Political Heat

Why has the very idea of “energy security” become politicised? What does it really mean for the UK, in the interconnected world we live in? And does the transition to net zero emissions weaken our energy security, or strengthen it? Amy talks with Dhara Vyas, CEO of Energy UK, a trade association for the energy industry. Energy UK’s members together deliver nearly 80% of the UK’s power generation a...

Now that extreme weather events are happening with increasing frequency and intensity, what impact is that having on climate politics? Is it making politicians sit up and pay more attention? Or is the climate crisis becoming yet another blight on parts of the country that are too often overlooked? Amy talks with Sofie Jenkinson, Founding Director at Round Our Way: a non-profit that exists to share...

As the term “net zero” comes under political attack, should supporters of climate action discard it in favour of something else? Or should we fight for it? And how can research into public opinion, and people’s deeply-held values, help to make that judgement call? Amy talks with Jessie Nicholls, an expert in strategic communications and public engagement. Produced and presented by Amy Mount. Edite...

How does the end of cross-party consensus shape how an MP engages with climate? How does climate fit alongside the hundreds of other issues that cross an MP’s desk? And why do MPs tend to underestimate public support for climate action? Amy talks with the Rt Hon Louise Haigh, the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley, and formerly Secretary of State for Transport. Produced and presented by Amy...

Why are energy prices a political issue? How could the UK’s journey to net zero affect household bills? And what can the government do to make sure ordinary people feel the benefits? Amy talks with Chaitanya Kumar, Head of Economic and Environmental Policy at the New Economics Foundation. Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by Sarah Eldridge.  For more insights, read the Politic...

Where can the UK look for international allies on climate? What strategic questions must the government grapple with? And where is there most risk? Amy talks with Laura Chappell, Associate Director for International Policy at progressive think tank IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research. Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by Sarah Eldridge.  For more insights, read the...

How did the environment fare during the Conservative Party’s recent time in power? What does the UK’s experience tell us about the opportunities to make progress on climate under a right-wing government? And what are the limitations of conservative politics, when it comes to addressing the environmental crisis? Amy talks with Meg Trethewey, a former Special Adviser in 10 Downing St and Defra, and...

What role do protests play in climate activism? How have tactics changed over time? And when is controversy constructive? Amy talks with Hannah Martin, Co Executive Director at Green New Deal Rising, which is a movement of young people fighting to stop climate change.  Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by Sarah Eldridge.  For more insights, read the Political Heat newslet...

Why is it important to think about the places we live, work and experience, when responding to climate change? Why do local communities matter to climate action - and vice versa? And what opportunities and constraints do communities face?  Amy talks with Danielle Walker-Palmour, the Director of Friends Provident Foundation, which works towards a fair and sustainable economic system. Danielle’...

Is a better world possible? Why are the stories we tell so important in the politics of climate? And what’s the relationship between social and environmental tipping points?  Amy talks with Solitaire Townsend, co-founder and Chief Solutionist at “change agency” Futerra. Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by Sarah Eldridge.  For more insights, read the Political Heat newsle...

How can Parliament force progress on climate when the Government is resistant? What does it take for backbench MPs to amend legislation? And how does their power wax and wane as the composition of Parliament changes? Amy talks with Isabella Gornall, who is Founder and Chair of Seahorse Environmental, a politics and communications agency.  Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by S...

How did scrapping a climate target bring down a First Minister? What would a good transition to net zero look like in Scotland? And what should be the climate priorities for the Scottish Government's new leadership? Amy talks with Miriam Brett, Co-Director of the Future Economy Scotland think tank. Future Economy Scotland is non-partisan and aims to create a new economy that is, in its words, “dem...

How can the government drive investment into the net zero transition? What opportunities and constraints does it face? And why did the Labour Party adopt - and then drop - its £28bn green investment commitment? Amy talks with Carys Roberts, one of the UK’s leading thinkers on economic policy. She’s executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, a progressive think tank. Produced a...

How has climate politics in the UK been shaped by this country’s longer history of environmentalism? Do economic arguments fully capture what’s at stake in climate policy? And how can we navigate tensions between action for the climate and the countryside? Amy talks with Dame Fiona Reynolds, a former Director-General of the National Trust, and author of The Fight for Beauty: Our Path to a Better F...

Why was the Climate Change Act such an important moment of UK leadership? Why did it happen when it did? And what were the politics that made it possible? Amy talks with Baroness Bryony Worthington, who campaigned for and then drafted the legislation.  Produced and presented by Amy Mount.  Edited by Sarah Eldridge.  For more insights and references, read the Political Heat newslette...

What’s it like to negotiate climate agreements with other countries? What are the most consequential power dynamics at the UN climate talks? And how does climate sit alongside other foreign policy objectives? Amy talks with Camilla Born, who held the pen on the strategy for COP26, the UN climate talks that the UK hosted in 2021. She then went on to be right-hand woman to the COP President, Alok Sh...

Are fights brewing over the new infrastructure needed for clean electricity? What’s the real difference between the Conservative government’s 2035 target and Labour’s 2030 target? What do energy companies think about net zero - and what do they need from policymakers to help them transition? Amy talks with Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of the Energy UK trade association. Energy UK represents more than 100 s...

Does it matter what the UK does on climate change, when China’s annual emissions are now so much higher? Is it reasonable to ask “what about China?” - or is it a delaying tactic? And what assumptions does the question reflect about the pros and cons of climate action? Amy talks with Sepi Golzari-Munro, formerly executive director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and now an independent w...

Is our democracy up to the challenge of responding to climate change? What do MPs see as their role on climate? And how was it possible for the government to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria, despite being signed up to net zero? Amy talks with Rebecca Willis, Professor in Energy and Climate Governance at the Lancaster Environment Centre, and author of “Too hot to handle? The democratic challenge...

How did the oil and gas industry become a force in UK politics? What tactics has it deployed to disrupt climate progress? And what would a fair transition to net zero look like, for the workers and communities that rely on North Sea drilling rigs? Amy talks with Tessa Khan, Executive Director at Uplift, which supports a rapid and just transition away from oil and gas production in the UK.  Pr...

Will parties’ net zero policies help or hinder their electoral chances? How has public concern about the climate changed in recent years? And are Red Wall voters as sceptical about cutting carbon as is commonly assumed? Amy talks with Rachel Wolf, who co-wrote the Conservative Party manifesto in 2019 and is now founding partner at Public First, a policy and public opinion agency.  Produced an...

Political Heat is here to make sense of climate politics. We know the science tells us to phase out fossil fuels. But it’s politics that will determine how we do that. Whose voices matter in decision-making? Who will benefit - and who might lose out? Host Amy Mount brings two decades’ experience of environmental politics, policy and organising. She interviews a different guest each episode. You’ll...