We take the pulse of the planet for 2025 with our key themes on climate, nature and nuclear.

Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

New year, new format, where we spice things up with a deeper look at the challenges and opportunities in the environmental sector, controversies and differing points of view.

In this episode, hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty dive into three key themes for 2025: Climate, nature and nuclear.

They examine key questions, including: After the hottest years on record in 2023 and 2024, what will 2025 bring? Will the worsening extreme weather jolt governments into action? Or will it be another year of missed opportunities?

Will the resurgent interest in nuclear really take off? Or will the realities of high costs and long construction timelines cool interest?

Is this the year for nature conservation – on land and the oceans – to finally get a big boost in funding? Or are we leaving things too late given the ceaseless destruction of forests, overfishing and the pollution of air, rivers and seas?

Audrey is more hopeful, David is more cautious. But both agree: We really have to talk much more about climate change and nature despite all the other gloomy news out there. It really is a matter of survival.