Climate Watch

We often think going paperless is eco-friendly—but is our digital life as green as we believe? Every email, file, and cloud service relies on data centers, and together they produce significant carbon emissions. This hidden impact is called digital pollution. In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei explores how our everyday online habits affect the environment and speaks with Ian Chew, founder o...

China has released its first central government roadmap for the national carbon market, marking a turning point in the country’s climate policy. The plan sets out milestones to expand coverage across major emitting industries by 2027 and build a fully functional cap-and-trade system by 2030. In this episode, Fei Fei sits down with carbon market analyst Qin Yan to unpack what these targets mean in...

In Quanzhou, oysters are more than food — they’re part of the local history. For centuries, oyster shells have been used to reinforce bridges, build storm-proof homes, and shape coastal life. This episode explores how 11th-century engineers employed oysters in the construction of the Luoyang Bridge, with insights from historians. We also hear from Professor Cai Lizhe of Xiamen University and Lin J...

Many extreme weather events are now occurring in ways that defy traditional understanding. This year, extreme weather events have come one after another: record-breaking torrential rains, unprecedented heatwaves reaching 50 degrees Celsius and devastating wildfires raging in many parts of the world. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Professor Gao Xiaolu from Beijing University of Civil Enginee...

What if the secret to protecting cities from floods, boosting biodiversity, and improving livelihoods was right outside our door? In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei explores how China’s “Two Mountains" concept plays out in real life, visiting Quanzhou Bay — home to centuries-old ports and thriving mangroves, and beyond. Meet the researchers, fishermen, and city planners restoring these wetl...

What are the most promising technologies driving global decarbonization—and what’s holding them back? In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Professor Wang Can from Tsinghua University about mainstream solutions, emerging innovations, and the roadblocks slowing progress. We also explore China’s strategy for cutting carbon emissions and where it still needs to catch up. This episode is part of The Cl...

Climate has sounded new alarms this summer. In just seven days, Beijing and Hebei were drenched by a year’s worth of rain. Meanwhile, temperatures in Henan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang have repeatedly soared past 40°C. In today’s episode, we speak with Ma Jun, Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, about what these weather events reveal about climate change—and how we should resp...

As global temperatures rise and extreme weather becomes the new norm, climate cooperation between major powers is more crucial than ever. In this episode of Climate Watch, we focus on the latest China–EU summit held in Beijing—where climate stood out as a rare bright spot in a complex geopolitical agenda. Fei Fei speaks with Antoine Oger, Executive Director of the Institute for European Environmen...

China and the EU have been conducting green cooperation for two decades, with many notable achievements. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Wu Changhua, the President of the Global Climate Academy and Chair of the Governing Council of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, about how the two sides are expanding and deepening green cooperation. We discuss how Chinese new energy companies contribute to the...

Smart water systems are playing a crucial role in addressing intensified extreme weather events caused by climate change. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Cao Ying, Professor of Water Resources and Hydropower from Sichuan Agricultural University, about how China’s innovative practices, such as forecasting, early warning and simulation are empowering its water management systems. We also take...

While carbon dioxide gets most of the climate spotlight, methane is the stealthy super-pollutant warming our planet—fast. In this episode, Fei Fei explores why methane emissions are one of the most urgent and solvable climate challenges today. She speaks with Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub and former environment minister of Chile. Main topics covered: · Where methane emissions come fr...

As AI models grow bigger and data centers become more energy-intensive, China faces a critical question: How can this digital boom align with its clean energy goals? In this episode, Fei Fei visits a data center in Guizhou, a pivotal hub in China’s digital network. She also explores how data centers—often seen as energy guzzlers—might evolve into key players in a flexible, renewable-powered grid....

What happens after planting millions of trees? In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Lei Xiangdong from the Chinese Academy of Forestry about what effective forest management really means- and why it's about much more than tree-planting. This episode explores how China's approach has evolved over decades, what the "four treasures" of forests (referring to the four functions that forests can play) a...

AI is working as a catalyst and bringing unprecedented transformation to different industries. In this episode, Fei Fei spoke with Xiao Ma, professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at Nottingham Business School, about how AI technologies are empowering different industries and assisting them in contributing to climate and sustainability goals. We also discuss the potential ways to optimize and...

The world produces over 400 million metric tons of plastics each year. Annually, an estimated 11 million tonnes, equivalent to the weight of roughly 2,200 Eiffel Towers, end up polluting lakes, rivers, and oceans. At the same time, plastic pollution is exacerbating the crisis of climate change globally. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Zhang Yimo, a blue-economy project coordinator from WWF,...

Pacific island nations are among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, facing rising seas, stronger storms, and the real threat of losing their land. In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Professor Patrick Nunn, a geographer and climate expert with the University of the Sunshine Coast, about what meaningful support looks like for these island communities. From migration plans to resil...

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's recent visit to China spotlighted climate cooperation and clean technology. As the two countries go ahead with their climate cooperation, along with Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) , they also vowed to uphold multilateralism. In this episode, Fei Fei digs into why multilateralism took center stage this week in China-Brazil pa...

In a time of global uncertainty, it can feel harder than ever to unite communities around urgent issues like climate change. For scholars Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim of Yale University, the answers may lie in the past. Drawing on spiritual and ethical traditions from across cultures, they believe that humanity's relationship with nature must be guided by values as much as science. From the th...

In a time of global uncertainty, it can feel harder than ever to unite communities around urgent issues like climate change. For scholars Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim of Yale University, the answers may lie in the past. Drawing on spiritual and ethical traditions from across cultures, they believe that humanity's relationship with nature must be guided by values as much as science. From the th...

This Earth Day, we take a hard look at an unexpected force shaping the future of clean technology: tariffs. As countries race to build green industries like EVs and batteries, trade tensions are starting to influence who gets ahead. In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei speaks with Kyle Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University and author of the newsletter High Capacity. We unpac...

In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei explores how U.S. tariffs are shaping the clean energy transition in Asia. We speak with Putra Adhiguna, Managing Director of the Energy Shift Institute in Jakarta, to understand how countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia are being affected by shifting U.S. trade policies on clean energy. From trade routes to solar supply chains, this episode look...

Forests are taking center stage in China’s climate and development strategy. The country aims to meet its climate goals while also improving rural livelihoods by leveraging its abundant forest resources. But forests aren’t just about trees as we typically imagine—bamboo is also part of the picture. With a national three-year plan to boost the bamboo industry wrapping up this year, could this fast-...

According to the United Nations, about a third of the global population still relies on polluting fuels for cooking, posing serious health risks. A recent study, “Energy–Poverty–Inequality SDGs: A Large-Scale Household Analysis and Forecasting in China,” reveals that access to clean cooking fuels not only improves health but is also linked to rising incomes and reduced inequality. The transition t...

2025 is the International Year of Glacier Preservation, and this week marks both World Day for Glaciers (March 21) and World Water Day (March 22)—a crucial moment to spotlight these vulnerable giants. What can we do to slow down the loss? And what does the future hold for the Third Pole? Climate Watch spoke with Ding Minghu with the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. With 20 years of expe...

China is developing a nationwide carbon footprint management system—but how will it work, and will it lead to real emissions reductions? In this episode, we break down what a carbon footprint actually means, how it's calculated, and whether companies are truly cutting emissions or just using sustainability as a marketing tool, with Professor Xu Ming from Tsinghua University. He's a leading expert...