Hosted by Dr. Daniel Grant and Professor Hugh Montgomery, Real Zero dives deep into the urgent issue of climate change, exploring its far-reaching consequences and what we can do to combat it. Each week, we bring in a leading expert to shed light on the science, the impacts, and the innovative solutions that can help us navigate the climate crisis. From practical steps individuals can take to bold societal shifts, Real Zero offers insightful conversations that empower listeners to take action.
Publisher
Prof Hugh Montgomery & Dr Daniel Grant | TheStealthDoctor
Why Your Clothes Might Be Worse for the Planet Than Your Car with Tom Dawson | Real Zero Podcast
We’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 you've ever worn clothes (yes, that’s all of us), this episode is for you.
22 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
Can We Still Feed 8 Billion People with Prof Paul Behrens | Real Zero Podcast
In 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 both urgent and optimistic.Whether you’re a policymaker, a parent, or just someone who eats, this is a must-listen episode.
15 Sept 2025
Climate Chaos - a military perspective with Lt General Richard Nugee | Real Zero Podcast
The 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 threat
What militaries around the world are already doing to adapt
How fossil fuel reliance weakens operational resilience
What civilian governments could learn from military planning
Why solving climate change is now a matter of survival, not sustainability
This episode goes far beyond the usual conversation — into geopolitics, defence, and disaster readiness.
8 Sept 2025
How to Feed A Warming Planet with Prof Liz Robinson | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text What 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 w...
1 Sept 2025
George Polk: We Could Fix Climate Change Tomorrow. So Why Haven’t We? | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text George 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 ge...
25 Aug 2025
Can Your Bank Save the Planet? Meet Zero's Lisa Stanley | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text Your 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 migh...
18 Aug 2025
Fixing Finance To Fix The Planet with Nick Stoop | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text 💥 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 ...
4 Aug 2025
The Urgency of Now: Climate, Money & Survival with Cameron Hepburn | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text This 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 collapse The staggering costs of inaction vs the cost of fixing the problem now Why myths about “warming being good for the economy” persist in global finance Whether the UK can truly reach “real zero” and how the world could follow ...
28 Jul 2025
Tim Lenton on Russian Roulette with the Planet | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text In 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. B...
21 Jul 2025
Chris Van Tulleken on Meat, Methane & Misinformation | Real Zero Podcast
Send us a text In 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 ...
26 Jan 2025
Climate Change, Leadership, and Seven Actions to Save the Planet
Send 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 ...
19 Jan 2025
From Gas to Green: Why Switching Energy Suppliers Can Change the World - with Tom Parsons
Send 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 ...
12 Jan 2025
Plate, Planet, People: Rethinking Food in a Changing Climate with Paul Newnham
Professor Hugh Montgomery and Dr. Daniel Grant explore with global climate expert Paul Newnham how climate change is disrupting global food systems, threatening farmers and ecosystems worldwide.
5 Jan 2025
Make Your Money Matter: The Financial Power to Fight Climate Change with Tony Burdon
Send 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 ...
29 Dec 2024
Real Zero mini ep - Happy New Year
Send 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!
22 Dec 2024
Six Years to Change: The Economics of Climate Action with Paul Ekins
Professor Paul Ekins and climate experts Hugh Montgomery and Daniel Grant discuss the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and the economic challenges of achieving a 1.5°C target before the six-year deadline.
11 Dec 2024
Don't have nightmares - Climate Science 101
Dr. Daniel Grant and Professor Hugh Montgomery explore the urgent realities of climate change, breaking down the latest science and news to empower listeners with actionable knowledge.
Inside a recent episode
Can We Still Feed 8 Billion People with Prof Paul Behrens | Real Zero Podcast
Published 22 Sept 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And if you look at all of them in the round, agriculture, drives is either the first or the last second biggest... So, it's the second biggest driver of climate change, but it might give the thirst as we continue to do the energy transition. But it's the biggest driver of biodiversity loss. The biggest driver of habitat loss is the biggest driver of nutrient pollution that actually did kill life in water, in aquatic environments. It's the biggest... Well, one of the biggest drivers of air pollution in high -income countries. Yeah. Now, as we've cleaned up from removing those coal palm stations, agriculture has now become the largest driver of air pollution in the UK and in the EU, for example. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
