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.
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Professor Michael E. Mann, a leading climate scientist, exposes the "New Climate War," where fossil fuel interests and political forces use misinformation, delay tactics, and even doom-mongering to obstruct meaningful climate action. He emphasizes the need for systemic changes over solely individual actions, highlighting media's role in framing the crisis and the importance of global solidarity. Mann remains a "stubborn optimist," stressing that despite significant challenges like Project 2025 and geopolitical distractions, collective action and crucial political decisions, especially in the upcoming US election, can still drive essential progress.
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 between food security and climate change, highlighting the importance of increasing diversity in crops t...
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 emission targets as well as its role as a global influencer in climate action. Hoekstra emphasizes the i...
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. Looking ahead, they discuss the road to COP29 and COP30, emphasizing the need for strategic financial ...
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 episode, Regenvanu shares insights into how this small island nation is grappling with the severe im...
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 structure and mechanisms for supporting global development. Ajay Banga explains the World Bank’s appr...
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 the need to transition away from fossil fuels and the establishment of the loss and damage fund. Despit...
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 into the complex and often difficult process of international climate negotiations, providing listeners with an in...
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 important decisions, such as the establishment of the loss and damage fund, and the overall status on global climate a...
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. They discuss the stark reality that Bangladesh represents the “ground zero” of climate change. As a cou...
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 dollars and how to balance this with the needs of developing countries: “We have to put ourselves in the...
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 both within Luxembourg and the European Union. He was Vice President of the parliamentary group of the Green Par...
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 to harness affordable wind power for his family. He also tells the story of how the world's wind turbines h...
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 increasingly unnatural. They're not natural disasters anymore, because they're caused by human activity” says ...
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 almost thirty years of experience in sustainable development, climate resilience, and international coop...
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 and writer Peter Drucker stating that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, which is a key point in t...
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 warming. Wilson and Jørgensen crack a couple of jokes and discuss how humor can be used in the fight agai...
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 international efforts include the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferatio...
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? With the latest IPCC report in mind, they share their concerns as well as expectations and hopes f...
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 Stiell likes to describe his own position as “Accountability Chief”. They also talk about the import...
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-first century. She is also well known for co-hosting the highly acclaimed podcast Talking Politics. He...
Renowned science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson joins Danish Minister Dan Jørgensen to discuss climate change and Robinson's influential novel, "The Ministry for the Future." They delve into the book's premise of deadly heatwaves and humanity's response, exploring the complexities of geoengineering, the COP process, and the financial dilemmas of petrostates. The conversation also touches on the role of nuclear energy, the importance of international cooperation, and Denmark's leading example in the green transition.
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 Gore, Bill Gates, and Prince William – as well as the host of this podcast, Dan Jørgensen. So how do we ...
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 reports from IPCC and co-wrote the decisive UN report ‘Climate Change 2007’ for which the team was co-awar...
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 ” and “ We Are the Weather – Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast ” plunged him into the debate on cli...
In 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 becom...
In 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 ...
In 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 ...
In 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...
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 curren...
