Can we solve climate change while improving human wellbeing? In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Ritchie, senior researcher at Our World in Data and author of Not the End of the World and Clearing the Air. With her background in environmental science, Hannah offers a data-driven look at the biggest myths and realities around climate change, and why the solutions are closer than many think.
We explore how food, energy, and industry drive global emissions, where nuance is lost in media debates, and why optimism is not just a personality trait but increasingly supported by data. Hannah explains how context transforms the way we understand numbers, why solutions don’t need to be perfect to be better, and how individuals and governments share responsibility in creating change.
What We Cover
- The main drivers of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Why food contributes a quarter of global emissions
- The role of dietary shifts and key swaps that make the biggest impact
- Renewable energy adoption and barriers to faster rollout
- The complexity of aviation and sustainable fuel options
- Electric vehicles: batteries, costs, and payback time
- AI, data centres, and energy use: problem or opportunity?
- Why optimism about climate solutions is increasingly data-driven
Climate change is a daunting challenge, but as Hannah makes clear, the tools and knowledge we need are already within reach, and progress is happening faster than many realise.
You can connect with Hannah Ritchie on Bluesky and through her newsletter, Sustainability by Numbers, or explore her work at hannahritchie.com and Our World in Data.
- Why We Get Confused About Climate Solutions (00:00:00)
- The Real Barriers: Cost, Fear, and Trust (00:10:12)
- Climate Change Impacts on Heat, Health, and Food (00:19:01)
- Can Plant-Based Diets Meet Nutrition Needs? (00:36:56)
- Which Food Swaps Most Reduce Emissions? (00:43:02)
- Is Regenerative Beef Better for the Climate? (00:50:18)
- Do Plant-Based Meats Help the Environment? (00:57:49)
- Why We Still Rely on Fossil Fuels (01:04:17)
- Do Wealthy Countries Owe the World Clean Energy? (01:17:39)
- AI and Climate: Problem or Solution? (01:24:28)
- Electric vs Petrol Cars: Which Is Better? (01:29:09)
- Can Technology Decarbonize Aviation? (01:42:18)
- Who’s Responsible: Individuals or Government? (01:51:02)
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More about Hannah Ritchie
Hannah Ritchie is Deputy Editor at Our World in Data. She is also a senior researcher in the Programme for Global Development at the University of Oxford, an honorary fellow at the University of Edinburgh, and the Royal Statistical Society. Her work focuses on how we can use data to understand the intersection of human development and environmental problems. She holds a BSc in Environmental Geoscience, MSc in Carbon Management, and PhD, all from the University of Edinburgh. Her first book – Not the End of the World – was published in January. It takes an optimistic, data-driven look at the world’s environmental problems and how to solve them. Her second, Clearing the Air, is published in September 2025.
