan Jørgensen talks with former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the outlook for climate politics, in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
They discuss the consequences of COVID-19, the urgent need for global leadership on the climate issue, the promise of the Paris Agreement and the importance of big investors engaging in the green transformation. Furthermore Kerry shares his view on the resurgence of activism and the potential of the climate movement.
John Kerry has had a distinguished career i...
Duration: 00:26:50Planet A
Jul 03, 2020The fact of the matter is that we do not have a “Planet B”.
Welcome to Planet A - a podcast on climate change hosted by the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen.
This podcast will invite some of the world’s leading experts, policy makers and activists to share their thoughts with us. Not only to address the challenges and dilemmas inherent in climate change. But also to talk about its possible solutions.
The first three episodes will feature former Secretary of State J...
Duration: 00:01:27