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UCL Generation One: The Climate Podcast

The UCL Generation One podcast aims to tackle the biggest challenges facing the climate crisis. Listen now on your favourite platform.

UCL’s Generation One is a collective of people committed to a new era of positive climate action. Season Four of the Generation One podcast discusses crucial climate topics, from national and global climate action, to AI and tech, to activism, and more.

Sep 2024 update: Starting on our fifth season!

Join our podcast hosts and world leading climate experts from UCL, Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee for our fifth series, which tackles the biggest challenges facing the climate crisis, together with expert guests and questions from the public. And catch up on our previous series below. 

We would love to hear your thoughts. To get involved in the #UCLGenerationOne podcast, email us at podcasts@ucl.ac.uk or find us on Twitter using #UCLGenerationOne 

Views expressed by our guests are their own.

Access the full series on:

 

SoundCloud
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

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Season Five

 

Ep 3: Unpacking COP29: Financing the future

In this special episode hosts Mark Maslin and Simon Chin Yee give us behind the scenes insights and their verdicts on the outcome of COP29.

This COP was mainly about the money and went into extra time, but our hosts unpack it and take a deep dive into the key results with the help of special guests in the studio Priti Parikh, Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development, at UCL’s Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and Anoushka Jain, a UCL Politics and International Relations student and member of the UK Youth Climate Coalition. We even round off this episode with some post COP music therapy! Let the spine tingling music wash over you. It’s a new composition from the collaboration between UCL and the BBC Young Composer project.


Ep 2: Biodiversity: Can local conservation efforts grow into global impact?

What do vultures in India and beavers in West London have to do with protecting our ecosystems? What’s the link between biodiversity loss and human-driven climate change? Why does Simon love beavers so much? And what exactly is “COP16”?

This episode explores some of the key issues at play – focusing on global ecosystems and local conservation efforts, and coincides with the Sixteenth Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Columbia.


Ep 1: Great British Energy: Real green policies or just hot air?

Welcome to Series 5 of our Generation One Podcast! In this first episode, following the recent Labour party conferences, our hosts Professors Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee discuss the UK government’s plan to create ‘Great British energy’. The (not so?) ambitious programme aims to make Britain a clean energy superpower to bolster energy security and achieve its net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. But how impactful actually are these policies?

With UCL’s Professor of Energy Policy Jim Watson, Emma Fletcher from Octopus Energy, and Dave Powell from Climate Outreach, we assess whether this is a genuine step towards green energy or just political rhetoric. Our experts also look more broadly at green initiatives, and whether they really can lower your bills.


 

 

Season Four

 

Special final episode! The highlights

In this special episode of our Generation One Podcast, we look back at the year through some of our favourite moments from Series 4.

Our hosts Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee explored climate action in a multitude of forms: from groundbreaking climate science and AI, to innovative policy solutions and inspiring stories of individual activism. With fantastic guests spanning multiple disciplines and industries.

Reflect with us on what’s been done, and what there is still to do, with our Series 4 highlights.


Ep 7: Post elections – What are the world's leading cities doing to combat the climate crisis?

In the final episode of this series of Generation One, we take a look at cities and climate action. With many elections happening around the world, what are cities actually doing to adapt to climate change, mitigate climate impact on populations, and reduce emissions? Our hosts discuss urban adaptation and transformation with UCL Professor Lauren Andres (Director of Research at the Bartlett School of Planning) and Mark Watts, the Executive Director of C40 Cities, a global network of mayors taking urgent climate action.


Ep 6: Post COP28 – AI and the business of climate action

This episode’s focus is on entrepreneurial climate action: what are businesses – particularly the AI sector – doing to combat the climate crisis and help reach net zero?


Ep 5: Post COP28 – Where does individual climate action go from here?

In this episode 5 of series 4, we focus on individual climate action, with our guests chatting to our hosts about the role of activism in initiating change.


Ep 4: Post COP28 – Global Climate action

In this episode 4 of series 4, we’re moving beyond the UK to explore global climate policy in the wake of COP28. Hosts Mark Maslin and Simon Chin-Yee are joined by Pierre Cannet, the Global Head of Public Affairs and Policy at Client Earth, to discuss how the law can be used to create change.


Ep 3: Post COP28 – Where does national climate action go from here?

Our hosts Mark and Simon continue this series with a discussion on the fallout from COP28 for the UK, and what needs to be done on a national, governmental and local level. Joining them are our guests Ian Townsend (ONS Climate Lead), Robbie Macpherson, (APPG lead at Uplift), Annabel Rice (Political Advisor at Green Alliance) and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy at Greater London Authority, Shirley Rodrigues, to talk national feeling and climate policy.


Ep 2: Post COP28 – What on Earth Happened?

COP28 in Dubai is over and Mark and Simon are back in the studio to debrief. What on earth happened and is it good enough? They discuss the loss and damage fund, the challenges with the COP process and ultimately whether the outcome is enough. Joining them live from COP are Dr Guy Jackson (University of Northumbria), Nada Berrada (Education Development Centre), Mary McHarg (UCL Union Affairs Officer) and Kerrlene Wills (United Nations Foundation). 


Ep 1: COP28 – What needs to happen?

Welcome back to UCL’s Generation One podcast! To kick us off co-hosts Prof Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee are chatting about COP28, set to be held in the United Arab Emirates. In this episode Mark and Simon are looking back at what went wrong at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, and what needs to happen at COP28 to keep us track to combat the climate crisis. 

 

 

Season Three

 

Ep 2: POST COP27 - What happened and was it enough?

Join host Helen Czerski as she discusses what happened at the COP27 conference, and whether the negotiations went far enough. Helen is joined by Dr Nadia Ameli and Katie Kedward to discuss the financial implications of COP27, international financial institutions, and also the focus on loss and damage at COP27. We also hear from Zi Han Xuan, UCL Student and climate activist with YOUNGO, the youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Zi Han shares his perspective as a young person at COP27, and why young voices are so critical.

 


Ep 1: Live from COP27

Welcome back to UCL Generation One: The Climate Podcast. We’re back for a two-part series, and part one is coming to you live from COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik. Join Prof Mark Maslin as he takes us through the conference centre, and chats to multiple people along the journey. 

 

 

Season Two

 

Ep 6: How should we tackle climate disasters?

It is the final episode of season two! Hosts Mark and Helen are wrapping up this season with a conversation on disaster, mitigation and climate change. Dr Ilan Kelman and Prof Lisa Vanhala are sitting down with Mark to discuss defining natural disasters and what can be done to mitigate climate change.


Ep 5: How do we make London as bike friendly as Amsterdam?

This week we're tackling the question: how do we make London as bike friendly as Amsterdam? Host Helen Czerski is joined by Richard Jackson, Director of Sustainability at UCL and Will Norman, Walking and Cycling Commissioner for London and TFL. They are discussing cycling in London, plans for making it even safer, and the impact of electric scooters on our streets.


Ep 4: Can apps help solve the climate crisis?

This week we are looking at apps and technology, and whether they can help us fight the climate crisis. Listen now to hear host Mark Maslin chat to Chris Tan, Co-Founder of Marble app and UCL master's student, and Ed Caldecott, co-founder of TrainHugger. Mark and his guests are discussing how apps can be vital tools for consumers, the fight to keep them accessible for all and the long-term impact they could have.  


Ep 3: Why are bees and wasps important? 

Why are bees and wasps so important? Join host Helen Czerski this week as she dives into why insects are so critical to our ecosystem, how the climate crisis is impacting them and what the long term impact will be. Helen is joined by Dr Tim Newbold and Dr Seirian Sumner from UCL Division of Biosciences as they debate why wasps are as important as bees, and why and how we need to protect them both.


Ep 2: Are women more at risk from the climate crisis? 

Mark’s here this week with two brilliant guests, Dr Virginie Le Masson, from the UCL Institute of Gender and Disaster, and Mathilde Rainard, master's student at the University of Leeds and UNFCCC Consultant. This week we’re talking about gender and how it intersects into the climate crisis, from tackling single-use period products to much needed policy changes. Listen now to hear about how and why women are more negatively impacted by climate change, as well as what we can do about it.


Ep 1: How can we eat our way to a better planet?

Welcome back to season two of Generation One: The Climate Podcast! We're back with hosts Helen Czerski and Mark Maslin and this episode we're tackling plant based diets. Helen is joined by Tim Van Berkel, Co-Founder of Cornish Seaweed Collective, Prof Tim Lang, emmitrus professor at London City University and Prof Carole Dahlin from UCL's Institute of Sustainable Resources. Listen now as they get in to the benefits and downfalls of plant based diets, the popularity of superfoods and whether seaweed can become a staple in our diets, and discuss how we can eat our way to a better plant.

 

 

Season One

 

Ep 6: Must cutting CO2 cost more for those with less?

Welcome back to the finale of series one of Generation One, this week Dr Matt Winning is chatting about finance and tackling the question: Must cutting CO2 cost more for those with less? This week he is joined by Heather McKay, sustainable finance policy advisor at E3G, an independent climate change think tank, and Ashish Ghadiali, filmmaker and activist-in-residence at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre. Listen now to hear them discuss how finance is necessary to make action happen, how the UK is aiming to be a green finance leader and how we have to start by looking at big systematic change as well as the small individual actions you can take.


Ep 5: Does the earth have to be a fashion victim?

Does the earth have to be a fashion victim? This week host Mark Maslin chats with Juliet Russell, Head of Sustainability at Stella McCartney and Max Bittner, CEO of Vestiaire Collective about all things fashion. We’re discussing the fashion industry, from greenwashing to fast fashion and how you can shop more consciously. Join Juliet Russell and Max Bittner as they discuss the current problems in the industry and what needs to change.


Ep 4: Trees matter. But just how much?

This week we’re talking trees, from Kew Gardens to Dame Judi Dench’s back garden. Join hosts Matt Winning and Mark Maslin as they chat to Prof Mat Disney about measuring trees, and to Craig Bennett, CEO of Wildlife Trusts about the importance of biodiversity, and how the UK is ‘beaver ready’. Listen now to hear about a NASA app that allows you to measure trees around you and assess how much carbon they can hold. We also chat about the UK climate, how wildlife is on a decline and what needs to be done now to undo the damage. 


Ep 3: Post COP26: Where are we now?

This week we’re talking COP26: what happened, what it means and where we go from here. Join our hosts Helen Czerski and Mark Maslin in conversation with Prof Kate Jones, Dr Priti Parikh and Ryan Philip from the St Kitts and Nevis delegation, and they are discussing the COP agreement, what was missed, the big wins and the big misses. Helen and our guests cover the main takeaways from COP from deforestation to adaptation, loss and mitigation. We get into who was left out of COP, the impacts on the Small Island Alliance and the problem of western countries causing damage and expecting others to fix it.  


Ep 2: Behind the scenes at COP26

This week we’re behind the scenes at COP26 in Glasgow. Our hosts Matt Winning and Mark Maslin recorded on the run, live from COP to catch guests in the hubbub of the main areas of the conference. Tune in to experience a slice of COP from a whole host of guests and hear them chat about everything from the wins at COP so far, melting ice caps, to sinking islands, to the amount of coffee at the conference...


Ep 1: How far can we go with electric batteries?

Welcome to Generation One: The Climate Podcast. In our first episode, our hosts are discussing energy infrastructure, electric storage and and addressing the question: How far can we go with electric batteries. This week we are joined by Nick Hughes, from the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, to chat energy infrastructure, electric cars, and what needs to change for an electric future.

 

 

Visit Generation One

 


 

Meet the team 


Our Podcast Hosts 

Mark Maslin

Season 1, 2, 3 and 4: Professor Mark Maslin is a Professor of Earth System Science at University College London. Mark is a leading scientist with expertise in past global and regional climatic change, his areas of scientific expertise include causes of past and future global climate change and its effects on the global carbon cycle, biodiversity, rainforests and human evolution.  

Mark has presented over 50 public talks over the last five years, he has also have written 8 popular books, over 60 popular articles, and appeared on radio and television.


Helen Czerski

Season 1,2 and 3: Dr Helen Czerski is a physicist and oceanographer, and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Helen has been a regular science presenter on the BBC for ten years, covering the physics of the natural world in BBC2 landmark documentaries, and the physics of everyday life in a range of BBC4 documentaries.

She is a frequent voice on the radio and on podcasts and writes regularly about science, and her first book Storm in a Teacup won the Italian Asimov Prize and the Louis J. Battan Author prize from the American Meteorological Society.  


Simon Chin-Yee

Season 4: Dr Simon Chin-Yee has over 15 years of experience in international cooperation and policy through multiple research roles within academia, as well as his work with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He joined UCL’s School of Public Policy in 2019 as a Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, International Public Policy and Development Studies. 

"My research is focused on climate change, conflict and vulnerable populations. I am currently working with African countries on reducing their GHG emissions in the shipping sector, including the co-development of decarbonisation actions, political buy-in for implementation, and capacity development."


Matt Winning

Season 1: Dr Matthew Winning is a Senior Research Associate at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources with a background in environmental economics. He provides economic analysis, often in the form of macroeconomic modelling and energy system modelling, on the subjects of climate policy, green growth, the circular economy, climate finance and low-carbon transitions.

Matthew is also an author on the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change and is involved in many public engagement activities, from podcasts, to live comedy shows. 


Executive Production Team 

  • Adam Batstone – Producer 
  • Jane Yelloly – Campaigns Manager
  • Caitlin Mullin – Senior Campaigns Officer (previously Halle McCarthy)