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 wetlands and discover why they’re vital for climate resilience. How can “lucid waters and lush mountains...
Aug 14, 2025•18 min
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 Climate Thinkers, a special series of conversations with leading researchers to explore the latest in ...
Aug 08, 2025•35 min
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 respond.
Aug 02, 2025•22 min
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 Environmental Policy, to unpack what this high-level meeting means for global climate action. From carbon mark...
Jul 25, 2025•28 min
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 EU’s green transition by utilizing its advantages. We take a closer look at how Chinese enterprises...
Jul 18, 2025•34 min
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 a closer look at how the country utilizes precision simulation systems for global climate change ass...
Jul 11, 2025•19 min
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 from (hint: it’s not just cow burps) · Why methane accounts for nearly half of today’s warming · How c...
Jul 08, 2025•35 min
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. From repurposing server heat to shifting computing loads to match solar and wind output, we look at ...
Jun 26, 2025•20 min
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) are and how today's focus is shirting toward forest quality, biodiversity and long-term resilience. T...
Jun 20, 2025•37 min
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 maximize the use of AI technologies and how personal data can also contribute to sustainability....
Jun 13, 2025•43 min
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, about some of the effective solutions at hand.
Jun 06, 2025•37 min
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 resilient infrastructure, and from foreign aid to indigenous knowledge, we explore how Pacific nations ar...
May 28, 2025•38 min
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 partnership and China-CELAC relations. What does this mean for global climate governance? Our guest th...
May 16, 2025•32 min
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 thoughts of Confucius to Indigenous ecological wisdom, they explore how religious worldviews can inspi...
May 07, 2025•30 min
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 thoughts of Confucius to Indigenous ecological wisdom, they explore how religious worldviews can inspi...
Apr 30, 2025•41 min
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 unpack how industrial policy, geopolitics, and tariffs are colliding with climate goals. From global supp...
Apr 22, 2025•31 min
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 looks at how energy transition goals remain a priority—even in the face of economic headwinds. Also, Put...
Apr 17, 2025•42 min
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-growing plant become a viable alternative to plastic? Fei Fei speaks with Jayaraman Durai from the I...
Apr 11, 2025•37 min
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 to cleaner fuels isn’t just about cutting emissions—it’s also about economic empowerment. To explore ...
Mar 27, 2025•29 min
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 experiences studying glaciers on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and beyond, he shares insights on glacier me...
Mar 21, 2025•16 min
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 in environmental systems engineering. Together, we explore China's approach to tracking carbon footp...
Mar 14, 2025•38 min
March 8 marks International Women’s Day, and in this special edition of Climate Watch, we spotlight female leadership in climate action and the fresh perspectives women bring to climate solutions. We sit down with two remarkable Chinese women to explore their journeys in climate action, self-discovery, and beyond. This episode also marks the launch of our collaboration with Professor Wang Binbin of Peking University and her initiative, Beyond Climate Dialogue, amplifying new voices in climate na...
Mar 07, 2025•59 min
We dive into China’s plans for zero-carbon industrial parks. With the Two Sessions approaching, lawmakers are expected to focus on key policy priorities, including green development. Last year, the Central Economic Work Conference outlined the construction of these parks as a major goal. We speak with Song Yuyan, Director General of the Secretariat of Green Partnership of Industrial Parks China, and Han Wei from Energy Foundation, who share their expertise on the challenges and opportunities of ...
Feb 28, 2025•37 min
In this episode, we dive into China’s latest energy reform targeting renewable power—shifting from fixed subsidies to market-driven electricity pricing. With the goal of balancing affordability, profitability, and sustainability, how will this change impact consumers, businesses, and the environment? What does this shift mean for both the renewable and thermal power generation in the country? Associate Professor Guo Bowei from Renmin University of China helps us navigate this complex transformat...
Feb 21, 2025•37 min
President Donald Trump has introduced a series of new tariffs targeting key trading partners on top of tariffs on steel, aluminum, and Chinese imports. These policies are raising questions about how trade restrictions could impact industries like solar energy, which is crucial to the world’s clean energy future. We explore these developments through a conversation with Linxiao Zhu, a Policy Advisor at E3G, who has researched the role of tariffs in shaping the global solar supply chain. Related e...
Feb 14, 2025•27 min
Farmers are facing increasingly extreme weather—floods, droughts, and storms that threaten food production and livelihoods. In this episode, we spoke with Associate Professor Liu Juan from China Agricultural University about how small-scale farmers, large agribusinesses, and rural communities are adapting to these growing challenges. We explore the role of policy, technology, and consumer choices in building a more resilient food system. What does this mean for food security and the future of fa...
Feb 07, 2025•41 min
Welcome to a bonus episode of Climate Watch in celebrations of the Year of the Snake. We’re taking a slithery detour from our usual conversations with experts and business insiders to delve into the fascinating world of snakes.
Jan 29, 2025•6 min
In this episode, we explore the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement once again. Trump’s stance has reshaped the global climate conversation, but how has the U.S. climate community adapted over time? What does this mean for future climate action, both in the U.S. and globally? We broke down the significance of this shift and explored what could come next for international climate cooperation with Melissa Barbanell, Director of U.S.-Internati...
Jan 21, 2025•27 min
As wildfires sweep through Southern California, experts have extensively explained their connection to climate change. With fires growing more intense and frequent, it’s crucial to understand the mix of natural and human factors behind them. From prolonged droughts and dry winds to expanding urban sprawl in fire-prone areas, we examine how these elements contribute to the recent blazes. But beyond the technical breakdown, we ask: what can we do to change the course of this fire-prone future? In ...
Jan 17, 2025•34 min
Hydrogen has become a key topic in China’s energy discussions. At the start of the year, Chinese authorities unveiled a plan to promote clean and low-carbon hydrogen in the industrial sector, building on growing support from provincial and city governments. In this episode, we dive into hydrogen’s evolving role in the energy transition with insights from Professor Liu Ke of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen and Professor Peter Newman from Curtin University in Perth. S...
Jan 10, 2025•37 min
