Podcast
Climate calling
Hosted by SBS · EN
Make sense of the latest news about climate change and the environment, with reports and interviews from the SBS News team. Hear the story behind the headline.
24episodes
Episodes
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Seven dead, officials on alert as Europe swelters through spring that feels like summer
1w ago00:04:09Tap to summarizeAuthorities in France say at least seven people have died due to unseasonably warm temperatures, while for the second day in a row, the UK has recorded a new record high for May. Much of Western Europe is still dealing with a pre-summer heatwave, leading to health warnings across the continent.Authorities in France say at least seven people have died due to unseasonably warm temperatures, while for the second day in a row, the UK has recorded a new record high for May.Much of Western Europe is still dealing with a pre-summer heatwave, leading to health warnings across the continent.
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Conservation protest takes aim at "needless" harvesting on Great Barrier Reef
2w ago00:04:28Tap to summarizeAustralia is home to the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, but conservationists say it's also the country's largest coral fishery. The sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef has been the subject of discussion among environmentalists for quite some time. Now, a group of conservationists have resorted to an unconventional method of putting the spotlight on the situation.
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INTERVIEW: Vanuatu's minister for Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu
Apr 1500:09:29Tap to summarizeVanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, has emerged as one of the Pacific’s most influential and principled public figures, combining political leadership with cultural advocacy and a sustained commitment to climate justice. In an exclusive interview with SBS, he said that current issues with fuel security and supply wouldn’t influence the negotiations between Australia and Vanuatu to finalise the Nakamal agreement. The treaty, initialed in August last year but not finalised, aims to enhance economic, security and cultural cooperation between the two countries. He told SBS’s Rayane Tamer that the current fuel crisis presents Australia with a unique opportunity to become an alternative energy superpower
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INTERVIEW: The Cocos Islands will soon become uninhabitable; but what happens to the residents?
Apr 1000:14:42Tap to summarizeA remote Australian outpost more than 3,000 kilometres from Perth, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are facing an uncertain future. Climate modelling predicts the low-lying atoll, home to around 600 residents, could become uninhabitable within 50 years. About 460 of those residents are Cocos Malays, whose ancestors were brought to the islands generations ago as indentured labourers by the Clunies-Ross family, paid in company-issued tokens. Despite that history, the community has preserved a distinct culture and way of life that endures today. Following a United Nations-supervised vote in the 1980s, the Cocos Malays chose to integrate with Australia. Since that time, it is the isolation that has helped preserve the islands unique cultural identity. In this extended edition of Weekend One on One, Federal Minister for Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain speaks with SBS’s Christopher Tan, following the release of the Government’s Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan — the final report assessing the threats facing the Cocos Islands.
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How the tale of one possum reveals threats to thousands of Aussie species
Feb 1700:06:44Tap to summarizeAustralia’s unique wildlife is facing an escalating extinction crisis, driven primarily by climate change and compounded by habitat loss. 34 new species of plants and animals have been added to the government's threatened species list this February, including the lemuroid ringtail possum - native to north Queensland's Wet Tropics region. Researchers say urgent climate action and stronger environmental protections are critical to prevent further irreversible loss of Australia's signature biodiversity.
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INTERVIEW: What needs to happen to bring the Murray Darling Basin back to health?
Feb 1400:11:51Tap to summarizeThe Murray Darling Basin management plan is currently under review. Public submissions on a discussion paper [[see it here: https://www.mdba.gov.au/publications-and-data/publications/2026-basin-plan-review-discussion-paper]] are being accepted until 1 May 2026, as authorities determine their next steps in managing Australia's biggest river ecosystem. SBS has spoken with the national director of the Murray Darling Conservation Alliance, Craig Wilkins, about what those next steps should be.
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INTERVIEW: SBS talks to Mildura's mayor on managing heatwaves, and overcoming climate change scepticism
Feb 600:13:36Tap to summarizeThe far northwestern city of Mildura is used to hot summers. But in January, the city and surrounds sweltered through an unusual heatwave, with temperatures breaking records throughout the region. SBS' Deborah Groarke spoke with the mayor of Mildura, Ali Cupper, on how the Council deals with hot weather, and its concerns around how worsening climate change patterns might affect its residents and agricultural economy.
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Mildura has already broken heatwave records. As climate change advances, what comes next?
Feb 400:11:13Tap to summarizeFor many in Australia's south-east, the day after Australia Day brought sweltering conditions and record temperatures. In Mildura, in Victoria's far northwest, the mercury hit 48.6 Celsius. And when coastal areas enjoyed a reprieve, the inland still had to cope with an extended heatwave that lasted a week. Experts say these kinds of phenomena are going to intensify over time because of the impacts of climate change - but while there has been plenty of coverage of how that impacts on urban centres, regional Australia has not received the same attention. SBS visited Mildura to see how the region felt the heat, and what they're doing to cope with climate change at a local level.
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Australia’s summers being transformed as climate change drives heatwaves
Jan 2300:06:02Tap to summarizeAustralian summers are undergoing what scientists call a "total transformation," with a new study from World Weather Attribution revealing the country can now expect heatwaves every five years on average. The study's researchers say climate change made Australia's blistering heatwave in early January five times more likely, and there's an urgent need for the country to adapt to changed conditions. The warning comes as the country's south-eastern states prepare for what's forecast to be a prolonged, severe heatwave starting this weekend.
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Climate report warns of increasingly extreme weather
Jan 1500:05:07Tap to summarizeThe European Union's latest annual climate report reveals last year was the world's third-hottest on record. The report also finds the global three-year average has warmed by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius for the first time, a threshold scientists warn dramatically increases the risk of extreme weather events. Climate experts say while the findings are troubling, China and India have made notable improvements in reducing emissions.
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