I like listening to podcasts about climate solutions. Podcasts about climate tech, energy and the grid, decarbonization, renewables and the battle against fossil fuels. Most are about market-based climate solutions and what’s happening in the market. But they all also veer into politics, policy and other areas – often with a sense of humor and adventure.
If you want to learn more about climate, here’s some great podcasts to start with:
Volts.wtf by David Roberts
Volts.wtf is the podcast I’ve spent the most time with this past year. David Roberts, a former reporter for Vox and Grist, does an amazing job finding awesome guests who cover every aspect of climate and the energy transition. He has good questions, insightful commentary, a positive attitude and a sense of humor. Most Volts.wtf content is free but you can also subscribe to support Roberts’ work.
Energy Insiders by Renew Economy
Energy Insiders is an Australian podcast hosted by Giles Parkinson and friends, covering the energy transition in Australia and beyond. I like it for a few reasons: 1) these guys are really funny, when I can understand their accents; 2) Australia’s at the leading edge of a lot of climate stuff including renewables penetration, solar, storage, etc; 3) These guys know what they’re talking about, and get out in the field to find interesting people to talk to. The content is free, though you can also donate.
Catalyst with Shayle Kann
Catalyst is a climate tech podcast hosted by investor Shayle Kann, in conjunction with Canary Media, the non-profit newsroom affiliated with energy think tank RMI. Kann is a VC who formerly built Green Tech Media, so he’s well connected, gets good guests, and knows where the bodies are buried. He’s probably more focused on ‘following the money’ than other podcasts on this list. The podcast is free.
My Climate Journey by MCJ Collective
My Climate Journey, hosted by Jason Jacobs and Cody Simms, focuses on early stage climate tech innovation, as well as broader climate issues. It’s people-focused: the episodes go into a lot of detail on the guest’s personal backgrounds, motivations etc, if you’re into that. And they get a wide variety of interesting guests, including tons of climate tech entrepreneurs. The podcast is free.
Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder
The Energy Transition Show is the geekiest and most in-depth climate podcast I listen to… but worth it for it’s depth and geekiness! It’s also the only premium podcast on this list; to get the full episodes, you have to pay $60/year. A longtime energy analyst and consultant with a huge network, Chris Nelder can talk big picture or minute detail with just about anyone. Worth the money, as long as you’re really interested in the topics.