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The Climate Question

The Climate Question

BBC World Service

Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.

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Every year, tens of thousands of people — from world leaders to activists to celebrities— gather for one of the world’s most ambitious meetings: the UN’s annual climate summit, COP.

But what does it actually take to make it happen? How do you feed, transport and house 80,000 people, while trying to keep global negotiations on track?

The Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar talk to Helen Wright, who helped deliver COP26 in Glasgow and COP28 in Dubai, to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

From keeping the meeting rooms at exactly 21.5°C to managing thousands of journalists, politicians and protesters, Helen shares what it’s really like to build a temporary city devoted to climate action.

We also hear from Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi on whether all that effort actually changes global climate policy — and what’s on the cards for COP30 to be held in the Brazilian Amazon.

Guests: Helen Wright – Former Head of Delivery, COP26; now Event Director at Identity Group Akshat Rathi – Senior Climate Reporter, Bloomberg News, and host of the Zero podcast

Production team: Jordan Dunbar, Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Ben Andrews Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com