The Climate Question

African forests are vital for food and economic development, as well as for supporting millions of species of animals and plants. We find out how to protect them better with one of Africa’s top environmentalists!
From the giant Congo rainforest to the Kenyan highlands and the mangroves of Mozambique, Africa’s forests are some of the most spectacular places on Earth. And these sensitive ecosystems are not just important for Africa: they play a vital role in the global climate because they store huge amounts of carbon dioxide and pump out oxygen.
Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai has been campaigning to protect and nurture forests for decades. She tells The Climate Question about the challenges they now face across Africa from rapid urbanisation, mining and logging. The solution, according to Wanjira, is to place a proper economic value on the environmental services provided by forests and the communities who live in them – whether that’s supplying water and food, or helping to prevent floods sweeping through cities such as Nairobi.

Wanjira Mathai is Managing Director, Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute. She’s been chatting to The Climate
Question host Jordan Dunbar and BBC Senior Climate Reporter Esme Stallard.
Got a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Producers: Diane Richardson and Melanie Stewart-Smith
Sound Mix: Mike Regaard and Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts

Experts say we may now need to spend more on cooling our homes than heating them because of climate change. In fact, the International Energy Agency thinks the equivalent of 10 new air conditioners every second will be installed for the next 30 years!
This surge in air con will put strain on the world’s electricity grids, which are still mostly powered by fossil fuels. The units also pump heat into the streets outside our homes – making cities feel even hotter when we step outside.
But there are alternative options – like redesigning houses to include more shading and increase the air flow, or using fans and misting systems. We could also plant more trees or even change the colours of our homes to reflect more sunlight!
In this edition of The Climate Question, Host Graihagh Jackson talks to BBC Tokyo Correspondent, Kurumi Mori, and Radhika Khosla, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Oxford.
Got a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Producers: Diane Richardson and Melanie Stewart-Smith
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Ricardo McCarthy
Editor: Simon Watts

Huge wildfires have been sweeping across Southern Europe and North America. Is climate change increasing the risk? And what can we do?
Weather experts say the world is starting to see new types of wildfire – including enormous Pyrocumulonimbus fire clouds that spit lightning and black hail.
These infernos can burn for more than a year. They can also spawn fire tornadoes, which move at more than 200 kilometres an hour, destroying everything in their path.
The Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar talk to John Vaillant, the author of “Fire Weather”, about how wildfires are increasing in intensity and frequency, and how they are burning in places they have never burned before.
Got a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Producers: Simon Watts, Diane Richardson and Melanie Stewart-Smith
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Dafydd Evans
Editor: Simon Watts

Graihagh Jackson talks to mothers from India, Kenya and the UK about how climate change is affecting women's decisions about whether to have children and how to raise them.
Her guests are Bhavreen Kandhari, a clean air campaigner from Delhi; Dr Susan Chomba, a Kenyan forest scientist and environmentalist; and Dr Elizabeth Cripps, a political philosopher specializing in climate justice. This programme was first broadcast in 2025.
Got a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Produced and presented by Graihagh Jackson
Sound mix: Tom Brignell and Neil Churchill
Editor: Simon Watts

Climate activists have blocked highways, scaled oil rigs and even thrown soup at master artworks. But have protests ever made a difference?
The modern green movement started in the 1970s when Greenpeace sailed a fishing boat towards a nuclear test site in Alaska. It now encompasses everything from bake-ins and marches to Radiohead concerts.
A small minority of activists even favour breaking the law to raise awareness about climate change. Some of them have superglued themselves to railings and blocked bridges.
BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt has made a new podcast series about the green movement – and the heated splits among activists about tactics. He talks to Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar about the past - and future - of climate protest.

You can hear Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ybbl
Got a question for The Climate Question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Producers: Simon Watts, Diane Richardson and Ellie House
Sound Mix: Mike Regaard
Editor: SImon Watts