Cities 1.5

University of Toronto Press
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Cities 1.5 is a podcast featuring progressive policy conversations with urban leaders taking action to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees. Hosted by David Miller and developed by University of Toronto Press, this podcast serves as a platform to discuss the most pressing policy and underlying economic issues facing cities in their effort to lead on transformational climate action. The podcast is an extension of the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy (https://jccpe.utpjournals.press), which publishes timely, evidence-based research that contributes to the urban climate agenda and supports governmental policy towards an equitable and resilient world. Join Editor-in-Chief and host David Miller as he speaks with mayors, city policymakers, economists, youth leaders, and scholars, among others, who are implementing and fighting for ambitious, near-term climate action.

  1. Whose Streets? Our Streets: Curbing Fossil Fuel Industry Disinformation

    2 DAYS AGO

    Whose Streets? Our Streets: Curbing Fossil Fuel Industry Disinformation

    In a world where climate emergencies are being declared daily, why do so many of our city streets and public transport networks have misleading ads for the very industries driving the crisis? Our conversation with two C40 experts reveals how the fossil fuel industry mirrors old tobacco industry tactics using sophisticated techniques to "greenwash" their image and frame essential health protections as attacks on free speech. Tune in to learn how cities reclaiming the narratives in our transit systems and urban squares is a vital step toward fending off industry attacks and securing a safer, more sustainable future for all. Featured guests: Mariana Batista, C40 Senior Manager, Public Transport Charlie Worthington, C40 Project Officer, High Carbon Advertising Bans Links: The War Against Tobacco: 50 Years and Counting - National Library of Medicine How the Fossil Fuel Industry Polluted the Information Landscape - Center for Climate Change Communication Air pollution from fossil fuels kills 5 million people a year - The Guardian In The Hague, ban on Big Oil ads survives legal challenge - Courthouse News Profitable Growth Without Fossil Fuels - Clean Creatives Frequently Asked Questions - A World Without Fossil Fuel Ads Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change - UNESCO Cities Climate Transition Framework - C40 Knowledge Hub Clearing the way: A toolkit for positive, fossil-free city advertising - C40 Knowledge Hub How cities can restrict carbon-intensive advertising - C40 Knowledge Hub If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    28 min
  2. HOT TAKE: The Kids are alright - Youth take the Mic in Rio

    19 FEB · BONUS

    HOT TAKE: The Kids are alright - Youth take the Mic in Rio

    Hot Take: the climate crisis isn’t some abstract data point or a dry policy debate, it’s a deeply human story of survival. Right now, a whole generation is growing up inside the emergency, doing the heavy lifting to fix a mess they didn't create. We’re bringing you the raw, human heartbeat of the movement and amplifying the voices that stole the show at the World Mayor’s Summit in Rio. The C40 Youth Hub members dive into what real intergenerational collaboration looks like when those with the biggest stake in the future are finally the ones leading the change. Youth Moment featured leaders: Juliet Oluoch, Research fellow, Ufanisi Research Network Anjali Raman-Middleton, Co-founder and Director, Choked Up Esther Kamara, Founder of Youth Initiative For Climate Action Sierra Leone Foday Kamara, National Coordinator, Youth Climate Council Global Alliance Letícia Mathias, Co-founder and Executive Director, Instituto SustentAção Micheala Chan, Young Water Utilities Expert for the Pacific, Asian Development Bank Featured interview guest: Earl Aldrin Burgos. C40 Youth Engagement and Campaigns Manager Links: World Mayors Summit special - Cities 1.5 US cities as climate first responders - Cities 1.5 C40 Youth Moment - YouTube  Youth Hub - C40 Youth Engagement Playbook for Cities - C40 Loss and Damage: Challenges and Opportunities for City Leadership If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    19 min
  3. Tales from the Belly of the Beast: An ExxonMobil Whistleblower’s Story

    10 FEB

    Tales from the Belly of the Beast: An ExxonMobil Whistleblower’s Story

    What would you risk to tell the truth, if the institution you served was one of the most powerful corporations on Earth? Early scientific warnings about global heating have long stood in tension with corporate narratives shaping public understanding. This episode examines the enduring disinformation created and disseminated by the fossil fuel industry: how it evolves, why it persists, and what it means for the pace of climate action. Through the perspective of a former insider at ExxonMobil, we explore the widening gap between the disinformation narratives pumped out by fossil fuel companies and the personal consequences of challenging one of the most powerful corporations in modern history. Featured guest: Lindsey Gulden, Principal Data Scientist at Leg Up Data and former employee at ExxonMobil Audio sources:  Oil giant ExxonMobil predicted climate change in 1970s - BBC News Exxon CEO and Chairman of the American Petroleum Institute Lee Raymond speech (1996) - CPAN WSJ: SEC probes Exxon after whistleblower complaint - CNBC Links: New study in 'Science' puts a number on what Exxon knew decades ago about climate change - Potsdam Institute How a Newton woman became an enemy of ExxonMobil - The Boston Globe Tracing Big Oil’s PR war to delay action on climate change - The Harvard Gazette Carbon Capture and Storage: The Billion Dollar Scam - Environmental Defence Trump says he might keep Exxon out of Venezuela - Reuters Countering Climate Disinformation - C40 Cities Disinformation episodes - Cities 1.5 If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    31 min
  4. Mayoral Deep Dive: US cities as climate first responders

    27 JAN

    Mayoral Deep Dive: US cities as climate first responders

    Across the United States, cities are acting as climate first responders - carrying climate action forward even as national politics grow more hostile. From clean energy and buildings to transport, land use and resilience to extreme weather events, mayors are proving that climate leadership does not depend on federal permission. It grows from proximity: to people, to impacts, and to the places leaders are entrusted to protect. Cities are stepping in to safeguard neighbourhoods, rivers, urban ecosystems and public health, often while the federal government undermines climate policy or attacks local authority. Featured guests: Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland, Oregon, USA Kirk Watson, Mayor of Austin, Texas, USA Juliet Oluoch, Research fellow at Ustawi Analytica and youth climate activist from Nairobi, Kenya Links: Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis by David Miller The Fate of the Inflation Reduction Act in the Second Era of Trump - Cities 1.5 Trump signs order to withdraw US from Paris climate agreement for second time - The Guardian ‘Poet, writer, wife, mom’: who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent? - The Guardian Mayor Keith Wilson Announces Portland Has Reached more than 1,500 Emergency Overnight Beds, Delivered at Unprecedented Speed - Portland.gov Costumed protesters in Portland defy description of the city as a 'war zone' - NBC News Austin Climate Equity Plan $3,000 grants offered to groups addressing climate change and food access challenges - Austin Monitor More links for this episode available at jccpe.utpjournals.press and c40.org. If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    31 min
  5. Economics and the City

    13 JAN

    Economics and the City

    In times of profound geopolitical turbulence - wars, trade shocks, energy insecurity, and climate breakdown - something unexpected is happening: while autocratic leaders double down on fossil fuels and climate denial, cities are stepping into the breach to create a different story. One of hope, resilience, and innovation. Like wildflowers pushing through concrete, cities around the world are experimenting with new economic models that challenge the old orthodoxy of endless growth. They're turning away from Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the sole measure of success and asking different questions: Are people housed? Are they thriving? Are we staying within planetary limits? Featured guests: Kate Raworth, Co-founder of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) Leonora Grcheva, Cities and Regions Lead at DEAL Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, Italy Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, Executive Mayor of Tshwane, South Africa Carola Schouten, Mayor of Rotterdam, Netherlands Links: Doughnut Economics in Local Governments: An Overview of Emerging Practice by Leonora Grcheva and Michele Vianello Special Issue on Sustainable Prosperity in the 21st-Century City - the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy Trump fossil-fuel push setting back green progress decades, critics warn - The Guardian Resources for a better future: GDP - Resilience.org Milan's Food Waste Hubs Network Compilation of the Integrated Waste Management Plan for the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality CCU Challenge: Unlock the City’s Ambition of Becoming Fully Circular by 2050 If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    31 min

  6. SEASON 6 TRAILER

    TRAILER: Cities Won't Wait

    As geopolitical power shifts, cities are rising to lead this urban century while nations cling to outdated systems. Season 6 of Cities 1.5 explores how mayors and urban leaders from around the world are turning uncertainty into opportunity, building regenerative futures with hope-filled narratives that counter disinformation and inspire action. Join us from January 13, 2026, as we explore the urban transformation the world cannot wait for, ranging from tackling disinformation, decarbonising infrastructure, and confronting the growing alliance between political authoritarianism and the fossil fuel industry. Through intimate conversations with global mayors and urban innovators, we reveal how cities are not just adapting to change…but are actively shaping our future. Because the future isn't waiting, and neither are cities. Links: Zohran Mamdani’s full victory speech, 4 November 2025 - Zohran Mamdani for NYC YouTube channel If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    3 min

  7. SEASON 6 TRAILER

    TEASER: Season 6 of Cities 1.5 is coming soon!

    In the face of the accelerating climate crisis, rising authoritarianism, and geopolitical shifts, national governments are faltering…but cities are stepping into the void and taking the lead.  Season 6 of Cities 1.5 will delve into how municipal-level actions and powerful coalitions are creating a carbon-free future, promoting resilience, and enabling a new economic system based on wellbeing over profit. We’ll explore how cities are countering disinformation, fear, and inertia by spearheading significant local climate initiatives and forming new alliances, daring national governments to follow in their footsteps. Because the future won’t wait - so we need to decide now who will lead, and whether we want to move towards disaster … or resilience. If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    2 min
  8. HOT TAKE: It’s Grand Ol’ Bargain, Alright (for Canada’s fossil-fuel companies)

    11/12/2025 · BONUS

    HOT TAKE: It’s Grand Ol’ Bargain, Alright (for Canada’s fossil-fuel companies)

    Welcome to Cities 1.5 Hot Takes: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. Hot Takes brings you fast, focused coverage on breaking news and underserved stories at the intersection of climate, economics and public health - all through an urban lens.  This first-ever edition of Hot Takes is about a major move in Canada’s energy future…and what it means for climate, cities, and the promises made to hold fossil fuel giants accountable. As Canadian cities race toward net zero, their efforts are being fundamentally threatened by a high stakes federal agreement known as "The Grand Bargain": a political compromise on behalf of the Mark Carney government to build a new pipeline that would transport diluted bitumen from the Alberta oil sands westward across the rocky mountains to the British Columbia coast. Touted as a bridge to a clean energy future, we go behind the spin to explore the  real facts behind this project - and lay bare the reasons many are opposed to this doubling down on promises made by the fossil fuel industry…promises that historically haven’t been worth the paper they’re written on. Featured guests: Hon. Catherine McKenna, Chair of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, and former Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Links: World Mayors Summit two-part special - Cities 1.5 podcast 83 Countries Join Call to End Fossil Fuels at COP30 - Earth.org  Why Mark Carney’s pipeline deal with Alberta puts the Canadian federation in jeopardy - The Conversation A Not-so-Grand Bargain - Pembina Institute Canada may approve a new oil pipeline. First Nations fear another ‘worst-case scenario’ - The Guardian Watch David’s full CPAC interview Canada OKs ‘Massive’ $20 Billion Loan for Trans-Mountain Pipeline - DeSmog If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/ Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield. Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

    10 min
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About

Cities 1.5 is a podcast featuring progressive policy conversations with urban leaders taking action to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees. Hosted by David Miller and developed by University of Toronto Press, this podcast serves as a platform to discuss the most pressing policy and underlying economic issues facing cities in their effort to lead on transformational climate action. The podcast is an extension of the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy (https://jccpe.utpjournals.press), which publishes timely, evidence-based research that contributes to the urban climate agenda and supports governmental policy towards an equitable and resilient world. Join Editor-in-Chief and host David Miller as he speaks with mayors, city policymakers, economists, youth leaders, and scholars, among others, who are implementing and fighting for ambitious, near-term climate action.

Information

  • Creator
    University of Toronto Press
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 University of Toronto Press
  • Show Website
    Cities 1.5