Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

Season 16

Dec. 3, 2025

Demand Destruction & Oversupply: How Gas Prices Are Reshaping The Wor…

What happens when a nation’s energy security rests on volatile global gas markets? Why does the UK pay market prices for some of the world’s cheapest-to-produce gas? And is now the moment to rethink decades of “leave it to th...

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Nov. 26, 2025

Inside Europe’s Largest AI Data Centre: A Green Giant Rises | Ep235: …

What does it take to build Europe’s largest and most sustainable data-centre campus, from an empty plot of land to a 1.2-gigawatt giant of AI? How do you future-proof a facility when chip technology is evolving at breakneck s...

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Nov. 19, 2025

California vs Trump In The Battle For Clean Air | Ep234: Liane Randol…

What happens when the world’s most ambitious climate state runs head-on into a hostile federal government? Can California still lead the clean-energy transition while battling rising costs, wildfires and the Trump government’...

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Nov. 12, 2025

⁠The €65 Billion Plan to Modernise Germany’s Grids | Ep233: Tim Meyer…

What does it take to future-proof Europe’s electricity grid? How do you finance €65 billion in infrastructure without driving up consumer electricity costs? And can the permitting process be sped up to become fast enough for ...

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Nov. 3, 2025

The Electrotech Revolution Will Not Be Fossilized | Ep231: Kingsmill …

What if the energy transition isn’t about sacrifice and belt-tightening, but abundance? Are electrified technologies ready to replace the polluting fossil fuel system we’re so reliant on? And what will it mean for western nat...

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Oct. 29, 2025

COP30: Caught Between An Electrostate and A Petrostate | Ep230: Rache…

This week on Cleaning Up, we welcome back Rachel Kyte, the UK’s Special Representative for Climate Change, for a deep dive into the shifting landscape of global climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Rachel brings...

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Oct. 22, 2025

The US Just Sank Shipping's Big Plan for Decarbonization, What Now? |…

Global shipping contributes about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the total emissions of Japan or Germany. The sector, including its contribution to climate change, is governed by the International Mariti...

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Oct. 15, 2025

How To Move Away From Fossil Fuels Faster — Bryony Grills Michael on …

This summer, Michael Liebreich wrote two essays under the title of the Pragmatic Climate Reset. The first challenged the idea that the clean energy transition has failed. And the second challenged the clean energy and climate...

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Oct. 8, 2025

The £60 Billion Plan To Rewire Britain | Ep227: John Pettigrew

What does it take to rewire a nation’s energy system? Can we make the grid cleaner, smarter, and more resilient — without driving up bills? And how will the explosion of AI data centres reshape the future of electricity deman...

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Oct. 1, 2025

Will India and China Join Forces To Get Off Fossil Fuels? Ep226: Dr A…

What does it take for India to deliver electricity to hundreds of millions while simultaneously building a fast-growing clean energy system? Can it overcome its fossil dependence to secure its energy futures with renewables? ...

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Sept. 24, 2025

Can We Save the Great Barrier Reef? | Ep225: Dr Katharina Fabricius

Why should we care about coral reefs? What happens when they collapse? And is there still hope for their survival? In this episode of Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with coral reef ecologist Dr. Katharina Fabricius...

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Sept. 22, 2025

Audioblog 16: The Pragmatic Climate Reset, Part II — A Provocation

The election of Donald Trump to a second term as President marked a turning point in the politics of climate action – not just in the US, but around the world. The airwaves are suddenly awash with commentators, claiming that ...

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Sept. 17, 2025

Less Doom, More Data: Debunking the Biggest Climate Myths | Ep223: Dr…

Is the future of clean energy and climate solutions brighter than we think? In this episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes back Hannah Ritchie — Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, researcher at the Oxford Martin ...

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Sept. 10, 2025

Malcolm Turnbull: Clean Energy Culture Wars and The Race To Build Mor…

What happens when cheap solar flips the script on climate sceptics? Can pumped hydro really deliver the long-duration storage we need? And is “hope” a dangerous comforter in the race to net zero? In this season opener of Clea...

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