Shows
Real ZeroWhy Your Clothes Might Be Worse for the Planet Than Your Car with Tom Dawson | Real Zero PodcastWe’re throwing away millions of kilos of clothing every week — and our hospitals are among the worst offenders. This week, Hugh and Dan speak with Tom Dawson, founder of Revolution Zero, to explore the hidden environmental disaster of textiles — from fast fashion to hospital scrubs.Tom reveals how healthcare’s obsession with disposables is fuelling climate change and why polyester might just be the unlikely hero in our fight for a sustainable future. From washing your clothes colder to rewriting hospital laundry standards, Tom lays out a compelling case for reusables, circular systems, and local jobs.If...
2025-10-1935 minReal ZeroCan We Still Feed 8 Billion People with Prof Paul Behrens | Real Zero PodcastIn this powerful episode of the Real Zero Podcast, Professor Paul Behrens, British Academy Global Professor at Oxford, joins host Hugh Montgomery to explore the fragility of the global food system under climate change. From the collapse of major grain crops to the underestimated impact of food price inflation, Paul lays out the stark choices we face – and the hopeful path forward.Discover how a shift to plant-rich diets could free up land, reduce emissions, increase resilience, and even improve our health. Paul and Hugh connect the dots between climate shocks, geopolitics, energy, and economics in a conversation that’s bo...
2025-09-2234 min
Real ZeroClimate Chaos - a military perspective with Lt General Richard Nugee | Real Zero PodcastThe climate crisis isn’t just about rising seas and hotter summers. It’s about national security, migration, infrastructure, and global stability.In this gripping episode, Lt General Richard Nugee joins Professor Hugh Montgomery and Daniel Grant to talk about:Why climate change is a defence and security threatWhat militaries around the world are already doing to adaptHow fossil fuel reliance weakens operational resilienceWhat civilian governments could learn from military planningWhy solving climate change is now a matter of survival, not sustainabilityThis episode goes far beyond the usual conversation — into geopolitics, defence, and disaster readiness...
2025-09-1539 min
Real ZeroHow to Feed A Warming Planet with Prof Liz Robinson | Real Zero PodcastWhat if fixing climate change starts with what’s on your plate?Professor Liz Robinson, Acting Dean at the LSE Global School of Sustainability, joins Hugh Montgomery and Daniel Grant to unpack the complex relationship between food systems, climate change, and inequality. From supermarket shelves to global crop shocks, we explore why our diets matter more than ever – and what individuals, businesses, and governments can do to fix a system on the brink.A must-listen for anyone who eats.
2025-09-0833 min
Real ZeroGeorge Polk: We Could Fix Climate Change Tomorrow. So Why Haven’t We? | Real Zero PodcastGeorge Polk has been fighting the climate fight for 25 years—from philanthropic coalitions to investing in clean tech at scale. In this powerful episode, George lays out five phases of climate engagement and why, despite better tech and clearer threats than ever, we are still failing.We dig into:Why CEOs and investors aren’t doing the right thingWhether you really can scare people into actionChina’s surprising leadership vs. the West’s denialThe potential (and risks) of geoengineeringWhat you can do today that genuinely makes a differenceThis is urgent, honest, and surprisingly hopeful.
2025-09-0135 min
Real ZeroCan Your Bank Save the Planet? Meet Zero's Lisa Stanley | Real Zero PodcastYour money has power—and it’s probably being used to fund fossil fuels.In this episode of The Real Zero Podcast, we're joined by Lisa Stanley, co-founder of Zero, a sustainable digital money app that helps you track—and reduce—your carbon footprint based on how you spend.Lisa explains:- Why most banks are still financing climate destruction- How Zero gives you a personal Green Score to measure your impact- The future of offsetting (the good kind) and why basalt rocks might just save us- What you can do t...
2025-08-2534 min
Real ZeroFixing Finance To Fix The Planet with Nick Stoop | Real Zero Podcast💥 Did you know your pension could be your biggest source of carbon emissions—up to 28 tons a year?In this eye-opening episode of the Real Zero Pod, Professor Hugh Montgomery speaks with Nick Stoop, founder of Pangea, about how the pensions industry is unknowingly driving the climate crisis—and what you can do about it.We explore:Why most workplace pensions are funding fossil fuels, deforestation, and tobaccoHow to find out where your pension is investedThe surprisingly easy way to switch to an ethical providerWhy your pension could be 21x more impactful than going vegan o...
2025-08-1829 min
Real ZeroThe Urgency of Now: Climate, Money & Survival with Cameron Hepburn | Real Zero PodcastThis week on the Real Zero Pod, Daniel Grant and Professor Hugh Montgomery sit down with Professor Cameron Hepburn, one of the world’s leading environmental economists from Oxford University.We explore:How close humanity really is to climate collapseThe staggering costs of inaction vs the cost of fixing the problem nowWhy myths about “warming being good for the economy” persist in global financeWhether the UK can truly reach “real zero” and how the world could followWhat each of us can do—not just as indi...
2025-08-0447 min
Real ZeroTim Lenton on Russian Roulette with the Planet | Real Zero PodcastIn this gripping solo episode of Real Zero, Professor Tim Lenton — one of the world’s leading Earth system scientists — joins Hugh Montgomery to unpack just how close we are to climate tipping points. From collapsing ice sheets to Gulf Stream shutdowns, Tim explains why even "small" temperature rises carry catastrophic consequences for civilisation. Together they discuss why we’re not prepared, why adaptation may be impossible, and how systemic risk is grossly underestimated. But there’s hope too: Tim outlines the idea of positive tipping points and how each of us can help push the system toward rapid, transforma...
2025-07-2831 min
Real ZeroChris Van Tulleken on Meat, Methane & Misinformation | Real Zero PodcastIn this eye-opening Season 2 premiere of Real Zero, TV doctor and infectious diseases expert Dr. Chris van Tulleken joins Dan and Hugh for a searing conversation about climate change, corporate power, and the food system. Chris explains why climate collapse is already here, how the modern diet is harming both people and the planet, and why personal responsibility might be the wrong narrative. Expect furious truth-telling about processed food, meat, methane, and the fossil fuel playbook — and why real change demands more than individual action. Packed with insight, anger, and unexpected hope, this is a must-listen for anyone who ea...
2025-07-2138 min
Real ZeroClimate Change, Leadership, and Seven Actions to Save the PlanetSend us a textIn this special recap episode of Real Zero, hosts Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant reflect on the highlights, lessons, and urgent themes from Season 1. They discuss the growing climate crisis, from the latest scientific findings to the stark realities of political and economic inaction. However, the episode is also filled with hope, focusing on the tangible actions individuals, businesses, and governments can take to drive real change.Hugh and Dan revisit powerful insights from their guests, including the need to transition to renewable...
2025-01-2644 min
Real ZeroFrom Gas to Green: Why Switching Energy Suppliers Can Change the World - with Tom ParsonsSend us a textIn this episode of Real Zero, hosts Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant speak with Tom Parsons, Director at Good Energy, about the critical role of renewable energy in combating climate change. They explore how switching to genuine green energy suppliers, installing solar panels, and adopting heat pumps can significantly reduce household and business carbon emissions.Tom explains the current state of the UK energy mix, highlighting that 50% of the grid is now powered...
2025-01-1940 min
Real ZeroPlate, Planet, People: Rethinking Food in a Changing Climate with Paul NewnhamSend us a textIn this episode of Real Zero, hosts Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant are joined by Paul Newnham — global climate expert and head of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, Chef’s Manifesto, and host of the Future Fork podcast. Together, they dive into the critical intersection of climate change and global food systems, exploring how rising temperatures, unpredictable weather, and resource scarcity are putting farmers — especially in less developed regions — on the knife-edge of survival.The conversation highlights the paradox of our current food system: we overprod...
2025-01-1242 min
Real ZeroMake Your Money Matter: The Financial Power to Fight Climate Change with Tony BurdonSend us a textIn this episode of Real Zero, hosts Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant sit down with Tony Burdon, CEO of Make My Money Matter, to explore how your financial choices — from your bank account to your pension — can either drive or mitigate the climate crisis.Tony shares insights into the systemic issues in the financial world, revealing how many banks and pension funds continue to heavily fund fossil fuel companies despite the catastrophic consequences. He explains the importance of aligning inve...
2025-01-0549 min
Real ZeroReal Zero mini ep - Happy New YearSend us a textIt's new years so we're on a break, but here's a quick festive pod to recap, let you know where we're going with the rest of the series and what New Year's Resolutions to make! Some incredible episodes coming up - every Sunday. Please do like, subscribe and share!
2024-12-2905 min
Real ZeroSix Years to Change: The Economics of Climate Action with Paul EkinsSend us a textIn this episode of Real Zero, hosts Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant speak with Professor Paul Ekins, an expert in environmental economics and energy systems, about the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and the economic challenges we face in achieving this goal.They discuss the stark reality that we have just six years left before exceeding the carbon budget for the 1.5°C target — and why fossil fuel companies continue to prioritize profit over sustainability. The conversation dives into the...
2024-12-2238 min
Real ZeroDon't have nightmares - Climate Science 101Send us a textWelcome to the first episode of Real Zero! In this inaugural episode, co-hosts Dr. Daniel Grant and Professor Hugh Montgomery set the stage for the series by exploring the urgent realities of climate change. Dr. Grant, with a curious mind but limited knowledge on the topic, interviews Professor Montgomery — a leading climate expert, intensive care consultant, chair of the Lancet Commission on Climate, and founder of the non-profit Real Zero.They break down the latest climate science and news, revealing the stark truths ab...
2024-12-1155 min