Zero: The Climate Race

Bloomberg
  • 4.8 (188)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

  1. 1D AGO

    What a venture capitalist does when climate tech loses its shine

    Climate tech is not the hot investor thesis it once was a couple of years ago. After several record breaking years, and billions of dollars being poured into climate startups, venture capital investments are way down. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Mike Schroepfer, who runs Gigascale Capital, a venture firm focusing on climate investments, and used to be Meta’s chief technology officer. Schroepfer shares his views on the current investment climate, the danger of funding cuts to US research, and why demand for AI will prompt a new wave of energy innovation. Explore further: Gigascale Capital Investors Rushed to AI as Climate Tech Funding Fell 40% in 2024 - Bloomberg New Venture Capital Firms Are Facing a Disastrous Fundraising Climate - Bloomberg Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min

  2. JUN 19

    Have China’s emissions finally peaked?

    When exactly China’s emissions peak will make a big difference to the fate of the planet. That moment has come, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. A combination of factors – including a huge deployment of renewables and electrification of transport – has put China’s emissions into a structural decline. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks Myllyvirta how confident he is that this really is a peak? What’s behind the decline in emissions? And how will the trade war with the US affect China’s climate and energy policies in the years to come? Explore further: Analysis: Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time - Carbon Brief China Set to Reach Peak Emissions Before 2030, Ex-Official Says - Bloomberg China’s Solar Industry Gathers as Gloom Deepens Over Demand — Bloomberg Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min

  3. JUN 12

    There aren’t enough cables to meet rising electricity demand: Bottlenecks Series

    High-voltage electricity cables are in huge demand around the world, so much so that a lack of cabling has become a bottleneck throttling the clean energy transition. So why are cable manufacturers so hesitant to expand? Also, how are these giant cables made? And is China about to eat everyone's lunch? Claes Westerlind, chief executive officer of cable manufacturing company NKT, joins Zero to discuss. This is the third episode in Bottlenecks, a series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future. Explore further: Previous episode in Bloomberg Green’s Bottleneckes series:  How a Shortage of Transformers Threatens Electricity Supply There Aren’t Enough Engineers to Meet World’s Growing Hunger for Power Electric Cable Companies Are Making a Killing From Green Energy Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  4. JUN 5

    A skilled worker shortage is becoming an ‘existential’ problem for the energy transition: Bottlenecks Series

    Western economies need to electrify and fast, but where are all the skilled workers going to come from to install the heat pumps, solar panels and batteries needed? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Olivia Rudgard about the shortage of labor in electrification industries, and why some experts are calling it an ‘existential’ crisis. This is the second episode in Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future. Explore further: Read the Big Take: There Aren't Enough Engineers to Meet the World's Growing Hunger for Power Previous episode in Zero’s Bottleneckes series: How a Shortage of Transformers Threatens Electricity Supply Northvolt Hits End of Line After Failing to Reach Rescue Deal Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min

  5. MAY 29

    The device throttling the world’s electrified future: Bottlenecks Series

    To slash emissions fast, the formula is simple: electrify everything and clean up the grid. But in practice, progress is slowed by all sorts of bottlenecks — from arcane permitting processes to sky-high electricity costs. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with producer Oscar Boyd to spotlight a surprising culprit slowing the transition: a global shortage of transformers, and why it has industry insiders so worried. This episode kicks off Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our electrified future.  Explore further: The One Device Throttling the World’s Electrified Future The Device That Brought Down Heathrow Airport Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  6. MAY 21

    How carbon removal pioneer Climeworks is tackling its first major layoff

    Scientists are clear that meeting climate goals means ending carbon pollution and drawing down excess CO2 from the air. That’s why carbon-removal technologies have proliferated over the past decade. But with the US government slashing climate incentives and programs, some companies are being forced to cut costs. This week Akshat Rathi speaks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder of Climeworks, a startup that pulls carbon dioxide from the air, about its first major layoffs and what the future holds for the most expensive climate solution. Explore further: Climeworks Is Cutting 22% of Staff as US Climate Backlash Hits Carbon Removal Past Zero episode on carbon removal with Professor Jennifer Wilcox Big Bets on Speculative Carbon Capture Tech Ignore Today’s Solutions Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. This episode was produced by Sommer Saadi and Robert Williams. Special thanks to: Coco Liu, Michelle Ma, Brian Kahn and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min

  7. MAY 15

    A trillion-dollar fund manager on climate investing in 2025

    Low-carbon tech investments reached $2.1 trillion last year. But with the whole world trying to work out how to navigate US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policy agenda, is 2025 still a good time to invest in climate tech? This week on Zero Akshat Rathi interviews Greg Wasserman, head of private company climate investment at Wellington Management, which  oversees more than $1 trillion in assets. Wasserman has to make investment decisions here and now about companies and technologies — weighing risks and opportunities in a volatile market.  Explore further: Trump’s Big Oil Era Means Green Bargains for Investors  Companies Pivot From Climate Talk to 'Greenhushing' in Trump Era Why ESG Faces Backlash and Its Future Under Trump 2.0 GOP to Phase Out Biden Energy Credits to Pay for Tax Cuts Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jess Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Amanda Kolson Hurley and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  8. MAY 8

    How Australia’s natural resources will shape global emissions

    Australia is in a unique place when it comes to the energy transition. It is the world’s largest exporter of coal and a leading exporter of gas, yet has set a target to reduce emissions by 43% and have 82% renewable electricity by 2030. It is also caught  juggling relations between the US, its military ally, and China, its biggest trading partner — as the two superpowers fight over trade. It is an unenviable challenge for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has just been voted back into the office with an impressive new majority and also wants Australia to host the COP31 climate summit in 2026. This week, David Stringer, Bloomberg Green's managing editor in Asia, joins Zero to unpack Albanese’s full agenda and what his re-election means for Australia’s climate ambitions. Explore further: Australian PM’s Next Campaign Is to Secure COP31 Climate Talks - Bloomberg China Slowdown Has Australia’s Economy Under Pressure, Chalmers Says - Bloomberg Trump Backlash Helps Australia’s Leader to Historic Re-Election - Bloomberg  Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jessica Beck, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
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4.8
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About

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

Information

  • Channel
    Bloomberg
  • Creator
    Bloomberg
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    175
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    Zero: The Climate Race
  • Provider
    Bloomberg L.P.

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