The Climate Question BBC World Service

Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities – and as our numbers swell, so will our cities, especially those around the Pacific Rim, where it’s predicted our largest megacities of 10 million plus will be situated. And herein lies an opportunity: 60% of the buildings needed for 2050 are not yet built.
Could we shape our cities into places that are good for the climate and also good for our mental health? Can we design buildings and infrastructure that make green decisions easier and also help us deal with stress or depression?
Jordan Dunbar hears about examples in the Netherlands and Egypt. Are there win-win options out there that can help the world deal with two of its biggest challenges?

Contributors:
Houssam Elokda -Urban Planner, with Happy Cities, Vancouver
Sally Nabil - BBC Arabic Egypt Correspondent, Cairo
Anna Holligan - BBC Correspondent, The Hague, Netherlands
Production Team: Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts
Sound Design: Tom Brignell
email theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Experts say we need to be 40 per cent more energy efficient to meet our climate goals. Is that doable? And might it save us money too?
It's a solution that's been called the main route to net zero: energy efficiency - or using less energy to get the same or better results. But there’s an issue – it's got an image problem as many people think it’s boring. And it is hard to get excited about the idea of better lightbulbs!
But energy efficiency could save us money on our bills too - especially in a warming world, where many countries will need air conditioning just to function. So does this crucial area in the fight against climate change need a rebrand. And could it even become sexy?
Presenter Jordan Dunbar talks to:
Dr Rose Mutiso - Research Director Energy for Growth Hub
Prima Madan – Director, Cooling & Energy Efficiency, International Natural Resources Defence Council, India
Kofi Agyarko – Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Ghana Energy Commission
Thomas Naadi – BBC Correspondent Ghana
Production Team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts
Sound Design: Tom Brignell
email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
NOTE: The speech made by President Jimmy Carter mentioned in the programme, was made in 1977 not 1974, as stated.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson explores the new field of climate attribution science with leading climatologist Dr Friederike Otto. Dr Otto's team of experts can now rapidly assess to what extent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts or floods have - or have not - been caused by man-made climate change.
Graihagh finds out how this information is becoming crucial for disaster planning and response. She is also joined by BBC World Service disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield to discuss how Dr Otto's data can help fight a growing tendency by politicians and journalists to overstate the role of climate change.
Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Jacqui Wakefield
Producer: Osman Iqbal
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound design: Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts

In this extra episode, Graihagh Jackson hears from our friends on BBC podcast The Global Story about a case that could change the history of climate activism.
For nearly a decade, a group of elderly women argued that Switzerland’s weak climate policies violated their human rights. Their victory – the first of its kind in the European Court of Human Rights – sets a precedent 46 countries must now follow. The BBC's climate reporter, Georgina Rannard, has been covering the case for years. She shares the women’s personal stories with presenter James Reynolds, while climate lawyer Sophie Marjanac explains what it could mean for those seeking climate justice everywhere.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. They want your ideas, stories and experiences to help them understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email: theglobalstory@bbc.com or message/leave a voice note via WhatsApp: +44 330 123 9480.
And remember you can also email your climate-related questions and comments to Graihagh and The Climate Question team at theclimatequestion@bbc.com.
Production team for The Global Story: Laurie Kalus, Alix Pickles, Neal Razzell, Mike Regaard, Sergi Forcada Freixas, Sam Bonham.

Corals protect humans and sustain 25% of all marine life. But reefs are under threat from climate change, and mass bleaching events mean that some scientists estimate they could disappear by 2100.
In this episode, Graihagh Jackson is joined by BBC CrowdScience presenter, Caroline Steel. We go to Puerto Rico to see how self-duplicating, carnivorous coral could be the solution. We also speak to the scientist who helped discover what was causing coral bleaching in the first place - back when climate change was commonly denied.
Guests:
Dr Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane
Dr Stacey Williams, Executive Director at the Institute for Socio Ecological Research
Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Caroline Steel
Producer: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Simon Watts
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too.
Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.
In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green.
Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell
Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh