We’re in the middle of a heatwave that’s smashing temperature records across Europe. Earlier this year, lethal heatwaves devastated India and Pakistan. Wildlife populations are in ‘catastrophic decline.’
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is dismantling US climate progress and attacking environmental groups – all of which has pushed the climate conversation to the margins in my home country.
So when I got the chance, I decided to go straight to one of the world’s leading climate science institutions to get the scoop on what’s actually happening in our earth system right now – and what we can do about it.
My podcast guest today is Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and one of the world’s pre-eminent climate scientists. He is responsible for co-creating the ‘planetary boundaries’ framework, which defines the environmental limits within which humanity can safely operate.
His work is the scientific foundation for much of the new economic thinking I’ve explored on this show – for example, the planetary boundaries are the outer ring of Kate Raworth’s doughnut economics model and the scientific floor beneath Jason Hickel’s work on economic growth.
So if you listen to this podcast, you’ve already been living inside his ideas – and today’s episode is a chance to hear directly from him on the current state of the earth system and what the future might look like. Our discussion covers why the climate crisis is no longer a purely environmental or moral issue, but a question of security, resilience, and prosperity. We also dive into the nine planetary boundaries – what they are, how many we’ve breached – and the ecological tipping points we are approaching within the earth system. We end with a discussion of the path forward, including needed transformations across our energy and food systems – and how some countries are starting to lead the way toward a better future.
What stayed with me most is that Johan isn’t in despair – he believes the safe path and the smart path are now the same path, and that the solutions are already starting to win the battle for the hearts and minds of the citizens of the world.
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Here are a few links to papers or resources mentioned in our conversation:
Johan references the second EAT-Lancet Commission report, which found that the way we produce and consume food is now the single largest cause of breaching planetary boundaries: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01201-2/abstract
He also references this Nature paper on the combined role of climate change and deforestation in pushing the Amazon rainforest across a potential tipping point: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10456-0
At the end of our conversation, we discuss the Second Conference for the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, which is happening next year in Tuvalu: https://transitionawayconference.com/
I’m deeply grateful for Johan’s work, and the continued work of climate scientists around the world. Be sure to follow Johan on LinkedIn and X, and follow the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
As always, you can find Better Future here or on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. You can watch all our clips on Instagram.
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As always, stay curious – and stay hopeful.
See you soon.
-Michael
Better Future covers the ideas and movements helping steer the world toward a more just & sustainable future. If you believe we need clearer thinking and more inspiration for how to make this vision a reality, please become a paid subscriber. Your support will go directly towards producing more conversations like this one.
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