There are protests and promises at this year’s UN climate conference, which is in full swing now in Brazil’s rainforest. Can the international spotlight lead to real change for the threatened ecosystem? We examine a new plan to pay countries for preserving tropical forests, and hear calls from Indigenous leaders and an advocate to scale back oil and gas development in the Amazon.

If Arnold Schwarzenegger tells you to fight climate change, are you going to listen? He has joined Pope Leo XIV and other religious leaders in challenging the faithful to demand their governments take substantive steps to “terminate” harmful emissions. A Canadian Cardinal who helped craft Vatican climate policy and a Muslim scholar who worked on an Islamic climate declaration, explain how religion should compel people to protect the planet.

Can Canada have it all when it comes to fighting climate change and fossil fuel extraction? That appears to be the goal in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget. But Climate Minister Julie Dabrusin says Canada still has cred in the fight to lower emissions, as she heads to the UN’s climate conference in Brazil. Then, we hear what’s at stake as the world gathers in the Amazon rainforest for COP30, and what climate leadership looks like in 2025.

When Rick and Lori Findlay decided to divest from fossil fuels, their advisor told them they couldn’t get the returns they wanted. The Toronto-based couple wants their money choices to both reflect their values and ensure financial stability. Producer Molly Segal follows their story and gets tips on how to make your money work for you and the climate.

As Jamaica moves to rebuild after the storm, the world prepares to gather for its annual climate conference. And amid the stories of death and destruction, Caribbean nations are urging richer countries to help them adapt to climate change. We hear from climate leaders in the Caribbean about what Jamaica is doing to safeguard itself against hurricanes, and why more is needed from world leaders at COP30.

Wasted food has a climate cost bigger than the aviation industry. So how can we toss less – and feed hungry people at the same time? We meet someone who’s made it a mission to eat everything she buys, including scraps you might not have ever considered saving for later. Then, we head out with a charity that collects leftover food from grocery stores and passes it along to people in need. And, we hear what’s needed for Canada to meet its promise to cut food waste in half by 2030.

You might have heard that using a chatbot to write an email can use a cup of water. So how much water do the new AI data centres being built in Canada use? CBC’s Jonathan Montpetit wanted to find out. Instead, he found a murky business with little oversight. But there’s also growing opposition to big tech companies using public drinking water, just as climate change makes water more precious than ever.

For the past decade, Canadians have been split 50/50 on new pipelines — that has changed. Two recent opinion polls found roughly three quarters of eligible voters in Canada want at least one new pipeline built to export more fossil fuels. Yet, 70 per cent of people consider climate change a serious threat. IDEAS producer Tom Howell explores the incompatibilities and future scenarios.

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