Planet A - Talks on Climate Change

In 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 profi...

In 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 bet...

In 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 emi...

In 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. Lo...

In 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...

In 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...

In 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 th...

In 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...

In 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 importan...

In 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.  Th...

In 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 do...

In 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 bo...

In 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 t...

In 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 in...

In 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 al...

In 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 an...

In 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 warmi...

In 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 inter...

In 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...

In 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...

In 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-fi...

The 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 premie...

Solutions 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 Gor...

Sometimes 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 repor...

In 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...